Showing posts with label Kyoto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kyoto. Show all posts

5/09/2011

Yase Festival

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Yase Festival (Yase matsuri)

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


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Explanation

Yase matsuri 八瀬祭 (やせまつり) Yase festival
sanyare matsuri さんやれ祭(さんやれまつり)


May 9
(Nowadays often on May 5).

Main festival at the shrine Yase Tenmangu 八瀬天満宮, Kyoto.

It used to be a festival to chase horses 馬駆け, similar to that of the "Aoi festival).

Children dance with floats (odori hoko 踊り鉾), calling "sanyare sanyare", hence the name of the festival.



Yase Tenmangu Shrine Gate

The main deity at the shrine is
. Sugawara Michizane 菅原道真 .
.

It was first build by the teacher of Michizane, 比叡山法性坊.In the shrine compound is one access to Mount Hieizan, the Yase Slope, and also a stone monument, were Michizane sat down during his visit.

Look at many photos of the shrine:
source : yase.html

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CLICK for more photos

In another corner of the compound is shrine Akimoto jinja 秋元神社, famous for its dance Yase Shamenchi Odori 赦免地踊り, performed on the autumn festival of the shrine,
on the second Sunday in October.

The dance in in memory of Akimoto Tajima-no-Kami Takatomo 秋元但馬守 喬知.
It is a lantern dance, where young boys wear lanterns on their heads. The dance is an intangible cultural asset.


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quote
"Yase Doji Exhibition" 八瀬童子 Yase Dooji

In ancient Japan, the term Yase Doji referred to the people who lived in the Yase district of Kyoto and worked for the area's Enryaku temple. Despite their plebeian status, Yase Doji were prosperous and maintained strong connections with those in power, including emperors, aristocrats and shogun. After the Meiji Era, they were even entrusted by the government to be the imperial koshi (palanquin) bearers.

In 2010, some historical records that detailed the development of Yase Doji were designated as Important Cultural Properties

source : Japan Times, December 2012


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HAIKU





数珠かけた直衣姿や八瀬祭
juzu kaketa nahoshi sugata ya Yase matsuri

wearing rosaries
and official court robes -
Yase festival


. Miyake Shoozan 三宅嘯山 (1718 - 1801) .
Miyake Shozan (1718 - 1801)


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5/06/2011

Kamo Shrines Kyoto

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Festivals at the Kamo Shrine complex

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


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Explanation


Miyako Meisho Zue 都名所図会,
vol. 6 巻之六 後玄武再刻, 上加茂社 (上賀茂神社)



The Kamo Shrine complex:
Shimogamo Shrine 下鴨神社 and
Kamigamo Shrine 上賀茂神社 are both recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are two of the most important shrines in Kyoto.
They are two of the oldest shrines in Japan.

CLICK for more photos

Kamo Shrine (賀茂神社, Kamo-jinja)
is a general term for an important Shinto sanctuary complex on both banks of the Kamo River in northeast Kyoto. It is centered on two shrines.
The two shrines, an upper and a lower, lie in a corner of the old capital which was known as the "devil's gate" (鬼門, kimon) due to traditional geomancy beliefs that the north-east corner brought misfortune. Because the Kamo River runs from the north-east direction into the city, the two shrines along the river were intended to prevent demons from entering the city.

Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine
賀茂別雷神社, Kamo-wakeikazuchi jinja)

(賀茂御祖神社, Kamo-mioya jinja)

The Kamo Shrine is so named because its rituals and festivals are designed to assist in the veneration of the Kamo family of kami and other associated deities; and Kamo kami (kami-no-Kamo) is referenced in other Shinto contexts. In the "Congratulatory Words of the Chieftain of Izumo," the "sacred grove of Kamo" is mentioned along with other wooded Shinto sanctuaries at Ō-miwa, Unade and Asuka:

Then, Ō-namochi-no-mikoto said:
"The Sovereign Grandhild will dwell peacefully
in the land of Yamato."
Thus saying, he attached his peaceful spirit
To a mirror of large dimensions,
Eulogizing it by the name
Yamato-no-Ō-mono-nushi-Kushi-mika-tama-no-mikoto,
And had it dwell in the sacred grove of Ō-miwa.

He caused the spirit of his son
Aji-suki-taka-hiko-ne-no-mikoto
To dwell in the sacred grove of Kamo in Kaduraki;
Caused the spirit of Koto-shiro-nushi-no-mikoto
To dwell in Unade;
And caused the spirit of Kayanarumi-no-mikoto
To dwell in the sacred grove of Asuka.

© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


Kamigamo Shrine (上賀茂神社, Kamigamo Jinja)
Upper Kamo Shrine
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


source : Kamigamo Shrine HP


Shimogamo Shrine, Shimogamo Jinja (下鴨神社 / 下賀茂神社)
Lower Kamo Shrine (sometimes written with the Chinese character for duck.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !





sazare ishi さざれ石 boulder grown from pebbles

"Kimigayo" (君が代) is the national anthem of post-1868 Japan.

君が代は 千代に八千代に さざれ石の
いわおとなりてこけの生すまで

Kimigayo wa
Chiyo ni yachiyo ni
Sazare-ishi no
Iwao to narite
Koke no musu made

May your reign
Continue for a thousand, eight thousand generations,
Until the pebbles
Grow into boulders
Lush with moss

Thousands of years of happy reign be thine;
Rule on, my lord, till what are pebbles now
By ages united to mighty rocks shall grow
Whose venerable sides the moss doth line.
Tr. Basil Hall Chamberlain

© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

There are various sazare-ishi in Japan.
The one for the Kimigayo is most probably referring to 岐阜県揖斐川町春日, now a park with the stone さざれ石公園.


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According to the system of Shikinen Sengu, all shrines in the Shimogamo complex are meant to be rebuilt every 21 years. The purpose of this physical reconstruction is spiritual renewal.
Tadasu no mori, this lush, green forest is a hallmark of Shimogamo shrine.
source : Shimogamo Shrine HP



The name also refers to the ambit of shrine's nearby woods, which are vestiges of the primeval forest of
Tadasu no Mori 糺の森(ただすのもり、糺ノ森.

