Gion Festival

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Gion Festival (Gion matsuri)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Late Summer, July
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Gion matsuri　祇園祭り　(ぎおんまつり)
Gion Festival in Kyoto


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Gion (祇園)
is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the Middle Ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan.


The Gion Festival (祇園祭 )
takes place annually in Kyoto and is one of the most famous festivals in Japan. It spans the entire month of July and is crowned by a parade, the Yamaboko Junkō (山鉾巡行) on July 17.

Kyoto's downtown area is reserved for pedestrian traffic on the three nights leading up to the massive parade. These nights are known as yoiyama (宵山) on July 16th, yoiyoiyama (宵々山) on July 15th, and yoiyoiyoiyama (宵々々山) on July 14th. The streets are lined with night stalls selling food such as yakitori (barbecued chicken skewers), taiyaki, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, traditional Japanese sweets, and many other culinary delights. Many girls dressed in yukata (summer kimono) walk around the area, carrying with them traditional purses and paper fans.

During the yoiyama eves leading up to the parade, some private houses in the old kimono merchant district open their entryways to the public, exhibiting valuable family heirlooms, in a custom known as the Byōbu Matsuri, or Folding Screen Festival. This is a precious opportunity to visit and observe traditional Japanese residences of Kyoto.


by Iwase Matabei 岩佐又兵衛　(1578 - 1650)

History
This festival originated as part of a purification ritual (goryo-e) to appease the gods thought to cause fire, floods and earthquakes. In 869, the people were suffering from plague and pestilence which was attributed to the rampaging deity Gozu Tennō (牛頭天王).
Emperor Seiwa ordered that the people pray to the god of the Yasaka Shrine　八坂神社, Susanoo-no-mikoto. Sixty-six stylized and decorated halberds, one for each province in old Japan, were prepared and erected at Shinsen-en, a garden, along with the portable shrines (mikoshi) from Yasaka Shrine.

This practice was repeated wherever an outbreak occurred. In 970, it was decreed an annual event and has since seldom been broken. Over time the increasingly powerful and influential merchant class made the festival more elaborate and, by the Edo Period (1603-1868), used the parade to brandish their wealth.

In 1533, the Ashikaga shogunate halted all religious events, but the people protested, stating that they could do without the rituals, but not the procession. This marks the progression into the festival's current form. Smaller floats that were lost or damaged over the centuries have been restored, and the weavers of the Nishijin area offer new tapestries to replace destroyed ones. When not in use, the floats and regalia are kept in special storehouses throughout the central merchant district of Kyoto in the care of the local people.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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There are many kigo related to the Gion Festival

Most of the festival floats are kigo and come with their own interesting history.


Gion-e 祗園会 (ぎおんえ) Gion Ceremonies
Gion matsuri 祗園祭（ぎおんまつり）Gion Festival

ushi no gion 牛の祗園（うしのぎおん）"Gion of the Bull"
see below, Gozu Tenoo

Gion daiko 祗園太鼓（ぎおんだいこ）Gion drum
Gion yamagasa, Gion yamakasa 祗園山笠（ぎおんやまがさ）Gion festival floats



Deity Susano-O
Gion goryoo-e 祗園御霊会（ぎおんごりょうえ）requiem for the repose of the souls of people who died from violence, disease and the pest.


shimo no matsuri 下の祭（しものまつり）
kami no matsrui 上の祭（かみのまつり）

Gion bayashi 祗園囃（ぎおんばやし）Gion festival musicians
nikai bayashi 二階囃（にかいばやし）festival musicians on the second floor (of a float)

mikoshi arai 神輿洗（みこしあらい）purification of the mikoshi
hokodate 鉾立（ほこだて）preparing the floats and kenboko
hokomachi 鉾町（ほこまち）ward with a kenboko helbard

. Kenboko 剣鉾 （けんぼこ）
and the Goryo Festival 御霊祭 Goryo Matsuri　　



yoiyama 宵山（よいやま）
night before the grand parade (17th day)
yoimiya moode 宵宮詣（よいみやもうで）
yoi kazari 宵飾り（よいかざり）decorations on the night before the parade
In the night of yoimiya the spirits of the deities are transported into the protable shrines on the floats.





byoobu matsuri 屏風祭（びょうぶまつり）folding screen festival
The rich merchant homes display the folding screns which are usually hidden with the family treasures in the special storehouses.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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yamaboko 山鉾（やまぼこ）Gion Festival floats
(yama and hoko)
The order of the floats is decided new for each year, using lucky lots.

LINK with phantastic photos of each float:
source : kyoto-k.sakura.ne.jp


hoko matsuri 鉾祭（ほこまつり）festival of the floats
hoko no chigo 鉾の稚児（ほこのちご）children on the floats
. naginata boko, naginataboko 長刀鉾（なぎなたぼこ）halberd float .

