nnnnnnnnnnnn TOP nnnnnnnnnnnnn
Fish from Russia
***** Location: Russia
***** Season: various, see below
***** Category: Animal
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Explanation
Read this entry for more about
..... FISH as a kigo worldwide.
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In Russia, the spring fishing, with fishing rod, in the rivers takes place at the time when the white birches begin to bud till the time the leaves appear on them. The fish goes upstreams, with the high waters, to spawn. The earliest fish that could be caught is pike. Then comes dace and ide.
A bit later one catches roach and perch. After them, it is gudgeon, chub and bleak.
Zhanna P. Rader
The following information is taken mainly from a Russian site:
http://ozero.ru/topics/detail.php?ID=2040
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SPRING KIGO
Dace (Squalius leuciscus) Yelets (yeh-lets) - in Russian
(Dace) n. [Written also dare, dart, fr. F. dard dase, dart, of German origin. Dace is for an older darce, fr. an OF. nom. darz. See Dart a javelin.] (Zoöl.) A small European cyprinoid fish (Squalius leuciscus or Leuciscus vulgaris); — called also dare.
Ide (Leuciscus idus) Yaz - in Russian
Pike (Esox Lucius) Stchuka (stchoo-kah) - in Russian
Roach. (Rutilus retiles.) Plotva (ploh-tvah) - in Russian
Family Cyprinidae
The European perch (Perca fluviatilis) Okun (oh-koon)- in Russian.
is found in Europe and northern Asia. It is 15-60 cm long, and may weigh up to 10.4 kg. It is usually dark green with red fins. It has been successfully introduced in New Zealand and Australia where it is called redfin perch.
The Perch is a predatory fish. Young Perch feed on tiny crustacea and insect larvae such as Bloodworm. When the Perch reaches around four ounces it will switch to a mainly fish diet consisting of fry. When they reach around 1-2lb they will take prey around 1-2oz. The best bait to catch perch is the Worm.
When you catch a Perch care must be taken when handling them. They have a spiny dorsal fin this is not poisonous but it is very sharp. To get the fin down gently push the dorsal fin from head to tail. The fin will then go down. Perch usually spawn between March and June. The female can lay as many as 300,000 eggs. Which will begin to hatch about one week after fertilisation
Gudgeon (Gobio gobio) peskar (peh-skahr) - in Russian
CHUB. Leuciscus Cephalus. Goloval (goh-loh-vahl) - in Russian
Family: Cyprinidae
Bleak (Alburnus alburnus) Ukleyka (ook-ley-kah)- in Russian
Smelt, Osmerus mordax, including
..... ..... Корюшка (smelt) (Orushka) - in Russian. Osmerus eperlanus
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Things found on the way
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HAIKU
White birch budding -
pike struggles up the stream
to spawn.
Skylarks' trills -
a fisherman takes his first ide
off the hook.
Zhanna P. Rader
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Related words
***** ..... FISH as a kigo worldwide,
with more haiku in Russian.
***** Salmon (sake) Japan
*****************************
Please send your contributions to Gabi Greve
worldkigo .....
Back to the WHC Worldkigo Index
http://worldkigodatabase.blogspot.com/
6/10/2005
Fireflies (hotaru)
[ . BACK to Worldkigo TOP . ]
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Fireflies, firefly (hotaru)
***** Location: Japan,
***** Season: various, see below
***** Category: Animal
*****************************
Explanation
蛍 The kanji image shows a "lantern insect" .
Their appearance along rivers of Japan brings a romantic, poetic feeling to all who watch them. And it did not cost the farmers a penny to go out and enjoy them.
The "fire" these animals emit is cold, though.
There are more than 40 different types of fireflies known in Japan.
Some say they are the vengeful spirit of Genzanmi Yorimasa 源三位頼政
(another name for Minamoto no Yorimasa), .
(1106–1180)
He was a warrior, leading the Minamoto armies at the beginning of the Genpei War. Suffering defeat, he committed suicide in the Byodo-in temple in Uji.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !
Some fireflies are named after the region where they were most beautiful and romantic to watch, in a historical setting.
.................................................................................
Genjibotaru senbi rice crackers
Two special types of fireflies,
the Heike-botaru and the Genji-botaru 源氏蛍, are special kigo in Japan.
Heike-botaru, heikebotaru 平家蛍 - Luciola lateralis
Genji-botaru, genjibotaru 源氏蛍 - Luciola cruciata
To understand the deep appreciation of the Japanese for fireflies, you need to know a bit about Japanese history and the conflict between the clans of the Heike and the Genji around 1180, which ended in the fall of the Heike clan.
平家物語
The Tale of the Heike / Heike Monogatari)
. . . CLICK here for Photos of Heikebotaru!
. . . CLICK here for Photos of Genjibotaru !
. Heike densetsu 平家伝説 legends about the Heike clan .
Heikegani 平家蟹 Heike crabs, Heikea japonicum
. . . CLICK here for Photos of the Tale of the Heike!
From the example of the firefly you see how a small animal like a firefly can be a guide to the rich history and art of Japan.
Luciola lateralis. - lightning bug, Leuchtkäfer
The Japanese word hotaru comes from
ho taru 火垂る (hi o taru) to drip fire
another explanation is
ho teri 火照り fire glows
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kono Bairei (1844-1895)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
kigo for mid-summer
hotaru 蛍 (ほたる) firefly, fireflies
Luciola lateralis. Glühwürmchen; Leuchtkäfer
hotaru gassen 蛍合戦（ほたるがっせん）battle of the fireflies, firefly contest (they are looking for a mate)
heikebotaru 平家蛍（へいけぼたる）Heike-fireflies
genjibotaru 源氏蛍（げんじぼたる）Genji-fireflies
Luciola vitticollis
himebotaru 姫蛍（ひめぼたる） "princess firefly"
Hotaria parvula
Mostly in the mountainous regions.
Ujibotaru 宇治蛍（うじぼたる）fireflies from Uji
The ones along the River Uji are most famous.
Ishiyamabotaru 石山蛍（いしやまぼたる）fireflies from Ishiyama
(see below)
Moriyamabotaru 守山蛍（もりやまぼたる）fireflies from Moriyama
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
hotarubi 蛍火（ほたるび） firefly glow
hatsubotaru, hatsu-botaru 初蛍（はつぼたる）
first firefly ( of the season )
asa no hotaru 朝の蛍（あさのほたる） firefly in the morning
hiru no hotaru 昼の蛍（ひるのほたる） firefly at noon
yuubotaru 夕蛍（ゆうぼたる ) firefly in the evening
yoibotaru, yoi-botaru 宵蛍（よいぼたる） firefly at night
ame no hotaru 雨の蛍（あめのほたる） firefly in the rain
kusabotaru 草蛍（くさぼたる） firefly in the grass
oobotaru, oo-botaru大蛍（おおぼたる） large firefly
..... hootaru ほうたる
Genji fireflies
They are out a bit earlier than the smaller Heike fireflies.
hogarugari 蛍狩 (ほたるがり) firefly-viewing
a common pastime in olden times, along the famous rivers and rivulets.
A free passtime that even the poor farmers could enjoy.
hotarumi, hotaru-mi 蛍見（ほたるみ） going to observe fireflies
... hotaru kenbutsu 蛍見物（ほたるけんぶつ）
. hotarubune 蛍舟（ほたるぶね） boat for observing fireflies
and the fireflies of Seta 瀬田の蛍
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
hotarutori, hotaru tori 蛍採（ほたるとり） catching fireflies
hotarukago, hotaru-kago 蛍籠 (ほたるかご) basket for fireflies
often made from bamboo in the old days.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
hotaru uri, hotaru-uri 蛍売 (ほたるうり) vendor of fireflies
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kigo for early autumn
aki no hotaru 秋の蛍 (あきのほたる) fireflies in autumn
nokoru hotaru 残る蛍（のこるほたる）fireflies still left
yamihotaru, yami hotaru 病蛍（やみほたる） ill fireflies
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topic for haiku
tsuchibotaru 土螢 glowworm, Glühwürmchen
glow worm
larves of the female, which do not hve wings
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To look at and catch fireflies was one of the common pleasures of the farmers since ancient times. Since the widespread use of farm chemicals, their number has greatly declined and nowadays many villages in Japan make special efforts to multiply these wonderful animals as an attraction for tourists and playground for the local children.
Calling the fireflies to come here in an ancient childrens song
ホッ、ホッ、ほ－たるこい、あっちのみ－ずはに－がいぞ、
こっち のみ－ずはあ－まいぞ、ホッホッ、ほ－たるこい
ho ho hotaru koi
Hey, fireflies, come here!
The water over there is bitter.
The water here is so sweet,
so come here, please, fireflies.
ho ho hotaru koi
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From the Tale of the Heike
THE BATTLE OF THE FIREFLIES:
AND HOW "A TOOTHLESS DOG" DID BITE
... The meadow glimmered with the light of a myriad glow-worms. Asagao smiled with sudden delight. Descending to the river she gathered the fireflies by scores, and, prisoning them in her veil, made a gleaming torch....
....The trembling girl crouched upon the balcony. Affrighted by the clash of arms, a swarm of fireflies rose from the river bank, soaring upon the night like sparks from a mighty conflagration.
The souls of the Minamoto!” cried Asagao despairingly. “Father, we are lost!”....
“A firefly in a prison pent,
Ne’er more to flame upon the moor.”
It is quite a long story within a LONG story!
http://www.kellscraft.com/romanceofoldjapan/romancejapan06.html
Safekeep copy is here:
Fireflies and the Heike Monogatari
Click on the picture to see them down by the river.
http://www.geocities.co.jp/NatureLand/1712/hotaru2/hotaru34.htm
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Sweets called FIREFLY
Hotaru 蛍
from Kameya, Kyoto 亀屋
© PHOTO : kyotofoodie.com
hotaru no miya 「蛍宮（ほたるのみや）」
From 長久堂
Remembering a story of the Genji Monogatari 蛍兵部卿宮.
© PHOTO : 遠くのこだま
firefly sweets -
the wonderous world of
wagashi
Gabi Greve
WAGASHI ... Sweets SAIJIKI
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Worldwide use
Guyana
Another name for firefly here is candle fly
candle fly, cold light
an invitation to dance
after midnight
kenneth daniels (GY)
WKD : South American Saijiki
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Things found on the way
.. .. .. .. .. .. More Lore about the Fireflies
The below from F. Hadland Davis book,
"Myths and Legends of Japan" 1913 Unabridged
1. HAIKU, Page 285 (no source or Japanese text given)
Ah, the cunning fireflies !
being chased,
they hide themselves
in the moonlight
2. HAIKU, Page 285 (no source or Japanese text given)
From the Uji river-bank dart myriads of these flashing insects, and in a moment they form a great silver-shining cloud.