CLICK for more photos

Tadasu No Mori
which literally means "Forest of Correction," is a sacred grove associated with an important Shinto sanctuary complex known in Japanese as the Kamo-jinja, situated near the banks of the Kamo River just north of where the Takano River joins the Kamo River in northeast Kyoto city, Japan. The term Kamo-jinja in Japanese is a general reference to Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine, the traditionally linked Kamo shrines of Kyoto. The Kamo-jinja serve the function of protecting Kyoto from malign influences.

The ambit of today's forest encompasses approximately 12.4 hectares, which are preserved as a national historical site . It is today the last remnant of a primeval forest which is reputed to have never been burned down. The forest has, in fact, suffered some damage over the centuries when all of Kyoto was burned during successive revolts and wars but the forest growth has rebounded again and again. The forest is left to grow in its natural state. It is neither planted nor pruned.

The forest in ancient times comprised approximately 4,950,000 square meters of virgin forest. Due to wars during the Middle Ages and a supreme edict in the 4th year of the Meiji era, it was reduced to its present area of approximately 124,000 square meters.

The wooded area that is called by the name Tadasu-no-mori today lies on the grounds of Shimogamo Shrine, one of the seventeen historical sites in and around Kyoto which in 1994 were designated by UNESCO as Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
source : www.medical-answers.org


hotarubi no chakai 蛍火の茶会 tea ceremony and fireflies
in June

There are performances of court and other traditional music with ritual dancing, a demonstration of kimonos in 12 layers (juuni-e), tea ceremony and then fireflies are released to freedom. (This is a good deed said to improve one's karma in the next world.)
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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Busha Shinji (歩射神事, archery ritual) at Shimogamo Shrine (下鴨神社).
The arrow will overleap the huge gate at the left side


- Shared by Taisaku Nogi -
Joys of Japan, 2012

Busha Shinji
Shrine priests use bows and arrows to ward off evil spirits. Other arrow shooting rituals are also held.
source : www.kyotoguide.com




賀茂別雷神社(上賀茂神社)
text by 千玄室
source : www.kamigamojinja.jp/sengu


Kamo Wake Ikazuchi Jinja
賀茂別雷神社 (かもわけいかづちじんじゃ) 
source : www.kyoto.zaq.ne.jp


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yakuyoke no omamori 厄除けの御守り amulet to ward off evil

. . . CLICK here for amulet Photos !

. Yakuyoke - Amulets to ward off evil .

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kigo for early summer


賀茂の競べ馬 - Miyako Meisho Zue 都名所図会,

kurabeuma, kurabe uma 競べ馬 horse race

. Kamo keiba 賀茂競馬(かもけいば)
horse race at Kamo shrine

"The Ritual of the Racehorses"
kurabeuma, kurabe uma 競べ馬 (くらべうま) horse race
kisoi uma きそい馬(きそいうま)
koi uma きおい馬(きおいうま)
muda hashiri 空走り(むだはしり)"free run"
kachiuma 勝馬(かちうま)winning horse
makeuma 負馬(まけうま)loosing horse
hashiri uma 走り馬(はしりうま)running horse
ashizoroe 足揃(あしぞろえ) "getting the legs together"
May 5

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CLICK for more photos

. Aoi Matsuri 葵祭 Aoi Festival
May 15
Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrine in Kyoto
..... Kamo no matsuri 賀茂祭(かものまつり)

source : Kamo-sai (Aoi-matsuri)


Kamo Mikage Matsuri
賀茂御蔭祭 (かもみかげまつり)
"honorable shadow festival" mikage matsuri

mi-aregi 御生木(みあれぎ)
shibakiri shinji 芝切神事(しばきりしんじ)
"Lawn Cutting Ceremony"
May 15
(during the Aoi Matsuri Festival)

. . . . .


kigo for late summer

. Shimogamo no misogi
下賀茂の御祓 (しもがものみそぎ)
Shimogamo purification rituals

visiting for the Mitarashi festival, mitarashi moode
御手洗詣 みたらしもうで
Tadasu no suzumi 糺の納涼(ただすのすずみ)
coolness of the Tadasu forest
mitarashi dango 御手洗団子(みたらしだんご)
rice dumplings
Nagoshi-no-harae
June 30


Maybe related to Christian baptism rituals?

. The Hata Clan 秦氏 Hata Uji .
and the Christian connection


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kigo for early autumn

CLICK for more photos

. yatori shinji 矢取り神事
Shimogamo Shrine Arrow Ceremony

Beginning of August


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kigo for the New Year

. hatsumari 初鞠 first kick-ball bame
..... kemari hajime 蹴鞠初め

January 4 at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto. 

. . . . .

Kamigamo Nentoosai
上賀茂燃燈祭 (かみがもねんとうさい)
"Lantern Festival at Kamigamo"
hatsune no tamabooki
初子の玉箒(はつねのたまぼうき)
"precious broom on the first day of the rat"

A broom (brush) used to clean the silkworm room for the first time on the first day of the rat. The broom was made of Chinese lespedeza, Lespedeza cuneata (medohagi蓍萩) and first pine seedlings.


source : unokanda


. Pulling Pine Seedlings (komatsu hiki)


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Kamigamo otana kazari
上賀茂御棚飾 (かみがもおたなかざり)
shelf decorations at Kamigamo shrine

January 14
This ritual dates back to the Heian period.

After making donations to the four districts, they were divided into six districts.
On this day, offerings from the six districts were made.
Lately on one shelf offerings of fish, foul, rice and other food items are made and ritual music is played.

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Karasu-zumo "Crow Sumo (wresling celemony)"
烏相撲(からすずもう)
karasu sumoo
September 9, Kamigamo Shrine

CLICK for more photos

In this very unusual ritual, shrine officials imitate the voice of crows and their manner of jumping to the side, then children perfom sumo for the entertainment of the Kami. It has been designated by the city of Kyoto as an "Intangible Cultural Property".
source : www.kamigamojinja.jp

. . . . .

More festivals at Shimogamo Shrine


New Year's Festivities
Kinensai Matsuri (Toshigoi Matsuri)
Mitarashi Matsuri
Meigetsu Kangen Sai
Ohitaki Sai
Yakushu Wakamizu shinji “medicine wine, young water.”
source : www.shimogamo-jinja.or.jp

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Dragon Ema for 2012



Shared by Promenade in Kyoto
Joys of Japan


. Dragon Ema votive tablets - 2012 .

