Atago Shrines

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. 愛宕権現 伝説 Legends about Atago Gongen .
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Atago Shrines in Japan

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

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Explanation

Mount Atago Yama 愛宕山 / 阿多古 is a mountain of about 920 meters in the North-West of Kyoto. It is the location of a shrine and temple in this name.
Atago shrine in Kyoto is the most important one.



There are various mountains, shrines and temples of this name in other parts of Japan, many in Western Japan.

The Atago shrine in Itami, Hyogo, is especially related to Haiku.



Atago Gongen (愛宕権現)　is a Japanese kami believed to be the local avatar (Gongen) of Buddhist bodhisattva Jizo Bosatsu.
The cult originated in Shugendō practices on Mount Atago in Kyoto, and Atago Gongen is worshiped as a protector against fire.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


. Jizoo Gongen 地蔵権現 Jizo Gongen .
from Okayama

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. 愛宕権現 伝説 Legends about Atago Gongen .

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Atago Jinja 愛宕神社　 Atago shrines

This one is a Shinto shrine on Mount Atago, Kameoka, to the northwest of Kyoto.
Enshrined is Atago Gongen who protects Kyoto from fire.
Shugendō practices and a place for worship are known from the eighth century.The late-Kamakura period Honden has been designated an Important Cultural Property.


Atago Jinja is the head of nine hundred Atago shrines throughout Japan.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


The mountain is the first to receive the morning sun in Kyoto.

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As a shrine dedicated to the deity of fire,
they sell amulets for fire prevention and protection:



hi no yoojin 火迺要慎 "beware of fire"



These amulets are placed in the kitchen and can be found in most homes and kitchens in Kyoto.


The white wild boar 白猪 (shirai, shira-i) is a messenger of the fire deity.
It is celebrated on the forth day of the second month.




More photos and amulets on the Japanese HP of the shrine:
source : kyoto-atago.jp

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Akechi Mitsuhide 明智光秀

In the year 1582 in May, shortly before his coup against Oda Nobunaga, his retainer Akechi Mitsuhide 明智光秀 spent some time at this shrine. He was with a group composing renku, linked verse. The first poem was by Mitsuhide, the second one by a priest from temple Itokuin, Gyooyuu Hooin 行祐法印, the third by the master renku poet Satomura Jooha 里村紹巴 (1525 - 1602).
There were altogether 9 people, composing 100 verse, called the
100 verses from Atago 愛宕百韻 Atago Hyakuin.
The paper with all the verses was offered to the deities in respect.

Here is the famous first poem by Mitsuhide

ときは今あめが下しる五月哉
toki wa ima ame ga shitashiru satsuki kana

the time is now
rain falls now
in the fifth lunar month

(This can be read as a pun:
土岐は今 天が下治る 皐月かな
Toki is the name of the family of Mitsuhide. The meaning could be
"Toki shall now rule the realm under the sky."

Reference : kyoto-atago.jp akechi


. badarai no mitsuhide 馬盥の光秀 .
a famous Kabuki play
- - - badarai, umadarai 馬盥 basin for washing a horse


More about the coup of Mitsuhide at Honnoji
. Wikipedia .


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In temple Saikyo-ji 西教寺, there are many tombstones for Akechi Clan people and a monument of a haiku of Matsuo Basho. When Basho stayed in the house of his desciple Yûgen, Basho was well taken care of by Yûgen and by his wife, although Yûgen was very poor and it was very diffucult for him to afford to entertain Basho with descent foods and sake.
Basho recalled the episode of the wife of Akechi Mitsuhide, who sold her hair to buy foods to host a Renga (poetry) party, when they were very poor and were at a loss to entertain people decently with foods.
In gratitude to the kindness of Yûgen's wife, Basho sent the following haiku poem to Yûgen.

月さびよ　明智が妻の咄せむ
tsuki sabiyo Akechi ga tsuma no hanashi sen

Be somber, Moon,
as I will tell you the story
of Akechi's wife

Akechi Mitsuhide ( 1528-1582 ) was a powerful warlord and had a splendid castle that stood in Sakamoto at the foot of Mr. Hiei on the coast of Lake Biwa-ko. He was, however, very poor when he was young.

He attacked his master Oda Nobunaga at the Honnô-ji Temple in 1582, and virtually killed him. He was attacked in return by Hideyoshi. Defeated, and in his way to come back to his, he was killed.

His glorious career ended sadly. The story of Aklechi and his wife in the end was sad and Basho asked the moon to be somber and not be joyfull for the sad story.
source :　Sasaki


moon, be lonely -
I want to tell of
Akechi's wife
Tr. Barnhill

. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


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愛宕神社 Atago shrine in Tokyo
東京都港区愛宕 1-5-3 / Minato ward, Shiba, Atago


It was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603 to prevent fires in the city. The shrine is on a small mountain of only 26 meters hight, but it could overlook most of the new Edo city and thus help prevent fires.
The very steep stairs leading to the shrine are also famous, as they represent success in life.
According to legend,
a young samurai, 曲垣平九郎 Magaki Heikuro, dared to ride his horse up the stairs to deliver plum blossoms to the shogun Iemitsu. It took his horse only one minute to get up, but 45 minutes to get down, and the horse was totally exhausted afterwards. The samurai got a great reward and was promoted to a high rank.
. shusse no ishidan 出世の石段 staircase to a good career .

The main deity is
Homusubi no mikoto 火産霊命 / カグツチ / 軻遇突智 Kagutsuchi Deity of Fire
. . . and
Mizuhanome no mikoto 罔象女命（水の神） Deity of Water
Ooyamazumi no mikoto 大山祇命（山の神） Deity of Mountain
Yamato Takeru 日本武尊（武徳の神）Deity of the Samurai
More in the Wikipedia


. Hagoita 羽子板　Battledore, Shuttlecock .
from Atago Shrine, with the zodiac animal for every year


. Kagutsuchi カグツチ /
軻遇突智 Kagu-tsuchi - "incarnation of fire" .
- Homusubi no Mikoto 火産霊命



芝愛宕山 Shiba Atagoyama

Atagoyama 愛宕山 is a district in Tokyo, Minato ward, Shiba



. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .


. Kawase Hasui 川瀬巴水 (1883 - 1957) .


haru n Atagoyama 春のあたご山 Atagoyama in the Spring
東京十二題 12 Scenes of Tokyo


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Akibagongen 秋葉権現 and Izuna Atago
Since Akiba Gongen is also believed to have originated in the Mt. Izuna and Togakushi area, the two deities are obviously closely related. Since the Buddhist counterpart (honji or "original essence"; see honji suijaku) of Izuna Gongen is said to be the bodhisattva Jizō (Sk. Ksitigarbha), the cult displays a mutual influence with the Atago cult (which involved an amalgamation with Shōgun Jizō or "Jizō of victory").
As a result, the deities are often referred to by the conjoined name Izuna-Atago.

. Izuna Gongen, Iizuna no Gongen 飯網の権現 .

. Amulet to win a battle - Shogun Jizo .


