Isonokami Shrine

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Isonokami Shrine (Isonokami Jingu) Festivals

***** Location: Nara
***** Season: Various
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation



quote
Isonokami Shrine 石上神宮, Isonokami-jinguu,
also 石上布都御魂神社 Isonokami-futsu-no-mitama-jinja,
布留大明神 Furu-ōmyojin, etc
is a Shinto shrine located in the hills of Tenri in Nara prefecture, Japan.
It is one of the oldest extant Shinto shrines in Japan and has housed several significant artifacts.

Isonokami shrine was highly regarded in the ancient era, and frequented by many members of the imperial family. It played a pivotal role in Japan's early history, especially during the 3rd to 5th centuries.

The shrine is at the northern end of the Yamanobe no michi, the oldest road in Japan.

... It is unknown which kami was initially worshipped at Isonokami shrine.

Isonokami Shrine was supposedly built on the 7th year of Sujin's reign, or the year 4 AD. However, there is little record of Sujin's existence or identity, and therefore the claim is deemed legendary. The construction of a structure that can be identified as a Shinto shrine in the Isonokami area probably dates two or three centuries later. Despite this, it is not unlikely that the Isonokami area was considered a sacred site during that time, as archeological digs have found many ritual objects, and Isonokami worship was already firmly established when they were adopted by the Yamato leaders in the 4th century.

... Isonokami shrine is surrounded by Japanese cedar (sugi), and is known for its quiet solemnity. A waka poem from the Man'yōshū anthology mentions Isonokami shrine, surrounded by holy cedar trees.

... The main enshrined dedication is to Futsu-no-mitama, the kami of a legendary sword (futsu-no-mitama-no-tsurugi) that was purportedly used by Emperor Jimmu, the first Emperor of Japan. However, the supposed sword itself is not in Isonokami shrine, but in Kashima Shrine, Ibaraki.

... The Nanatsusaya-no-Tachi 七支刀 , a seven-branched sword, is housed in Isonokami shrine.

... The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi 草薙剣 , a legendary sword, is also said to be kept at Isonokami shrine. It is one of the three Imperial Regalia of Japan. According to the Kojiki, the sword was used by the god Susanoo to slay the Yamata-no-Orochi, a giant serpent with eight heads and eight tails. Unfortunately, priests at the shrine will not allow anyone to see or inspect the sword.


Tokusa no Kandakara 十種神宝（とくさのかんだから）
Ten treasures brought by Amenohiboko are thought to be housed in Isonokami shrine. According to the Nihon Shoki, Amenohiboko was a prince from Korea who settled in Japan. The ten treasures he brought are known as the Tokusa-no-Kandakara, and they are as follows:

Okitsu-kagami (A mirror)
Hetsu-kagami (A mirror)
Yatsuka-no-tsurugi (A sword)
Iku-tama (A jewel)
Makarukaheshi-tama (A jewel)
Taru-tama (A jewel)
Chikaheshi-no-tama (A jewel)
Orochi-no-hire (A type of long scarf worn by women)
Hachi-no-hire (A type of long scarf worn by women)
Kusagusa-no-mono-no-hire (A type of long scarf worn by women)

The 10 Treasures and
. Tamaki Jinja 玉置神社 .

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The Seven-Branched Sword:
The Mystical Ceremonial Sword of Japan



The Seven-Branched Sword is so called because of the three branch-like protrusions extending on each side of the sword’s main body. Together with the tip of the central blade, they make up seven ‘branches’. This sword measures at 74.9 cm (2.5 feet) in length, and is made of iron. As the ‘branches’ appear to be quite delicate, and their functionality in melee combat doubtful, it is unlikely that the Seven-Branched Sword was used as a military weapon. Instead, it probably had a ceremonial function. This may be supported by the inscription, which is inlaid with gold, on the central blade.

A translation of the inscription is as follows,

First Side: “On May 16th, the 4th year of Tae-hwa [or on April 16th, the 4th year of T’ai-ho], the day of Byeong-O at noon, this seven-branched sword was manufactured with hundred-times-wrought iron. As this sword has a magical power to rout the enemy, it is sent [bestowed] to the king of a vassal state. Manufactured by xxxx.”

Second Side: “Never has there been such a sword. Thinking of longevity, the king of Baekje [or the Crown Prince of Baekje who owes his life to the august King] had this sword made for the king of Wa [or the king of vassal state].
Hope that it be transmitted and shown to posterity (傳示後世).”
- See more at:
- source : ancient-origins.net -

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Annual celebrations

歳旦祭 Japanese New Year (January 1)

元始祭 Genji-sai (January 3)

古神符焼納祭 Furufudatakiage-sai (January 15)

玉の緒祭 Tama-no-o-sai (Night before Setsubun)
節分祭 Setsubun

祈年祭 Kinen-sai (February 19) としごいのまつり
With prayers for a good harvest of the five grains.

献燈講講社大祭 Kentōkōkōsha-ōmatsuri
(First Sunday of each month)

春季大祭 Shunki-ōmatsuri (April 15) great spring festival

長寿講社春季大祭 Chōjukōsha-shunki-ōmatsuri (May 3)

神剣渡御祭（でんでん祭） Denden Festival
(June 30)

大祓式 Ōharae-shiki (June 30 and December 31)
Great purification rituals in June and December

崇敬会大祭 Sūkei-kai-ōmatsuri
(First Sunday of each month)

榜示浚神事 Boujisarae-shinji (October 1)

例祭（ふるまつり）Furumatsuri (October 15)

長寿講社秋季大祭 Chōjukōsha-shūki-ōmatsuri (November 3)

鎮魂祭 Chinkon-sai (November 22)

新嘗祭 Niiname-no-matsuri (November 23)
Harvest thanksgiving

お火焚祭 Ohitaki-sai (December 8)
Great Fire Festival

天長祭 The Emperor's Birthday (December 23)

神庫祭 Hokura-matsuri (December 31)

除夜祭 New Year's Eve (December 31)

月次祭 Tsukinami-no-matsuri
(Every 1st and 15th day of the month)

©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


In a compound of this shrine, is the small shrine

Furu no Miya 布留の宮

Other Japanese versions are
石上振神宮、石上坐布都御魂神社、石上布都御魂神社、石上布都大神社、石上神社、石上社、布留社、岩上大明神、布留大明神.