kakkiyo yama 郭巨山（かっきょやま）
hooshoo yama 保昌山（ほうしょうやま）
hakuga yama 伯牙山（はくがやま）
kangoku boko 函谷鉾（かんごくぼこ）
hakurakuten yama 白楽天山（はくらくてんやま）
torihoko 鶏鉾（とりほこ）
urade yama 占出山（うらでやま）
abura tenjin yama 油天神山（あぶらてんじんやま）
tokusa yama 木賊山（とくさやま）
kikusui boko 菊水鉾（きくすいぼこ）
tsuki hoko 月鉾（つきほこ）
moosoo yama 孟宗山（もうそうやま）Moso Yama
ashikari yama 芦刈山（あしかりやま）
hooka hoko 放下鉾（ほうかほこ）
iwado yama 岩戸山（いわとやま）
joomyoo yama 浄明山（じょうみょうやま）
funa hoko 船鉾（ふなほこ）
kita Kannon yama 北観音山（きたかんのんやま）(with a man)

minami Kannon yama 南観音山（みなみかんのんやま）(with a woman)
Hachiman yama 八幡山（はちまんやま）
kuronushi yama 黒主山（くろぬしやま）
koi yama 鯉山（こいやま）carp float
suzuka yama 鈴鹿山（すずかやま）

yamabushi yama 山伏山（やまぶしやま）
float of the mountain ascetics


arare Tenjin yama 霰天神山（あられてんじんやま）
for Tenjin-sama, Sugawara Michizane


hashi Benkei yama 橋弁慶山（はしべんけいやま）
for Musashibo Benkei and Yoshitsune
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



Taishi yama 太子山（たいしやま）
for Shotoku Taishi
. . . CLICK here for Photos !






En no Gyooja yama 役行者山（えんのぎょうじゃやま）
float of En no Gyoja
An actor of the mountain ascetic En no Gyoja makes a purificatin fire and prays for the safety of the festival. He then takes part in the parade.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




funa hoko 船鉾（ふなほこ） boat float
- Shared by Taisaku Nogi -
Joys of Japan, 2012


The Yamahoko parade on July 17 -
The 17th day of the seventh month
is the day that Noah's ark drifted to Ararat!

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


Many yamahoko feature a special talisman for good luck, the
. chimaki 茅巻 Chimaki ritual rice cakes .
usually eaten on the Boy's Festival (now May 5).


CLICK for more photos!

quote
Each yamahoko has its own origin and talisman related it. You can buy these things at Yoiyama.

Name of Yama or Hoko	Talisman, Charm, Chimaki
Aburatenjin yama	for learning
Araretenjin yama	for thunder and fire
Urade yama	for easy delivery
Ennogyoujya yama	for epidemic and safe driving
Kakkyo yama	for mother's milk
Kikusui hoko	for eternal youth, longevity, rush of business
Kuronushi yama	for ridding bad luck
Koi yama	for advancement in life
Tokusa yama	for ridding stray child
Jyoumyou yama	for victory
Suzuka yama	for thunder, easy delivery, property loss
Taishi yama	for knowledge, scapegoat
Naginata hoko	ridding bad luck
Hakurakuten yama	for learning, good luck
Hachiman yama	for crying at night
Fune hoko	for easy delivery, abdominal bandage
Houshou yama	for love, marriage tie
Houka hoko	for ridding bad luck
Mousou yama	for filial devotion to parents

source :　kyoto.mirahouse.jp

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CLICK for more photos !

The miniatures are about 20 to 40 cm high. The smallest souvenir-type items are just 10 cm high.
They are made from wood and cardboard. The figures inside are made of clay.

. Kyoto Folk Art - 京都（府） .

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medama soodatsu 目玉争奪 fighting of the floats


mugon moode 無言詣（むごんもうで）"silent shrine visit"
Maiko pray at the otabisho places, but may not talk during their walk to and from the place.
This takes place from the 17th to the 24th day.

. Mugon Mode on October 20 .

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tsurumeso 弦召（つるめそ/ 弦売僧 / 弦女曽）
lit. "please buy bow-strings"
festival on day 24

This name refers to a group of lowly, untouchables in the old society (inu jinin 犬神人). Saint Shinran spread his teaching among them, they became a group of followers of the Gion Shrine 祇園社. They took care of dirty work during the festival, handling burials and cremation grounds. They were also called tsurusashi 弦差（つるさし) or tsurumese.

The painting from the Taisho period shows the Tsurumeso in a procession, dressed in armour of the Heian period. They were defeated warriours and began making arrows and bowstrings for a living and had to stay in the ward Yumiyacho 弓矢町 (bow and arrow ward). This procession had been abolished in later years, so we now only have this painting.
source : gyojibunka

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Heavenly King with an Ox-Head,
Ox-Headed Deva King
gozu tenoo, gozu tenno 牛頭天王
The Japanese god of plague



With the fusion of Shinto and Buddhism, Susa-no-O was identified with Gozu Tenno ("Bull-headed King of Heaven").

MORE
Gozu 牛頭 Deities with Ox-Heads


. Gozu Tennō Densetsu　牛頭天王　伝説 Legends about Gozu Tenno .


. Gion Festival . English Reference


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quote
Setsubun festival at Yasaka Shrine
Each Kyoto shrine has its own attraction for the Setsubun ritual. Some feature special demon costumes. Some invite celebrities. Some prepare extensive gifts and make sure that everyone gets beans. Yasaka Jinja offers dances by maiko (apprentice geisha) for the enjoyment of the gods.



Shared by Dougill John - green shinto
Joys of Japan, February 2012


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There are Gion festivals celebrated in other parts of Japan, for example in Hakata (kigo see below) or in Yamanashi


山梨 祇園祭り


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Things found on the way

Gozu Tennoo fuda 牛頭天王札 amulet for Gozu Tenno

. Nezu Jinja 根津神社　Nezu Shrine .
Tokyo




Namu Gozu Tenno　南無牛頭天王

牛頭天王社 at the temple 札林寺, Chiba
千葉県市川市大野町４－３０６４


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HAIKU


祗園会に羽化する少女まぎれゆく
Gion-e ni uka suru shoojo magire-yuku

at the Gion festival
this young girl grows up
as it walks along

Tsugawa Eriko 津川絵理子


uka refers to a change of an insect from a chrysalis to a butterfly, cicada or other.