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Kankosai 還幸祭 Festival of Welcoming the Gods
Saga Matsuri 嵯峨祭 Shrine Nonomiya Jinja 野宮神社,
Atago Jinja, Kyoto 愛宕神社（京都市右京区)
Fourth Sunday in May

. Naked Festivals of Japan .



悪態まつり（茨城県笠間市、愛宕神社）
Akutai Matsuri "cursing festival"
Kasama Town, Atago Jinja

. Kisai 奇祭 special festivals .


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Hatsu Atago 初愛宕 (はつあたご) First visit to Atago
kigo for the New Year

Ceremony at Atago, Atago no shinji
愛宕の神事（あたごのしんじ）
Messenger from Atago, Atago no tsukai
愛宕の使（あたごのつかい）
. . . o-koto no tsukai お事の使（おことのつかい）

The details are here:
. Bishamonten and Atago .

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Atago no sennichi moode 愛宕の千日詣
(あたごのせんにちもうで)
1000 days pilgrimage at Atago
kigo for late summer

The official name is
sennichi tsuuyasai 千日通夜祭 "1000 days in one night".
It lasts from the night of July 21 to the early morning of August 8. People who visit during this time will be protected from fire for 1000 days.
The climb up to the mountain shrine is about 4 km long and lit by torches during the night.
Special buses and trains are run during the night to bring all the visitors.




at 9 in the evening of July 31
yuumikesai 夕御饌祭 "dinner for the deities"
the yamabushi make a purifying bonfire (gomataki ゴマ焚き神事)

at 2 in the morning of August 1
asamikesai 朝御饌祭 "breakfast for the deities"
Dance of the head priest, rituals to appease the fire

Look at some more photos from the shrine:
source : sentimairi4.htm



. WKD : Summer Ceremonies .

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Atagobi 愛宕火 (あたごび ) "fire at Atago"
kigo for early autumn

This relates to the Atago shrine at Itami.
On the 24th of the seventh lunar month people put up lanterns and lit candles in rituals for the souls of the departed ancestors during O-Bon. Big torches were also carried around and thrown into the fire.
In the region o Setzu (now Hyogo and Northern Osaka) there were many Atago shrines.
At the Atago mountain in Kyoto it was a custom to throw simple clay dishes (kawarake) from the mountain to make a wish come true. The haiku is a combination of the two events.


Thrown from the 25th station on the way up


あたご火のかはらけなげや伊丹坂
Atagobi no kawarake-nage ya Itamizaka

Atago-fire
and the dish-throwing ritual -
Itami slope

. Ihara Saikaku, Ibara Saikaku 井原西鶴 .

source : zouhai.com


. . . CLICK here for Photos of dish-throwing !



Throwing hooroku plates from temple Mibudera
. Hooroku Jizo ほうろく地蔵 .


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goma seihai 護摩聖灰　sacred ashes from a Goma fire ritual
. Fukagawa Fudo Do (Fudoo Doo) 深川不動堂 .
Amulets are hung up at the ceiling of the home to prevent fire.
Tokyo



. Musaigai 無災害お守り amulets against fire .


達磨　越谷だるま
. hi no yoojin　火の用心 take care of fire - Daruma .

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HAIKU



秋深く友と登りし愛宕山　
aki fukaku tomo to noborishi Atagoyama　　

autumn deepens -
with a friend I climb up to
Mount Atago

Antoo 安東

. . . . .

枯れ梢　愛宕の山は　下紅葉　　　　
Morikawa 森川

落ち葉踏み清滝からの愛宕山　
秋深く友と登りし愛宕山　　　
師走月念願叶い愛宕山　　　　　　
Antoo 安東

秋去りぬハッパ踏みふみ愛宕山　　
Kiyomizu 清水

霧こもる愛宕の山に冬近し　
かんさびし愛宕の杉に木枯らしのあと
Tokunaga 徳永

source : kunistok

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蜻蛉の百度参りやあたご山
tonboo no hyakudo mairi ya Atago yama

the dragonfly
on a one-hundred prayers circuit -
Mount Atago

Kubota Toen 久保田兎園
(1722 - 1801)

46 of his haiku are mistakenly attributed to Kobayashi Issa.
source : 久保田兎園 wiki

. Kubota Seifu 久保田成布 .


. "100 prayers circuit" 百度参り hyakudo mairi .


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Related words

***** . Fire (kaji　火事) .

***** . Amulets and Talismans from Japan .　

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. 愛宕権現 伝説 Legends about Atago Gongen .

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Heian Matsuri

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Heian Festival (Heian matsuri)

***** Location: Kyoto
***** Season: Late Autumn
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Heian matsuri 平安祭（へいあんまつり）Heian festival
Jidai matsuri 時代祭 (じだいまつり) "Festival of the Ages"

October 22

The central event in the festival is the Jidai Gyoretsu, a resplendent procession. In the procession, participants wear costumes representing the styles of each historical period starting with 1868 when the capital was transferred from Kyoto to Tokyo and going backward to 794 when the capital was moved to Kyoto.

Led by a gallet fife and drum corps, the sumptuous and gorgeous procession comprises about 2,000 people and extends for about 2 km (1.24 miles). The spectacle also includes the charming junior geisha (maiko) and women dressed in the beautiful kimono of the imperial court. Proceeding along a 4.5km (2.8 miles) route (Miyako-Oji) from the Kyoto Imperial Garden to Heian Shrine, the parade lasts for nearly five hours.
source :　web-japan.org


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The Heian period (平安時代, Heian jidai)
is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185.[1] The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height. The Heian period is also considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and noted for its art, especially poetry and literature. Although the Imperial House of Japan had power on the surface, the real power was in the hands of the Fujiwara clan, a powerful aristocratic family who had intermarried with the Emperor of Japan.
Heian (平安) means "peace and tranquility" in Japanese.
Buddhism began to spread throughout Japan during the Heian period, primarily through two major esoteric sects, Tendai and Shingon.

Literature
Although written Chinese (Kanbun) remained the official language of the Heian period imperial court, the introduction and wide use of kana saw a boom in Japanese literature. Despite the establishment of several new literary genres such as the novel and narrative monogatari (物語) and essays, literacy was only common among the court and Buddhist clergy.

The lyrics of the modern Japanese national anthem, Kimi ga Yo, were written in the Heian period, as was The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, one of the first novels ever written. Murasaki Shikibu's contemporary and rival Sei Shōnagon's revealing observations and musings as an attendant in the Empress' court were recorded collectively as The Pillow Book in the 990s, which revealed the quotidian capital lifestyle. The Heian period produced a flowering of poetry including works of Ariwara no Narihira, Ono no Komachi, Izumi Shikibu, Murasaki Shikibu, Saigyō and Fujiwara no Teika.
The famous Japanese poem known as the Iroha (いろは), of uncertain authorship, was also written during the Heian period.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !