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June 30
Denden Matsuri でんでん祭り

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quote
十種神宝
Tokusanokamudakara / Tokusa no kamu dakara

Also read jusshu jinpō.
According to the "original record of the heavenly grandchild" (Tenson hongi) in Sendai kuji hongi, these were the "ten kinds of heavenly-emblem sacred treasures" (amatsushirushi mizutakara tokusa) bestowed by the "heavenly ancestor" (amatsu mioya) on Nigihayahi no mikoto, ancestral tutelary (sojin) of the Mononobe clan, at the time of his descent from the Plain of High Heaven (Takamanohara).

　　The ten treasures or regalia consisted of
the Okitsukagami ("Mirror of the Deep"),
the Hetsukagami ("Mirror of the Shore"),
the Yatsukatsurugi ("Sword Eight-Hands Long"),

the Ikutama ("Jewel of Life"),
the Makaru kaeshi no tama ("Jewel of Resuscitation"),
the Tarutama ("Jewel of Plenty"),
the Chikaeshi no tama ("Jewel of Turning Back on the Road"),

the Orochi no hire ("Snake[-repelling] Scarf"),
the Hachi no hire ("Bee[-repelling] Scarf"), and
the Kusagusa no mono no hire ("Scarf [to ward off] Various Things").

These ten are subdivided into the four classes of swords, mirrors, jewels, and scarves.
The inclusion of scarves (hire) is significant; thought to have been an article of ancient dress, hire were believed to have magical power. According to Ryō no shūge, spirit pacification ceremonies (chinkonsai) were performed by waving these scarves. The other treasures had similar characteristics.

In the aforementioned Tenson hongi portion of the Sendai kuji hongi, the heavenly ancestor instructs that in the event of difficulty, illness, or other need to dispel evil, one should chant the names of the ten regalia while flourishing the objects, and the desired effect will immediately appear in response to one's wish. In short, the regalia were viewed as possessing magical properties, and when used in ritual had the nature of implements of exorcism or purification.
source : Okada Yoshiyuki, 2005, Kokugakuin

瀛都鏡(おきつかがみ)・辺都鏡(へつかがみ)・八握剣(やつかのつるぎ)
生玉(いくたま)・足玉(たるたま)・死反玉(まかるかえしたま)・道反玉(ちがえしのたま)
蛇比礼(へびのひれ)・蜂比礼(はちのひれ)・品物比礼(くさもののひれ)


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way

sacred cedar tree of Furu, Isonokami 布留の神杉
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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HAIKU

布留の宮通り抜けゆく実梅籠
Furu no Miya toorinukeyuku miume kago

shrine Furu no Miya -
a basket with ripe plums
passes along

Matsui Toshi 松井トシ
source :　NHK Haiku

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Related words

***** . WKD : Main Index 　


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Ondeko Drummers Sado

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. Sadogashima 佐渡島 Sado Island - Introduction .
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Sado Province 佐渡国 - see below

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Demon's Drums (ondeko)

***** Location: Sado Island
***** Season: Mid-Summer
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

ondeko 鬼太鼓 (おんでこ) Demon's Drums
... onidaiko, oni daiko 鬼太鼓（おにだいこ）

June 25
(Nowadays it is also held on April 13 - 15.

Main festival at the temple Kanmeiji 管明寺 in Sado.



Drummers clad as black and white demons with lion masks perform dramatic drum percussions.




The temple is famous for its two large statues of Fudo Myo-O.

source : Kanmei-Ji Homepage
〒952-0108　
新潟県佐渡市上新穂659番地　ＴＥＬ　0259-22-2257


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quote
A Brief History of the Ondeko (Demon Drum Dance)
of Sado Island, Japan

In spite of the fame and popularity of the traditional performing art of Sado Island known as Oni-daiko (also called Ondeko, the demon drum dance) relatively little is known about its origins.

One story is that in the year 877, during the reign of Emperor Yozei, a Buddhist monk's dance was introduced to the Noto peninsula near Sado Island from China. Another version has it that it originated from the Tang Lion's Dance - also from China - in the 8th Century. It gradually transformed into the Demon Drum Dance as it made its way to Sado.

Today there are about 110 Oni-daiko groups on Sado, classified into 3 genres.
The Aikawa type (northern) includes the dance of an old man called mamemaki who scatters beans for good luck from a wooden measuring box. In the Kuninaka (central) variety, there are black and white demons (oni) dancing with 2 lions, and in the Maehama (southern) style, 2 demons dance together to the accompaniment of flute and drum. There are many variations in the dancing styles, but all have in common masked demons dancing to drums.




Funashimo Onidaiko 佐渡舟下鬼太鼓

Sometime between 1716 and 1735 Kiyofusa Ukyo Homma arranged the choreography of a Noh dance into a demon drum dance. At the Katagami Ushio shrine he encouraged the local residents to take part. These are the roots of Fanashimo Ondeko. In the late 1850's Rokusuke Sekiguchi - feeling the dancing style had degenerated - went to Kyoto to study traditional court dance and after teaching 3 generations of pupils, the Katagami style of Ondeko evolved. The Kuninaka style is based on this and it spread throughout the central plain of Sado over the next 60 years or so. In the Taisho period (1912-1925) a talented native of Funashimo embellished the dance, bringing it close to how we know it today. Funashimo Onidaiko is also called the 'Shishi Oni Daiko' because both shishi (lions) and oni (demons) appear.