The cloud breaks and the flowing river, once dark as black, becomes a winding stretch of gleaming jewels.
No wonder the Japanese poet cries:
Do I see only fireflies drifting with the current?
Or is the Night itself drifting, with its swarming of stars?
3. GHOST LORE Page 286 (no source or Japanese text given)
Fireflies are fond of swarming around willow-trees, which are the most eerie trees in Japan, and this is part of their "ghostly" role as Minamoto Firefly and the Taira Firefly. In ancient days, the fireflies were said to possess medicinal properties.
Firefly ointment was said to render all poisons harmless, and, moreover, it had the power to drive away evil spirits and to preserve a house from the attacks of robbers.
4. STORY Page 287 Hadland (no Japanese text given)
Quoted from "Ancient Tales and Folk-lore of Japan," by R. Gordon Smith
Story called the Vengeance of Kanshiro.
A very old man named Kanshiro wants to make one last pilgrimage before he dies. His neighbors and friends all lend him some money to help him.
Along the way he is robbed by an inn keeper named Jimpachi. Kanshiro dies, but comes back from the tomb transformed into thousands of fireflies and the fireflies rush into Jimpachi's eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.
Jimpachi lives for 20 days, screaming for mercy. But no mercy comes, and finally the fireflies kill the wicked Jimpachi. Immediately thereafter, the fireflies disappear completely.
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. WASHOKU
hotarumeshi, hotaru meshi ホタル飯 "firefly rice"
100 Favorite Dishes of Edo
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The Hunt for Fireflies
Eishosai Choki c. 1795
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HAIKU
Issa wrote about 100 haiku about the fireflies, maybe more...
Check out the translations of David Lanoue.
Issa and the Fireflies
草も木も 源氏の風や とぶ蛍
kusa mo ki mo genji no kaze ya tobu hotaru
in grass, in trees
the army of the Genji...
fireflies flit
(This haiku alludes to the historical battle between the Minamoto (Genji) and Taira (Heike) clans. The swarming fireflies remind Issa of a great army lighting campfires or carrying torches in the night.)
http://haikuguy.com/issa
馬の屁に目覚て見れば飛ほたる
uma no he ni mezamete mireba tobu hotaru
the horse's fart
wakes me to see...
fireflies flitting
はつ蛍ついとそれたる手風哉
hatsu-botaru tsui to soretaru te kaze kana
the first firefly
deftly swerves away...
wind from my hand
"tsui to" can mean satto ("suddenly") or migaru ni ("with agility")
Issa calling for the fireflies
蛍こよ蛍こよとよひとり酒
hotaru koyo hotaru koyo to yo hitori-zake
come, firefly!
firefly, come!
drinking alone
ほたるよぶよこ顔過るほたる哉
hotaru yobu yokogao yogiru hotaru kana
while calling fireflies
crossing his profile...
a firefly
蛍よぶ口へとび入るほたる哉
hotaru yobu kuchi e tobi-iru hotaru kana
a mouth calling fireflies--
one
flies in
青柳や蛍よぶ夜の思はるる
ao yagi ya hotaru yobu yo no omowaruru
green willow--
thinking of a night
of calling fireflies
人声や大骨折ってとぶ蛍
hito-goe ya oobone otte tobu hotaru
people's voices--
with all their might
the fireflies flit
Literally, the firefly (or fireflies) are flitting with "bone-breaking" effort ... to reward the people who are calling.
Kobayashi Issa
Click on the picture to see them all.
http://www.geocities.co.jp/NatureLand/1712/hotaru2/hotaru35.htm
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昼見れば首筋赤きほたる哉
hiru mireba kubisuji akaki hotaru kana
Alas! the firefly seen by dailight
Is nothing but a red-necked insect
Tr. Asatarō Miyamori
Oh this firefly!
seen by daylight, the nape of its neck is red
Tr. Lafcadio Hearn
seen by day
the firefly's nape
is red
Tr. Michael Haldane
seen by day
the neck is red -
this firefly !
Tr. Gabi Greve
. Reference
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lost souls
down by the brook
the fireflies
moonless night . . .
the fireflies dancing
double shifts
fireflies cruising
in bumpy circles . . .
Mandala Valley
Gabi Greve, 2005
living in Mandala Valley
MORE
Firefly haiku by Gabi Greve, Japan
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蛍火や女の道をふみはずし
hotarubi ya onna no michi o fumihazushi
fireflies alight -
I step off the path
of a virtuous woman
Suzuki Masajo 鈴木真砂女(すずきまさじょ)
Tr. Gabi Greve
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蛍籠昏ければ揺り炎えたたす
hotarukago kurakereba yuri-moetatasu
my cage for fireflies -
when it gets dark I shake it
to shine again
橋本多佳子 Hashimono Takako
Takako Hashimoto (1899-1963)
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狼に蛍がひとつ付いていた
ookami ni hotaru ga hitotsu tsuite ita
on the wolf
one firefly
clung
. Kaneko Tohta and the Wolf Haiku 金子兜太
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restless firefly
another attempt at
self immolation
kenneth daniels (GY)
Kigo Hotline, June 2009
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koko hotaru ta-goto no tsuki to kurabe-ken
"I would like to compare
The glow of these fireflies and moonlight
Reflected in every paddy field"
(Matsuo Basho)
In 1688 (Genroku 1), Basho looked flying around fireflies on the surface of Seta River in Ohmi (The present Shiga Prefecture) on the way home. At that time, he remembered viewing the moon in Sarashina of Nagano, that was noted for "moonlight reflected in every paddy field" and composed this Haiku.
The whole district was called "The mount of Hime (princess)". 河野通有 Michiari Koono's uncle, Michitoki went to the war of Mongolian Invasions (of 1274 and 1281), leaving his only daughter "Hime" and he was killed in the Bay of Hakata.
Michiari carried his remains back to Hime waiting up her father. Hime had been staying at Gianji Temple 義安寺 and kept the grave of her late father throughout her life.
Princess Daruma Dolls at Temple Gian-Ji
Gian-Ji temple in Matsuyama is a zen temple, so it had been said that the origin of "Hime Daruma doll" is a tumbler of Bodhidharma on that Hime's face was drawn, to hold a memorial service for Hime.
Michiari was a samurai of Iyo (ow Ehime) and died in 1311.
The temple Gina-Ji had been build by the child of Kono Kagemichi 河野景通, Kono Shiroo Gian 河野彦四郎義安 in 1539.
Mitarai River flows under Gianji Temple from the front of Ishiteji Temple and it is famous for its Genji fireflies. There would be some fireflies that were pressed by catchers and went out in the hill at the back of the temple, that of the main gate had been already closed.
sanmon ni hotaru nigekomu shimari-nari
There would be some fireflies
Been driven away and went out in
the back-hill of the Temple
(Masaoka Shiki)
. Daruma and Fireflies .
- hotaru 蛍 (ほたる) firefly, fireflies - and
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .
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Related words
Hotaru-bukuro 蛍袋（ほたるぶくろ) Pantaloons flower
kigo for mid-summer
... tsuriganesoo 釣鐘草（つりがねそう）
... choochinbana 提燈花（ちょうちんばな）"lampion flower"
fuurinsoo 風鈴草（ふうりんそう）"wind chime flower"
Campanula punctata
literally “Bag for Fireflies” . Glockenblume
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
When one grows out thousands of seedlings, something special always pops up. ‘Pantaloons’ is such a special plant; the flowers are a light purple and shaped in a double ‘hose-in-hose’ like we’ve never seen before.
A rose-purple-dipped drink for the eyes! This is a tasty combination of red winter leaves (& wine-darkened summer leaves) topped with huge, rose-purple blooms. Easy to grow with a spreading habit. A sun lover of Japanese origin.
Reference
***** Fireflies from Temple Ishiyamadera, Ishiyamabotaru
石山蛍（いしやまぼたる）
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. Firefly squid (hotaruika, hotaru ika 蛍烏賊 ) .
. hotarusoo 蛍草 (ほたるそう) "firefly plant" .
..... hotaru saiko ほたるさいこ (蛍柴胡)
Bupleurum longiradiatum
- - - - - and
hotarukazura 蛍蔓 (ほたるかずら) "firefly vine"
Buglossoides zollingeri
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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
- #hotaru #fireflies #genjibotaru -
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Fireflies, firefly (hotaru)
***** Location: Japan,
***** Season: various, see below
***** Category: Animal
*****************************
Explanation
蛍 The kanji image shows a "lantern insect" .
Their appearance along rivers of Japan brings a romantic, poetic feeling to all who watch them. And it did not cost the farmers a penny to go out and enjoy them.
The "fire" these animals emit is cold, though.
There are more than 40 different types of fireflies known in Japan.
Some say they are the vengeful spirit of Genzanmi Yorimasa 源三位頼政
(another name for Minamoto no Yorimasa), .
(1106–1180)
He was a warrior, leading the Minamoto armies at the beginning of the Genpei War. Suffering defeat, he committed suicide in the Byodo-in temple in Uji.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !
Some fireflies are named after the region where they were most beautiful and romantic to watch, in a historical setting.
.................................................................................
Genjibotaru senbi rice crackers
Two special types of fireflies,
the Heike-botaru and the Genji-botaru 源氏蛍, are special kigo in Japan.
Heike-botaru, heikebotaru 平家蛍 - Luciola lateralis
Genji-botaru, genjibotaru 源氏蛍 - Luciola cruciata
To understand the deep appreciation of the Japanese for fireflies, you need to know a bit about Japanese history and the conflict between the clans of the Heike and the Genji around 1180, which ended in the fall of the Heike clan.平家物語
The Tale of the Heike / Heike Monogatari)
. . . CLICK here for Photos of Heikebotaru!
. . . CLICK here for Photos of Genjibotaru !
. Heike densetsu 平家伝説 legends about the Heike clan .
Heikegani 平家蟹 Heike crabs, Heikea japonicum
. . . CLICK here for Photos of the Tale of the Heike!
From the example of the firefly you see how a small animal like a firefly can be a guide to the rich history and art of Japan.