. The Dragon Art Gallery .


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. "Kamo Dolls (kamo ningyo 加茂人形)
Willow Dolls (yanagi ningyo 柳人形)



. Kannabi 神奈備 "purified place"


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HAIKU


御座をはけこよひ初子の玉箒
goza o hake koyoi hatsune no tamabooki

cleaning the mats
tonight with a precious broom
on the first day of the rat


In the Haiku Collection Enoko Shuu 犬子集(1633)


Enokoshu, part of the Shoki Haikai Shu 初期俳諧集
江戸初期の俳諧集
17 maki in 5 volumes


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黄昏に孫と散歩の鴨の川

Twilight stroll
Old couple and a grandson
Along Kamo river


Esho Shimazu
Joys of Japan, February 2012


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***** . Kyoto (Hana no Miyako)  


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5/05/2011

Yamazaki Festival

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Yamazaki Festival (Yamazaki matsuri)

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


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Explanation

Yamazaki matsuri 山崎祭 (やまざきまつり) Yamazaki festival

May 5.
At the shrine Sakatoki Jinja 酒解神社(さかときじんじゃ)
at the foot of mount Tennoozan 天王山, Kyoto
The name of the mountain comes from Yamazaki Tennosha Shrine (Tamadeyori Matsurikitaru Sakatoke-jinja Shrine ) which ensnrines Gozu Tenno (the Indian god Gavagriva ).

Tamadeyori Matsuri kitaru Sakatoke Jinja
自玉手祭来酒解神社(たまでよりまつりきたるさかとけじんじゃ)
京都府乙訓郡大山崎町大山崎天王46

On the fourth of May, the mikoshi are carried to the "travel station" (tabisho) near the mountain, and on the fifth the rituals are held.





In this shrine, the memorial graves of 17 warriours are located.
天王山十七烈士の碑, where they committed seppuku suicide.


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. . . CLICK here for Photos of Tennozan !


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Japanese Deities at shrine Hibita Jinja

Oosakatoke no kami 大酒解神
protector of sake ricewine production

Kosaketoke no kami 小酒解神
for a good partner and having children

. Shrine Hibita Jinja 比々多神社 .


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HAIKU



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Fujimori Festival

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Fujimori festival (Fujimori matsuri)

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


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Explanation

Fujimori matsuri 藤森祭 (ふじもりまつり) Fujimori festival
... Fuji no mori 藤の森
yakata no chigo 屋形の稚児(やかたのちご)"divine children parade"


May 5



Main festival at the shrine Fujimori jinja 藤森神社.
. . . CLICK here for Photos of the shrine !

The prince Sawara Shinno 早良親王 prayed here for victory over the Mongols, who tried to invade Japan, in 781. (Other sources say it was for victory about the troups of Northern Japan.)
Sawara (Sagara) is the main deity of the shrine.

People in the armour of old parade through the streets, many on horseback.
On the night before the festival many homes show their armour or clad the young boys in armour and visit neighbours. The most favorable boy can sit on the first horse in the parade the next day, followed by 7 or 8 others on foot.


Artistic feats are also performed on horseback.

In the afternoon, three mikoshi palanquins are paraded with the horse parade through the town.



勝運賭馬守
A talisman with a horse rider is very popular at this shrine, since during the festival a ceremonial race is held here 駈馬神事.
Now it is on the Boy's day, with the iris (shobu 菖蒲) as a pun for victory(shobu 勝負).
There are many votive tablets in the shrine.


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Kyoto Fushimi Ward Fujimori Matsuri Festival
VIDEO
source : video.excite.co.jp


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HAIKU






下手乗せて馬もあそぶや藤の森
gete nosete uma mo asobu ya Fuji no mori

with an unskilled rider
even the horse can have fun -
Fujimori festival


. Tan Taigi 炭太祇 .


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Related words

***** . Prince Sawara Shinno (早良親王 , Sawara-shinnō) .  
and the vengeful spirits of Kyoto
Sagara Shinno


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Uji Festival

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Uji Festival (Uji matsuri)

***** Location: Uji Shrine
***** Season: Early Summer
***** Category: Observance


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Explanation

Uji matsuri 宇治祭 (うじまつり) Uji Festival
rikyuu matsuri 離宮祭(りきゅうまつり)Rikyu Festival
taihei shinji 大幣神事(たいへいしんじ)ceremony of the large wands
karakasaboko 傘鉾(からかさぼこ)"kasahoko floats with large parasols"
karakasa gohei 傘御幣(からかさごへい) wands with large parasols

At shrine Uji jinja 宇治神社,and Ujigami Jinja 宇治上神社, Kyoto 京都府宇治市
from May 8 to June 8.
. . . CLICK here for Photos of the shrine !
Ujigami Shrine is a world heritage site.

The shrine has two compounds, the upper and lower one, and both are also called "Rikyu Hachiman Shrine 離宮八幡".
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


The deity venerated here is
Uji wakaira tsuko no mikoto
菟道稚郎子尊(うじわかいらつこのみこと)

On May 5, the mikoshi portable shrines of each shrine are brought to their "travel stations" (tabisho), where they are venerated for one month. This is called
oide 御出 "they have come"

On June 5 they are carried back (Kankoo sai 還幸祭).
On the way they stop at shrine Agata jinja 縣神社, where the ceremony of the "large wands" takes place. People pray for good health and a bountiful harvest.


source : tois.nichibun.ac.jp

These large wands are made from three pines cut at the mountain Taiheisan 泰平山 , cut to a length of about 6 meters. They are cut to a triangular shape and covered with white cloth. These wands are thrust in the sky and slapped on the ground on the way crossing the bidge Ujibashi 宇治橋, where the wands are thrown into the river.
The house on the way where the wand is completely destroyed will have bad luck in the coming year.

After this, the mikoshi are carried back to their shrines.
During the parade, there are also large floats with parasols and lanterns. Young men with masks of demons dance under these parasols.

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Agata matsuri あがた祭り / 県祭 Agata Festival

kigo for mid-summer
kurayami matsuri くらやみ祭(くらやみまつり)
festival in the dark


The Agata Festival on June 6 begins in the early morning and runs until late at night. The festival is famous throughout western Japan for the activities that are rumored to take place when the lights are suddenly doused at midnight.