Every year on April 13,
on the day of the Hiyoshi Shrine festival,
Hiyoshi Jinja 日吉神社
the troupe move from door to door in the hamlet driving off evil spirits and praying for an abundant harvest. At night they perform one last dance to the gods of the Hiyoshi Shrine in Niibo, after which a portable shrine (mikoshi) leaves the sacred compound to travel through the village to offer protection. The children of the village strike up a band called the Sagariha.

The Funashimo Ondeko group is made up of two people to carry the drum decorated in bamboo leaves and paper lanterns, three rhythm drummers, a male and female demon, and two lions played by two people each. The fearsome demon masks may have originated in Noh theatre or other classical performing arts, but have evolved into their own unique style which vary from troupe to troupe in colour and design. There is a variety of drumbeats played throughout the dance: toyose (stirring), michibiki (guiding), uchikomi (striking), uchikiri (closing), kurebachi ('kure' sticks), hayabachi (fast sticks) and modori taiko (returning drum). Revellers love watching and listening to the variation in drumming styles between the violence when the male demon dances and the softer touch for the female dance.

The Ondeko set begins with the toyose. The demon enters dancing and gradually approaches the drum. When the beat changes to hayabachi the dance becomes wilder. Two lions then emerge and attack the demon, trying to keep him or her from the drum. While fighting off the lions the demon struggles to reach the drum. The degree of skill and dramatic flare with which this heroic struggle is portrayed separates the great dancer from the good.

According to the elders of Funashimo, the Ondeko was formerly only performed on the official festival day. In 1924 however, an exception was made when it was performed at the reception of a group of luminaries including musicologist Hisao Tanabe, poet and novelist Keigetsu Omachi and Prince Kuninomiya After the performance Mr. Tanabe was so enthused he helped spread the word. On April 15th, at the 5th Annual National Folk Performance Contest, Funashimo Onidaiko performed at the Nihon Seinen Kaikan in Tokyo and since that date the demons have been allowed to perform in public on days other than the festival.

It has been 18 years since the the official name of the group was changed from The Young Men's Association, to The Preservation Group. In spite of the keen interest in and support for the group, it hasn't been easy to preserve this and other folk groups in the face of the radical change Japan has known since the war. This is an on-going effort kindled by the passion of each new young generation under the guiding hand of those who have gone before.
source : ondeko.blog

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Thanks to the support of many friends, the Kodo Cultural Foundation was established in 1997 in order to increase the range of activities Kodo could engage in on their home of Sado Island.
佐渡鼓童

source : Kodo




Ondekoza 鬼太鼓座


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Sado Province (佐渡国, Sado-koku)
was a province of Japan until 1871; since then, it has been a part of Niigata Prefecture. It lies on the eponymous Sado Island, off the coast of Niigata Prefecture (or in the past, Echigo Province).

Sado was famous for mine silver and gold there. In the Kamakura Period, the province was granted to the Honma clan from Honshū, and they continued to dominate Sado until 1589, when Uesugi Kagekatsu of Echigo Province took over the island. The Tokugawa shoguns later made Sado a personal fief after Sekigahara, and assumed direct control of its mines.

Since 2004 Sado city has comprised the entire island.


Exile in Sado -　流人 an exiled person
When direct control from mainland Japan started around the 8th century, the island's remoteness meant that it soon became a place of banishment for difficult or inconvenient Japanese figures. Exile to remote locations such as Sado was a very serious punishment, second only to the death penalty, and people were not expected to return.

The earliest known dissident to be condemned to exile on Sadogashima was a poet, Hozumi no Asomi Oyu (穂積朝臣老). He was sent to the island in 722, reportedly for having criticized the Emperor.

The former Emperor Juntoku was sent to Sado after his role in the Jōkyū War of 1221. The disgraced Emperor survived twenty years on the island before his death; and because he was sent to Sado, this emperor is known posthumously as Sado-no-in (佐渡院). He is buried in the Mano Goryo mausoleum on the west coast.

The Buddhist monk Nichiren Daishonin was sent to Sado for three years before his 1274 pardon.
The Noh dramatist Zeami Motokiyo was exiled on unspecified charges in 1434.
The last banishment in Sado took place in 1700, almost a millennium after the first.

Gold mine
Sado experienced a sudden economic boom during the Edo era when gold was found in 1601 at Aikawa (相川). A major source of revenue for the Tokugawa shogunate, the mines were worked in very severe conditions.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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ふんどしに 棒つきのいる 佐渡の山
fundoshi ni bootsuki no iru Sado no yama

people clad in loincloth
and people with a long stick 
at Sado Mountain

To make sure the workers did not smuggle any gold out of the mines, there were guards at the entrance/exit.




- source : b-spot.seesaa.net/article


. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu in Edo .


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More festivals in Sado

. . . . . SPRING
Mano Park Cherry Blossom Festival
Sado Toki Marathon
Okesa Hana no Ran
Donden Highland Spring Festival
Sponichi Sado Long Ride cycling
Sadokoku Ondeko Dot Com

. . . . . SUMMER
Sado Kanzo Festival
Gold Mine Festival
Kakusanmaru Festival
Akadomari Port Festival
Earth Celebration
Ogi Port Festival

. . . . . Autumn
Sado Island Long Distance Triathlon
Sado Hill Climb
Oni-Daiko in Niibo and Toki Yubae Ichi
Momijiyama Maple Festival
Osaki Soba Party

. . . . . Winter
Sado Kaifu Winter Yellowtail Bumper Catch Festival
Setchu Toshikoshi Mikoshi
Do-Oshi
Kobie Jinja Ta-asobi Shinji
Lake Kamoko Oyster Festival
source : sado-biyori.com


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


Food specialities from Sado Island

suketo no okijiru スケトウの沖汁　/ スケトの沖汁
halibutt soup on the boat

yukinori, yuki nori　雪海苔　"snow-nori"
いごねり igoneri, seaweed food, Sado Island

mojio 藻塩 salt with seaweed

okoshigata おこし型 colored sweet dumplings
Sado beanpaste cakes

and more
. WASHOKU .

