"To Tread on High Clouds": Dreams of Eternal Youth in Early Japan

Abstract

engaged in a variety of practices dedicated to obtaining longevity. Although most of these had continental roots, Japanese courtiers selected and adapted methods to suit their particular social and political circumstances. In particular, they were interested in finding a means not only to prolong life, but also to stave off the marks of senescence-to attain youthful, "ageless" longevity. To understand the unique features and significance of early Japanese longevity practices requires attention to their broader cultural and religio-political contexts. In particular, it is important to consider them in connection with the symbolic uses of the body in some of the dominant political ideologies of the day. The early Japanese court employed an eclectic set of strategies to legitimate the "heavenly sovereign" or Tennō, including many that linked royal virtue to long life and health. Other strategies involved a range of symbolic practices that projected an image of the Tennō as an ever-vital, deathless being. These tropes were also reflected in early Japanese literature, in which the imperial court was commonly portrayed as an incorruptible zone of vitality likened to a land of immortals. This article sets out to examine ritual and ceremonial practices as well as the use of elixirs and other "magical medicines" in light of this political and cultural milieu. It concludes with an examination of early Japanese legends that further illustrate the early Japanese fascination with the prospect, not just of longevity, but of prolonged vitality or a miraculous return to youth.