- quote -
Agata matsuri
The main annual festival (reisai) of Agata Shrine, in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture held around June 5 (originally, the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar).
The festival begins on the fifth with the offering of a sacred meal to the kami. At about 1 a.m. on the night of the sixth, after all lights have been extinguished, a large image of the deity Bonten (Skt. Brahma-deva) , which is considered to be a representation of the kami enshrined at Agata, is paraded by naked young men.
The statue is carried in procession to a temporary enshrinement location (otabisho) in the heiden (a structure between the main sanctuary and the worship hall, where offerings are usually presented to the kami).
The Agata Festival is also known as kurayami matsuri (festival in the dark). Agata is the shrine of the tutelary deity of the temple Byōdōin. Given that the heiden where the image of the kami enshrined at Agata, Konohanasakuyahime also hosts the sacred palanquin (shinyo) of the male deity of the Uji Shrine, the festival has also been regarded as a divine nuptial rite (shinkon). Two days later a purification ritual using large paper streamers is carried out at the Uji Shrine.
- source : Kokugakuin, Mogi Sakae -



Bonten togyo 梵天渡御 "Bonten is passing"

. Bonten 梵天 Baramonten, Brahma .


. Reference : Ujigami Shrine

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quote
Since Uji is a place full of tradition, there are many small temples to be found on both sides of the river.
Byōdō-in Temple (平等院), Phoenix Hall (鳳凰堂 Hōō-dō)
Kosho-ji Temple
Mimurotoji Temple
Mampukuji Temple (萬福寺)

Uji Shrine. This shrine is located right next to Ujigami Shrine, this shrine was built to consul the soul of Prince Uji no Wakiiratsuko, who committed suicide in the Uji River.

Ujigami Shrine, (Located just to the left of Uji Shrine). This modest little shrine is a registered World Heritage Site.
It's said to be the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan.
source : iguide.travel/Uji


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Festivals at Uji Shrine

1月 1日 歳旦祭
2月 3日 節分祭 [通称]星祭
4月 第二日曜日 水神祭 [通称]宇治川祭
5月 8日 例祭 [神事名]神幸祭
6 5日 幣渡祭 [通称]梵天渡御祭
6月 8日 例祭 [神事名]還幸祭
6月 30日 大祓式
10月 1日 献茶祭
12月 中旬日曜日 火焚祭
12月 31日 大祓式
毎月 1日 月次祭
source : www.kamimoude.org


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



In the 4th century the son of Emperor Ōjin established a palace in Uji.

Three Battles of Uji-gawa took place here in 1180, 1184, and 1221.

Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408) promoted cultivation of green tea in the Uji area. Since that time Uji has been an important production and distribution center of superior quality green tea. Tsuen tea has been served since 1160 and is still sold in what is the oldest tea shop in Japan, and possibly the world—the Tsuen tea shop.

The final chapters of the Tale of Genji are set in Uji, attracting visiting literature buffs.

In the 15th century A.D., tea-jars were brought by the shoguns to Uji in Kyoto, Japan from the Philippines which was used in the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Ujigami Shrine was found via dendrochronology to be the oldest original Shinto shrine in Japan, having been built around 1060, and is supposed to have a close relation with Byōdō-in in 1052.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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HAIKU


山吹や宇治の焙炉の匂ふ時
yamabuki ya Uji no hoiro no niou toki

mountain roses -
when tea ovens at Uji
are so fragrant

Tr. Barnhill


MORE - discussing this hokku and
Drinking tea with
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .



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秋晴や宇治の大橋横たはり
akibare ya Uji no oohashi yokotahari

fine autumn weather -
the big bridge at Uji
spreads over the river


Tomiyasu Fusei 富安風生

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Related words

***** . The Phoenix Hall in Uji 鳳凰堂  

***** . Tea from Uji 宇治茶
Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408) promoted cultivation of green tea in the Uji area.


source : morihan shop, Uji


8 - Monk Kisen 喜撰法師
. Ujiyama うぢ山 Mount Uji 宇治山 .
. Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Poems 小倉百人一首 .

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5/01/2011

Goryo Matsuri Festival

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Goryo Festival (goryoo matsuri)

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


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Explanation

Goryoo Matsuri 御霊祭 (ごりょうまつり)
Goryo Festival

goryoo no shinji 御霊の神事(ごりょうのしんじ) Goryo Shinto ritual
goryoo no oide 御霊の御出(ごりょうのおいで) visiting Goryo (shrine)

May 1 till 18 at the Kami Goryo Shrine 上御霊神社, Kyoto.
At Shimo Goryo Shrine下御霊神社 on a sunday near May 18.

CLICK for more photos

Ritual to appease the six "vengeful spirits" of enemies of the state.

Sudo, Sudoo Tenno 崇道天皇 (? - 785) and his son,
Iyo Shinno 伊予親王.
his mother, Fujiwara Fujin, 藤原婦人
Fujiwara Hirotsugu, 藤原広嗣
Tachibana Hayanari, 橘逸勢
Bunya no Miyata Maro 文室宮田麻呂

. . . Later two more were added :
Kibi no Makibi 吉備真備
Sugawara Michizane 菅原道真

The rituals are now for these 8 vengeful spirits.

. Sutoku Tenno, Sotoku 崇徳天皇 (1119 - 1142) .

CLICK for original,kyoto album walking


quote
History of the Gion Matsuri
Kyoto has suffered on many occasions from all kinds of bad omens, including epidemics, floods, fires, and earthquakes. To keep the spirits from being angry, special protective or goryo-e festivals have been held in Kyoto since ancient times.

The first Gion Matsuri, one of Japan's oldest goryo-e festivals, was held in the early Heian period (794-1185) to stop a series of devastating plagues.
source : www.kyotoguide.com


The Chinese characters are also read

mitama matsuri みたままつり【御霊祭(り)】
These rituals and festivals are also held at other Shinto Shrines in Japan.
Some are held during the O-Bon rituals for the ancestors.


. 御霊神社 Goryo Jinja, Kamakura .
Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa 鎌倉権五郎景政 "Gongoro san"
is the deity in residence.


御霊神社(ごりょうじんじゃ)という名前の神社は、日本各地に存在する。
- A long list :
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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The vengeful spirits, goryoo, onryoo 御霊、怨霊
Sugawara Michizane 菅原道真

. the vengeful spirits of the dead .  