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HAIKU

Sado Island

荒海や 佐渡によこたふ 天河
araumi ya Sado ni yokotau ama no kawa

O'er wild ocean spray,
All the way to Sado Isle
Spreads the Milky Way
Tr. Dorothy Britton


. Matsuo Basho - Oku no Hosomichi .
- - - Station 33 - Echigo 越後路 - - -

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runin 流人 an exiled person


ゆきたけを聞で流人の袷哉
yukitake o kikade runin no awase kana

not asking
for the length of the sleeve for a light kimono
for the exiled
Tr. Gabi Greve

. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .
Rakujitsu-An 落日庵 Rakujitsuan , 明和六年 - 1769


yukitake 裄丈 the length of a sleeve from the neck to the wrist.
The exiled persons all got the same size of a light kimono and had to make do.

. awase 袷 light linnen kimono .


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Related words

***** . Tsuburo fertility dance (tsuburosashi)
Sado Island

***** . Big Drum Festival (O-Taiko Matsuri )
お太鼓祭り at Shrine Toyozumi Jinja 豊積神社


***** . Hiyoshi matsuri 日吉祭（ひよしまつり） Hiyoshi shrine festival
Sannoo matsuri 山王祭 (さんのうまつり) Sanno Festival


***** . The Drum (ko 鼓) of Japan


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- #ondeko #onidaiko #onitaiko #demondrum -
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Saikusa Lily Festival

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Saikusa Lily Festival (Saikusa matsuri)

***** Location: Nara Japan
***** Season: Mid-Summer
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Saikusa matsuri 三枝祭 (さいくさまつり) Saikusa lily Festival
Isagawa matsuri 率川祭（いさかわまつり）Isagawa Shrine festival
... mikusa matsuri みくさ祭（みくさまつり）Mikusa festival
yuri matsuri 百合祭（ゆりまつり） lily festival



Main festival at the shrine Isagawa jinja 率川神社, along the Isagawa river in Nara.
June 17

Isagawa shrine 率川神社（いさがわじんじゃ)
奈良市本子守町




saikusa is an old name for bamboo lilies.
They grow in abundance along the Isagawa river and on the sacred Mount Miwa.
Lilium japonicum, sasayuri ささゆり (笹百合)
nanaotome yuri 七媛女百合, nana otome yuri
nanaotome 七媛女(ななおとめ) Shrine maidens

During the festival black (nigori) and white sake (pure) (shiroki, kuroki) is poured into two barrels as an offering to the shrine deities. These barrels are decorated with many bamboo lilies from Mount Miwa.
This ritual dates back to the reign of Emperor Monmu Tenno　文武天皇 (701–703).

The lilies used for the offering are said to ward off disease. So after all rituals the visitors try to grab one branch to take home and stay healthy until next year.

The lilies are carried to the shrine on the day before the festival.
On the next day after the rituals, the shrine maidens (miko) dace with these branches in their hands.


umasake miwa no mai うま酒みわの舞 Miwa Sake Dance

On this day, many sake brewers from all over Japan come with offerings of their brew, and obtain a ritual cleansing ceremony.


shirokikuroki 白酒黒酒（しろきくろき） ritual sake
son 罇（そん）sake barrel
..... hotogi 缶（ほとぎ



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quote
Saikusa matsuri
This ritual takes place on June 17 at the sessha of Ōmiya Jinja, Isakawa Jinja, in Nara City, Nara Prefecture.
The ceremony begins at around ten in the morning. Four miko (female shrine attendants) perform an offertory dance with torimono (props) made from saigusa no hana, a flower related to a lily that grows wild on Miwayama Mountain.
Because sake casks decorated with mounds of lilies are presented as offerings to the kami, this festival is also known as the yuri matsuri (Lily Festival).
The present ritual is a Meiji period reconstruction, but the origins of the ritual are ancient and there are references to it in both the Jingiryō and the Engishiki.
source : Mogi Sakae, Kokugakuin 2006


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quote
Japan is a country of lilies.
Of the total 96 species all over the world, 15 species are indigenous to Japan. The Japanese have been fond of lilies and sometimes regarded them as sacred plants.
YURI, the Japanese word for depicting lily, comes from the old Japanese word YURU that means "swing".
It seems that ancient people named the plant after the sight of its flowers swinging in the wind. The Japanese often use YURI as a girl's name, and sometimes add SA to become SAYURI. This SA means "sacred" in old Japanese.
Lilies were sacred plants in ancient times.
There is a festival called SAIKUSA MATSURI (SAIKUSA = old name of SASAYURI, Lilium japonicum, MATSURI = festival) in Nara Prefecture. Here, four maidens have a dance performance for the gods holding the flowers of Lilium japonicum. This festival has continued since early 8th century.

With many names of the lily variations in Japan:
source : plantsandjapan


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Shrine Isagawa jinja 率川神社 Izakawa jinja, Isakawa jinja





food offering for the gods 特殊神饌（しんせん）shinsen :
餅、ワカメ、鯛、カマス、鮎、鰹、烏賊、アワビ、かや、大根、 枇杷、牛蒡、白蒸（ご飯）、勝栗
mochi, wakame, sea bream, kamasu barracuda, sweetfish, bonito, octopus, abalone, torreya nuts, radish, biwa loquats, burdock, cooked rice and auspirious dried chestnuts (kachiguri).

source :　lalalasayu.jugem.jp
with more photos of the festival


Maybe the oldest shrine in Nara, built by Emperor Suiko Tenno 推古天皇 in 593.
Oomiwa no kimi shiratsutsumi 大三輪君白堤 is a priest of the Omiwa clan.