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Related words

Hamo has two food seasons,
one is in summer, just after the rainy season is over. It is then eaten for the Gion Festival in Kyoto or the Tenjin Festival in Osaka (matsuri hamo).
The Gion Festival is sometimes even referred to as
"Hamo Festival".
***** Pike conger eel (hamo)


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Hakata no Gion matsuri
博多の祗園祭 (はかたのぎおんまつり)
Hakata Gion Festival
Hakata matsuri 博多祭（はかたまつり） Hakata festival
..... yamagasa 山笠（やまがさ）Yamakasa floats
oi yamagasa 追山笠（おいやまがさ）race of the floats
.... oiyama 追山（おいやま）

. . . CLICK here for Photos !

The Hakata Gion Yamagasa festival is a religious ritual of Hakata's grand tutelary shrine, Kushida Shrine. It is concentrated on "Decoration Floats", Kazari Yamagasa, which are covered with beautiful Hakata dolls and set up in various places around the town.
As opposed to the elegant and feminine Kazari Yamagasa, the masculine "Kaki Yamagasa" is carried around the city from the 10th. The climax of the festival is the Oiyama race that starts from early morning on the 15th.

. WKD : Naked Festivals .


入港の汽笛のひびく飾り山笠
nyukoo no kiteki no hibiku kazari yama

the incoming boat
blasts its horn carrying
the Yamagasa float

Nagasaki Toosei 長崎島星 Nagasaki Tosei


. Yamakasa ningyoo 山笠人形 Yamakasa festival float dolls .
Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival

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. Gozu Ten-O at Shrine Hiromine Jinja 広峰神社 　　

. Somin Shoorai Fu 蘇民将来符 Somin Shorai amulet .
and Gozu Tenno 牛頭天王

. Sannoo matsuri 山王祭 (さんのうまつり) Sanno Festival .
Hiyoshi matsuri 日吉祭（ひよしまつり） Hiyoshi shrine festival
sarumatsuri 申祭（さるまつり）monkey festival


. Gobelin tapestry, dragons and the Gion floats .


. Kesoobumi uri 懸想文売 vendor of love letters .
at shrine Suga Jinja 須賀神社


. Go-Oo Hooin 牛王宝印
sacred seal of the ox treasure .


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Home Visit (tsuto-iri)

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Home Visit (tsutoiri, tsuto iri)

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

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Explanation

tsuto iri 衝突入 (つといり) "visiting a home"
Yamada no tsuto-iri 山田のつと入（やまだのつといり）
home visit at Yamada
bon no tsuto-iri 盆のつと入（ぼんのつといり）
home visit at O-Bon ancestor festival


The Chinese characters 衝突 are usually read "shoototsu", meaning a collision or bumping into something.

tsuto-iri was on teh 16th day of the 7th lunar month.
This is the same day as yabu-iri for servants.

This is a kigo hard to translate in a short version.
It is also probably not used any more.


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This kigo refers to an old custom in the area of Ise Yamada
伊勢の山田地方.
This day also the third day of the ancestor festival O-Bon, when the spirits of the ancestors were send back (okuri-bon 送り盆).

On the 16th day of the seventh lunar month
(now in August), on this one day it was allowed to enter any home and visit their treasure house (kura), where the scrolls and antiques and family treasures were kept. Visitors could also inspect the special living room for visitors and take a look at the garden.

The young girls of a home were also "shown" and this was a time to make acquainances and marriage arrangements.

Some sources say this was also a chance (or duty) for the rich to display all their treasured in the yashiki living room.

The meaning of the expression can also be
"sudden intrusion into a home",
but from the haiku below we learn that all was well planned and the visitors greeted kindly.


The town of Ise (伊勢市, Ise-shi)
was formerly called Uji Yamada (宇治山田).
This city is located in eastern Mie Prefecture.
It is the area of the Ise shrine.


Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮, Ise Jingū)
. Ise Shrine and its KIGO 　


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HAIKU

つと入や蘭の香にみつ一座敷
tsuto-iri ya ran no ka ni mitsu hito-zashiki

home visiting -
the fragrance of orchids fills
the living room

Matsuse Seisei 松瀬青々 (1869 - 1937)


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つと入やしる人に逢ふ拍子ぬけ
tsuto-iri ya shiru hito ni au hyooshi nuke

forced home visit -
I meet a person I know
and feel at ease


つと入りや 納戸の暖簾ゆかしさよ
tsuto-iri ya nando no noren yukashisa yo

forced home visit -
the door curtain in front of the store room
invites me to peek in
Tr. Gabi Greve

Usually there are no door curtains in front of storage rooms, so the curiosity of Buson is stirred.

. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .


hyooshi nuke 拍子ぬけ - how best to translate?
. Discussion of facebook .


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Related words

***** Bon Festival, O-Bon, Obon お盆


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Kinkazan Island

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Kinkazan Island - Ishinomaki

***** Location: Miyagi Prefecture
***** Season: See below
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Kinkasan (金華山; also Kinkazan)
is a small mountainous island at the tip of the Oshika Peninsula, not far from Sendai in Tohoku, Japan.



Literally meaning "Golden Flower Mountain", its spiritual significance and the fact that the island used to be a site for a brief gold prospecting boom ensure a steady stream of visitors eager for some good fortune to rub off. Kinkasan is considered one of the three holiest places in Tohoku region, along with Dewa Sanzan and Osorezan. Today little remains except an impressive Shinto shrine devoted to the gods of wealth, Ebisu and Daikoku.

Women were actually banned on the island until the late 19th century, but today, for both sexes, an overnight stay is ideal for those seeking tranquility. According to legend, if you pay a visit to the shrine once a year for three consecutive years, you will have no financial difficulties for the rest of your life.