Luciola lateralis. - lightning bug, Leuchtkäfer
The Japanese word hotaru comes from
ho taru 火垂る (hi o taru) to drip fire
another explanation is
ho teri 火照り fire glows
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kono Bairei (1844-1895)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
kigo for mid-summer
hotaru 蛍 (ほたる) firefly, fireflies
Luciola lateralis. Glühwürmchen; Leuchtkäfer
hotaru gassen 蛍合戦（ほたるがっせん）battle of the fireflies, firefly contest (they are looking for a mate)
heikebotaru 平家蛍（へいけぼたる）Heike-fireflies
genjibotaru 源氏蛍（げんじぼたる）Genji-fireflies
Luciola vitticollis
himebotaru 姫蛍（ひめぼたる） "princess firefly"
Hotaria parvula
Mostly in the mountainous regions.
Ujibotaru 宇治蛍（うじぼたる）fireflies from Uji
The ones along the River Uji are most famous.
Ishiyamabotaru 石山蛍（いしやまぼたる）fireflies from Ishiyama
(see below)
Moriyamabotaru 守山蛍（もりやまぼたる）fireflies from Moriyama
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
hotarubi 蛍火（ほたるび） firefly glow
hatsubotaru, hatsu-botaru 初蛍（はつぼたる）
first firefly ( of the season )
asa no hotaru 朝の蛍（あさのほたる） firefly in the morning
hiru no hotaru 昼の蛍（ひるのほたる） firefly at noon
yuubotaru 夕蛍（ゆうぼたる ) firefly in the evening
yoibotaru, yoi-botaru 宵蛍（よいぼたる） firefly at night
ame no hotaru 雨の蛍（あめのほたる） firefly in the rain
kusabotaru 草蛍（くさぼたる） firefly in the grass
oobotaru, oo-botaru大蛍（おおぼたる） large firefly
..... hootaru ほうたる
Genji fireflies
They are out a bit earlier than the smaller Heike fireflies.
hogarugari 蛍狩 (ほたるがり) firefly-viewing
a common pastime in olden times, along the famous rivers and rivulets.
A free passtime that even the poor farmers could enjoy.
hotarumi, hotaru-mi 蛍見（ほたるみ） going to observe fireflies
... hotaru kenbutsu 蛍見物（ほたるけんぶつ）
. hotarubune 蛍舟（ほたるぶね） boat for observing fireflies
and the fireflies of Seta 瀬田の蛍
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
hotarutori, hotaru tori 蛍採（ほたるとり） catching fireflies
hotarukago, hotaru-kago 蛍籠 (ほたるかご) basket for fireflies
often made from bamboo in the old days.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
hotaru uri, hotaru-uri 蛍売 (ほたるうり) vendor of fireflies
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kigo for early autumn
aki no hotaru 秋の蛍 (あきのほたる) fireflies in autumn
nokoru hotaru 残る蛍（のこるほたる）fireflies still left
yamihotaru, yami hotaru 病蛍（やみほたる） ill fireflies
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topic for haiku
tsuchibotaru 土螢 glowworm, Glühwürmchen
glow worm
larves of the female, which do not hve wings
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To look at and catch fireflies was one of the common pleasures of the farmers since ancient times. Since the widespread use of farm chemicals, their number has greatly declined and nowadays many villages in Japan make special efforts to multiply these wonderful animals as an attraction for tourists and playground for the local children.
Calling the fireflies to come here in an ancient childrens song
ホッ、ホッ、ほ－たるこい、あっちのみ－ずはに－がいぞ、
こっち のみ－ずはあ－まいぞ、ホッホッ、ほ－たるこい
ho ho hotaru koi
Hey, fireflies, come here!
The water over there is bitter.
The water here is so sweet,
so come here, please, fireflies.
ho ho hotaru koi
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From the Tale of the Heike
THE BATTLE OF THE FIREFLIES:
AND HOW "A TOOTHLESS DOG" DID BITE
... The meadow glimmered with the light of a myriad glow-worms. Asagao smiled with sudden delight. Descending to the river she gathered the fireflies by scores, and, prisoning them in her veil, made a gleaming torch....
....The trembling girl crouched upon the balcony. Affrighted by the clash of arms, a swarm of fireflies rose from the river bank, soaring upon the night like sparks from a mighty conflagration.
The souls of the Minamoto!” cried Asagao despairingly. “Father, we are lost!”....
“A firefly in a prison pent,
Ne’er more to flame upon the moor.”
It is quite a long story within a LONG story!
http://www.kellscraft.com/romanceofoldjapan/romancejapan06.html
Safekeep copy is here:
Fireflies and the Heike Monogatari
Click on the picture to see them down by the river.
http://www.geocities.co.jp/NatureLand/1712/hotaru2/hotaru34.htm
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Sweets called FIREFLY
Hotaru 蛍
from Kameya, Kyoto 亀屋
© PHOTO : kyotofoodie.com
hotaru no miya 「蛍宮（ほたるのみや）」
From 長久堂
Remembering a story of the Genji Monogatari 蛍兵部卿宮.
© PHOTO : 遠くのこだま
firefly sweets -
the wonderous world of
wagashi
Gabi Greve
WAGASHI ... Sweets SAIJIKI
*****************************
Worldwide use
Guyana
Another name for firefly here is candle fly
candle fly, cold light
an invitation to dance
after midnight
kenneth daniels (GY)
WKD : South American Saijiki
*****************************
Things found on the way
.. .. .. .. .. .. More Lore about the Fireflies
The below from F. Hadland Davis book,
"Myths and Legends of Japan" 1913 Unabridged
1. HAIKU, Page 285 (no source or Japanese text given)
Ah, the cunning fireflies !
being chased,
they hide themselves
in the moonlight
2. HAIKU, Page 285 (no source or Japanese text given)
From the Uji river-bank dart myriads of these flashing insects, and in a moment they form a great silver-shining cloud.
The cloud breaks and the flowing river, once dark as black, becomes a winding stretch of gleaming jewels.
No wonder the Japanese poet cries:
Do I see only fireflies drifting with the current?
Or is the Night itself drifting, with its swarming of stars?
3. GHOST LORE Page 286 (no source or Japanese text given)
Fireflies are fond of swarming around willow-trees, which are the most eerie trees in Japan, and this is part of their "ghostly" role as Minamoto Firefly and the Taira Firefly. In ancient days, the fireflies were said to possess medicinal properties.
Firefly ointment was said to render all poisons harmless, and, moreover, it had the power to drive away evil spirits and to preserve a house from the attacks of robbers.
4. STORY Page 287 Hadland (no Japanese text given)
Quoted from "Ancient Tales and Folk-lore of Japan," by R. Gordon Smith
Story called the Vengeance of Kanshiro.
A very old man named Kanshiro wants to make one last pilgrimage before he dies. His neighbors and friends all lend him some money to help him.
Along the way he is robbed by an inn keeper named Jimpachi. Kanshiro dies, but comes back from the tomb transformed into thousands of fireflies and the fireflies rush into Jimpachi's eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.
Jimpachi lives for 20 days, screaming for mercy. But no mercy comes, and finally the fireflies kill the wicked Jimpachi. Immediately thereafter, the fireflies disappear completely.
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. WASHOKU
hotarumeshi, hotaru meshi ホタル飯 "firefly rice"
100 Favorite Dishes of Edo
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The Hunt for Fireflies
Eishosai Choki c. 1795
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HAIKU
Issa wrote about 100 haiku about the fireflies, maybe more...
Check out the translations of David Lanoue.
Issa and the Fireflies
草も木も 源氏の風や とぶ蛍
kusa mo ki mo genji no kaze ya tobu hotaru
in grass, in trees
the army of the Genji...
fireflies flit
(This haiku alludes to the historical battle between the Minamoto (Genji) and Taira (Heike) clans. The swarming fireflies remind Issa of a great army lighting campfires or carrying torches in the night.)
http://haikuguy.com/issa
馬の屁に目覚て見れば飛ほたる
uma no he ni mezamete mireba tobu hotaru
the horse's fart
wakes me to see...
fireflies flitting
はつ蛍ついとそれたる手風哉
hatsu-botaru tsui to soretaru te kaze kana
the first firefly
deftly swerves away...
wind from my hand
"tsui to" can mean satto ("suddenly") or migaru ni ("with agility")
Issa calling for the fireflies
蛍こよ蛍こよとよひとり酒
hotaru koyo hotaru koyo to yo hitori-zake
come, firefly!
firefly, come!
drinking alone
ほたるよぶよこ顔過るほたる哉
hotaru yobu yokogao yogiru hotaru kana
while calling fireflies
crossing his profile...
a firefly
蛍よぶ口へとび入るほたる哉
hotaru yobu kuchi e tobi-iru hotaru kana
a mouth calling fireflies--
one
flies in
青柳や蛍よぶ夜の思はるる
ao yagi ya hotaru yobu yo no omowaruru
green willow--
thinking of a night
of calling fireflies
人声や大骨折ってとぶ蛍
hito-goe ya oobone otte tobu hotaru
people's voices--
with all their might
the fireflies flit
Literally, the firefly (or fireflies) are flitting with "bone-breaking" effort ... to reward the people who are calling.
Kobayashi Issa
Click on the picture to see them all.
http://www.geocities.co.jp/NatureLand/1712/hotaru2/hotaru35.htm
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昼見れば首筋赤きほたる哉
hiru mireba kubisuji akaki hotaru kana
Alas! the firefly seen by dailight
Is nothing but a red-necked insect
Tr. Asatarō Miyamori
Oh this firefly!
seen by daylight, the nape of its neck is red
Tr. Lafcadio Hearn
seen by day
the firefly's nape
is red
Tr. Michael Haldane
seen by day
the neck is red -
this firefly !
Tr. Gabi Greve
. Reference
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lost souls
down by the brook
the fireflies
moonless night . . .
the fireflies dancing
double shifts
fireflies cruising
in bumpy circles . . .