Deities in residence
Himetatarai suzuhime no mikoto 媛蹈韛五十鈴姫命　(御子神) Empress
Sainoookami 狭井大神　（御父神）her father
Tamakushi hime no mikoto 玉櫛姫命　（御母神）her mother

This is one of the few shrines where the main deity is female. She was the consort of the first emperor, Jinmu Tenno 神武天皇】.
She is a child-protecting deity 子守明神.


Annual Festivals
January 1 歳旦祭併御神火拝戴祭
January 4 率川阿波神社初戎宵宮祭
January 5 率川阿波神社初戎祭
February 17 率川神社月次祭併祈年祭
September 17 率川神社月次祭併敬老祭
November 23 　率川神社新嘗祭





amulets to ward off evil influence and disease

Since the main deity is female, this shrine sells amulets for easy childbirth, bringing up children safely and a good family life.



ema with the lily dance

Homepage of the shrine 率川神社
source : www.isagawa-jinja.jp


. Amulets and Talismans from Japan .　


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HAIKU




献灯の和紙に雨滲む百合祭
kentoo no washi ni ame shimu yuri matsuri

the paper of the lanterns
is dampend by the rain -
lily festival

Fujita Toshio 藤田壽穂


. Discussion of the translation .


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玉虫の羽のみどりは推古より
tamamshi no hane no midori wa Suiko yori

the green
of the Jewel Beetle's wings
since the time of Suiko . . .
Tr. Gabi Greve

. Yamaguchi Seison 山口青邨 .


. tamamushi 玉虫 / 金花虫 (たまむし) jewel beetle
Its wings are used to produce colorful laquer items.
The famous Tamamushi Zushi tabernacle.

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百合祭寂ぶ奈良町の一遇に
河合佳代子


七媛女百合もて供奉をしたがへて
河合佳代子

source : www.haisi.com


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Related words

***** . Sake, local rice wine .

***** . Lilies and Kigo

***** . Mount Miwa　三輪山, a sacred region .


. OBSERVANCES – SUMMER SAIJIKI .


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Usaka Festival

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Usaka Festival (Usaka matsuri)

***** Location: Toyama
***** Season: Mid-Summer
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Usaka matsuri 鵜坂祭 (うさかまつり)
Usaka Shrine festival
..... shimoto matsuri 楉祭（しもとまつり）
... 苔祭（しもとまつり）
shiridachi no matsuri 尻太刀祭（しりだちのまつり）
"festival of hitting the bottom"
..... shiriuchi matsuri, shiri uchi matsuri
尻打祭（しりうちまつり）
... shimotodachi 苔太刀（しもとだち）"sakaki stick"
Usaka no tsue 鵜坂の杖（うさかのつえ）Sakaki stick of Usaka


Main festival at the shrine Usaka jinja 鵜坂神社.
Toyama town, Fuchu Village, 富山市婦中町　鵜坂神社 .楉祭



On the 16th of the fifth lunar month.
Other sources say the 16th day of the sixth lunar month or even the 23th day of the seventh lunar month.
Now on June 16.

Women were brought to the shrine and had to confess the number of their extra-marital friends. For each one they got a hit on the bottom.
If they did not talk or said a lie, the deity would punish them terribly ... so they all confessed their sins.




source : bambino

The stick for hitting was made of the sacred sakaki tree (Cleyera ochnacea).
Some say the stick was made of a sakaki branch cut during the new year to cook the special rice porridge with seven herbs (nanakusagayu), so the women would give safe birth.
Even Matsuo Basho has written about this festival.

This festival was abolished during the Meiji period.
Later, during the Taisho period, a horse appeared and ran around the shrine three times. This was used to be hit with the sacred stick.

Nowadays, this custom has been completely abolished.



Here is my information about the "rice gruel stick"

."rice gruel stick" kayuzue 粥杖 (かゆづえ)


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The main deities of the shrine are

鵜坂姉比咩神
鵜坂妻比咩神

淤母陀琉神 . 訶志古泥神
Omodaru and Kashikone



The sixth of the first seven generations of kami, produced immediately prior to Izanagi and Izanami. It is generally believed that the two kami actually represent a single being, Omodaru being the male half and Kashikone the female, but no other specific attributes are known.

According to Motoori Norinaga, the characters used to write Omodaru's name mean "face and leg, indicating a being without imperfection; whether in face or in the limbs, every part is furnished complete" (Kojikiden). Other theories suggest that the names mean the face of the earth or the land was perfect and complete, or that the names were mutually complementary epitaphs used by the pair of kami.

In the medieval period, shrines appeared in the Kantō area worshiping Omodaru no mikoto under the name Dairokuten ("the sixth deva"). This name was based on the association of Omodaru with the sixth deva within the Buddhist theory of the heaven of thirty-three gods
quote
source : Nakayama Kaoru


In Memory of Obiko no mikoto 大彦命, a general of the Hokuriku Army, visited the area during the reign of Emperor Sujin Tenno 崇神天皇 (148 BC), the shrine was build in 652 and venerated with envoys from Kyoto.
Soon there was also a temple of the same name 鵜坂寺.

The present building of the shrine is new, from 1873.


越中國婦負郡 鵜坂神社
source with photos : www.genbu.net


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quote from
('Jingishi' in the 'Dainihonshi',
the Yoshikawa edition, p. 411. Yoshida-Toogo, 'Dainihon-Chimeijisho', Vol. II, p.1964).

In the olden time festival of the Tsukuma Shrine at Sakata-Gun in Oomi, 筑摩神社 近江 on the 1st day of the 4th month, every year, a woman was obliged to put on her head saucepans equal to the number of lovers she had favored in the course of the preceding year ('Shintoo-Myoomoku-Ruijushoo', Vol. V, p.8). It can easily be seen that the significance of this festival is the prevention of women's unchastity.
[end of excerpt]
source : books.google.co.jp ...


