Botamochi Cakes

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Botamochi Cakes

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Spring
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

"Peony Cakes", Botamochi ぼた餅 牡丹餅 (ぼたもち）
round rice cakes



During the week of spring equinox, families visit cemetaries to clean and maintain graves. They also pray for their loved ones, burn incense and offer them flowers and food. The spirits are known to prefer round food, so botamochi (round glutinous rice balls covered in bean paste) are eaten on this day. The treat gets its name from botan, Chinese peonies which bloom in the spring time.

The Adzuki-beans used for the sweet red paste (anko) are symbollically used to drive out the bad spirits.

The same type of sweet is eaten at the autumn equinox. It is then called "O-Hagi", since it looks like the bushclover (hagi　萩).

Spring Equinox and Haiku


Read more botamochi haiku by Issa HERE !

Click HERE for more photos !


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Joeiji
(popularly called Botamochi-dera 牡丹餅寺)
Kamakura, Jooei-Ji 常栄寺

The Temple was erected in 1606 based on the story dating back to the 13th century. There was an observatory deck on this site which was built for Yoritomo Minamoto (1147-1199), the founder of Kamakura Shogunate. In case bird-releasing games were held at the beach of Kamakura, Yoritomo came over here and watched the show. Serving him and his guests was a nun called Nichiei (1187-1274).

In 1271, the year unforgettable for the Nichiren Sect Buddhists, Priest Nichiren (1222-1282), the founder of the Nichiren sect, was sentenced to death on charges of his fierce criticism against the government policy. He had also reprimanded all other religious sects saying they were fallacious, false and even dangerous to the welfare of the country. True Buddhism is, he argued, in the Lotus Sutra and unless the government follow his suggestion, the country would continue to face natural disasters and social unrest.

On September 12 of the year, Priest Nichiren was on the way to the execution site at Tatsunokuchi located at the west-end of Kamakura, passing near this observation deck. The devout gathered here anxious to see him, expecting it would certainly be the last chance, and were in a sorrow of parting. Suddenly appeared before him was Nun Nichiei, an ardent devotee of Priest Nichiren, and presented Botamochi, or rice-cake dumplings covered with sesame paste. It was obvious to everybody that he would be executed within hours. However, she believed that the great Priest would survive, come hell or high water, with his messianic charisma.

Yes, a miracle occurred at the last moment. He was brought down to the site for beheading that night, and the executioner hold up the sword to decapitate, when the area was hit by a stroke of lightning. Back then, lightning was thought one of the most feared super-natural powers or a divine act. The executioner was terrified and had to suspend the execution. Priest Nichiren's life was thus saved. His followers believed that the Botamochi Nun Nichiei gave to Priest Nichiren must have saved his life.

In reality, Nichiei entered nunhood after her husband died. Her husband was also a pious devotee of Priest Nichiren. Meanwhile, she had a younger brother Nissho (1221-1323) by name (same name as the founding priest of the Temple in alphabet, but a different priest). He was one of the Six Great Disciples of Priest Nichiren and founded Jissoji, another Nichiren sect temple.

On September 12 every year, the Temple holds a memorial service for Priest Nichiren.
The devout cook Botamochi and distribute to visitors after offering it to the altar in honor of Priest Nichiren. At the same time, the Temple dedicates this Botamochi to the statue of Priest Nichiren at Ryukoji, where another memorial service takes place on this particular day.

Nun Nichiei and her husband, who was a retainer of Sixth Shogun Munetaka (1242-1274), were buried here and their Gorinto (five-tier stupa) tombs are placed beside the main hall.
©　www.asahi-net.or.jp

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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

辻風やぼた餅程な秋の蝶
tsujikaze ya botamochi hodo na aki no chô

in the whirlwind
like rice cakes...
autumn butterflies

Issa (Tr. David Lanoue)



ぼた餅や辻の仏も春の風
Botamochi ya tsuji no hotoke mo haru no kaze

botamochi cakes -
the Buddha at the crossroads
also in spring wind

Tr. Gabi Greve

Nichiren was famous for his preaching at the crossroads of Kamakura (tsuji no seppoo 辻の説法).


Nichiren 日蓮上人
Daruma Museum, Gabi Greve


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ricecakes -
also in Jizo’s lap
the spring wind

botamochi ya Jizo no hiza mo haru no kaze

The “ricecakes” in my translation are in fact “botamochi,” literally “peony cakes,” a term for rice cakes covered with bean jam and made during the vernal equinox.
Tr. Ad Blankestijn


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Related words

***** "Ricecakes in difficult times" Gonan no mochi
御難の餅 (ごなんのもち)
kigo for mid-autumn
september 12

Ceremony at the "Dragon Mouth" Tatsu no kuchi Hoonan E
龍口法難会（たつのくちほうなんえ）
Botamochi Ceremony, botamochi eshiki 牡丹餅会式（ぼたもちえしき）

Read the above story about Nun Nichi-Ei and Nichiren for the background of this ceremony.


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Saijiki of Japanese Ceremonies and Festivals

Sweets from Japan (wagashi)


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