Mandala Valley
Gabi Greve, 2005
living in Mandala Valley
MORE
Firefly haiku by Gabi Greve, Japan
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蛍火や女の道をふみはずし
hotarubi ya onna no michi o fumihazushi
fireflies alight -
I step off the path
of a virtuous woman
Suzuki Masajo 鈴木真砂女(すずきまさじょ)
Tr. Gabi Greve
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蛍籠昏ければ揺り炎えたたす
hotarukago kurakereba yuri-moetatasu
my cage for fireflies -
when it gets dark I shake it
to shine again
橋本多佳子 Hashimono Takako
Takako Hashimoto (1899-1963)
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狼に蛍がひとつ付いていた
ookami ni hotaru ga hitotsu tsuite ita
on the wolf
one firefly
clung
. Kaneko Tohta and the Wolf Haiku 金子兜太
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restless firefly
another attempt at
self immolation
kenneth daniels (GY)
Kigo Hotline, June 2009
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koko hotaru ta-goto no tsuki to kurabe-ken
"I would like to compare
The glow of these fireflies and moonlight
Reflected in every paddy field"
(Matsuo Basho)
In 1688 (Genroku 1), Basho looked flying around fireflies on the surface of Seta River in Ohmi (The present Shiga Prefecture) on the way home. At that time, he remembered viewing the moon in Sarashina of Nagano, that was noted for "moonlight reflected in every paddy field" and composed this Haiku.
The whole district was called "The mount of Hime (princess)". 河野通有 Michiari Koono's uncle, Michitoki went to the war of Mongolian Invasions (of 1274 and 1281), leaving his only daughter "Hime" and he was killed in the Bay of Hakata.
Michiari carried his remains back to Hime waiting up her father. Hime had been staying at Gianji Temple 義安寺 and kept the grave of her late father throughout her life.
Princess Daruma Dolls at Temple Gian-Ji
Gian-Ji temple in Matsuyama is a zen temple, so it had been said that the origin of "Hime Daruma doll" is a tumbler of Bodhidharma on that Hime's face was drawn, to hold a memorial service for Hime.
Michiari was a samurai of Iyo (ow Ehime) and died in 1311.
The temple Gina-Ji had been build by the child of Kono Kagemichi 河野景通, Kono Shiroo Gian 河野彦四郎義安 in 1539.
Mitarai River flows under Gianji Temple from the front of Ishiteji Temple and it is famous for its Genji fireflies. There would be some fireflies that were pressed by catchers and went out in the hill at the back of the temple, that of the main gate had been already closed.
sanmon ni hotaru nigekomu shimari-nari
There would be some fireflies
Been driven away and went out in
the back-hill of the Temple
(Masaoka Shiki)
. Daruma and Fireflies .
- hotaru 蛍 (ほたる) firefly, fireflies - and
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .
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Related words
Hotaru-bukuro 蛍袋（ほたるぶくろ) Pantaloons flower
kigo for mid-summer
... tsuriganesoo 釣鐘草（つりがねそう）
... choochinbana 提燈花（ちょうちんばな）"lampion flower"
fuurinsoo 風鈴草（ふうりんそう）"wind chime flower"
Campanula punctata
literally “Bag for Fireflies” . Glockenblume
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
When one grows out thousands of seedlings, something special always pops up. ‘Pantaloons’ is such a special plant; the flowers are a light purple and shaped in a double ‘hose-in-hose’ like we’ve never seen before.
A rose-purple-dipped drink for the eyes! This is a tasty combination of red winter leaves (& wine-darkened summer leaves) topped with huge, rose-purple blooms. Easy to grow with a spreading habit. A sun lover of Japanese origin.
Reference
***** Fireflies from Temple Ishiyamadera, Ishiyamabotaru
石山蛍（いしやまぼたる）
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. Firefly squid (hotaruika, hotaru ika 蛍烏賊 ) .
. hotarusoo 蛍草 (ほたるそう) "firefly plant" .
..... hotaru saiko ほたるさいこ (蛍柴胡)
Bupleurum longiradiatum
- - - - - and
hotarukazura 蛍蔓 (ほたるかずら) "firefly vine"
Buglossoides zollingeri
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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
- #hotaru #fireflies #genjibotaru -
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Fields, paddies (ta)
[ . BACK to Worldkigo TOP . ]
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Fields, rice fields, rice paddies (ta)
***** Location: Japan, other areas
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Earth
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Explanation
Fields, especially the rice fields are very important for the farming communities of Japan. We have a lot of kigo during all seasons, concerned with the work on the fields.
field, rice paddy, ta 田
terraced rice fields, tanada 棚田
© Gabi Greve, Terraced rice fields of Ohaga-Nishi, Okayama Prefecutre, Japan
small path between the fields, azemichi 畦道
..... あぜ 畦
hatake, fields (for other crops) 畑
fields and rice paddies, tahata, tabata 田畑
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Kigo for Spring
fields in spring, spring paddies, haruta 春田
..... haru no ta 春の田
..... haru tauchi 春田打（はるたうち）
preparing the fields, "hitting the fields" tauchi 田打ち
... ta o utsu 田を打つ（たをうつ)
.... ta-okoshi 田起こし "waking the fields up"
Mishima otauchi matsuri 三島御田打祭
festival of "hitting the fields at Mishima
O-tauchi 御田打（おたうち）"honorable hitting the fields"
Onta matsuri 御田祭（おんたまつり）festival of the fields
hata uchi 畑打 (はたうち) preparing the fields / the soil by ploughing
..... hatake utsu 畑打つ（はたけうつ）
..... hatake kaesu 畑返す（はたけかえす）
..... hatake suku 畑鋤く（はたけすく）ploughing the fields
spring plowing, tagayashi 耕(たがやし)
..... shunkoo 春耕（しゅんこう）
. Seeds in Spring Kigo
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mid-spring
noogu ichi 農具市 (のうぐいち) market for farm tools
.................................................................................
late spring
aze nuri 畦塗 (あぜぬり) repairing the path between the rice fields
..... nuri aze 塗畦（ぬりあぜ）
kuru nuri 畔塗り（くろぬり）
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
nawashiro 苗代 ( なわしろ) bed for rice plants
rice nursery
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
nawashiroda 苗代田（なわしろだ）
naeda 苗田（なえだ）, shirota 代田（しろた）
oyada 親田（おやだ）"parent field"
naema 苗間（なえま）space between seedlings
noshiro のしろ
nawashi tojime 苗代じめ（なわしとじめ）
nawashirogayu 苗代粥（なわしろがゆ） rice gruel for the nursery
(A bowl of rice gruel is placed at the entry for the water, as an offering to the field deities.)
nawashiro mizu 、苗代水（なわしろみず）water poured into a rice nursery
nawashiro michi 苗代道（なわしろみち）path between rice nurseries
nawashirodoki 苗代時（なわしろどき）time for the beds for rice plants
tanzaku nawashiro 短冊苗代（たんざくなわしろ）
tansaku nawashiro
in the form of a tanzaku long paper slip
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paddie snails, mud snails, tanishi 田螺 たにし
collecting mud snails, tanishi tori 田螺取
"mud snails crying", tanishi naku 田螺鳴く
Cipango paludina. Teichschnecke
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
They are small conches of about 4 - 7 cm length, which live in the wet rice paddies and are part of the ecosystem, providing food for many birds ... and the humans.
They are a delicacy in this season, being boiled in soy sauce or fried and grilled and added with different flavors. They where a source of protein for the poor farmers of the Edo period. Children could collect them in the fields and have a cheap snack.
They do not make a sound or cry, but there is also the theory that their voice was heared by the farmers of old.
Tanishi ae 田螺和 (たにしあえ) mud snail in dressing
WASHOKU
nishizakana 螺肴 (にしざかな) tanishi conch snacks for the New Year
The Chinese character NISHI 螺 means a sprial shellfish or snail that lives in water (Wasserschnecke).
静けさに堪えて水澄たにしかな
shizukesa ni taete mizusumashi tanishi kana
(? shizukesa ni taete mizu sumu tanishi kana)
in the clear water
a mudsnail enduring
the stillness
(Tr. Makoto Ueda)
(水澄 mizusumashi, whirligig beetle, Taumelkäfer. Gyrinus japonicus )
a mud-snail
and a whirligig beetle
enduring the stillness
(Tr. Gabi Greve)
. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .
- - - - - - - - - -
袖よごすらん田螺の海士の隙を無み
. sode yogosuran tanishi no ama no hima o nami .
田螺取義仲寺遠く暮れにけり
tanishi tori Gichuuji tooku kure ni keri
義仲寺 Temple Gichu-Ji and Matsuo Basho at Lake Biwa
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .
- - - - - - - - - -
静さに堪へて田螺の移りけり
shizukesa ni taete tanishi no utsurikeri
(? shizukasa ni taede tanishi no utsuri-keri)
Murakami Kijo 村上鬼城
More Haiku with tanishi
http://cgi.geocities.jp/saijiki_09/kigo500g/030.html
. tanishi ningyoo たにし人形 from Nogata 直方張子
dolls made from mud snails
. tanishi ningyoo たにし人形 from Tsuchiura, Ibaraki
dolls made from mud snails
- quote -
Tanishi Chooja タニシ長者 / たにし長者 Tanishi Choja
The Mud Snail Millionair
Long,long ago there were a farmer and his wife living in a village,who had no child. They were not so young but they prayed every day to God for their baby.
One day she suddenly started labor and gave birth to a baby. To their surprise, the baby who was born was a mud-snail. Even if it was a snail, they loved and took great care of him as he was their beloved son.
Twenty years had passed.
The farmer and his wife became old, but their child was still a snail. On the day when they carried NENGU (an annual tribute) on horseback, the snail spoke to them for the first time;
"I'll make you happy from today." The snail took the horse with NENGU by himself to a CHOJA's (a millionaire) house.
As the snail was now very famous in the village and had much knowledge, he was treated by the millionaire kindly.
The Choja liked him very much and decided to make him a son-in-law.
The millionaire had two daughters.
An elder sister rejected to marry him firmly, while a gentle-minded and hardworking younger sister accepted to marry him as it was his father's decision.
Anyway they got married and were having happy lives.
One day they went to see a Festival of the village fair. On their way back to the house, she put him on the edge of a rice field and went to a KANNON (Goddess of Mercy) statue to pray for their happiness.
Then the envious elder sister asked a crow to attack the snail.
He ran away from the crow as fast as possible to the house. She noticed it and helped him by covering him with her body,when the snail grew and grew big until it was a handsome young man. Her love for her husband caused a miracle.
He succeeded to his father-in-law's wealth and he was called 'TANISHI (mud-snail) CHOJA.'
- source : HeartLand-Gaien
In a version told in Okayama:
She went to a temple festival of Yakushi Nyorai, while the mud snail (a messenger of the Suijin, Deity of water) prayed there in the field. When the girl came back from her prayers, she could not find the mud snail and calling for him, he would not answer.