. Discussing the Festival, Larry Bole


. Tsukuma Festival 筑摩祭 (つくままつり)


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. Dairokuten Ma-O
第六天魔王 （だいろくてん まおう)
Big Number Six Heavenly Deity
Omodaru no Mikami 於母陀流神 and
Ayakashikone no kami 阿夜訶志古泥神.



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Daruma at the Town Hall in Usaka
鵜坂公民館


source :　toyama kodomo gekiyo


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HAIKU



ゆだんしていくなうさかの尻打ち祭り　　
油断していくな鵜坂の尻打祭　
yudan shite iku na Usaka no shiriuchi matsuri　　

do not be off guard
at the bottom-hitting festival
at Usaka shrine
Tr. Gabi Greve


pay attention
at the bottom-beating festival
at Usaka shrine
paraverse by Larry Bole


. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .
Visiting Shinto Shrines


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あなこわや鵜坂祭りの音にむち　　　
ana kowa ya Usaka matsuri no oto ni muchi　　

Takarai Kikaku 宝井其角


. . . . .


いかにせん鵜坂の森に身はすとも　
君が笞(しもと)の数ならぬ身を

Minamoto no Toshiyori 源俊頼


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Related words

***** . WKD : Main Index 　


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Tsuburosashi Sado

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. Sadogashima 佐渡島 Sado Island - Introduction .
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Tsuburo fertility dance (tsuburosashi)

***** Location: Sado Island, Japan
***** Season: Mid-Summer
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

tsuburosashi つぶろさし Tsuburo fertility dance
June 15

Performance of a special fertility dance at the shrines Sugawara, Hamochimachi and Kusakari in the south of Sado Island, Niigata.

菅原神社 新潟県羽茂町
太神楽つぶろさし
鬼舞つぶろさし




There are two performers, a man, Tsuburosashi, and a woman, Sasarasuri ささらすり.
Tsuburosashi holds a stick formed like a phallus and jumps around rubbing and waving it. Sasarasuri holds a stick made of bamoo.

They both hop around and rub these sticks.

The group of performer carry a special drum decorated with ancient zeni coins,
Zenidaiko 銭太鼓.

The penis is called tsuburo, also a name for the bottle gourd.
sashi refers to it rubbing in a ritual prayer for fertility for the fields and the families.

The dance dates back to the 16th century. Legend knows, that a messenger of the village was send to Kyoto to learn about the tea ceremony. He saw a similar dance durng the Gion festival in Kyoto and introduced it to his home village, when he came back. Later it was picked up at the local Shinto shrines during the annual festival, to pray for thousands of rice grains coming from one seed.

.

Since tsuburo is such a colorful local word, it mighe even be translated with a more "down to earth" word in other languages, like

big dick dance festival

Here is a long list for synonymes

beaver basher
baby-maker
bell on a pole
beef whistle
boomstick
burrito
bishop
bratwurst
braciole

and so on until Z

source : namingschemes.com/Penis


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At shrine Kusakari jinja 草刈神社


source :　dojoccosado



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HAIKU





つぶろさし花見婆さまのけぞつて
tsuburosashi hanami basama nokezotte

tsuburo fertility dance -
a woman dressed for cherry blossom viewing
bends far backward


Kishida Chigyo 岸田稚魚 (1918 - 1988)
大正7年）1月19日 - 1988年（昭和63年）11月24日


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Related words

***** . Penis Festivals for a bountiful harvest 　

***** . ondeko 鬼太鼓 (おんでこ) Demon's Drums


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Sato Koroku

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Sato Koroku Day (Kooroku Ki)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Mid-Summer
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Satoo Kooroku 佐藤紅緑
1874年（明治7年）7月6日 - 1949年（昭和24年）6月3日）


Kooroku Memorial Day, Kooroku Ki 紅緑忌 (こうろくき)
June 3. He was 75 years old.



He was born in Hirosaki, Aomori prefecture and later worked for the Nihon Shinbun newspaper in Tokyo. Here he met Masaoka Shiki for the first time and became his haiku student.
In 1895 he returned to Hirosaki because of illness and worked for a newspaper there.
He also translated works from Dumas and Victor Hugo.

In 1905 he stopped working for the newspaper and founded a haiku group.
In 1922 he married the actress Mikasa Mariko 三笠万里子.
In 1923 he travelled to Europe to study more about cinema.

He wrote a lot of popular literature. Many of his novels for young boys were published in the famous magazine
"Young Boys Club" Shoonen Kurabu 少年倶楽部.



His Manuscript, the red marks are from Kyoshi.

©　Aomori Museum ... look at more pages.



His Grave

"A poet should write about ideal situations.
If you just state the daily complaints of your wife,
that does not make you a good novelist!"


©　PB5H-OOTK



- Reference : 佐藤紅緑


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HAIKU


賭け事にかけし羊生紅緑忌
kakegoto ni kakeshi hitsushi nushi Kooroku Ki

this sheperd
started gambling ...
Kooroku Memorial Day

©　hokubei shinbun Senryu collection

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戦中も少年に夢あり紅緑忌　
senchuu mo shoonen ni yume ari Kooroku Ki

even during the war
young boys have dreams -
Kooroku Memorial day

Kotani Shun 小谷俊

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All Tr. Gabi Greve

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Related words

***** Introducing Japanese Haiku Poets　


***** Memorial Days of Famous People
....... A WORLDWIDE SAIJIKI




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Radio Day

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Radio Day (denpa no hi)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Early Summer
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

denpa no hi 電波の日 (でんぱのひ) "radio day"
denpa kinenbi 電波記念日（でんぱきねんび） radio memorial day

Electro-magnetic Waves Day

June 1
This is a constitutional holiday, introduced in 1950, marking the enactment of Japan's radio law and broadcast act.





There is a theory, that because of a similarity in pronounciation
6 can be read MU and 1 can be read SEN, the word

musen "ムセン"(無線) wireless

used for wireless radio transmission, the first day of the sixth month was choosen as this day.