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quote
Kyoto holds "Festival of the Ages"
October 22, 2011

A parade of 2,000 people wearing Japanese costumes from various historical periods was held in Kyoto on Sunday.
A crowd of about 50,000 watched the procession along a 4.5-kilometer course from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to the Heian Shrine.
The Jidai Matsuri is one of the city's 3 biggest festivals. It started in 1895 when Kyoto celebrated the 1,100th anniversary of its founding in the Heian period.
Sunday's parade was led by a military band dressed in the style of the Meiji era in the late 19th century. The next group represented the popular revolutionaries who helped organize the Meiji Restoration in the closing days of the Edo period, which ended in 1867.
At the end of the parade were women in elaborate costumes from the Heian period.

Survivors of the March 11th disaster who are living in Kyoto were invited to watch the parade.
A woman said she had to evacuate her hometown in Fukushima Prefecture because of the accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant, but the beautiful parade made her feel less homesick.
source : NHK news 2011

. Japan after the BIG earthquake March 11, 2011　.


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Heian Jinguu 平安神宮 Heian Jingu Shrine

Heian Shrine in Sakyō-ku, Kyoto ...
In late January, a festival celebrates the memory of Emperor Kōmei; and in early April, a festival in honor of Emperor Kammu is a yearly occurrence.[

On October 22, Heian-jingū hosts the Jidai Matsuri, which is one of the most important festivals of Kyoto. The procession of this festival begins at the old Imperial palace, and includes carrying the mikoshi (portable shrines) of Emperors Kanmu and Kōmei to the Heian-jingū.

The Shrine is used for traditional Japanese weddings as well as concerts. It is popular but rare for a modern concert to be held at a historic site like the shrines, but merging modern and old culture in Kyoto has become a trend.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

- - - - - English HP of the Shrine - Heian Jingu Shrine

source : www.heianjingu.or.jp

. Japan - Shrines and Temples .


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HAIKU




腰細の時代祭のやっこかな
koshiboso no jidai matsuri no yakko kana

the slender waist
of a court lady -
Festival of the Ages





時代ごと衣の変わりゆく秋の暮れ
jidai goto i no kawari-yuku aki no kure

with each period
the robes also change -
end of autumn

And some more by Kusa Wakaba
source : 草若葉


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Related words

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. The Heian Period 平安時代 Heian jidai (794 - 1185) .
- Introduction -

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Kureha Shrine Festivals

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Kureha Shrine Festivals (Kureha Jinja)

***** Location: Osaka
***** Season: See below
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Kureha Jinja 呉服神社
大阪府池田市室町7-4
7-4 Muromachi, Ikeda-shi, Osaka

Sometimes mis-read as Gofuku Jinja ごふくじんじゃ.
Gofuku is the common name for kimono fabric.




Deities in residence

Kure Hatori Hime 呉服媛, Kurehatorinohime　
..... Kurehatori 呉服（くれはとり)

Nintoku Tenno 仁徳天皇　Emperor Nintoku
..... Oosazaki no mikoto 大雀命（オホサザキノミコト）
..... 大鷦鷯尊（オホサザキノミコト）
the 16th Emperor of Japan, (313 - 399)

When Kureha Hime died, Emperor Nintoku was 76 years old.
He build this shrine in her honor.

It was lost in a fire during the times of Oda Nobunaga, but Toyotomi Hideyori had it bulid again.
The present hall dates from 1969.


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Two Shrines in Ikeda

Ikeda Jinja (Ikota Jinja) 伊居太神社
Kureha Jinja 呉服神社




Kureha Hime
呉服姫神像は寿命寺 Statue at temple Jumyooji




Ayaha Hime
穴織姫神像が伊居太神社

Click for more photos :
source :　atamatote.blog

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kigo for late autumn

Kureha sai 呉服祭（くれはまつり） Kureha festival
..... Ayaha sai 穴織祭 (あやはまつり) Ayaha festival

On the 17th and 18th day of the ninth lunar month, now October.

During the time of Emperor Ojin 応神天皇 there came two famous weaver girls from the Chinese country of Go 呉 Kure.

Kure Hatori, Kureha 呉織
Aya Hatori, Ayaha 漢織

Hatori is a special reading of hataori 機織, weaving.

They taught their skills to the local womenfolk and started a good business.
They are venerated at this shrine.

quote
Tradition has it that in the Tumulus period about 1600 years ago during the reign of the Emperor Nintoku, two female weavers named Kureha and Ayaha traveled far away from the land of Go in China and reached here Ikeda, to introduce the technology of weaving into Japan for the first time.

At the bank along Inagawa river flowing in Ikeda, there is a stone monument inscribed the place where two ancient weavers reached to introduce weaving.

It is said that the ancient female weavers hanged the silk they dyed on a pine tree, and the pine tree was called “Kinugake”.

There remains the name of address Kureha in Ikeda now.
The bridge crossing Inagawa-rever is also Kureha-bridge.
source : Kinugake Onsen



. Oojin Tennoo 応神天皇 Ojin Tenno .
the 15th emperor
Hondawake no mikoto 譽田別命


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Emperor Nintoku (仁徳天皇, Nintoku-tennō)
was the 16th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.

Sumeramikoto or
Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi (治天下大王)
Great King of Yamato (ヤマト大王/大君)

No firm dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign, but he is conventionally considered to have reigned from 313–399.



The achievements of Nintoku's reign which are noted in Nihon Shoki include:

constructed a thorn field bank called Namba no Horie to prevent a flood in Kawachi plains and for development. It is assumed that this was Japan's first large-scale engineering works undertaking.
established a thorn field estate under the direct control of the Imperial Court (まむたのみやけ)
constructed a Yokono bank (Ikuno-ku, Osaka-shi).

Daisen-Kofun (the biggest tomb in Japan) in Sakai, Osaka is considered to be his final resting place. The actual site of Nintoku's grave is not known.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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HAIKU

媳連て呉服祭を示しけり
yome tsurete Kureha sai o shimeshi keri

I brought my daughter-in-law
to the Kureha festival
to show her

. Miyake Shozan 三宅嘯山 Miyake Shoozan .


yome is also used by men talking about their wifes. So maybe he brought his wife to the shrine to pray that she makes better robes for him.


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***** . OBSERVANCES – AUTUMN SAIJIKI .


. Amulets and Talismans from Japan .　

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Togakushi Shrine Festival

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Togakushi Festival (Togakushi matsuri )

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

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Explanation

Togakushi matsuri 戸隠祭 (とがくしまつり)
Togakushi festival

at Togakushi Shrine 戸隠神社, Nagano

It starts on August 14th at the central shrine, and continues on the 15th at the Oku Sha 奥社 Innermost sanctuary.
On August 16 a ritual is held at shrine Hookoosha 宝光社 Hokosha.


Kuzuryū, kuzu ryuu 九頭龍 "9-headed dragon"
deriving from the multi-headed Naga king シェーシャ or 舍沙 "Shesha",
is worshipped at Togakushi Shrine in Nagano Prefecture.

. Dragon Deities of Japan .

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More photos are here:
source : brisana/e


quote
Togakushi-jinja (Shrine)
stands in the midst of a wood with cedar trees that are over a hundred years old, just at the foot of the precipice of Mt. Togakushi. It consists of three shrines - the lower shrine is Hoko-sha (Treasure of Light), the second Chu-sha (Middle Shrine) and the third Oku-sha (Deep Sanctuary).