So she decided to throw herself into the water and search for him, when suddenly someone from behind grabbed her to hold her back. It was a young handsome man!
Who was this? You guess right, it was the mud snail turned human after all their prayers.
medetashi medetashi
たにしと嫁は薬師さまのお祭りを見物しに出かけた。嫁は願掛けをしたいからと言って、たにしを田んぼのふちに置いて姿を消した。
- source : manga nihon mukashibanashi
. Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa 鎌倉権五郎景政 Legends .
景政の目玉田螺も力餅
Kagemasa no medama tanishi mo chikaramochi
景政が片目をひろふ田螺かな
Kagemasa ga katame o hirou tanishi kana
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paddy parsley, taseri 田芹 たぜり
Oenanthe javanica.
Quite a delicasy in spring dishes.
tea plantations, tea fields, chabatake 茶畑 ちゃばたけ
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Kigo for Summer
humanity kigo for early summer
. shirokaki 代掻 (しろかき) light ploughing the fields
and more activities
humanity kigo for mid-summer
planting rice in the paddies, taue 田植
..... ta o uu 田を植う
plowing the fields, ta kaku 田掻く
horse for plowing, takaku uma 田掻馬
ootaue, oo-taue 大田植（おおたうえ）"big rice planting"
when the whole family or neighbourhood helped planting
tauegumi 田植組（たうえぐみ）group planting rice together
..... yoriai taue 寄合田植（よりあいたうえ）
. song for rice planting, taue uta, taue-uta 田植歌 .
..... tauebushi 皐月節（さつきぶし）
..... saotome uta 早乙女唄（さおとめうた）
. rice-planting woman, saotome 早乙女 さおとめ with MORE kigo
taue joogi 田植定規（たうえじょうぎ）ruler for rice planting
made from bamboo, to measure the distance between the plants and rows
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
taue meshi 田植飯（たうえめし）rice eaten during rice planting
usually some nigiri for all the participants, eaten in a hurry to finish the work needed for the day.
tauezakana 田植肴（たうえざかな）side dishes for rice planting
usually a few slices of pickled radish takuan and plums (umeboshi).
tachiudo, tachi udo 立人（たちうど） "standing person"also spelled 立歌人, standing and singing to get the rhythm for the planters
This was done by the young men of the village.
tauegasa 田植笠 hat for rice planting
usually a wide straw hat
田植え笠
ta aruji 田主（たあるじ）owner of the paddy
supervisor of the planting group
tarooji 太郎次（たろうじ）supervisor of the singing group
taudo, ta-udo 田人（たうど）
satsuki さつき dialect of northern Japan for rice planting.
setsuda 節田（せつだ）is another dialect word.
yoi satsuki 宵皐月（よいさつき） "night planting"It was customary to have as many people as it took to finish the planting of paddies of one family in one day. If the estate was too big, a part would be done before that day.
hana taue 花田植（はなたうえ）
taue nunoko 田植布子（たうえぬのこ）simple robe for rice planting
It was usually raining during the planting season and simple cotton robes could get wet and dry easily. On hot days people would also work almost naked.
. geta sandals for rice planting, tageta 田下駄 たげた
.SAIJIKI ... HUMANITY
Kigo for Summer
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field for seedlings, shirota 代田 しろた
planted fields, ueta 植田 うえた
fields with rice seedlings, sanaeda 早苗田（さなえだ）
fields in the fifth lunar month, satsukida 五月田（さつきだ）
green rice paddies, green fields, aota, aoda 青田
aotamono 青田面（あおたのも）
wind on the green fields, aotakaze 青田風（あおたかぜ）
green fields like waves, aota nami 青田波（あおたなみ）
path between the green fields, aotamizhi青田道（あおたみち）
time of the green fields, aotadoki 青田時（あおたどき）
"seller of green fields", aota uri 青田売（あおたうり）
paddies in a drought, drought-stricken paddy
hiderida 旱田, ひでりだ, ひでりた, hiyakeda 日焼田 ひやけだ
withered field, kareta 涸田（かれた）
burned by the sun, yakeda 焼け田（やけだ）
split by the dryness, hibiwareda 乾割れ田（ひわれだ）
field in a drought, kanbatsuda 旱魃田（かんばつだ）
alpine flower-meadows, o-hanabatake お花畑
butterbur field, fukibatake 蕗畑 ふきばたけ
. SAIJIKI ... category EARTH
Kigo for Summer
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Kigo for Autumn
autumn rice paddies, aki no ta 秋の田
..... akita 秋田（あきた）paddies in autumn
ta no iro 田の色（たのいろ）"colors of the fields"
irozukuta, irozuku ta 色づく田（いろづくた） fields getting colorful
paddy with rice plants (before harvesting)
inada 稲田 いなだ
ploughing in autumn, shuukoo 秋耕 (しゅうこう )
tilling the fields after the harvest, plowing in autumn
taro field, imobatake 芋畑 いもばたけ
.................................................................................
humanity kigo for mid-autumn
. otoshimizu, otoshi mizu 落し水 draining water .
mizu otosu 水落す（みずおとす）"water falls" (is drained)
tamizu otosu 田水落す（たみずおとす）
seki hazusu 堰外す（ せきはずす）take the barrier off
and
doyoo-boshi 土用干し draining the riece paddies during the "dog days"
.................................................................................
earth kigo for late autumn
karita 刈田 (かりた) stubble-paddy, harvested paddy
kari oda 刈小田（かりおだ）small harvested paddy
karita michi 刈田道（かりたみち）path between harvested paddies
karitazura 刈田面（かりたづら）"face of the harvested fields"
karitahara 、苅田原（かりたはら） plain with harvested fields
hitsujida 穭田 (ひつじだ) field with wild grain growing
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Kigo for Winter
paddy fields in winter, fuyuta 冬田 (ふゆた)
fuyu no ta 冬の田（ふゆのた）
yasumeta 休め田（やすめた）"paddy taking a rest"
fuyu tamichi 冬田道（ふゆたみち）path between winter paddies
furutamono 冬田面（ふゆたのも）
yuki no ta 雪の田（ゆきのた）paddies in snow
withered fields, kareno 枯野 かれの
..... kudara no 朽野 (くだらの, 百済野、くだら野)
fields in winter, fuyuno 冬野 (ふゆの)
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Kigo for New Year
Some saijiki list them in the SPRING section.
"March Festival", satsuki iwai 皐月祝
garden field planting, niwa taue 庭田植（にわたうえ）
"March Night", yoi satsuki宵皐月（よいさつき）
Dancing and planting rice, taue odori 田植踊
..... Jajuuroo 弥十郎（やじゅうろう）
Enburi Dance えぶり 柄振り
Held on January 15 (now February 17) in Hachi no He Town in Aomori prefecture 青森県八戸. A group of men from schoolchild to grandfather (enburi gumi えんぶり組), dressed in special coats with large hats, with field tools dance around the streets and in front of farm houses, wishing for a bountiful harvest.
..................... Other kigo in connection with this dance:
eburi, えぶり
enburi, gozen enburi 御前えんぶり（ごぜんえんびり）
naga enburi ながえんぶり、doosai enburi どうさいえんぶり
home where the Enburi Dance is performed
..... enburi yado えんぶり宿（えんぶりやど）
© Photos by Nakaibayashi
Backup
... ... ...
"playing in the fields" ta asobi 田遊 たあそび
"honorable field" onda 御田（おんだ）
spring field tools、haru kuwa 春鍬（はるくわ）
..... yasume 安女（やすめ, tarooji 太郎次（たろうじ）、yoneba よねぼ、shakutaroo 尺太郎（しゃくたろう）、shakujiroo 尺次郎（しゃくじろう）、yoneboo よねほう、yonanzoo よなんそう、inanzoo いなんそう
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Worldwide use
Bhutan
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
rice terraces
the cries of ploughmen
all day
Sonam Chhoki
. BHUTAN SAIJIKI .
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Things found on the way
The song for rice planting (taue uta) was necessary to keep the rythm for all planters, when it was still done by hand by the farmer's womenfolk. It was also an offering for the god of the fields (ta no kami) and the god of the earth (tsuchi no kami).
With the advent of planting maschinery, these local songs are fast becoming extinct. When some anthropologists went to the local communities to record these songs in autumn, the farmers refused strictly on the ground, that this would be a strong insult for the god of the fields and bring them bad fortune !
Read my article about
Ta no Kami, God of the Rice Fields 田の神さま
sanbai 三拝is another name for the "god of the fields", mostly used in Western Japan.
Read more of his kigo in this article.
The god of the fields and the earth had a special festival twice a year around the spring and autumn equinox to welcome him and send him off. The day was defined to be the "light or elder day of the earth" tsuchi no e 戊, according to the Asian lunar calendar and the knowledge of the five elements.
This day is also called "Shrine Day" shanichi, shajitsu 社日. On this shrine day, farmers would assemble at the local shrine and dance for the gods, praying for a good harvest in spring (shunsha 春社） and thanking for one in autumn （shuusha 秋社）. In autumn, the god of the earth was then sent off to the mountain, to live there until next spring as the "god of the mountain, yama no kami 山の神.
Used in haiku, "Shrine day" shanichi is a kigo for spring.
. 社日様 Shajitsu Sama，田の神様 Tanokami Sama - Legends .
Deafness-curing sake (jirooshu) 治聾酒
Drunk on this Shrine Day in spring.
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HAIKU
Hokku about planting rice
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .
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. Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 .
田の水やさらばさらばと井にもどる
ta no mizu ya saraba saraba to i ni modoru
rice field water --
saying many goodbyes
it returns to the spring
This hokku is from the beginning of the seventh lunar month (August) in 1821, when Issa was living in his hometown. In the hokku farmers are draining a wet rice field or paddy for the last time during the rice-growing season. Autumn is just beginning, and it is time to let the rice dry out before it is harvested in September. The farmers break the small dikes at the entrance and exit of one field and watch and listen to the water as it flows out of the field and back toward a nearby spring or stream. The word i in the third line means mainly 'well' in contemporary Japanese, but in Issa's time the first meaning was a spring or any other water source. Since rice fields were usually irrigated by digging a channel from the nearest stream or spring to the rice fields, while the fields themselves were themselves were linked by small temporary dikes or short channels, the source Issa is talking about is likely water from a spring not far from the fields. The water from the fields will now return back to its "home" or source.