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Each year on 18 April, radio amateurs celebrate
World Amateur Radio Day.


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HAIKU


風生先生矍鑠として電波の日
Fuusei sensei kakushaku to shite denpa no hi

Master Fusei
is still so vigorous . . .
Radio Day


Kishi Fusanro (Fuusanroo) 岸風三樓 (1910 - 1982)
(He was born in Okayama)


Kishi was a student of haiku master Fusei sensei.

. Tomiyasu Fusei (Tomiyasu Fuusei )富安 風生　
1885 - 1979　


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radio--
they walk side by side
sharing earphones

radio--
a man dances slowly
crossing the road

radio-
men sit a round to listen
to the arsenal match

radio--
she leaves me speaking
to myself

radio--
they shout to the changing
regea music

radio--
they shout energetic
to the unseen goal

radio--
he's twisting his small head
all the time

passengers enjoy
their morning ride -
radio music

radio--
cool passengers in a bus
burst in laughter

radio--
an old man is bargaining
for a modern system

Barrack Elung'ata
Kenya, Feburary 2011


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Related words

***** WKD Reference

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Kifune Shrine Festivals

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Kifune Shrine and its festivals

***** Location: Kyoto, Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Kifune matsuri 貴船祭 (きふねまつり) Kifune festival
... Kifune shinji 貴船神事（きふねしんじ）Kifune Shinto ritual
gokoosai 御更祭（ごこうさい）"changing the robes of the deity"
itadori matsuri 虎杖祭（いたどりまつり "knotweed festival"
kigo for mid-summer

Kifune, sometimes read Kibune (きぶね).

June 1
The most important yearly festival at Kifune Shrine 貴船神社 in the Kurama mountain region.
Its official name is gokoosai 御更祭.
It used to be held twice a year, on the first day of the fourth and eleventh lunar month.
Kibune shrine belongs to the Kamo Shrines of Kyoto (sessha 摂社）.

In the forests around the shrine there grow a lot of itadori, Japanese knotweed.
People pick this plant and compare its length.


. WKD : itadori いたどり Japanese knotweed
Polygonum cuspidatum, looks like a kind of rhubarb.


quote
Kibune matsuri
Formerly this festival was held on the first day of the fourth and eleventh months at Kibune Jinja in Sakyō Ward, Kyōto City, Kyōto Prefecture.
Prior to the Meiji Period, when this shrine had an auxiliary shrine relationship to Kamowakeikazuchi Jinja (also known as Kamikamo Jinja, Upper Kamo Shrine), the festival was observed on a grand scale. In the past, on the day before the festival there used to be a kitchen knife ceremony, and shinsen (sacred offerings) were placed in a chest (karabitsu).
Then, together with birds (kakedori), people presented these to the kami on the day of the ceremony.
After the ritual offering (hōbei) of nusa (sacred paper strips/streamers) and the intoning of norito (prayers) by the shinshoku (priests) they visited the branch and hilltop shrines and performed hōbei, then returned wearing flowers taken from the mountain peak in their hair.

At the midpoint in route between the Kibune and Upper Kamo Shrines a designated person chanted a secret song to which the other priests responded in a repetitive manner. Formerly, during the fourth month festival worshippers used to collect the Japanese knotweed that grew profusely on the mountain near the shrine in a competition for size and amount, thus leading to the popular name itadori matsuri ("Knotweed Festival"). Vestiges of this ancient festival remain in the annual shin'yo (portable shrine) processional held on June 1, and in the festivals for the changing of the kami's robes (gokōisai) held on April 1 and November 1.
source : Mogi Sakae, Kokugakuin Uni


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Kibune Shrine (貴船神社, Kibune Jinja),
also known as Kifune Jinja, is a Shinto shrine located at Sakyō-ku in Kyoto, Japan.
It was founded more than 1600 years ago.
Legend tells us that the goddess Tamayori-hime appeared on a yellow boat in Osaka Bay and said, "Build a sanctuary at the place where this boat stops and deify the spirit of the locality, and the country will prosper." The boat floated up the rivers of Yodogawa to the river Kamogawa, stopping at the beginning of the stream.
The deities enshrined here are Takaokami-no-Kami and Kuraokami-no-Kami. They are the gods of water, and people pray to them for rain during times of drought, and to stop the rain during floods.
One emperor offered a black horse in a drought, and a white horse during a prolonged spell of rain. This is why people now offer up votive plates with the image of a horse.
The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period.In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial messengers were sent to report important events to the guardian kami of Japan. These heihaku were initially presented to 16 shrines including the Kibune Shrine.

From 1871 through 1946, the Kibune Shrine was officially designated one of the Kanpei-chūsha (官幣中社), meaning that it stood in the second rank of government supported shrines.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

京都市左京区鞍馬貴船町180


. Kuraokami, Takaokami 高おかみ神 , Kuramitsuha .
Deity of Rain



Amulets from Kibune Jinja


chinowa omamori ちのわ守り for summer purification





龍神札 Dragon God amulet

. The Dragon Art Gallery - 2012 .



御神水せっけん soap from sacred water
清砂 purifying sand
kajitori 梶取守



何事もうまくいく絵馬 - may everything go well - amulet

all kinds of ema votive tablets and more
source : www.kibune.or.jp/jinja/omamori


tsuri yuki anzen 釣行安全　safety when fishing
ruaa mamori ルアー守 luer amulet
. Amulet for fishing from Kibune Shrine .

. Summer Purification (nagoshi, harae) .



むすび守袋型 Musubi bag form
むすび守文型 Musubi letter form

. Enmusubi 縁結び to find a good partner .




貴船神社船土鈴
clay bell of the yellow boat of Tamayori-Hime
A play of words with the name of the shrine, 黄船 "yellow boat".

. Kyoto no dorei 京都の土鈴 clay bells from Kyoto .

.................................................................................