. Kibi no Makibi 吉備真備  


. The Tachibana clan (橘)  



Prince Sawara
(早良親王 , Sawara-shinnō)
posthumous Emperor Sudō (崇道天皇, Sudō-tennō).
He was also made part of pantheon of ‘disgraced’ figures enshrined at the Shinsenen in Kyōto, in 863, to appease (rather than banish) troubled, even vengeful, souls. The others were Mononobe no Moriya (killed 587), Prince Iyo (executed 807), Fujiwara no Nakanari (executed 810), Tachibana no Hayanari (executed 842) and Bunya no Miyatamaro (executed 843).
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

- quote -
Scholar uncovers the fascinating history behind Japan’s folklore
One such story is “The Curse of Prince Sawara,” said to have been one of the reasons for Emperor Kanmu to relocate the capital to Heiankyo in present-day Kyoto in 794, only years after moving it to nearby Nagaokakyo.

It is said that Crown Prince Sawara, the emperor's brother, was framed for an assassination and died of indignation, and that Emperor Kanmu was haunted by his vengeful ghost because a number of imperial family members died afterward.
- source : asahi shinbun -
桓武天皇 . Prince Sawara (早良親王, Sawara-shinnō) .



. Taira no Masakado 平将門 (? – 940) .
Possible reincarnation of Sugawara Michizane . . .

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What is a kenboko?
剣鉾 (けんぼこ)



The kenboko is a ritual apparatus used to appease evil spirits. In festivals, it takes the lead position during the passage of mobile shrines. The shape of the kenboko has been linked to such ancient weapons as bronze swords and halberds, although the connection is by no means definite.

Of more certainty, is its association with belief in the spirits of the dead, during the Heian Period. In 869, during the first Gion Goryo-e (meaning "service for souls"; later to become Gion Matsuri), 66 tall spears (hoko) were erected in Shinsen Garden, after which prayers were offered in the hope of driving away the pestilence then ravaging the city.

Nenjugyoji Emaki, a series of picture scrolls depicting annual events from the Heian Period, show a festival hoko leading the passage of a mobile shrine during Gion Goryoe. Historical materials from around the beginning of the Muromachi Period show kenboko in forms close to those of the present day.

The rakuchu-rakugai-zu folding screen illustrations in the Uesugi Family Book from the late Muromachi Period show a Goryo-sha kenboko procession.


Toya-kazari of Kenboko
Kenboko serve to appease evil spirits by appearing in festivals in a ritual called kenboko-zashi (bearing of the kenboko). People who come under the protection of the deity to whom the shrine is dedicated are responsible for looking after the kenboko. The kenboko themselves are procured by the local community or a Hoko Association.

Therefore, kenboko do not usually belong to a shrine. Rather, they are the property of a community in that shrine's jurisdiction, or a Hoko Association. Each year the kenboko is passed to a different residence in the community, where it is feted for the following 12 months. This practice is called toya-kazari.


A kenboko is typically made up of kensaki (point of the sword), shingaku (deity plaque), kazari (ornamentation), fukichiri (standard) and rin (bells). All of these are attached to a long pole.

The kensaki is made of thin metal, while the shingaku carries the name of the shrine, the deity to which it is dedicated, and the name of the era from which it derived. Kazari, or ornamentation, includes crests and heraldic emblems of plants and animals, elaborately crafted in metal. Each kenboko takes its name from the kazari designs.

When carried in procession, the kenboko is placed vertically in a pouch secured around the waist. As the bearer walks, he moves the kenboko back and forth, up and down, all the while ringing the bells. As kenboko are 6~7 metres long and weigh about 60 kg, this kind of movement calls for a high degree of skill.

The Main Kenboko Festivals in Kyoto:
Kumano Shrine Jinko Festival April 29
Shinsen Garden Shinsen Garden Festival May 1~3
Saginomori Shrine Annual Festival May 4
Imamiya Shrine Imamiya Festival
..... From May 5 to a Sunday near May 15
Otoyo Shrine Ujigami Festival May 5
Hachidai Shrine Jinko Festival May 5
Jinushi Shrine Jinushi Festival May 5
Suga Shrine Jinko Festival May 10

Gojo Tenjinsha (shrine) Ujiko Festival October 10
Sugadaijin Shrine Annual Festival 2nd Sunday in May
Ichihime Shrine Ichihime Festival Sunday nearest May 13
Nagi Shrine Jinko Festival 3rd Sunday in May
Ebisu Shrine Annual Grand Festival 3rd Sunday in May
Atago Shrine Nonomiya Shrine Saga Festival 4th Sunday in May
Seimei Shrine Jinko Festival September 23
Kitano Tenmangu (shrine) Zuiki Festival October 1~4
Kita shirakawa Tenjingu (shrine) Annual Festival October 7
Awata Shrine Awata Grand Festival October 10
Hiraoka Hachimangu (shrine) Annual Festival October 10
Kono shimaza Amaterasu Omikami Shrine (Kaikono yashiro)
... Annual Festival October 10
Kasuga Shrine Kasuga Festival 2nd Sunday in October
Yoshida Shrine / Imamiya Shrine Imamiya Shrine Annual Festival 2nd Saturday in October
Hachi Shrine Autumn Grand Festival 3rd Sunday in October
Fukuoji Shrine Autumn Grand Festival 3rd Sunday in October
Sumiyoshi Otomo Shrine Jinko Festival 3rd Sunday in October
Okazaki Shrine Ujiko Grand Festival October 16
Jonangu (shrine) Jinko Festival Sunday nearest October 20
Yuki Shrine Kurama Fire Festival October 22
Iwakura Shrine Annual Festival 4th Saturday in October


Kenboko from Shrine Kasuga Jinja

source : www.kyobunka.or.jp


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kigo for early summer

Imamiya matsuri 今宮祭 (いまみやまつり)
Imamiya shrine festival


Imamiya matsuri oide 今宮祭御出(いまみやまつりおいで)
take part in the Imamiya festival

From May 5 to a Sunday near May 15
Three large ox-drawn festival floats are paraded around town.

CLICK for more photos

A Shinto shrine located in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan. It was originally established for patrons to pray for safety from an epidemic, though it has evolved into a shrine where patrons can pray for general good health.