Issa, as is rather common in much haikai and pre-Meiji literature, imagines the water's feelings. The water, like a thankful traveler, now shows its gratitude to the farmers for taking care of it and letting it stay in their field for several weeks, and it says goodbye over and over as it runs smoothly and freely out of the field and back toward the spring nearby. Issa seems to be suggesting two meanings with saraba-saraba in the second line: the first meaning is farewell or goodbye (saraba, literally "if such must be; so be it"), while the repetition implies 'repeatedly,' and the second meaning is sara-sara, an onomatopoeic expression for gurgling, murmuring water as it flows quickly, lightly, and freely. The sounds of the water flowing from the field thus become its voice saying goodbye again and again to the kind farmers.
Tr. and comment : Chris Drake
.......................................................................
田の水をかすりに行も日傘哉
ta no mizu o kasuri ni yuku mo higasa kana
a scattered pattern
on rice paddy water...
parasols
- - - Issa about paddies
(tr. David Lanoue)
遠かたや青田のうへの三の山
ochikata ya aoda no ue no mitsu no yama
far distance--
above green rice fields
three mountains
畠打や祭々も往く所
hata uchi ya matsuri-matsuri mo iku tokoro
plowing fields--
festivals, festivals
all over!
田が青む田が青むとやけいこ笛
ta ga aomu ta ga aomu to ya keiko fue
the rice fields
greener and greener!
flute practice
田のくろや馬除柳馬がくふ
ta no kuro ya uma yoke yanagi uma ga kuu
ridge between rice fields--
the horse eats
the sheltering willow
鳴田にし鍋の中ともしらざるや
naku tanishi nabe no naka tomo shirazaru ya
pond snails sing
they're in the kettle
but don't know it
Issa about fields
( tr. David Lanoue)
畠打や足にてなぶる梅の花
hata uchi ya ashi nite naburu ume no hana
plowing the fields -
plum blossoms get crushed
under the feet
Tr. Gabi Greve
- the cut maker YA is at the end of line 1 -
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
shirunabe ni kasa no shizuku ya sanae tori
picking up rice seedlings -
raindrops from their sedge hats
fall in the soup pot
Kikaku 基角
(Tr. Gabi Greve)
Women transplanting rice-seedlings;
Rain-drops from their kasa
Fall into the soup of the saucepan.
(Tr. Blyth)
sanaetori .. This process is taken at the first stage of rice planting.
It is supposed that this first work is done by young woman. That is because it needs delicate hands for working.
Look at some illustrations by
Sakuo Nakamura
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夜水とる里人の声や夏の月
yomizu toru satobito no koe ya natsu no tsuki
As they let in water at night,
voices of the paddy farmers --
a summer moon.
Tr. Sawa and Shiffert
離別
さられたる 身を踏込で 田植哉
sararetaru mi o fumikonde taue kana
(1784)
divorced
she is but goes into his field
for rice planting
水古き深田に苗のみどりかな - mizu furuki
(1784)
つばくらや水田の風に吹れ貌 - tsubakuro ya
(1784)
獺
かわうその住む水も田に引く早苗哉 - kawauso no
(1784)
山颪早苗を撫でて行方かな - yama oroshi
鯰得てもどる田植の男かな - namazu ete
(1784)
. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .
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ひつじ田 や痩(や)せて慈姑(くわゐ)の花一つ
hitsujita ya yasete kuwai no hana hitotsu
Takahama Kyoshi 子規
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
paddy fields
we drive past
fleeting milestones
Kala Ramesh, India
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
in the midst
of the flooded paddies --
a little graveyard
Isabelle Prondzynski, May 2011
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Early summer...
the sound of falling water
in the terraced rice fields
修学院離宮の棚田
terraced rice fields at Shugakuin Rikyu in Kyoto.
- Shared by Taro Aizu -
Joys of Japan, 2012
*****************************
Related words
***** Rice plants (ine) and various kigo
***** tanaike, tana-ike 種池（たないけ）pond to immerse the rice seeds
and related kigo for late spring
Farmers Work
***** Farmers work in Spring
***** Farmers work in Summer
***** Farmers work in Autumn
***** Farmers work in Winter
***** . Seeds and planting in spring
Tanbo Art
. Rice Field Art 田んぼアート tanbo aato .
. SAIJIKI ... category EARTH
. HUMANITY KIGO - for all seasons
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
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Fields, rice fields, rice paddies (ta)
***** Location: Japan, other areas
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Earth
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Explanation
Fields, especially the rice fields are very important for the farming communities of Japan. We have a lot of kigo during all seasons, concerned with the work on the fields.
field, rice paddy, ta 田
terraced rice fields, tanada 棚田
© Gabi Greve, Terraced rice fields of Ohaga-Nishi, Okayama Prefecutre, Japan
small path between the fields, azemichi 畦道
..... あぜ 畦
hatake, fields (for other crops) 畑
fields and rice paddies, tahata, tabata 田畑
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Kigo for Spring
fields in spring, spring paddies, haruta 春田
..... haru no ta 春の田
..... haru tauchi 春田打（はるたうち）
preparing the fields, "hitting the fields" tauchi 田打ち
... ta o utsu 田を打つ（たをうつ)
.... ta-okoshi 田起こし "waking the fields up"
Mishima otauchi matsuri 三島御田打祭
festival of "hitting the fields at Mishima
O-tauchi 御田打（おたうち）"honorable hitting the fields"
Onta matsuri 御田祭（おんたまつり）festival of the fields
hata uchi 畑打 (はたうち) preparing the fields / the soil by ploughing
..... hatake utsu 畑打つ（はたけうつ）
..... hatake kaesu 畑返す（はたけかえす）
..... hatake suku 畑鋤く（はたけすく）ploughing the fields
spring plowing, tagayashi 耕(たがやし)
..... shunkoo 春耕（しゅんこう）
. Seeds in Spring Kigo
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mid-spring
noogu ichi 農具市 (のうぐいち) market for farm tools
.................................................................................
late spring
aze nuri 畦塗 (あぜぬり) repairing the path between the rice fields
..... nuri aze 塗畦（ぬりあぜ）
kuru nuri 畔塗り（くろぬり）
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
nawashiro 苗代 ( なわしろ) bed for rice plants
rice nursery
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
nawashiroda 苗代田（なわしろだ）
naeda 苗田（なえだ）, shirota 代田（しろた）
oyada 親田（おやだ）"parent field"
naema 苗間（なえま）space between seedlings
noshiro のしろ
nawashi tojime 苗代じめ（なわしとじめ）
nawashirogayu 苗代粥（なわしろがゆ） rice gruel for the nursery
(A bowl of rice gruel is placed at the entry for the water, as an offering to the field deities.)
nawashiro mizu 、苗代水（なわしろみず）water poured into a rice nursery
nawashiro michi 苗代道（なわしろみち）path between rice nurseries
nawashirodoki 苗代時（なわしろどき）time for the beds for rice plants
tanzaku nawashiro 短冊苗代（たんざくなわしろ）
tansaku nawashiro
in the form of a tanzaku long paper slip
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paddie snails, mud snails, tanishi 田螺 たにし
collecting mud snails, tanishi tori 田螺取
"mud snails crying", tanishi naku 田螺鳴く
Cipango paludina. Teichschnecke
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
They are small conches of about 4 - 7 cm length, which live in the wet rice paddies and are part of the ecosystem, providing food for many birds ... and the humans.
They are a delicacy in this season, being boiled in soy sauce or fried and grilled and added with different flavors. They where a source of protein for the poor farmers of the Edo period. Children could collect them in the fields and have a cheap snack.
They do not make a sound or cry, but there is also the theory that their voice was heared by the farmers of old.
Tanishi ae 田螺和 (たにしあえ) mud snail in dressing
WASHOKU
nishizakana 螺肴 (にしざかな) tanishi conch snacks for the New Year
The Chinese character NISHI 螺 means a sprial shellfish or snail that lives in water (Wasserschnecke).
静けさに堪えて水澄たにしかな
shizukesa ni taete mizusumashi tanishi kana
(? shizukesa ni taete mizu sumu tanishi kana)
in the clear water
a mudsnail enduring
the stillness
(Tr. Makoto Ueda)
(水澄 mizusumashi, whirligig beetle, Taumelkäfer. Gyrinus japonicus )
a mud-snail
and a whirligig beetle
enduring the stillness
(Tr. Gabi Greve)
. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .
- - - - - - - - - -
袖よごすらん田螺の海士の隙を無み
. sode yogosuran tanishi no ama no hima o nami .
田螺取義仲寺遠く暮れにけり
tanishi tori Gichuuji tooku kure ni keri
義仲寺 Temple Gichu-Ji and Matsuo Basho at Lake Biwa
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .
- - - - - - - - - -
静さに堪へて田螺の移りけり
shizukesa ni taete tanishi no utsurikeri
(? shizukasa ni taede tanishi no utsuri-keri)
Murakami Kijo 村上鬼城
More Haiku with tanishi
http://cgi.geocities.jp/saijiki_09/kigo500g/030.html
. tanishi ningyoo たにし人形 from Nogata 直方張子
dolls made from mud snails
. tanishi ningyoo たにし人形 from Tsuchiura, Ibaraki
dolls made from mud snails
- quote -
Tanishi Chooja タニシ長者 / たにし長者 Tanishi Choja
The Mud Snail Millionair
Long,long ago there were a farmer and his wife living in a village,who had no child. They were not so young but they prayed every day to God for their baby.
One day she suddenly started labor and gave birth to a baby. To their surprise, the baby who was born was a mud-snail. Even if it was a snail, they loved and took great care of him as he was their beloved son.
Twenty years had passed.
The farmer and his wife became old, but their child was still a snail. On the day when they carried NENGU (an annual tribute) on horseback, the snail spoke to them for the first time;
"I'll make you happy from today." The snail took the horse with NENGU by himself to a CHOJA's (a millionaire) house.
As the snail was now very famous in the village and had much knowledge, he was treated by the millionaire kindly.
The Choja liked him very much and decided to make him a son-in-law.
The millionaire had two daughters.
An elder sister rejected to marry him firmly, while a gentle-minded and hardworking younger sister accepted to marry him as it was his father's decision.
Anyway they got married and were having happy lives.
One day they went to see a Festival of the village fair. On their way back to the house, she put him on the edge of a rice field and went to a KANNON (Goddess of Mercy) statue to pray for their happiness.
Then the envious elder sister asked a crow to attack the snail.