Koganeyama Shrine (黄金山神社)



This shrine is the reason most Japanese come here. The shrine originally dates to the 8th century, but the present buildings are much newer and not particularly noteworthy. On the other hand, legend has it that those who visit the shrine three years in a row will become rich.

©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


Ths island is famous for its wild monkeys and

sika deer, Cervus nippon, on Kinkazan Island

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shika tsunokiri 鹿角切り cutting the antlers of deer
May 12

Miyagi prefecture, Kinkazan (Kinkasan), shrine Koganeyama jinja
宮城県金華山黄金山神社



The purpose of the event is to cut off the deer's antlers. I'm not sure exactly why as nobody I asked seemed to know exactly. The best answer I got was so that it would soon be mating season and cutting the antlers prevents injuries to the male deer when they fight over females.

Basically a group of men (of varying ages) herd a number of deer into the arena, and then they close the gates. They wave long sticks at the deer herding them around and around the outside of the arena. As the deer run a number of the men throw some kind of rope trap device at the antlers.

If the rope catches on an antler they reel the deer in until a group of men swarm the deer (in this photo an over-eager man grabs the deer before the others arrive on the scene) and carry it to a mat (with pillow) and hold it down while the older man in Orange cuts off the Antlers. A young boy then parades the antlers before the crowd and then places them in a basket which is lifted out of the arena.

If the crowd wishes to purchase the antlers they can. However, they are quite expensive. They ranged in price from $100 - $300 dollars.
source :　www.trekearth.com


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Pilgrim's stamp book cover




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Kinkazan Tsunami on March 2011

A man had escaped high up at Kinkazan island 金華山 , situated before Ishinomaki town and Ojika Peninsula..
He kept taking photos of the tsunami as it came into the inlet, from both sides at once, clashing in the middle in front of his eyes.
Even tsunami-experts have never seen this kind of document before.
It looked like a scene from a biblical movie.



. Kinkazan Tsunami on March 2011 . 　


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Kinkazan in Gifu 岐阜金華山



Mt. Kinka
(金華山, Kinka-zan), also known as Kinkazan,
is located in the heart of the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and rises to a height of 329 m (1,079 ft). Previously called Mt. Inaba (稲葉山 Inabayama), it has long served as the representative symbol of Gifu. It stands along the Nagara River, creating bountiful nature within the city. Though it is the most famous mountain in the city, Mount Dodo, to the north, is the tallest.

First built by the Nikaidō family during the Kamakura period, Gifu Castle atop Mt. Kinka has gone through many forms, with the current building being constructed in 1956.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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HAIKU




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Related words

***** shika no tsunokiri 鹿の角切 (しかのつのきり)
cutting the horns of deer
kigo for late autumn

at Kasuga Shrine (春日大社, Kasuga-taisha) in Nara

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Ishinomaki Kawabiraki　石巻川開き
"River Opening at Ishinomaki"

The Ishinomaki Kawabiraki Festival is held on August 1st and 2nd every year.
This festival celebrates Kawamura Magobei 川村孫兵衛 , a civil engineer and Samurai during the Edo Period, whose improvements to the Kitakami-gawa River helped Ishinomaki to develop and prosper.

On the first night of the two-day-festival there is a spectacular fireworks display; one of largest in northern Japan(, with about 15,000 separate rounds fired into the sky). During the festival there are many exciting events including the Magobeisen rowing race, and the Tairyo-odori dance parade, where Ishinomaki residents perform traditional, local dances in costume.
source :　www.city.ishinomaki.lg.jp



Kawamura Magobei Shigeyoshi 川村重吉
(1575 - 1648)




The Ishinomaki Kawabiraki, or "River Opening" Festival, traditionally celebrates the city's prosperity.

3/11 victims mourned at Ishinomaki summer festival 2012
A century-old summer festival began in tsunami-hit Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, on Tuesday.
The participants are also mourning the victims of last year's March 11th disaster.
Since last year, the festival has also been held to pray for the repose of the March 11th victims and the city's reconstruction.

About 50 Buddhist monks gathered at the mouth of the Kyukitakami river to chant sutras and recite the names of Ishinomaki residents who have died or remain missing.
15,000 paper lanterns bearing the names of victims were floated in the river. People gathered along the banks and prayed silently.

A woman who lost her uncle in the disaster and whose aunt remains missing says she wonders if her aunt may return from nowhere.
She added that 16 months have passed, but she feels that nothing has changed.

Events will be held on Tuesday on the theme of reconstruction to wrap up the 2-day festival.They include a parade by drummers from elementary and junior high schools and a firework display.
source :　NHK world news July 31, 2012

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Matsumae

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. Ezo, Emishi 蝦夷　エゾ　Ainu Culture アイヌの文化 .
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Matsumae in Hokkaido

***** Location: Hokkaido, Japan
***** Season: Various
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

kigo for early spring
Matsumae wataru 松前渡る (まつまえわたる)
crossing over to Matsumae


kigo for late autumn
Matsumae kaeru 松前帰る (まつまえかえる)
coming home from Matsumae
Matsumae noboru 松前上る（まつまえのぼる）
coming back from Matsumae



These are old kigo.
Matsumae, one of the oldest port towns in Hokkaido, used to be busy during the summer months in the Edo period for fishing.
This custom was also performed by merchants and traders from Tsugaru, Aomori and Akita.
The name Matsumae at that time was almost identical with the old name of Ezo / Hokkaido.