On every second Sunday in April, one of the 3 major festivals in Kyoto, Yasurai Matsuri 安良居祭 (やすらいまつり), is held at the shrine. The word imamiya (今宮) means "newly constructed.

There are several attractions that are unique to Imamiya Shrine. Specifically, there are two longstanding restaurants adjacent to the shrine. These shops' specialty are aburimochi - skewered, roasted rice cakes that are a traditional Kyoto confection. The two restaurants, named Ichiwa and Kazariya, have been open since 1002 and 1656 respectively and are located immediately outside the shrine's east gate.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


. WASHOKU : aburimochi あぶりもち


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HAIKU


半日は神を友にや年忘れ
hanjitsu wa kami o tomo ni ya toshi wasure

half a day
I spent in the company of the gods -
this Year-End Party

Tr. Gabi Greve

Basho spent the last day of the year with the priest Ogurusu Yuugen 小栗栖祐玄 Yugen
at the shrine Kami Goryoo Jinja 上御霊神社

Discussion of this hokku
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


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Related words

***** . Gion Festival (Gion matsuri)  
祇園祭り (ぎおんまつり)

***** . Sugawara Michizane 菅原道真 .

. ikiryoo 生霊 . 生き霊 Ikiryo“living spirit” .


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4/14/2011

Senbu-E Myoken-Ji

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Reading the sutras 1000 times (senbu e )

***** Location: Kyoto
***** Season: Mit-spring
***** Category: Observance


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Explanation

Senbu-E 千部会 Ceremony of chanting sutras for 1000 times
法華千部会


At temple Myookenji 妙顯寺 Myoken-Ji, Kyoto
April 14

The sutra Hokekyo is chanted for 1000 times.

The temple was advised as a special prayer temple by the emperor Godaigo Tenno  後醍醐天皇 in 1335.


MORE photos:
source : shikaishodo.com



In 2013 the timing has been postponed to March 09, due to considerations of the Big Earthquake on March 11, 2011.
05月09日 - - 4月14日に行われた法華千部会の様子を更新致しました。

京都市上京区寺之内通新町西入妙顯寺前町514


Festivals of this temple

1月 -- 新年祈祷会
2月 -- 二の午 慶中様大祭
4月 -- 14日 法華千部会
6月 -- 16日 法華懺法会(後醍醐天皇聖忌会)
8月 -- 10日 盆施餓鬼法要
11月 -- 13日 宗祖御会式(開山日像菩薩御会式)
12月 -- 冬至 除災祈祷会
31日 -- 除夜の鐘撞


Look at the Garden

source : teien.html


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quote
This is another of several nearly identical portraits painted in the 16th & 17th Centuries. This one is kept at Myokenji Temple in Kyoto. It appears be part of a set that includes portraits of Chih-I T’ien T’ai and Saicho, aka Dengyo Daishi. IIRC, the portraits were painted in the late 1600′s.

The founder of this Temple was Nichizo (1269-1342), who was Nichiro’s half-brother. It is said that Nichiren, on his deathbed at Ikegami, commissioned Nichizo with the task of converting the emperor in Kyoto. I am curious if this is an oral legend, actually recorded in the authenticated Shuso Gosenge Kiroku, or, perhaps, from the apocryphal transmission ‘dox’ kept at Ikegami?

Ryuei on Nichizo & Myokenji:
In 1333, Myokenji Temple joined in the prayers for Emperor Godaigo’s success. Fortunately for Nichizo, the emperor was successful and the Kamakuran Shogunate fell in 1333. In 1334, the emperor recognized Myokenji Temple as an Imperial Prayer Temple. In this way, Nichiren Buddhism was finally given official recognition. Nichizo’s lineage would later be known as the Shijo Lineage due to the location of Myokenji Temple in Kyoto. The Myokenji Temple was burned down by Tendai sohei (soldier-monks) from Mt. Hiei in 1387. It was rebuilt in 1398 and renamed Myohonji. It took the name Myokenji again in 1519.”
— The Mission to Kyoto by Ryuei Michael McCormick

source : fraughtwithperil.com


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. Japan after the BIG earthquake March 11, 2011 .

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Chanting sutras for 1000 times, the same sutra or different ones, chanted by one priest or many, there are variations of this kind of event in other temples in Japan.

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HAIKU



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Related words

***** . NEW YEAR - the complete SAIJIKI


. Amulets and Talismans from Japan . 

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Maizuru Festivals INFO Kyoto

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Maizuru Festivals


. Maizuru Daruma Festival ... 舞鶴だるま祭
Beginning of November

. . . . .


初日の出(五老ケ岳公園) [節句・年中行事]
First sunrise
Januaray 1

松尾寺の仏舞 [伝統芸能・舞踊]
Buddha Dance at Temple Matsuo
May

大森神社まつり 大名行列 [行列・パレード]
Festival at Shrine Omori Jinja
July

みなと舞鶴ちゃったまつり [花火大会]
Harbor Festival Maizuru, Fireworks
August

吉原の万灯籠 [火と灯の祭り]
Yoshihara Lantern Festival
August


白糸濱神社神輿巡行
Shiraito-Hama Shrine Autumn Festival


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穴観音秋の大祭
Autumn Festival at Cave Kannon

Memorial for the Dead, where parishioners sing Buddhist pilgrim's hymns (goeika, go eika 御詠歌).
September 14
(the corresponding spring event is on April 14)
穴観世音菩薩 Ana Kanzeon Bosatsu



At the temple Eishunji 永春寺 at Kanzaki town 神崎 at the foot of Mount Makiyama three is a cave with three statues of Kannon Bosatsu made of stone, where people go to pray for fulfilling of just one wish about having a child and bringing it up safely. Others they pray for passing an examination.
Women also come here on any 14th of a month. It is customary to make an offering of one raw egg.

Legend has it:
Once upon a time, there was a mother in the Tanba region who had lost her sight. She was desperate to see again and went with her three daughers to the forest to search for herbal medicine and went to temples and shrines to pray for her sight.
One day in her dream she saw three stone statues of Kannon in a cave. A voice whispered:
"At the mouth of the river Yuragawa 由良川 in Tanba there are three statues of Kannon. Go there and pray to get your eyesight back!"
Soon she went there with her three daughters and asked about the cave, but the local villagers did not know anything about it. But all helped here and so they found the cave with the statues.
There she prayed and her wish was fulfilled 祈願万願, she could see again.