They were built at intervals of roughly two kilometres. These shrines are dedicated to mythological gods and each has a long history. The approaches to each shrine are unique and it is customary to clap twice when worshipping at shrines to awaken the gods before praying.
The approach to the upper shrine is known for its natural beauty, lined with over three hundred majestic old Sugi cedar trees.
source : myoko-nojiri.com


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quote
The Togakushi-kogen Highlands area is situated in the north of Nagano within Joshinetsu National Park. This volcanic area has an altitude of 1,200 meters and is located at the foot of two volcanoes, Togakushi and Iizuna.

In the midst of a wood, with cedar trees that are over 100 years old, there stands Togakushi-jinja Shrine. At the shrine you can see the Kagura, a performance of traditional sacred music and dancing with themes selected from ancient myths, during the grand festival held in fall.

There is also a small reproduction ninja village and school.
Togakushi was formerly known as the village of Togakure which some consider to be the birthplace of Togakure Ryu Ninpo - a school of ninjutsu founded eight hundred years ago by Daisuke Nishina (Togakure).
Toh Gakure, means "Concealing Door"
Togakushiryu Ninpo Shiryokan - Ninja Museum

Togakushi is also noted for the production of soba noodles.

The Kurohime-kogen Highlands
spread to the southeast of Mt. Kurohime-yama, situated near the border of Niigata this mountain is also known as Shinano-Fuji. It is a popular summer resort with larch and birch woods, and skiing in winter. Around the area called a "forest of fairy tales," is the Kurohime Fairy Tale Museum that collects fairy tales from all over the world, as well as the O-ike Pond, Nanatsu-ike Pond, volcanic crater lakes, cosmos fields, and cattle grazing fields.
source : www.jnto.go.jp


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Deities in residence

Okusha 奥社
Amenotajikarao no mikoto
天手力雄命（あめのたぢからおのみこと）

Chuusha 中社　Middle Shrine
Amenoyagokoro Omoikane no mikoto
天八意思兼命（あめのやごころおもいかねのみこと）

Hookoosha 宝光社 Hokosha
Ameno uwaharu no mikoto
天表春命（あめのうわはるのみこと）

九頭龍社　Shrine of the Nine-Headed Dragon
Kuzuryuu no oomikami
九頭龍大神（くずりゅうのおおかみ）

and one more in another shrine of the compound
Ame no uzume no mikoto
天鈿女命（あめのうずめのみこと）



Dragon Shrine Amulets


Amuelts and votive tablets 戸隠神社の龍に関する、お守りや絵馬


Homepage of Togakushi Shrine
source : www.togakushi-jinja.jp


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Togakushi soba 　戸隠蕎麦　buckwheat noodles

quote
Togakushi village is famous throughout Japan for it's soba (buckwheat noodles) which come in a variety of sizes and are defined by how much buckwheat flour is used in their making. At least 30% buckwheat flour must be used in order for noodles to gain the trademark of soba. Higher buckwheat content makes soba much more desirable to the discerning public. It started its history there as sustenance for monks during their severely austere religious training; these monks ate soba powder dissolved in water, or took grilled soba powder into the mountains when they went for training.

Today it's still used in Togakushi's harvest festival - and in Spring you can see fields of soba flowers, which are used to produce the flour for making soba. There are as many as thirty soba shops boasting the superior taste of their hand-made soba that line the long road leading to Togakushi shrine. Accordingly, the area is a favored destination for soba lovers from throughout Japan and overseas.

You can also check out the Togakushi Soba Museum where you can make your own buckwheat soba noodles under the guidance of a master chef or just enjoy watching noodles made by an expert.

The Togakushi Soba Festival is held during the fall equinox,
People buy small sake cups on the eve of the festival and eat soba at any (or all!) of the twenty one participating restaurants.


Togakushi bamboo craftwork
has been produced via traditional skills in Togakushi Village since the Edo period. They are now highly-rated as fine art.
source : myoko-nojiri.com


. WKD : Buckwheat noodles (soba) .



- quote Sean Donnan Art -
CLICK for more photos !

鬼すだく戸隠のふもとそばの花
oni sudaku togakushi no fumoto soba no hana

the demon is out -
at the food of Mount Togakushi
buckwheat flowers

. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 1715 - 1783) .

Buson is talking about
kijo momiji　鬼女紅葉 The Female Demon called "Momiji"

- quote -
Momiji - literally “maple leaves;” used as a name
LEGENDS:
Long ago a powerful witch named Momiji lived in the mountains of Nagano prefecture. Her story takes place during the season of fall-leaf-viewing, when groups of people would gather in the mountains for festivals and parties under the falling red, orange, and gold leaves.

During this time, a samurai named Taira no Koremochi was charged by a local Hachiman shrine with hunting oni. His hunt had taken him to Togakushi mountain, where a particularly nasty kijo was said to live.



Koremochi and his retainers climbed the beautiful mountain, and they came upon a small group of aristocrats having a leaf-viewing party. Koremochi sent one of his retainer ahead to investigate. The retainer approached to inquire about the party, and was told that a noble princess was hosting it; however the ladies in waiting would not tell him the princess’ name. Just as Koremochi and his retainers decided to continue on their mission, one of the ladies-in-waiting approached and told them that her mistress had heard of Koremochi before, and she wanted to invite them to her party. Despite his mission Koremochi could not rudely turn down a princess, so he and his companions agreed.

At the party, the warriors were introduced to Princess Sarashina, an extremely beautiful young woman. They all sat and enjoyed watching the leaves, drinking sake, and dancing. Koremochi asked the princess if she would dance for him, and she did. Soon the men became drunk and sleepy, and dozed off under the beautiful trees.

As he slept, Koremochi dreamed of Hachiman and his mission. The god told him that Princess Sarashina was actually the kijo Momiji in disguise, and that he must kill her with the holy katana, Kogarasumaru (“Little Crow”). When Koremochi woke up, the sword he dreamed of was in his hand — a gift from Hachiman — and he knew that what he dreamed had been real. He chased after the women, and all of a sudden a huge firestorm broke out. Flame and wind lit up the mountain. Suddenly a ten foot tall kijo with horns made of burning trees appeared, and an intense battle between the samurai and the demoness took place. In the end, thanks to his magical sword, Koremochi was successful, and slew the Witch of Togakushi Mountain.
- source : yokai.com/momiji -


- quote -
Momijigari (紅葉狩) or Maple Viewing
is a Japanese shosagoto (dance) play, usually performed in kabuki and noh. It was also the first narrative ever filmed in Japan. It was written by Kanze Nobumitsu during the Muromachi period. Other titles for the play include Yogoshōgun and Koremochi.
The original play, performed in both noh and kabuki, is a story of the warrior Taira no Koremochi visiting Togakushi-yama, a mountain in Shinshū for the seasonal maple-leaf viewing event. In reality, he has come to investigate and kill a demon that has been plaguing the mountain's deity, Hachiman.
There he meets a princess named Sarashinahime, and drinks some sake she offers him. Thereupon she reveals her true form as the demon Kijo, and attacks the drunk man. Koremochi is able to escape using his sword, called Kogarasumaru, which was given to him by Hachiman. The demon gnaws on a maple branch as she dies.
Traditionally
the play is accompanied by Takemoto, nagauta and Tokiwazu music.
- - - The first kabuki performance
- - - The 1899 film
- source : wikipedia -

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Winter at Togakushi





Snowman Daruma
Beeso Daruma ベーそだるま

Look at more winter photos :
source : togakushi-jinja.jp/blog


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There are various shrines in Japan with the name
Togakushi Jinja 戸隠神社.