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Matsumae (松前町, Matsumae-chō) is a town located in Matsumae District, Oshima, Hokkaidō, Japan. The former home of the Matsumae Han, it has an Edo period castle, Matsumae Castle, the only one in Hokkaidō.
The town is located on the southern end of the Matsumae Peninsula.
In addition the town governs the two islands in the Tsugaru Strait, Oshima and Kojima.


The Matsumae clan (松前藩, Matsumae-han)
was a Japanese clan which was granted the area around Matsumae, Hokkaidō as a march fief in 1590 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and charged with defending it, and by extension all of Japan, from the Ainu 'barbarians' to the north. Originally known as the Kakizaki clan, and claiming descendence from the Takeda of Wakasa province, the family later took the name Matsumae.
In exchange for their service in defending the country, the Matsumae were made exempt from owing rice to the shogunate in tribute, and from the sankin kōtai system, under which most daimyo (feudal lords of Edo period Japan) were required to spend half the year at Edo, while their families were, essentially, held hostage to prevent rebellion, spending the entire year at Edo.

Due to their location, and their role as border defenders, the Matsumae were the first Japanese to negotiate with Russia in any semi-official way. They might very well have been the first Japanese to meet Russians at all, within Japanese territory.

Since the Matsumae land was a march, a frontier land used as the border defense against the Ainu, the remainder of Hokkaidō, then called Ezo, essentially became an Ainu reservation.
It was only during the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century that the march was dissolved and Hokkaidō formally annexed by Japan.





Matsumae Castle (松前城, Matsumae-jō)
is a castle located in Matsumae in Hokkaidō, Japan. It was the home of the Matsumae Han. It is perhaps the only traditional style Edo period castle in Hokkaidō.

Built in 1606 by Matsumae Yoshihiro 松前 慶広, it burned down in 1637 but was rebuilt in 1639. Later, modern defences were built on the site in 1850. In 1875, the administrative building, three turrets, and an artillery position were torn down, before the remaining Donjon and main gate burned down in 1949; it is now all a park.

It once controlled all passengers through Hokkaidō to the rest of Japan.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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- quote
The Kitamaebune 北前船 (lit. northern-bound ships)
was a shipping route (and also the ships involved) in Japan from the Edo to the Meiji periods. The route went from Osaka through the Seto Inland Sea and the Kanmon Straits to ports in Hokuriku on the Sea of Japan and later to Hokkaidō.

The Kaga Domain, which sold approximately 70,000 koku of rice every year in Osaka, succeeded in sending 100 koku by boat through this route in 1639. The Tokugawa Shogunate also received rice from Dewa Province through merchant Kawamura Zuiken in 1672, but it is thought to be a response from these ships. Japanese ships at the time normally could only make one trip per year, but with the arrival of Western schooners in the Meiji Period, ships were able to make up to four trips annually.

However, the Meiji Restoration also brought the end of the feudal system and the introduction of the telegraph, getting rid of gaps between regional markets and making it difficult for the shipping routes to make large profits. The national construction of railroads further led to the end of the Kitamaebune.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !


. Matsumaebune 松前船 trade ships .
and the temple Tamonin 多聞院 Tamon-In in Akita

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The kagura style of dance and music is performed in the course of worshiping Shinto gods and this type of performance is best represented by the Matsumae kagura.

. Matsumae Kagura Dance 松前神楽


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


Food from Hokkaido

. WASHOKU
Matsumaezuke, Matsumae tsukemono 松前漬け
pickled seaweed and fish rogen
with soy sauce, mirin sugar and other ingredients.　






. WASHOKU : Matsumaezushi from Hokkaido
松前鮓（まつまえずし）Sushi from Matsumae 　松前すし 　
kigo for all summer
Prepared with salmon or mackerel and a bit of konbu kelp.



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HAIKU



黒々と松前帰る日の礁
kuroguro to Matsumae kaeru hi no ikuri

black, so black
the rocks in the water on the day
returning from Matsumae

Mikami Tooka 三上冬華（みかみ・とうか）(1942 - )
Haiku Collection


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Related words

***** . Samekawa misogi 佐女川みそぎSamekawa Ablutions 　
At Kikonai, near Hakodate.


***** . Ainu Food アイヌ料理 　

***** . Ezo, Emishi 蝦夷　エゾ　Ainu Culture アイヌの文化 .


***** . 松窓乙二 Shoso Otsuni
(1756 - 1823)
He travelled a lot, mostly in Northern Japan and even to Hakodate, Hokkaido, and promoted haiku in this area, with the support of the Lord of Matsumae Han.

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*****  . Takadaya Kahei 高田屋嘉兵衛 (1769 - 1827) .

In 1795, he constructed a ship named Shinetsu-maru 辰悦丸 with a displacement of 417 tons in Dewa (Yamagata and Akita Prefectures) and captained it. The following year he opened trading stores with the name of Takadaya in Hyogotsu and Hakodate, and started selling goods he transported between Ezo and the Osaka area.

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Abstinence in Satsuki

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Absention, abstinence in Satsuki (satsuki imi )

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

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Explanation

Satsuki is the name for the fifth month of the lunar calendar.
Now 6 Jun – 6 Jul

. Names of lunar months and solar seasons 　


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satsuki imi 五月忌 さつきいみ Abstention in Satsuki
amezutsumi 雨づつみ（あめづつみ）"wrapped in rain"
nagame imi 霖雨斎み（ながめいみ）"abstinence during the long rain"
onna no ie 女の家（おんなのいえ）"home of the women"
onna tenka no hi 女天下の日（おんなてんかのひ） "day of the women"

The three lunar months of 1, 5 and 9 were special months of abstinence, and there were no weddings or large celebrations held in these lunar months.