He ran away from the crow as fast as possible to the house. She noticed it and helped him by covering him with her body,when the snail grew and grew big until it was a handsome young man. Her love for her husband caused a miracle.
He succeeded to his father-in-law's wealth and he was called 'TANISHI (mud-snail) CHOJA.'
- source : HeartLand-Gaien
In a version told in Okayama:
She went to a temple festival of Yakushi Nyorai, while the mud snail (a messenger of the Suijin, Deity of water) prayed there in the field. When the girl came back from her prayers, she could not find the mud snail and calling for him, he would not answer.
So she decided to throw herself into the water and search for him, when suddenly someone from behind grabbed her to hold her back. It was a young handsome man!
Who was this? You guess right, it was the mud snail turned human after all their prayers.
medetashi medetashi
たにしと嫁は薬師さまのお祭りを見物しに出かけた。嫁は願掛けをしたいからと言って、たにしを田んぼのふちに置いて姿を消した。
- source : manga nihon mukashibanashi
. Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa 鎌倉権五郎景政 Legends .
景政の目玉田螺も力餅
Kagemasa no medama tanishi mo chikaramochi
景政が片目をひろふ田螺かな
Kagemasa ga katame o hirou tanishi kana
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paddy parsley, taseri 田芹 たぜり
Oenanthe javanica.
Quite a delicasy in spring dishes.
tea plantations, tea fields, chabatake 茶畑 ちゃばたけ
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Kigo for Summer
humanity kigo for early summer
. shirokaki 代掻 (しろかき) light ploughing the fields
and more activities
humanity kigo for mid-summer
planting rice in the paddies, taue 田植
..... ta o uu 田を植う
plowing the fields, ta kaku 田掻く
horse for plowing, takaku uma 田掻馬
ootaue, oo-taue 大田植（おおたうえ）"big rice planting"
when the whole family or neighbourhood helped planting
tauegumi 田植組（たうえぐみ）group planting rice together
..... yoriai taue 寄合田植（よりあいたうえ）
. song for rice planting, taue uta, taue-uta 田植歌 .
..... tauebushi 皐月節（さつきぶし）
..... saotome uta 早乙女唄（さおとめうた）
. rice-planting woman, saotome 早乙女 さおとめ with MORE kigo
taue joogi 田植定規（たうえじょうぎ）ruler for rice planting
made from bamboo, to measure the distance between the plants and rows
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
taue meshi 田植飯（たうえめし）rice eaten during rice planting
usually some nigiri for all the participants, eaten in a hurry to finish the work needed for the day.
tauezakana 田植肴（たうえざかな）side dishes for rice planting
usually a few slices of pickled radish takuan and plums (umeboshi).
tachiudo, tachi udo 立人（たちうど） "standing person"also spelled 立歌人, standing and singing to get the rhythm for the planters
This was done by the young men of the village.
tauegasa 田植笠 hat for rice planting
usually a wide straw hat
田植え笠
ta aruji 田主（たあるじ）owner of the paddy
supervisor of the planting group
tarooji 太郎次（たろうじ）supervisor of the singing group
taudo, ta-udo 田人（たうど）
satsuki さつき dialect of northern Japan for rice planting.
setsuda 節田（せつだ）is another dialect word.
yoi satsuki 宵皐月（よいさつき） "night planting"It was customary to have as many people as it took to finish the planting of paddies of one family in one day. If the estate was too big, a part would be done before that day.
hana taue 花田植（はなたうえ）
taue nunoko 田植布子（たうえぬのこ）simple robe for rice planting
It was usually raining during the planting season and simple cotton robes could get wet and dry easily. On hot days people would also work almost naked.
. geta sandals for rice planting, tageta 田下駄 たげた
.SAIJIKI ... HUMANITY
Kigo for Summer
.................................................................................
field for seedlings, shirota 代田 しろた
planted fields, ueta 植田 うえた
fields with rice seedlings, sanaeda 早苗田（さなえだ）
fields in the fifth lunar month, satsukida 五月田（さつきだ）
green rice paddies, green fields, aota, aoda 青田
aotamono 青田面（あおたのも）
wind on the green fields, aotakaze 青田風（あおたかぜ）
green fields like waves, aota nami 青田波（あおたなみ）
path between the green fields, aotamizhi青田道（あおたみち）
time of the green fields, aotadoki 青田時（あおたどき）
"seller of green fields", aota uri 青田売（あおたうり）
paddies in a drought, drought-stricken paddy
hiderida 旱田, ひでりだ, ひでりた, hiyakeda 日焼田 ひやけだ
withered field, kareta 涸田（かれた）
burned by the sun, yakeda 焼け田（やけだ）
split by the dryness, hibiwareda 乾割れ田（ひわれだ）
field in a drought, kanbatsuda 旱魃田（かんばつだ）
alpine flower-meadows, o-hanabatake お花畑
butterbur field, fukibatake 蕗畑 ふきばたけ
. SAIJIKI ... category EARTH
Kigo for Summer
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kigo for Autumn
autumn rice paddies, aki no ta 秋の田
..... akita 秋田（あきた）paddies in autumn
ta no iro 田の色（たのいろ）"colors of the fields"
irozukuta, irozuku ta 色づく田（いろづくた） fields getting colorful
paddy with rice plants (before harvesting)
inada 稲田 いなだ
ploughing in autumn, shuukoo 秋耕 (しゅうこう )
tilling the fields after the harvest, plowing in autumn
taro field, imobatake 芋畑 いもばたけ
.................................................................................
humanity kigo for mid-autumn
. otoshimizu, otoshi mizu 落し水 draining water .
mizu otosu 水落す（みずおとす）"water falls" (is drained)
tamizu otosu 田水落す（たみずおとす）
seki hazusu 堰外す（ せきはずす）take the barrier off
and
doyoo-boshi 土用干し draining the riece paddies during the "dog days"
.................................................................................
earth kigo for late autumn
karita 刈田 (かりた) stubble-paddy, harvested paddy
kari oda 刈小田（かりおだ）small harvested paddy
karita michi 刈田道（かりたみち）path between harvested paddies
karitazura 刈田面（かりたづら）"face of the harvested fields"
karitahara 、苅田原（かりたはら） plain with harvested fields
hitsujida 穭田 (ひつじだ) field with wild grain growing
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kigo for Winter
paddy fields in winter, fuyuta 冬田 (ふゆた)
fuyu no ta 冬の田（ふゆのた）
yasumeta 休め田（やすめた）"paddy taking a rest"
fuyu tamichi 冬田道（ふゆたみち）path between winter paddies
furutamono 冬田面（ふゆたのも）
yuki no ta 雪の田（ゆきのた）paddies in snow
withered fields, kareno 枯野 かれの
..... kudara no 朽野 (くだらの, 百済野、くだら野)
fields in winter, fuyuno 冬野 (ふゆの)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kigo for New Year
Some saijiki list them in the SPRING section.
"March Festival", satsuki iwai 皐月祝
garden field planting, niwa taue 庭田植（にわたうえ）
"March Night", yoi satsuki宵皐月（よいさつき）
Dancing and planting rice, taue odori 田植踊
..... Jajuuroo 弥十郎（やじゅうろう）
Enburi Dance えぶり 柄振り
Held on January 15 (now February 17) in Hachi no He Town in Aomori prefecture 青森県八戸. A group of men from schoolchild to grandfather (enburi gumi えんぶり組), dressed in special coats with large hats, with field tools dance around the streets and in front of farm houses, wishing for a bountiful harvest.
..................... Other kigo in connection with this dance:
eburi, えぶり
enburi, gozen enburi 御前えんぶり（ごぜんえんびり）
naga enburi ながえんぶり、doosai enburi どうさいえんぶり
home where the Enburi Dance is performed
..... enburi yado えんぶり宿（えんぶりやど）
© Photos by Nakaibayashi
Backup
... ... ...
"playing in the fields" ta asobi 田遊 たあそび
"honorable field" onda 御田（おんだ）
spring field tools、haru kuwa 春鍬（はるくわ）
..... yasume 安女（やすめ, tarooji 太郎次（たろうじ）、yoneba よねぼ、shakutaroo 尺太郎（しゃくたろう）、shakujiroo 尺次郎（しゃくじろう）、yoneboo よねほう、yonanzoo よなんそう、inanzoo いなんそう
*****************************
Worldwide use
Bhutan
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
rice terraces
the cries of ploughmen
all day
Sonam Chhoki
. BHUTAN SAIJIKI .
*****************************
Things found on the way
The song for rice planting (taue uta) was necessary to keep the rythm for all planters, when it was still done by hand by the farmer's womenfolk. It was also an offering for the god of the fields (ta no kami) and the god of the earth (tsuchi no kami).
With the advent of planting maschinery, these local songs are fast becoming extinct. When some anthropologists went to the local communities to record these songs in autumn, the farmers refused strictly on the ground, that this would be a strong insult for the god of the fields and bring them bad fortune !
Read my article about
Ta no Kami, God of the Rice Fields 田の神さま
sanbai 三拝is another name for the "god of the fields", mostly used in Western Japan.
Read more of his kigo in this article.
The god of the fields and the earth had a special festival twice a year around the spring and autumn equinox to welcome him and send him off. The day was defined to be the "light or elder day of the earth" tsuchi no e 戊, according to the Asian lunar calendar and the knowledge of the five elements.
This day is also called "Shrine Day" shanichi, shajitsu 社日. On this shrine day, farmers would assemble at the local shrine and dance for the gods, praying for a good harvest in spring (shunsha 春社） and thanking for one in autumn （shuusha 秋社）. In autumn, the god of the earth was then sent off to the mountain, to live there until next spring as the "god of the mountain, yama no kami 山の神.
Used in haiku, "Shrine day" shanichi is a kigo for spring.
. 社日様 Shajitsu Sama，田の神様 Tanokami Sama - Legends .
Deafness-curing sake (jirooshu) 治聾酒
Drunk on this Shrine Day in spring.
*****************************
HAIKU
Hokku about planting rice
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
. Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 .
田の水やさらばさらばと井にもどる
ta no mizu ya saraba saraba to i ni modoru
rice field water --
saying many goodbyes
it returns to the spring
This hokku is from the beginning of the seventh lunar month (August) in 1821, when Issa was living in his hometown. In the hokku farmers are draining a wet rice field or paddy for the last time during the rice-growing season. Autumn is just beginning, and it is time to let the rice dry out before it is harvested in September. The farmers break the small dikes at the entrance and exit of one field and watch and listen to the water as it flows out of the field and back toward a nearby spring or stream. The word i in the third line means mainly 'well' in contemporary Japanese, but in Issa's time the first meaning was a spring or any other water source. Since rice fields were usually irrigated by digging a channel from the nearest stream or spring to the rice fields, while the fields themselves were themselves were linked by small temporary dikes or short channels, the source Issa is talking about is likely water from a spring not far from the fields. The water from the fields will now return back to its "home" or source.