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

ござるぞよ戸隠山の御夕立
gozaru zo yo togakushiyama no o-yuudachi

blessings fall
on Mount Togakushi...
a cloudburst

Kobayashi Issa

Professor Toru Kiuchi helped decipher this haiku.
Its closing phrase, o-yûdachi, is polite and thankful. Professor Kiuchi writes, "Issa puts 'o' on yûdachi, implying that he may think that the rain shower from the mysterious and holy mountain is blessed and welcome." The summer rain, a gift from the god above, falls as a blessing on the sacred mountain in Issa's home province of Shinano (Nagano prefecture). Professor Kiuchi adds that he once witnessed a storm form over Togakushiyama, and he recalled this haiku, happy to be seeing with his own eyes what Issa saw so long ago.
Tr. and comment - David Lanoue

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. WKD : Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 in Edo .

gozaru zo yo togakushi-yama no o-yuudachi

one's coming!
from Mt. Togakushi
a divine downpour
Tr. Chris Drake

This hokku was written early in the 5th month (June) in 1813, four months after Issa began living in his hometown again after returning from Edo. Mt. Togakushi, about ten miles southwest of Issa's hometown, was in Issa's time one of the most sacred mountains in Japan to Buddhism, to Shinto, and to Yamabushi mountain ascetics who mixed together Buddhism, Shinto, and shamanism, worshiping and doing austerities on holy mountains. During the medieval period, three thousand Buddhist and Yamabushi monks lived and did meditation and austerities on Mt. Togakushi, the largest number monks on a single mountain in Japan after Mt. Hiei and Mt. Koya. The name of the mountain, Mt. Hidden Rock Door, comes from a Shinto myth contained in the ancient Kojiki collection of mythic texts.

According to the myth, the younger brother of the female sun god and ruler of all the gods, Amaterasu, did many outrageous things such as destroying his older sister's rice fields and desecrating a sacred weaving hall. In protest, the sun god hid in a cave and closed the cave's rock door, throwing heaven into total darkness. Many calamities occurred, and the gods gathered and asked a female dancer god, Ame no Uzume, to dance in front of the cave door. The god went into a trance, and then she danced a dance so dynamic and erotic that all the gods began to laugh, causing the sun god to become curious. When the sun god opened the rock door a little and looked outside, a powerful god pulled her all the way outside, bringing light back to the universe. A further myth adds that after the sun god came out of the cave, a powerful god hid the rock door from her by throwing it completely out of heaven. The great rock landed far down below in the middle of the largest island of Japan, where it is now known as Mt. Togakushi -- the rock door of the sun god's cave now hidden down on earth.

In Issa's time, Mt. Togakushi was the site of numerous shrines and temples, and it was the destination of many pilgrims, who would go there after visiting nearby Zenkoji Temple. In those days Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines were usually built side by side, and the most prominent statue on Mt. Togakushi was of the bodhisattva Kannon, but many other Buddhas and gods were worshiped there, including the shamanic dancer god who lured the sun god out of her cave. According to a different shamanic tradition, the original god of the mountain was Nine Headed Dragon (Kuzu-ryuu), a god of water and rain, and people would pray at the dragon's pond on the mountain and carry buckets of water back to their villages, sharing the water with their neighbors and praying for good crops for the whole village. The mountain was believed to be so powerful that even the shogunate in Edo patronized it heavily in order to use its power for political purposes.

Issa's hokku is written around rice-planting time, and his diary shows it rained four times in the first week of the 5th month. With the rainy season soon to begin, it's not likely he or most of the other villagers are praying for or want a downpour at this point. In fact, heavy rain might flood the rice paddies and carry away the newly planted rice shoots, ruining the crop. The respectful language in the hokku is probably due to Issa's respect for the divine mountain itself and the various other Buddhas and gods worshiped there rather than an expression of specific thanks for a possibly dangerous downpour. In Shinto, gods have both a wild, destructive aspect (ara-tama) and a constructive, peaceful aspect (nigi-tama): a hard, destructive rain causing a flood or other damage would be an example of the former, while a gentle, steady rain would be an example of the latter. Both divine aspects deserve respect, however, and Issa shows respect for the possibly violent divine downpour.

The hokku is ambiguous about the location of the storm. The first line, however, is quite strong and colloquial (while remaining respectful), so I take it to be pointing out the storm in a warning to someone else. The polite verb gozaru means both 'to be' or 'to come / go.' The emphatic zo and exclamatory yo suggest that the storm that began on Mt. Togakushi is now heading for Issa's village and that people there need to get ready for it. Issa also uses the same expression a few hokku later (see below), where it clearly seems to be a warning. The polite prefix o- before "downpour" in the third line shows respect for the mountain and all its gods and Buddhas, and it also implies familiarity: it suggests that in summer severe rainstorms often form on Mt. Togakushi and that this storm is one more of them and that the possible dangers, especially of flooding, are well known in the village.

This hokku is followed in Issa's diary by several interesting hokku about downpours, possibly about the same storm coming from Mt. Togakushi. The next hokku is:


mammaru ni hito-yuudachi ga hajimarinu

a single
completely round
rainstorm begins


The black storm clouds that come toward the village look completely round, giving an uncanny feeling of wild divinity to the storm. The downpour literally "has begun," implying that it has reached the village.

Then, three hokku after the second hokku above, is this slightly mysterious hokku:

semi naku ya wagaya mo ishi ni naru you ni

cicadas crying
turning my home, too
into rock

The cries of the cicadas sound so strong to Issa that he feels they will turn his house into rock. Perhaps rock as solid as the mythic rock cave in heaven with its big rock door. If this is the image, then Issa's rock house would be able avoid any flood damage from the downpour. This might be a double allusion both to Basho's famous hokku about cicada cries penetrating rock and to Mt. Togakushi, the rock door from heaven, at the same time.
This hokku is followed by:

horo-tsuku ya hachibee-dono no inori-ame

a few big drops --
rain the waitresses
prayed for

This humorous hokku suggests that the only ones who are praying for more rain at this time are the waitresses at the local inns who double as sex workers in their spare time. If there's a rain and flooding, travelers will have to stop early or stay another night, so they'll have lots of extra time on their hands.
And the next hokku is:

ato kara mo mata gozaru zo yo ko-yuudachi

followed by
another one's coming!
a smaller downpour

The phrase in italics is the same one Issa uses in the first hokku above. This suggests it might be a stock phrase villagers use to warn each other when a sudden severe rainstorm is approaching from the sacred mountain. In any case, gozaru seems to suggest 'coming' here and in the first hokku as well. The downpour is divine but also a cause for concern.