Satsuki was the month of planting the rice fields and thus the god of the fields was welcomed back from his retreat in the mountains. This also was a time for abstention or abstinence.

. Ta no Kami, God of the Rice Fields　田の神さま
and related kigo　


Young girls stayed indoors as miko maidens and performed purification rites. (imigomori 忌み篭もり)

The fifth day of the fifth month was therefore called

"home of the women" or "day of the women".
The girls lived in a special house with iris and mugwort hung from the eaves to ward off evil.

This was also the rainy season, so the court ladies celebrated this day in their waka poetry as
"wrapped in rain" or "abstinence during the long rain period".


During the whole of the fifth lunar month, couples had to be abstinent (and use their energy for planting rice).


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The fifth lunar month, a month with SA

satsuki 「さつき」「五月」
sanae 「早苗」(さなえ) 、saotome 「早乙女」(さをとめ) 、samidare 「五月雨」(さみだれ) 、sanaburi 「早苗饗」(さなぶり) sasamaki 「笹巻き」(ささまき)
sake 酒（さけ）/ sakana 酒菜（さかな）/sasageru 捧（ささ）げる

sa no kami サの神 / (ta no kami) 田の神
God of SA, god of the fields


勝平得之『植乙女』昭和二十五年
source : 20century.blog2



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



. imi 忌み / 斎み imi .
in the context of Shintoism



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. Iris (shoobu) and the fifth lunar month
Seasonal festival in May, gogatsu no sekku
五月の節句（ごがつのせっく） 　　



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HAIKU

新宮に忌日八月十二日
shinguu no imibi hachigatsu juuni nichi

the taboo day
for Shingu shrine is August
the twelfth

. Kuroda Momoko 黒田杏子 .


. shinguu shingū 新宮 Shingu "new shrine" .


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Related words

***** . Woman and KIGO 　

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Boys Festival (tango)

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Boys' Festival (tango no sekku　端午の節句)

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

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Explanation

The Boy's Festival takes place on the
day with the double odd number five
the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
now celebrated usually on May 5


Satsuki is the name for the fifth month of the lunar calendar.
Now 6 Jun – 6 Jul.
The change from the lunar to the solar calendar brought some difficulties in keeping the season. Some of the kigo are placed in EARLY SUMMER, some in MID-SUMMER.


tango 端午 (たんご) Tango festival
Seasonal festival in the fifth lunar month
gogatsu no sekku 五月の節句（ごがつのせっく）
seasonal festival of the iris, shoobu no sekku
菖蒲の節句（しょうぶのせっく）





Tango no sekku is a traditional Japanese event observed on May 5th as a celebration for boys' talisman and health. Families including boys observe it, displaying yoroikabuto (an armor), gogatsuninngyou (dolls for the Boys' Festival), or koinobori (carp-shaped streamers). Although this tradition has continued to this day, after World War May 5th started to be called "children's day". It is observed as a holiday recognizing children's (boys and girls) happiness.

Tango no sekku was originally a custom brought from ancient China. In China, May has long been regarded as a month of evil spirits. So events for driving them away were widespread in May. At first, this special day was not always on May 5th, but eventually it settled on the day. As for Japan, during the Nara period (710-794) five seasonal events (jinjitsu, joushi, tanogo, tanabata, chouyou) were introduced. At that time, the five seasonal events were observed by aristocrats as important events to ward off one's own sins during the turning point of each season. And then, they spread to the samurai (warrior) families. During the Edo period, since the feudal government designated May 5th as an important day, it also became popular among common people, and it came to be observed widely in Japan.

Read more here:
source : www.jpn-miyabi.com


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Related kigo:

Seasonal festival in May, gogatsu no sekku
五月の節句（ごがつのせっく）
gogatsu no setchi-e 五日の節会 (いつかのせちえ)
ritual at the Imperial court

seasonal festival of the iris, shoobu no sekku
菖蒲の節句（しょうぶのせっく）
ayame no sechi-e 菖蒲の節会（あやめのせちえ）
ayame no makura 菖蒲の枕 (あやめのまくら) "iris pillow"
at the imperial court, iris were put into the pillow to ward off evil influence.

"double five", fifth month fifth day, choogo 重五（ちょうご）
day of the iris, ayame no hi 菖蒲の日（あやめのひ）

first seasonal festival, hatsu sekku
初節句（はつせっく）
First for a boy just born the year before.


The long leaves of the iris (shoobu)
reminded the samurai of their swords.
The word SHOOBU　勝負 also means a fight,
usually to the death.

The iris flower is seen in present-day July, and many related kigo are placed in "mid-summer", see below.


The flower Iris and Haiku


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musha ningyoo 武者人形 むしゃにんぎょう warriour dolls
kabuto ningyoo かぶと人形（かぶとにんぎょう）dolls with helmets
gogatsu ningyoo 五月人形（ごがつにんぎょう）"May Dolls"

ayame ningyoo あやめ人形（あやめにんぎょう）iris dolls
..... shoobu ningyoo 菖蒲人形 (しょうぶにんぎょう)

bugu kazaru 武具飾る（ぶぐかざる）
decorating the warriou's armour

These dolls and warriour helmets are decorated for the Boys Festival. They are a precious family treasure, often given by the grandparents when a boy is born.


. Musha ningyoo 武者人形 Samurai Dolls .


. Dolls and Haiku .