Since then people have been coming here, making just one very sincere wish and pray for its fulfilling.

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まいづる魚まつり
Maizuru Fish Festival
October

地頭太鼓 [伝統芸能・舞踊]
Jizo Daiko Drummer Festival and Dance
October



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Things found on the way


由良のとを わたる舟人 かぢをたえ
行く方もしらぬ恋の道かな


Yura no to o Wataru funabito Kaji o tae
Yukue mo shiranu Koi no michi kana

Like a mariner
Sailing over Yura's strait
With his rudder gone:
Where, over the deep of love,
The end lies, I do not know.


46 - Sone no Yoshitada 曽禰好忠

. Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Poems 小倉百人一首 .


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Related words

***** . WKD : Main Index  


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2/03/2011

Yoshida Shrine Kyoto

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Yoshida Shrine (Yoshida Jinja)

***** Location: Kyoto
***** Season: see below
***** Category: Observance


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Explanation

Yoshida Shrine (吉田神社, Yoshida jinja)
Yoshida Daigen Guu, Yoshida Daigengū  吉田大元宮 Yoshida Daigen Gu
is a Shinto shrine located in Sakyō-ku in Kyoto, Japan.
It was founded in 859 by the Fujiwara clan.

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; and in 991, Emperor Ichijō added three more shrines to Murakami's list — including Yoshida.

From 1871 through 1946, the Yoshida 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. Yoshida Kanetomo, founder of Yoshida Shinto, is buried here.

At this Yoshida shrine, people can worship all the Kami of Japan (yaoyorozu no kami 八百万の神)in one visit.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !



More photos:
source : kannnon.blog

The deity in residence is

Takemikatsuchi no mikado 健御賀豆知命

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observance kigo for the New Year

Yoshida kiyo harae 吉田清祓 (よしだきよはらえ)
purification ritual at Yoshida

Yoshida ooharai 吉田大祓(よしだおおはらい)
great purification ritual at Yoshida


onna setsubun 女節分(おんなせつぶん)
setsubun for women


From Fenbruary 2 to 4.On the 19th day of the first lunar month, the women got time to go for a special purification ritual.

京都市左京区吉田神社
"Yoshida san" 吉田さん is a friendly naming of the Kyoto people.

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. Setsubun Festival 節分 (February 3) .


The last day of the year (December 31, oomisoka) and the last day of the first half of the year (June 30, misoka) are specially celebrated with rituals of purification in the Shrines and Temples of Japan. The rituals of these two days are also called "Great Purification" ooharae 大祓.


追儺厄除け面 mask to ward off evil

. Summer Purification Rituals .


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. Fortune-telling Daruma だるまみくじ 達磨御籤 .
from Yoshida Shrine - in a set for setsubun.

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Yearly Festivals List
source : yosida/nenkangyouji.htm



Amulet for trafic safety and a safe family.



Amulet for Setsubun


Homepage of the shrine:
京都市左京区吉田神楽岡町30番地
source : yosida



. Amulets and Talismans from Japan . 


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quote
Yoshida Shintō 吉田神道.
Academic school of Shintō widely propogated from the late 16th century to the beginning of the Meiji Restoration (1868). Also known as
Gempon Sōgen Shintō
元本宗源神道 (Fundamental, Elemental Shintō),
Yuiitsu Shintō
唯一神道 (One-and-Only Shintō), and
Urabe Shintō
卜部神道.
source : - Mark Schumacher -


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quote
Yoshida Shintō (Yoshida Shinto)

A body of Shinto theory and a tradition that played a central role in kami matters from the late Muromachi through the early-modern periods.
The school was founded by Yoshida Kanetomo 吉田兼倶(1435-1511), who called his tradition yuiitsu shintō ("only-one Shintō"), sōgen shintō ("original Shintō"), and genpon sōgen shintō ("fundamental and original Shintō"), but today it is commonly referred to as Yoshida Shintō or Urabe Shintō.

The Yoshida house was a branch of the Urabe clan, court specialists in tortoiseshell divination, which originated with Urabe Hiramaro (807-881) from Izu Province. His great-grandson Kanenobu was appointed vice-intendent (jingi daisuke) of the Department of Divinities (Jingikan), and afterwards the Urabe began to occupy this position on a hereditary basis. Subsequently, the Urabe clan split into the Yoshida and the Hirano branches; both specialized, in addition to traditional tortoiseshell divination, in the exposition of classics such as the Nihon shoki (Nihongi) and ancient ritual practices.

The Hirano house became particularly active during the Kamakura period with Kanebumi and Kanekata, and came to be called "the Nihongi house" (Taiheiki, fasc. 25). However, the Hirano began to decline in the period of North-South courts (ca. 1336-1392), and in its stead the Yoshida house came to the fore.

In the mid-Muromachi period, Kanehiro (1348-1402) was referred to with the honorary title of "elder of kami matters" (jindō no genrō ) (according to Yoshida-ke nichiji-ki); he received the support of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and was appointed to one of the highest court ranks. Kanetomo, four generations after Kanehiro, developed his own original Shintō doctrine based on the traditional teachings transmitted by his family over the centuries.

Yoshida Kanetomo was born in 1435 as the son of Kanena. In 1467 he was granted access to the imperial palace and was appointed assistant vice-intendent of the Jingikan (jingi gon-daisuke). That year, the Ōnin Disturbance began: the residence of the Yoshida family in the capital was destroyed by fire, and the following year the Yoshida Shrine (present-day Yoshida Jinja) was also burned down during a military operation. But it is likely that Kanetomo began to formulate his Shinto doctrines from around this time; they were first organized in his Sōgen Shintō seishi of 1470, and from the following year he began to perform a Shintō initiation ritual (shintō denju) for several aristocrats.

During this time, he built the Saijōsho 斎場所, a ceremonial hall at his residence and transmitted to the imperial court a petition from the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. In 1473 he received authorization to collect a transit tax (called Banzatsu ichigei ichiyaku) to finance the Saijōsho; in the meantime, Kanetomo claimed that the hall would be in charge of the ritual celebrating Emperor Jinmu's establishment of Japan, and was thus the origin of all shrines in the realm. In 1473, Kanetomo likewise chanted a sacred scripture entitled Shinmei sangen godaiden jinmyōkyō, which is now believed to have been authored by him. At this point, his doctrinal system had already taken on a considerable degree of organization.