Chris Drake


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Dragon amulets -
the Togakushi Festival
on my screen

Gabi Greve
August 2012


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Related words

***** . OBSERVANCES – AUTUMN SAIJIKI .

. 戸隠竹細工センター Togakushi Bamboo Craft Center .

. Amulets and Talismans from Japan .　

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Kuwana Festival

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Kuwana Festival (Kuwana matsuri)

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

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Explanation

Kuwana matsuri 桑名祭 (くわなまつり) Kuwana Festival
ishitori matsuri 石採祭（いしとりまつり）Ishitori Festival
lit. "stone bringing festival"
ishitori shinji 石採神事（いしとりしんじ）
hiyoori matsuri 比予利祭（ひようりまつり）

First Saturday in August, at the shrine
Kasuga Taisha 春日神社 in Kuwana town.
It starts on the last day of July, Midnight, hence a late summer kigo.


quote
Ishidori Matsuri (石取祭) can be literally translated from Japanese as "stone bringing festival."
It is a festival in Kuwana, located in Mie Prefecture. The festival starts on the first Saturday of August, at midnight, and runs throughout the weekend. Every town within the central part of the city has its own 3 wheeled, highly decorative festival cart. Each cart has a large taiko drum at the back and several kane along the sides. Each town has a particular sequence for each of those instruments, creating a unique and identifying sound.

Another identifying feature is the placement of the kakegoe, or shouts. Over the course of the weekend, the carts are pulled toward Kasuga Shrine for presentation, performing along the way. With over 30 carts with distinct rhythms, it has been said that the Kuwana festival is the loudest festival in Japan.

The festival originally started in the Edo period (1751-1764). It is believed to have originated from the custom of local worshipers selecting stones from the Machiya River to take to the local shrine. The stones were ceremoniously transported to the shrine on carts, while taiko and kane were played.

In 1981, the festival was designated as an asset of intangible culture for Mie Prefecture. In 2007, it was designated as a national asset of intangible culture.

Typically the towns are separated by age.
There is a children's group, young adult group, older adult group, and senior adult group.



Schedule of Events
March 6
The order of the carts is determined by lottery.

July 15-20th
This is the practice time with the festival carts. On the 20th, some carts will gather together in one particular town to end the practice session in camaraderie. They can not touch the carts again until Tatakidashi (叩き出し), which is at midnight between Friday night and Saturday morning before the First Sunday of August. Around this time, there is a gender-specific competition between the young adults of each town, though not all towns choose to compete.

July 20
There is a Kawarabarai Ceremony (川原祓式) at Machiya River to pray for a safe festival.

Weekend before the Festival
Each town readies its carts; polishing, cleaning, and setting up components. They also mark the festival path with streamers hanging from telephone lines, and otherwise prepare for the festival, though there is no drumming until Tatakidashi. 3 days before the Festival (Thursday)
Bamboo is gathered to decorate the festival meeting places.

2 days before the Festival (Friday)
Each age group attends their local shrine for the Okattsan Ceremony (お勝さん), which includes singing and praying. The children and adults, with the exception of the young adults, move the cart to its festival position, as was determined in March. Much later, the young adults return to the group after much drinking.

1 day before the Festival (Saturday)
Friday night leads up to Tatakidashi. At midnight, all the towns are signaled to start drumming simultaneously. After playing into the early hours of the morning, the group will retire, typically meeting once more at 10am.
The festival carts are paraded through their towns on this day, and once again it leads up to silence, awaiting the next Tatakidashi.

Festival Day (Sunday)
At 2am, there is another Tatakidashi. The taikos and kane start playing simultaneously and the carts are paraded around their town for another long night of celebration. The day is very similar to the previous one. During the day on Sunday, the young adults drink while once again the others put the cart into its specific order. Later, the young adults join in, and each town makes its way to Kasuga Shrine.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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source :　www.kawashimaselkon.co.jp


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Kuwana Sooja 桑名宗社 Kuwana Sosha
天津彦根命 Amatsu Hikone no Mikoto
天久々斯比乃命

Including

桑名神社 Kuwana Jinja
三崎大明神

中臣神社 Nakatomi Jinja
春日大明神

Often called "Kasuga san" 春日さん by the locals.

Annual Events

一月一日 歳旦祭
一月三日 元始祭
一月第二月曜日 成人祭
二月三日 節分祭（厄除祈願祭）
二月十八日 祈念祭
二月下旬 初午祭
三月下旬 春分祭
四月 勤学祭
五月中旬 合祀社祭
六月第一日曜 御籖占祭（祭車抽籖）

六月三十日 夏越大祓式
八月第一日曜 石取御神事 Ishitori Jinji
八月十六日 前期桑名祭
八月十七日 （桑名神社列大祭）

九月十七日 後期桑名祭
九月十八日 （中臣神社列大祭）
十一月三日 明治節祭（文化祭）
十一月十五日 髪置祭（七五三神事）
十一月二十三日 新嘗祭
十二月三十一日 大晦日大祓式
十二月三十一日 除夜祭

月次祭桑名神社 毎月十七日
中臣神社 毎月十八日


Amulets from the shrine

御守 amulets
kootsuu anzen 交通安全御守 Traffic Safety
yakuyoke kaiun 厄除開運御守 Warding off Evil
gakugyoo jooju 学業成就御守 Success at School
gookaku 合格御守 Passing an Examination
enmusubi えんむすび ストラップ Finding a Partner
anzan 安産御守 Easy Birth

source : www.kuwanasousha.org

source : Photo Gallery of the Shrine


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way

Yabusame sai 流鏑馬祭
at Riding Ground, Tado Taisha Shrine, Kuwana-shi.
November 23

11:30 A.M. A man on horseback equipped with a bow and arrow takes three consecutive shots at a target in accordance with Ogasawara School of etiquette.
. Tado-Taisha 三重 多度大社 .

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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HAIKU


Visiting Kuwana, temple Hontooji 本当寺 / 本統寺 Honto-Ji, Hontoji
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


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Related words

***** . OBSERVANCES – SUMMER SAIJIKI .

. Grand Kasuga Shrine (春日大社, Kasuga-taisha) .


. Amulets and Talismans from Japan .　

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Bon Festival, O-Bon - BACKUP

[ . BACK to Worldkigo TOP . ]
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. WKD : Bon Festival, O-Bon, Obon .


Backup August 2012


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Bon Festival, O-Bon, Obon

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

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Explanation

. O-Bon 2011 - After the Earthquake .