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Carp Streamers (koinobori 鯉幟 (こいのぼり)
. . . . . and
chimaki 茅巻（ちまき）Chimaki ritual rice cakes



. Medicine and May the Fifth
kusudama 薬玉 (くすだま) "medicine ball"
choomeiru, choomei ru 長命縷（ちょうめいる）/ 続命縷（しょくめいる）
"threads of long life"
"water of God", shinzui, shinsui
神水 (しんずい, しんすい)


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observance kigo for mid-summer

The long leaves of the iris (shoobu) reminded the samurai of their swords.
The word SHOOBU　勝負 also means a fight, usually to the death.

kigo related to SHOOBU

. shoobu ningyoo 菖蒲人形 (しょうぶにんぎょう)
Iris dolls .
... hojin 蒲人（ほじん）

gaijin 艾人（がいじん）"mugwort dolls"
Yomogi mugwort (and ayame iris) were known to ward off evil and protect from disease, and placed at the gate of homes for protection.


shoobu hiku 菖蒲引く (しょうぶひく)
pulling out iris (to make the iris dolls)
..... ayame hiku あやめ引く（あやめひく）
shoobu karu 菖蒲刈る（しょうぶかる）cutting iris



Street vendors of Edo
source :　bastille
shoobu uri 菖蒲売（しょうぶうり）vendor of cut iris



shoobu fuku 菖蒲葺く (しょうぶふく) thatching with iris

..... shoobu sasu 菖蒲挿す（しょうぶさす）sticking up iris decorations
..... noki shoobu 軒菖蒲（のきしょうぶ）shoobu under the eaves
..... yomogi fuku 蓬葺く（よもぎふく）thatching with mugwort
..... ouchi fuku 樗葺く（おうちふく）thatching with chinaberry
ouchi (Melia azedarach) is an old name for sendan, chinaberry 栴檀

To thatch the eaves or hang up protective plants under the eaves has been a custom since the Heian period, done on the night before the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. It later spread among the samurai and then townspeople. Adding mugwort or chinaberries or wild water oats (makomo) is especially effective in warding off the diseases of the coming summer.



. shoobuyu, shoobu-yu 菖蒲湯 (しょうぶゆ) "iris bath" 　
..... shoobuburo 菖蒲風呂（しょうぶぶろ) rantoo、蘭湯（らんとう）




source :　ningyodo.library
shoobugatana, shoobu gatana 菖蒲刀 (しょうぶがたな) "iris sword"
a small wooden sword for boys to war on the festival day.
Sometimes leaves of the iris flower were used.
shoobu dachi 菖蒲太刀（しょうぶだち）big iris sword
...... ayame katana あやめ刀（あやめがたな）
shoobu kabuto 菖蒲冑（しょうぶかぶと）armour with iris
shoobu hachimaki 菖蒲鉢巻（しょうぶはちまき）headband from iris
kazari kabuto 飾り冑（かざりかぶと）decorating armour
ayame no katabira 菖蒲の帷子（あやめのかたびら）hat with iris
ayame no yukata 菖蒲浴衣（あやめゆかた）yukata robe with iris
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




shoobu uchi 菖蒲打 (しょうぶうち) hitting with iris
..... shoobu tataki 菖蒲敲き（しょうぶたたき）
shoobu nawa 菖蒲縄（しょうぶなわ）iris rope

A game for children on the festival day. The leaves of iris are woven to a rope which is then hit on the ground. The boy who produces the loudest sound wins the bout. This is also done to prevent evil influence and disease to befall the children.




shoobu no ne-awase 菖蒲の根合 (あやめのねあわせ)
iris root match
..... ayame awase 菖蒲合せ（あやめあわせ）
ne awase 根合（ねあわせ）root match
..... ayame no ura 菖蒲の占 (あやめのうら)
A game enjoyed by the aristocracy since the Heian period. The person with the longest and thickest roots of an iris is the winner. During the ceremony poetry was recited, sometimes with two groups rivalling for the win.
. . . . . also
hyakusoo o tatakawasu 百草を闘わす (ひゃくそうをたたかわす)
match of 100 plants
kusa awase 草合せ（くさあわせ）
toosoo 闘草（とうそう）

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inji uchi 印地打 (いんじうち) throwing stones at each other
inji いんじ stone slinging
ayame inji 菖蒲印地（あやめいんじ）throwing iris at each other
inji kiri 印地切（いんじきり）
ishiuchi, ishi-uchi 石打ち（いしうち）

Children made two groups down by the riverbank (the Kamo river in Kyoto) and started throwing small stones at each other in a mock battle, sometimes iris flowers in some kind of exorcism ritual.
It was also performed at the Heian court, but grown-ups got really serious and hurt each other, so it was ablished soon.


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kezurikake no kabuto 削掛の甲 (けずりかけのかぶと)
armour decorated with shavings
..... kezuri kabuto けずり甲（けずりかぶと）
The shavings from willow branches are added to the armour of the warriour decoration.
They are supposed to ward off evil


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muika no ayame 六日の菖蒲 (むいかのあやめ)
iris on May 6
..... muika soobu 六日そうぶ（むいかそうぶ）
Iris on the morning of the day after May 5 had been soaked in dew, the "water of gods" (神水), and these flowers were especially powerful to protect the humans from evil influence.


ouchi o obu 樗を佩ぶ (おうちをおぶ) wearing chinaberries
yomogi o abu 艾を佩ぶ（よもぎをおぶ）wearing mugwort
..... 蓬を佩ぶ（よもぎをおぶ）
ouchi (Melia azedarach) is an old name for sendan, chinaberry 栴檀
These auspicious plants were not only put on roofs and under the eaves, they were also word around the waist to protect the people.



tooinfu, too-in fu 桃引符 (とういんふ) "preach board"
A board made from peach wood with an inscription to ward off evil influence. It was hung up ath the entrance to a home.


