Fox Shrine Festival (Inari Matsuri)

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Fox Shrine Festival (Inari Matsuri)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Late Spring
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation


For other kigo related to INARI see below.



Fox God Festival, Inari Matsuri　稲荷祭　いなりまつり
visiting Fushimi Fox God Shrine Festival
... Inari Matsuri oide 稲荷祭御出、稲荷祭のお出
... Inari Shinkoosai 稲荷神幸祭, 還幸祭
Fox God Ceremony Group, Inari koo　稲荷講

visiting the Fox God Shrine for the first time, Inari hatsu oode 稲初荷詣


This tradidional Japanese festival occurs on the first day of the horse according to the Asian lunar calendar.

There are many Fox Shrines in Japan and this is the first large festival of the New Year.
The great fox god shrine festival at Fushimi, Fushimi Inari in Kyoto is the most famous.


年中行事絵巻　稲荷祭（© 伏見稲荷大社蔵）



Click HERE to look at some photos !


INARI refers to the Fox as the divine messenger and thus a deity himself.
KITSUNE refers to the fox as an animal. See below.

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Other kigo for the First Day of the Horse

first day of the horse, hatsu uma hatsu uma 初午
horse festival, uma matsuri 午祭
first horse, ichi no uma 一の午

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Inari 稲荷　＜＞　The Fox Cult and Daruma
by Gabi Greve

Fushimi Fox God Shrine and Daruma
by Gabi Greve


ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo


Inari is one of the most well known kami in popular folk Shinto. He (or she) is the god of rice and is related with general prosperity. In earlier Japan, Inari was also the patron of sword smiths and merchants. Primarily, however, Inari is associated with agriculture, protecting rice fields and giving the farmers an abundant harvest every year.

One of the main myths concerning Inari tells of this kami coming down a mountain every spring when it is planting season and ascending back up the mountain after the harvest for the winter. Both events are celebrated in popular folk festivals.

Read the details here　and then come back :

INARI = Shinto Rice Kami
Mark Schumacher


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The "voice" of the fox

霰こんこんこん触ル狐哉
arare kon kon kon fureru kitsune kana

going nuts in hailstones
crashing down...
a fox

Issa
Tr. David Lanoue

Onomatopoetic Words used in Haiku

Voice of an Animal and Haiku


Compiled by Larry Bole :
Translating Haiku Forum

In Japanese, a fox's bark is written, "Kitsu! Kitsu!"

This myth comes from a folk etymology of the word "kitsune," in which "kitsu" is onomatopoeia for a fox's bark and "ne" means "sound."
Therefore, a fox is something which makes the noise "kitsu." Whether this derivation of the word is true or not, it's been a long, long time since Japanese foxes said "kitsu." Modern Japanese write the fox bark as "kon kon."
http://academia.issendai.com/fox-misconceptions.shtml#bark

In English, the official words for foxes are "bark" and "yelp".　　
In Japanese it's simply "naku" なく　鳴く and the onomatopoeia is kon-kon こんこん
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080604112441AAkjxob


Kitsune soba:
buckwheat noodles with fried tofu on top
きつねそば【狐蕎麦】


The fox is an indigenous, if not notorious creature in Japan. It is believed to have the power to bewitch or possess the spirit of anyone who looks into its eyes. The fox is also honored by business owners as a patron spirit animal. Stone images of foxes can be seen guarding almost every temple, great or small, in Japan. The golden bean curd omelet is called ABUR AGE (pronounced Ah-boo-rah-gay) and is often placed upon the altars of the temples as an offering to the gods who reside there.
Foxes are fond of aburage and are said to steal into the temples under the cover of darkness to whisk away the tasty fare left there for them. And thus, this bewitching bit of lore gives Kitsune
soba its name.
http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/1488


My suggestion is to translate 'kon' as "yip:"

'kon kon kon' = "yip yip yip"

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According to Nozaki, the word kitsune was originally onomatopoeia. Kitsu represented a fox's yelp and came to be the general word for fox. -Ne signifies an affectionate mood, which Nozaki presents as further evidence of an established, non-imported tradition of benevolent foxes in Japanese folklore. Kitsu is now archaic; in modern Japanese, a fox's cry is transcribed as kon kon or gon gon.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !



A famous childrens book in Japan
by Niimi Nankichi



GON, the little fox
Gongitsune ごん狐, ごんぎつね
... 　More in the WIKIPEDIA !



My free translation of the above ISSA haiku

hailstones falling
kon kon kon
on Kon, the fox
Gabi Greve


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


WASHOKU
Inarizushi, Inari Sushi いなりずし/ 稲荷寿司 　


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HAIKU

spring rain--
showing a sake cup
calling foxes

harusame ya sakazuki misete kitsune yobu
春雨や盃見せて狐よぶ

by Issa, 1810
Tr. David Lanoue
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/


More Fox Haiku by Issa

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Related words

***** Fox God Festival at Oyama
Inari Ooyama sai 稲荷大山祭
kigo for the New Year


***** Fox God Arrow Shooting Festival
Inari no Busha sai 稲荷の奉射祭
kigo for the New Year
At the Fushimi Fox God Shrine (Fushimi Inari) in Kyoto. To pray for good harvest and luck in the new year, arrows are shot in all directions to war off evel spririts and bad luck.


***** Inari Sushi (inarizushi いなり寿司)
kigo for summer
Food. Cold rice wrapped in a sheet of tofu.




***** WKD : Horse (uma)


***** Fox (kitsune　狐)
kigo for all winter

The Fox and the Badger (tanuki) are well known in Japanese legend as tricksters.

Fox Haiku by Issa (Tr. David Lanoue)


Tanuki, a badger posing as Daruma
by Gabi Greve


Will-o'-the-wisp (kitsunebi, onibi) Japan


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Buckwheat (soba), Buckwheat flowers Japan


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