Sacred Journey of the Noblewoman
In Japanese texts from the Heian period, pilgrimages are called monomode 物詣 (from mozu 詣 づ, to go to a place that is revered highly, especially to a temple or a shrine; believed to have developed from maizu 参出づ) or 参 (to go a place that is revered highly, especially to a temple or a shrine). (Ambros, 1997) Going on a sacred journey to visit a temple and shrine was popular among the elite class in the Heian period.
However, as both genders went on their journeys to a sanctuary frequently, their destinations, purposes, and so on differ in various ways. Miracle temples are temples well-known for their miracle efficacy and are the preferred destinations for the elites. Within the variety of the miracle temples, only three sects including Tendai, Shingon, and Hosso were popular among noblewomen, while male elites had a broader opportunity of the listed three sects that are popular among female elites as well as other great temples. The narrow choices of destination for noblewomen revealed the gendered equality in Heian Japan. One of the most significant reasons why noblewomen could not go on a journey to some great temples is because women were considered polluted in the Heian period and they were not allowed to enter such sacred areas. However, being unable to enter these temples is not just a restriction to the Heian female elites, it also refuses the right of female commoners, and as a result, all females are an unpure force that may pollute the sacred lands. All females in Heian Japan were considered unpure, showing the gendered nature under the influences of the widespread Buddhism concepts. Another activity that noblewomen must do before going on a sacred journey was to experience a period of abstinence in order to accomplish the process of purification. According to Ukifune in the Tale of Genji, she finally became ritually pure after her fast of observing only special retreats with a special diet of no fish and no meat to complete the purification. The concept of this unpure feature of women continued for hundreds of years to influence the social status of both female elites and commoners, maintaining the gendered nature between men and women.