Moreover, beginning from about this time, Kanetomo became very active lecturing on Nakatomi no harae and Nihon shoki, and performing related initiation rituals; in this way, he gained a wide following among the aristocracy, the military, and the Buddhist clergy. In 1476 he even began referring to himself as "the head of Shintō" (Shintō chōjō). Thanks to the support of his followers, he was able to build the Daigengū ceremonial hall on the top of Mount Yoshida in 1484.



斎場所大元宮

Around this octagonal edifice he placed replicas of the two Grand Shrines of Ise, the Hall of the Eight Kami (Hasshinden), and other structures containing the more than one-thousand shrines listed in the Engishiki. This marked the completion of Yoshida's doctrinal and ritual Shinto system.

An outline of Kanetomo's doctrines can be found in his main work, the Yuiitsu shintō myōbō yōshū, which was probably written around this time. According to this text, the form of Shintō prevalent at the time was characterized by theories of an interrelationship between the "original essences" of sacred entities and their "manifest traces" as kami, (honjaku engi), and by combinatory practices based on the two fundamental mandalas of Shingon esoteric Buddhism (Ryōbu shūgō Shintō; see Ryōbu Shintō); in contrast, Yoshida Shintō claimed to be the original and fundamental form of Shinto (genpon sōgen Shintō), taking for its main deity Kunitokotachi no mikoto, the original and primordial kami (daigen sonshin).

The teachings of Kunitokotachi, transmitted exclusively to Tenshō Daijin and Ame no koyane, refer to the primordial condition of the cosmos before the distinction of yin and yang (onmyō fusoku no gengen) and before the generation of the first thought (ichinen mishō no honpon). These doctrines explain the original deity before the separation of the single universal material force (ikki mibun no genshin) and the subsequent process of manifestation of the sacred in this world (wakō dōjin no shinka). The Yoshida Shintō teachings are divided into exoteric and esoteric. The exoteric teachings (kenrokyō) are based on texts such as the Sendai kuji hongi, the Kojiki and the Nihon shoki; they discuss the separation of heaven and earth, the Divine Age, and the genealogies of sovereigns and subjects.

These teachings also include the worship of the deities of heaven and earth (tenjin chigi) and human spirits (jinki), as well as rituals of external purification. In contrast, the esoteric teachings (in'yūkyō, or on'yūkyō) are based on three scriptures, the Tengen jinpen jinmyōkyō, the Chigen jinzū jinmyōkyō, and the Jingen jinriki jinmyōkyō; these explain the spiritual force of the three entities (sansai no reiō), the three wondrous empowerments (sanmyō no kaji), and the three kinds of sacred treasures (sanshu no reihō); the practices they presuppose aim at internal purification. Furthermore, Shinto is divided into substance (tai), function (yū), and appearance (sō); from these, the following series of classifications arises: three principles (sangen, i.e., the previous three items), nine wondrous altars (kubu myōdan, i.e., the combination of the above three with the three elements heaven, man, and earth), and eighteen kinds of Shinto (jūhachi Shintō, i.e., a further, more detailed articulation of the previous nine meant to encompass all existing phenomena). These doctrines are all used to explicate Yoshida Shintō's fundamental principle that Shinto permeates the three entities (heaven, earth, and humans).

Kanetomo stressed the originality of the Shinto teachings of his house, and boasted that he "did not drink even one single drop of the three teachings" (namely, Buddhism, Confucianism, and conventional Shinto).

In reality, his doctrines included a combination of elements taken from esoteric Buddhism, Onmyōdō, and Taoist thought and religion. Kanetomo continued a tendency already present in Ise Shintō and Ryōbu Shintō, but he carried it out on a much larger scale than his predecessors, to the point of creating a comprehensive compilation of medieval Shintō doctrines through a combination of numerous religious and philosophical positions. This is also true of Yoshida rituals, such as Shintō goma, sōgen gyōji, jūhachi shintō gyōji (collectively known as sandan gyōji), and Hokuto-sai, Anchin-sai, and Tenku-sai, all of which are characterized by numerous elements taken from esoteric Buddhism and Onmyōdō. Finally, Kanetomo had the exclusive authority to confer to the title of kami on humans, and to establish rankings for kami, and also to appoint Shintō priests—authority he exercised by issuing special authorization certificates (Sōgen senshi, Shintōsai kyojō).
This authority facilitated the diffusion of Yoshida Shintō throughout Japan.



Yoshida Kanemigi  吉田兼右 (1516-1573), who became head of the Yoshida house one generation after Kanetomo's death, began to spread Yoshida Shintō among minor shrine priests in the provinces by issuing many more authorization certificates than his predecessors, and by visiting regional shrines himself. His sons Yoshida Kanemi (1535-1610) and Bonshun (1553-1632) joined the entourages of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Yokugawa Ieyasu, and tried to strengthen the position of their lineage.

Their efforts were rewarded later in the Edo period, when the Shosha negi kannushi hatto [Ordinances for shrine priests], issued in 1665, placed all shrines under the control of the Yoshida. However, the Edo period also saw the revival of Ise Shintō and the formation of Yoshikawa Shintō and Suika Shintō, and Hayashi Razan, Deguchi Nobuyoshi, Amano Sadakake, Usui Masatane and others began to criticize the Yoshida version of Shinto. In response to these developments and criticisms, the Yoshida house appointed the Suika scholar Matsuoka Yūen (1701-1783) as head of its academy in an effort to incorporate elements of Suika Shintō; apologetic texts such as the Nihon jingi seitōki and the Shingyō ruiyō were also published to rebut criticism.

Yoshida Shintō could not, however, avoid being excluded from the newly arising Shintō trends central to the period; in addition, from the mid-Edo period onwards frequent disputes were encountered with the Shirakawa Jingi Hakke house concerning the control over Shinto shrines. The Yoshida nonetheless preserved their authority throughout the early-modern period until the traditional system of shrine supervision was abolished by the Meiji government in 1868.
source : Ito Satoshi, Kokugakuin, 2006


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