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kigo for mid-summer

fukuro no atsumono 梟の羹 (ふくろうのあつもの)
"hot soup with owl meat"
..... fukuro no aburimono 梟の灸（ふくろうのあぶりもの）
There is an old Chinese saying, that when an owl grows up, it will eventually eat the mother bird and then fly off. The owl was disliked because of this behaviour and in some area an owl was nailed to a tree to die on the day of the summer equinox.
This is a symbol for unfilial behaviour.
In China, on May 5, the meat of an owl was put into hot soup and given to the young boys. In Japan this kind of soup was also given to warriours in a battle.
The owl is also called "bird that eats its mother" 母食鳥.(hahakuidori).

. Qwl (fukuro, fukuroo, fukurō 梟


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shinkiku seisu 神麯製す (しんきくせいす)
making shinkiku rice cakes
This is a Chinese custom, making them on the 5th day of the 5th month or the 6th day of the 6th month or the "sanpuku days".
They are made from rice yeast (kome kooji, kiku 麯), wheat flour, liquid from a special plant of the chrysanthemum family, which has leaves looking like carrot leaves (kawara ninjin　河原人参).
This mix is supposed to bring good health in the hot summer months.
They are also called shingiku しんぎく。

. sanpuku 三伏 (さんぷく) three hottest ka-no-e "metal" days of summer



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


. Kato Kiyomasa 加藤清正 .

This famous samurai from Kumamoto was often decorated in paintings or as dolls during the Boy's Festival.


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HAIKU

. WKD : Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 .

それでこそ古き夕べぞ葺菖蒲
sore de koso furuki yûbe zo fuki ayame

the perfect thing
for an old-time evening...
thatch of irises


鳴さうな虫のあれあれ葺あやめ
naki-soo na mushi no are-are fuki ayame

an insect singing?
look! look!
thatch of irises

Tr. David Lanoue

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菖草巣に引たがる雀哉
ayame-gusa su ni hikitagaru suzume kana

sparrow's determined
to pull a sweet flag
to its nest
Tr. Chris Drake

This is hokku is from the 4th month (May) of 1811, when Issa was in the area just east of Edo, a week or two before the Tango or children's day festival on 5/4 and 5/5. The plant the sparrow is trying to pull to its nest is a sweet flag, also called calamus. Its long, bright green leaves resemble iris leaves, causing the plants to be easily confused, although sweet flag flowers are much more modest than iris flowers. In fact, in modern Japanese ayame means iris, although in Basho's and Issa's time it meant sweet flag. The leaves of the sweet flag were once consumed in many areas of the world as an herb that was believed to help protect against disease, and in Japan sake with stalks and leaves of sweet flag soaking in it was drunk at the festival. On 5/4 people would take hot baths in water with sweet flag soaking in it in order to increase resistance to the plague and other summer epidemics.

In this hokku it is a sparrow which wants very much to pull a sweet flag to its nest, as if it wished to protect its nest from disease. It might be a small sweet flag that is still growing. On the other hand, Issa may be imagining a scene from 5/5 based on a memory from the past. If so, then the swallow has its nest in the eaves of a house, and now, on 5/4, stalks and leaves of sweet flag have been placed here and there on the edge of the roof so that the plants stick out over the eaves, thus symbolically protecting the house from disease.
Seeing the sweet flag plants, the sparrow tries hard to pull a leaf or the whole plant (or perhaps several plants) to its nearby nest. The plants are not part of the roof but are generally placed on top of the tiles, board shingles, or thatch. In the case of a thatch roof, the stalk might sometimes be stuck into the bottom edge of the straw thatch. A diligent sparrow, however, might be able to move a sweet flag a short distance. Issa seems impressed by the parent bird's energetic efforts to use the herb as part of its nest, as if it could sense the herb's protective powers.

The Japanese government calls 5/5 Children's Day, correctly reflecting Japanese history, although the 5/5 festival is often referred to somewhat incorrectly as the Boy's Festival, a concept that took root within the patriarchal warrior class headed by the shogunate in the 17th-19th centuries. Warrior families displayed life-sized and doll-sized swords and other weapons as well as suits of armor, and the warrior class looked on 5/5 as the day as the day to celebrate future warriors and to hold contests that would display feats of skill by adult warriors. This became the prevailing style in Edo, but in many parts of Japan the festival was a day to fete all children.

The other part of the festival, which began on 5/4, was for adults, especially women, as well as for children. It was the day of purification with sweet flag in many forms, and it was often called "Women's House," since in many areas women were regarded as the owners of the house on 5/4, and men stayed outside while women purified themselves and their houses. In Issa's time the festival took place about a week before the summer solstice and soon before rice planting, so it is believed by many scholars that earlier in history women engaged in many shamanic practices, including singing sacred songs in seclusion from men, in order to protect the village against disease and help the village's rice to grow vigorously. This seclusion and purification period was also the time when women prepared for the rice-planting festivals that would soon take place in the new paddies. In Issa's time shamanism had become less important in village life and was largely a matter of custom, but many people still continued to believe in the power of sweet flag and other herbs to purify and protect themselves and their houses.

Chris Drake


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Related words

further kigo for customs and rituals of the fifth lunar month

kigo for mid-summer

***** . gihoo o kaku 儀方を書く (ぎほうをかく)
writing a spell
against mosquitoes and flies



***** . satsuki imi 五月忌 さつきいみ Abstinence in Satsuki 　



*****: . yamori o tsuku 守宮を搗く (やもりをつく)
pounding a gecko


***** . Iris, the flower (ayame 菖蒲 shoobu)

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