Suzuka Valley and Waterfall, 鈴鹿谷
The Main Shrine, 貴船神社本宮
The Rock Garden, 石庭

Page with many thumbnails of the places within the precincts.
http://www.kibune.or.jp/meisho/

. . .

Kibune Jinja / Kifune Homepage
http://www.kibune.or.jp/jinja/

Festivals
http://www.kibune.or.jp/jinja/event/
http://www.kibune.or.jp/jinja/kibune/saijiki.html

. . . . . every month:
tsukinamisai 月次祭 monthly festival
hatsu tatsusai 初辰祭 festival on the first day of the dragon
masshasai 末社祭 festival of the subordinate shrine

. . . . . Saijiki Events:
hatsu tatsu taisai 初辰大祭
. Grand Festival on the first day of the dragon in January
tondo とんど Tondo fire, January 15
amagoi matsuri 雨乞祭 Rain Ritual, March 9
Kifune matsuri 貴船祭 Grand Festival, June 1
Minazuki no oharae 水無月大祓
. Great Purification ritual in June, June 30
Kifune no mizu matsuri 貴船の水まつり
. Water Festival, July 7
Kikka shinji 菊花神事
. Chrysanthemum ritual, Spetember 9
Meiji sai 明治祭 Meiji festival, November 3
Kifune momiji matsuri 貴船もみじ祭
. celebrating red leaves, November 7

. . . . .


quote
In Kyoto, Kibune Shrine deifies Takaokami-no-kami, who is worshiped as a rain god. It is described in the Shoku-nihongi, the Nihon-koki, the Shoku-nihon-koki , the Montoku-tenno Jitsuroku, and the Sandai Jitsuroku that from 765, the seventh year of Tempyohoji, people prayed almost every year to Niu-Kawakami and Kibune for rain. They are said to have offered a black horse when they wanted the rains to start and a white horse when they wanted the rains to end because it was believed that the spirit of the gods descend to earth on a horse. Black is the color for casting a rain spell as it symbolizes dark clouds bringing rain. In contrast, white is the symbol of the bright sun.
These prayers were held as national events.
Sacred Water in Japan
Iwai Hiromi




The Sacred Water 御神水 goshinsui
Even Murasaki Shikibu was aware of the powers of the water at Kibune Shrine. She came here to pray for the love of her husband, and her prayer was granted. Now the shrine is also worshipped by lovers, praying to the "god of good marriage". Workers also pray for a good relationship with their employers.

Even special soap is sold at the shrine.

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Oku no Miya 奥の宮

In the compounds, at the back of Kibune shrine, there is one of the three sacred

ryuuketsu 龍穴 dragon holes

This dragon hole inhabited by a white dragon, who brings prosperity to those who worship him.
It is a great "power spot" of Japan.

Once a carpenter lost his chisle, as it fell into the hole.
But to his surprize, a strong wind blew out of the whole and his chisle fell back on the ground in front of his feet.



Shrine Muro Ryuketsu Jinja 室生竜穴神社
Nara
. The Dragon Art Gallery – 2012 .

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Water festivel in Kifune
（貴船の水まつり） Kifune no mizu matsuri

at Kifune Shrine, July 7



quote
The origin of this festival is rain-making rituals.
Now is more like for showing our gratitude to water.

The festival consists of offering tea ceremony, dancing and cooking ceremony in front of the Gods. Tea cremony, of course, cannot be done without water, so it's the symbolic ceremony of this festival. And the cooking ceremony is offered by the special cooking school called Ikuma school.

Ancestors of the Ikuma school used to be cookers for the Imperial family. It is said that the current master is 29th-generation of the family.

At the ceremony, he cooks a fish in front of the god without touching it by his hands at all. (The fish is altarage for Gods, so it shouldn't be touched by men.)
source : see-u-in-kyoto.blogspot.com


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. Amagoi Matsuri 雨乞祭 Rain Ritual
March 9
Horses offered to the gods in rain rituals.
水の祀



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quote
Kifune Festival held in Manazuru-cho,
真鶴　貴船まつり
Ashigara-shimo-gun, Kanagawa pref. is counted as one of Japan’s three largest marine festivals and a designated National Significant Intangible Folk Cultural Asset. The origin of the festival is dated back to the middle of the 17th century, when people began to put Mikoshi (portable shrine) on a ship to pray for purification of fishing boats and stone carrying boats in the harbor and then carried it around the village.

This old, traditional and pious festival is held on July 27th to 28th, filling the whole town of Manazuru with air of excitement. As the festival is composed of a lot of exciting spectacles such as the colorfully carved Kobaya-bune boat, Manazuru-bayashi (traditional band playing music) lively cheering up the town, reverent Kashima-odori dance, and flower floats and Kaidenma (the towing boat) for which masculine strength is fully expressed, a lot of tourists from all over the country visit the town of Manazuru.
On these two days, the citizens of Manazuru all pull together to make this festival a great success.
source : nippon-kichi.jp



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HAIKU



新緑や人の少なき貴船村　
shinryoku ya hito no sukunaki Kifune mura

fresh green -
there are few people
in Kifune village

Hatano Soha (Sooha) 波多野爽波 (1923-1991)
source :　weekly-haiku.blogspot.com


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Related words

***** . 貴船神社 Kibune Shrine, Buzen Kagura
Iwado Kagura of Buzen, 岩戸神楽 in Kyushu
Autumn, O-Bon

***** . Kibunegiku 貴船菊 (きぶねぎく) wild aster from Kibune
shuumeigiku 秋明菊（しゅうめいぎく） "bright autumn chrysanthemum"
Anemone japonica
kigo for mid-autumn

***** . kawadoko ryoori 川床料理
food served on a riverbed veranda 　
In Kyoto, near shrine Kibune Jinja 貴船神社 served in the forest restaurants along the clean river.
kawayuka 川床（かわゆか）riverbed veranda



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