O-bon Festival in Japan お盆 by Shizuko Mishima, About Japan 2005 The 13th through 16th of August is called o-bon in Japan. O-bon is a Buddhist event and one of the most important traditions for Japanese people. It is the period of praying for the repose of the souls of one's ancestors. People believe that their ancestors' spirits come back to their homes to be reunited with their family during o-bon. People clean their houses and offer a variety of food such as vegetables and fruits to the spirits of ancestors in front of a butsudan (Buddhist families altar). The butsudan is decorated with flower and CHOOCHIN, lanterns . On the 13th, chouchins are lit inside houses, and people go to their family's o-haka (graves) to call their ancestors' spirits back home. In some regions, fires called mukaebi are lit at the entrances to homes to guide the ancestor's spirits. On the 16th, people bring the ancestor's spirits back to o-haka, hanging chouchins painted with the family crest to guide the ancestors' spirits. In some regions, fires called okuribi are lit at entrances of homes to send the ancestors' spirits. The air in houses and cemeteries are full of smoke and the smell of incense called senko at this time. Bon Dance During o-bon, bon odori (folk dances) are held all over Japan. The kind of dance varies from area to area. People wearing yukata (summer kimono) go to the neighborhood shrine, temple, or park and dance around a yagura (stage) set up there. Anyone can participate in the dance. Join the circle and imitate what others are doing. Awa odori of Tokushima and bon odori at Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo are very famous. Also, Toro Nagashi (floating paper lanterns) are held in some areas. On the evening of the 15th, people send off ancestor's spirits with a paper lantern, lit by a candle inside and floated down a river to the ocean. Firework Displays (hanabi-taikai) are often held during o-bon. It is a typical Japanese summer scene to see hanabi. Since o-bon is an important family gathering time, many people return to their hometowns during o-bon. Most businesses are closed during this time. Although it is crowded everywhere, it is common for many people take trips during o-bon, too. The beginning and end of o-bon are marked with terrible traffic jams. Airports, train stations, and highways are jammed with travelers. I recommend you do not travel around o-bon! © About Japan http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanesefestivals/a/obonfestival.htm http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanesefestivals/a/obonfestival_2.htm

More about the light offeringst

Light offerings afloat (tooroo nagashi　燈籠流) 　
more kigo in the database

Koya San in Wakayama　高野山


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Next to the New Year celebrations, O-Bon (Obon) is one of the most important festivals to unite the family. It comes with many local customs and all of these can be used as kigo in haiku.
I will try and introduce some of them here.


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source :　teramusume.blogspot.jp

kamabuta tsuitachi 釜蓋朔日 (かまぶたついたち)
opening the chauldron on the first day
tonboo tsuitachi 蜻蛉朔日（とんぼついたち）
first day of the dragonflies
On the first day of the seventh lunar month (now August 1) the chauldron of hell was opened to let the souls out for their visit to the family graves.
From this day on, the Urabon ceremonies were started.


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. Bon no ichi 盆の市（ぼんのいち) Bon Market .

A market that sells all the things necessary for the Bon celebrations.
It used to start on the evening of the 12th.

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visiting the ancestor's graves in preparation for O-Bon
... hakamairi 墓参
visiting graves, bonsan　盆参
cleaning the grave, especially the weeds
....tenboo 展墓
scrubbing off the moss from the graves, sootai 掃苔
washing the grave stones, haka arau 墓洗う
..... These preparations are done a few days ahead of the Bon festival.



welcoming fire at the gates, mukaebi 迎え火
Festival for the souls, tama matsuri 魂祭


Bon Festival, O-Bon, Obon お盆、盆
Lantern Festival, Festival of the Dead, Ancestor's Festival
..... Urabon, Ura-Bon 盂蘭盆, urabon-e 盂蘭盆会
..... boni ぼに
..... Bon-e 盆会 Bon celebration
August 13 - 15


Bon Lantern, bonjoochin, bon choochin 盆提灯

Bon Dance, bon odori　盆踊り
including - Bon Dance in Awa, Awa odori 阿波踊り



Tower for the Bon Dance, bon yagura 盆櫓


okuribon 送り盆 (おくりぼん) last day of O-Bon
..... shimai bon, shimaibon しまい盆（しまいぼん）、
urabon 裏盆（うらぼん）"Back of O-Bon"
bongu nagashi 盆供流し（ぼんぐながし）floating the Bon offerings




sending-off fire, okuribi 送り火
sending off the souls, tama okuri 霊送り/ 魂送

Eggplant Horse and other vegetable BON decorations
nasu uma　茄子馬



shelf for Bon offerings, bondana 盆棚
shelf for the souls, shooryoodana 精霊棚
shelf for the ancestors, sensodana 先祖棚
tamadana, tama-dana 玉棚 "decoration shelf"
empty shelf, karadana 空棚
shelf for the sutras, tanagyoo 棚経



first bon ceremony, hatsubon, hatsu bon 初盆, shinbon 新盆, niibon
..... for a person who died since the last O-Bon. There are many special rituals for the family to perform, which are different in many areas of Japan.
..... mizu no ko, mizuko　水の子、水子（みずのこ）unborn child
..... mizu no mi 水の実（みずのみ）
aratana 荒棚（あらたな） provisional shelf
arabon あら盆（あらぼん）provisional Bon
niijooro 新精霊 "new soul"
shinbon mimai 新盆見舞（しんぼんみまい）visiting a home with a new Bon
shooryoo matsuri, shooryoomatsuri 精霊祭 Festival of the Souls



preparations for o-bon, bonjitaku 盆仕度 （ぼんじたく）
..... bonyooi 盆用意 (ぼんようい)
before o-bon, bon mae 盆前
holidays during o-bon, bon yasumi 盆休み (ぼんやすみ)
..... usually three days, when people travel home to visit the graves of the ancestors
after o-bon, bon sugi 盆過ぎ （ぼんすぎ）


. hasu no meshi 蓮の飯 (はすのめし) rice with lotus .


. nanukabon 七日盆（なぬかぼん）
O-Bon preparations beginning on the 7th of August .
including cleaning of ponds, wells and graves


bonsekki 盆節季 (ぼんせっき) Bon season
bon no kakegoi 盆の掛乞（ぼんのかけごい）payment at O-Bon
..... bonbarai 盆払（ぼんばらい）
..... bon kanjoo 盆勘定（ぼんかんじょう）

During the Edo period, many people bought on loan and payed their debts twice a year, at O-bon and before the New Year holidays.

. kakegoi 掛乞 last payment of the year .


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In the Buddhist Saijiki of our database you can find many more kigo related to O-Bon.
WKD : Saijiki of Buddhist, Shinto and other Ceremonies


Graves (haka)

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.. .. .. .. .. Links about O-Bon

The O-Bon ABC. The most detailed explanations.
http://www.bonodori.net/E/sekai/bonabc1.HTML

Safekeep copy without photos is here:
O-Bon / ABC


Japanese haiku about O-Bon
盂蘭盆チャット句会２００３
Suien Obon Chat Taikai

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Worldwide use

Hawaii

The Obon in Hawai'i

This Buddhist observance honoring the ancestors came to Hawai`i in the late 19th century with a large wave of Japanese immigrants. Obon is observed in Hawai`i during the summer months, when family members place flowers and food on the graves of ancestors and friends and recite the nembutsu, an expression of appreciation, before the family altar.


© Photo: Melvin M. Takahashi

The centerpiece of the ceremony is the bon dance.
It is believed that the first bon dances were performed in the fields where the immigrants labored, and in between houses on the plantation. Later dances were held in temple courtyards. As work schedules began to conform to the Western five-day week, bon dances began to be scheduled for weekends. The bon dance is a way of expressing gratitude to ancestors and loved ones no longer here. It is a way of reflecting upon the preciousness and fragility of this life. Even though the sense of loss of family and loved ones is strong, a festive mood prevails at the dance.

Although the dance nearly died out with the onslaught of anti-Japanese fervor that swept Hawai`i during the '40s, a post WW II event spurred its revival in 1951 when four Japanese-American veterans' groups sponsored a bon dance to honor the war dead from Hawaii. That revival was also powered by tourism and the convergence of several island traditions: interfaith services, interracial marriages, racial harmony, and bon dance clubs.

Today the bon dancers are not only Japanese Buddhists, but Filipino, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and native Hawaiian, Protestant and Catholic. Bon dance clubs in recent years have enlivened the bon dance tradition. Each bon dance club specializes in the music and dance of one of the prefectures of Hawaii's immigrants. Some clubs provide musicians and group of dancers to lead the dancing, while others provide only the music.

Over the years, the ceremony and the practice of Buddhism itself underwent significant change to adapt to the islands' multicultural society. The 23-page essay submitted as part of the project explores the history of that transformation and the present place of the Obon in Hawaiian culture.

© by Local Legacies Hawaii
http://www.loc.gov/bicentennial/propage/HI/hi_s_akaka4.html

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Things found on the way

senzo matsuri 先祖まつり festival of the ancestors

On the island Mikurajima 御蔵島 there is no temple any more, only a shrine 祖霊社 to celebrate during O-Bon, O-Higan and other festivals.
So now they celebrate this festival twice a year during the equinox. During the rituals, girls of the age of 15 are allowed to wear a long-sleeve kimono for the first time, to present them to the ancestors as "little women".
After a ceremony at the shrine, people eat mochi ricecakes and sweets in white and red auspicious colors.

source : satoyumi


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HAIKU

okuribi ya
jiisan baasan no
kami shiroki

sending-off fires -
Grandfather and Grandmother
their hair so white



Nobody had come this year from the neighbour's family for the celebrations. So the two of them where all alone in the apple orchard in the Western part of the estate, symbolizing the Paradise of the West, where the graves are located, to send off the ancestor's souls.

I have written a bit more on the rural family graves here:
http://happyhaiku.blogspot.com/2004/10/lonely-graves-in-mist.html

Gabi Greve, 2005

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12 Bon Lantern Haiku by Kobayashi Issa

同じ年の顔の皺見ゆる灯篭哉
onaji toshi no kao no shiwa miyuru tôro kana

a wrinkled face
he's my age...
lanterns for the dead

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よそ事と思へ思へど灯篭哉
yoso-goto to omoe omoedo tôro kana

someone else's affair
you think...
lanterns for the dead

... //cat.xula.edu/issa/

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13 Haiku by Issa about the Bon Festival Dance

山かげの一軒家さへおどり哉
yama kage no ikken-ya sae odori kana

an isolated house
in mountain shade
but a festival dance!

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踊から直に朝草かりにけり
odori kara sugu ni asa kusa kari ni keri

after the dance
right away, cutting
the morning grass

.. http://haikuguy.com/issa/

Cutting the grass and weeds in the morning, when it is still cool, is a way of doing things even nowadays. My husband also is on weed cutting duty most mornings...
Gabi Greve, Japan 2005

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Issa on the seeing-off fire


送り火や今に我等もあの通り
okuribi ya ima ni warera mo ano tôri

fires for the dead
soon enough they'll burn
for us
http://haikuguy.com/issa/

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Issa on the Buddhist Shelf for the Souls

魂棚や上座して鳴くきりぎりす
tama-dana ya jooza shite naku kirigirisu

Buddhist shelf--
in the seat of honor
a katydid chirrs

Sakuo Nakamura notes that the katydid singing in the honored place of the altar takes on the role of Issa's ancestor. The Buddhist shelf (tama-dana) is an altar for the spirits of the dead used during the Bon Festival. The Bon Festival of the Dead takes place in Eighth Month in the old lunar calendar. At this time, people light lanterns to guide their ancestors' spirits back home.

A katydid (kirigirisu) is a green or light brown insect, a cousin of crickets and grasshoppers. The males possess special organs on the wings with which they produce shrill calls. Although katydid is the closest English equivalent, many translators (such as R. H. Blyth) use the more familiar "grasshopper" and "cricket." See Haiku (Tokyo: Hokuseido, 1949-1952; rpt. 1981-1982/reset paperback edition) 4.1068-69.


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玉棚に必風の吹といふ
tama-dana ni kanarazu kaze no fuku to iu

on the ancestors' altar
without fail
a lucky wind blows
Tr. David Lanoue



on the Bon offering shelf
there is usually a wind
blowing
Tr. Gabi Greve

It can be interpreted as a play with words, kaze no fuku, FUKU meaning good luck or just blowing of the wind.

It could simply mean that during the O-Bon season there is often a wind blowing (often even a typhoon coming).


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迎え火や山から続く村の道
mukaebi ya yama kara tsuzuku mura no michi

wellcoming fire -
from the mountain down
a road to the village
(Tr. Gabi Greve)

© 能生町・矢沢龍蔵 Yazawa Ryuuzoo
http://www.lib.itoigawa.niigata.jp/np/2003-9.htm

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水色を軒端に吊るす盆提灯　　
mizu-iro o nokiba ni tsurusu bon choochin

water-colored
hanging down from the eves -
bon lantern
(Tr. Gabi Greve)

© Keiji けいじ
http://www.suien.ne.jp/0001/chat/bon03a.htm

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少年の野太き声や盆仕度
shoonenn no nobutoki koe ya bon jitaku

the loud wild voice
of a young boy -
preparing for o-bon
(Tr. Gabi Greve)

茜由の俳句　Senyuu no haiku 　
http://homepage2.nifty.com/senyuu/haiku-2003.htm

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Related words

***** Saijiki for Buddhist Ceremonies and Events

***** Awaodori Dance Japan, Bon-Odori, Bon-Dance

Bon Festival (o-bon お盆) and Autumn festivals Japan
(contains all the O-Bon kigo)
..... Bon Boats for Souls (shooryoobune) Japan
..... Bon Flowers (bonbana) Japan
..... Bon Stove (bongama) Japan
..... Bon of Wind (kaze no bon) Japan
..... Jizobon, Jizoo Bon Japan
..... Tug of war (Bon Tsunahiki 盆綱引) Japan

Bon Lanterns (bonchoochin) and other lanterns

Light offerings afloat (tooroo nagashi) 　

ikegaebon, ikekae bon 池替え盆（いけかえぼん）cleaning the pond "for O-Bon"


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. Hungry Ghost Festival .
Celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th Lunar month in Asia.


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