Issa, as is rather common in much haikai and pre-Meiji literature, imagines the water's feelings. The water, like a thankful traveler, now shows its gratitude to the farmers for taking care of it and letting it stay in their field for several weeks, and it says goodbye over and over as it runs smoothly and freely out of the field and back toward the spring nearby. Issa seems to be suggesting two meanings with saraba-saraba in the second line: the first meaning is farewell or goodbye (saraba, literally "if such must be; so be it"), while the repetition implies 'repeatedly,' and the second meaning is sara-sara, an onomatopoeic expression for gurgling, murmuring water as it flows quickly, lightly, and freely. The sounds of the water flowing from the field thus become its voice saying goodbye again and again to the kind farmers.
Tr. and comment : Chris Drake
.......................................................................
田の水をかすりに行も日傘哉
ta no mizu o kasuri ni yuku mo higasa kana
a scattered pattern
on rice paddy water...
parasols
- - - Issa about paddies
(tr. David Lanoue)
遠かたや青田のうへの三の山
ochikata ya aoda no ue no mitsu no yama
far distance--
above green rice fields
three mountains
畠打や祭々も往く所
hata uchi ya matsuri-matsuri mo iku tokoro
plowing fields--
festivals, festivals
all over!
田が青む田が青むとやけいこ笛
ta ga aomu ta ga aomu to ya keiko fue
the rice fields
greener and greener!
flute practice
田のくろや馬除柳馬がくふ
ta no kuro ya uma yoke yanagi uma ga kuu
ridge between rice fields--
the horse eats
the sheltering willow
鳴田にし鍋の中ともしらざるや
naku tanishi nabe no naka tomo shirazaru ya
pond snails sing
they're in the kettle
but don't know it
Issa about fields
( tr. David Lanoue)
畠打や足にてなぶる梅の花
hata uchi ya ashi nite naburu ume no hana
plowing the fields -
plum blossoms get crushed
under the feet
Tr. Gabi Greve
- the cut maker YA is at the end of line 1 -
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
shirunabe ni kasa no shizuku ya sanae tori
picking up rice seedlings -
raindrops from their sedge hats
fall in the soup pot
Kikaku 基角
(Tr. Gabi Greve)
Women transplanting rice-seedlings;
Rain-drops from their kasa
Fall into the soup of the saucepan.
(Tr. Blyth)
sanaetori .. This process is taken at the first stage of rice planting.
It is supposed that this first work is done by young woman. That is because it needs delicate hands for working.
Look at some illustrations by
Sakuo Nakamura
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
夜水とる里人の声や夏の月
yomizu toru satobito no koe ya natsu no tsuki
As they let in water at night,
voices of the paddy farmers --
a summer moon.
Tr. Sawa and Shiffert
離別
さられたる 身を踏込で 田植哉
sararetaru mi o fumikonde taue kana
(1784)
divorced
she is but goes into his field
for rice planting
水古き深田に苗のみどりかな - mizu furuki
(1784)
つばくらや水田の風に吹れ貌 - tsubakuro ya
(1784)
獺
かわうその住む水も田に引く早苗哉 - kawauso no
(1784)
山颪早苗を撫でて行方かな - yama oroshi
鯰得てもどる田植の男かな - namazu ete
(1784)
. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ひつじ田 や痩(や)せて慈姑(くわゐ)の花一つ
hitsujita ya yasete kuwai no hana hitotsu
Takahama Kyoshi 子規
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
paddy fields
we drive past
fleeting milestones
Kala Ramesh, India
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
in the midst
of the flooded paddies --
a little graveyard
Isabelle Prondzynski, May 2011
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Early summer...
the sound of falling water
in the terraced rice fields
修学院離宮の棚田
terraced rice fields at Shugakuin Rikyu in Kyoto.
- Shared by Taro Aizu -
Joys of Japan, 2012
*****************************
Related words
***** Rice plants (ine) and various kigo
***** tanaike, tana-ike 種池（たないけ）pond to immerse the rice seeds
and related kigo for late spring
Farmers Work
***** Farmers work in Spring
***** Farmers work in Summer
***** Farmers work in Autumn
***** Farmers work in Winter
***** . Seeds and planting in spring
Tanbo Art
. Rice Field Art 田んぼアート tanbo aato .
. SAIJIKI ... category EARTH
. HUMANITY KIGO - for all seasons
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
6/06/2005
Festival (matsuri)
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Festival (matsuri, Japan)
***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All Summer
***** Category: Observance
*****************************
Explanation
The word FESTIVAL, Matsuri (祭り) by itself is
a kigo for all summer.
In the month of July there are especially many festivals in Japan. Since the traditional festivals were directed toward the deities to pray for a good harvest, rain, no drought, not too many incects to destroy the harvest and so forth, July was an important season, after the rice planting, to care for the rice paddies.
We have a special section about the meaning and tradition of the matsuri, please read
Festivals of Japan, before you carry on here.
Festivals during other seasons are the Spring festivals, . Autumn Festival (aki matsuri, Japan) ,
and Winter festivals.
Matsuri are an important part of farmers' lives and later of the lives of townfolk, like Kyoto and Edo. There are also many kigo associated with matsuri, let us look at some of them. They are all kigo for all summer.
When it rained during a festival, people took it as a sign that the gods had heared their payers and accepted their offerings, so they were happy about a bit of rain:
おもふさま降りてあがりし祭りかな
omou sama futte agarishi matsuri kana
as it goes ...
a bit of rain, a bit of shine
the festival
久保田万太郎 Kubota Mantaro
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
kigo for all summer
portable shrine, mikoshi 神輿、御輿
high portable shrine, dashi 山車
. danjiri 山車（だんじり）festival float
"barrel portable shirne", tarumikoshi 樽御輿
..... Small lightweight shrine for children to carry around
festival drums, matsuri daikoo 祭大鼓
..... Drums in Religious Rituals by Gabi Greve
festival flute, matsuribue 祭笛
festival music, orchestra, matsuribayashi 祭囃子
shirne at night, yoimiya 宵宮
evening shrine festival, yoi matsuri 宵祭
..... Indicating a festival that started in the evening and went on for the next day.
Lanterns for the festival, matsuri choochin 祭提灯
..... Painted with special patterns and figures for a festival.
..... Lanterns (choochin) by Gabi Greve
official festival, hon matsuri 本祭り
simple festival, kage matsuri 蔭祭り
..... Literally: Shadow Festival. This was held in some years as a smaller version than the official one. Sometimes the official festival was every second or sixth year only, to avoid too much splendor or spendings for a community.
cloths for the festival, matsuri-goromo 祭衣
..... Ladies wear light summer kimono or yukata. Men wear happi coats and leggins or other group dresses.
..... Kimono, Yukata, Nagajuban by Gabi Greve
. Hikiyama 曳山 large festival floats .
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The following are NOT kigo:
jiguruma じぐるま【地車】"earth cart"
another word for a large mikoshi with four wheels to carry a heavy load.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
地車のとどろとひびく牡丹かな
jiguruma no todoro to hibiku botan kana
the noisy rumbeling
of festival floats . . .
these peonies
Yosa Buson 蕪村
(The Japanese has the cut marker KANA at the end of line 3.)
. Buson and Botan Peony Haiku .
source : shodo86.blog114
*****************************
Worldwide use
Austria
Salzburger Festspiele
Every year in summer the Austrian town Salzburg invites to visit the Salzburg Festival (operas, concerts). Famous musicians, singers from all over the world come to Salzburg and are worth that so many visitors sweat in the queue for tickets.
Angelika Wienert
Here is more information:
http://www.salzburgfestival.at/home_e.php?lang=2
*****************************
Things found on the way
Great link to photos of various festivals, with the matsuribayashi, the orchestra of drums and flutes playing. This takes a while but it will get you right in the mood of matsuri.
Listen to it here.
http://wadaphoto.jp/japan/ot4.htm
Copyright (C) 2000-2005 Yoshio Wada.
*****************************
HAIKU
夕立に次の祭りの通りけり
yûdachi ni tsugi no matsuri no tôri keri
in a cloudburst
another festival shrine
passes by
御祭りや誰子宝の赤扇
o-matsuri ya taga ko-dakara no aka ôgi
festival day--
some treasured child's
red fan
Issa has more than 25 haiku about various matsuri.
http://webusers.xula.edu/dlanoue/issa/index.html
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
樽御輿子供にまじりかつぎけり
tarumikoshi kodomo ni majiri katsugikeri
barrel shrine -
amongst the children
I carry it too
（平成十五年七月 東州句会より）
http://fukami.com/profile/haiku/200307.html
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
お神輿を 川で清めて 秋祈る
omikoshi o kawa de kiyomete aki inoru
purify the portable shrines
in the river
pray for autumn
Autumn means a good harvest.
.. .. ..
担ぎ手が 江戸面になる 神輿かな
katsugi-te ga Edo-zura ni naru mikoshi kana
> > all carriers
> > became Edo faces -
> > portable shrines
Sakuo Nakamura
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Salzburg Festival -
sweating in the queue
for tickets
Angelika Wienert
*****************************
Related words
More religious festivals will be explained here:
Saijiki for Japanese Festivals and Ceremonies
. Autumn Festival (aki matsuri, Japan)
Chrysanthemum Festival kiku matsuri (Japan)
Juggernaut Festival (India)
Kokuseki-Ji Naked Festival Japan (05)
Sanja Festival at Asakusa Kannon (Japan)
Setsubun (Japan) .. Bean Throwing Festival, February 3
Star Festival (Tanabata, Japan)
Festivals of Japan
General Introduction
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Festival (matsuri, Japan)
***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All Summer
***** Category: Observance
*****************************
Explanation
The word FESTIVAL, Matsuri (祭り) by itself is
a kigo for all summer.
In the month of July there are especially many festivals in Japan. Since the traditional festivals were directed toward the deities to pray for a good harvest, rain, no drought, not too many incects to destroy the harvest and so forth, July was an important season, after the rice planting, to care for the rice paddies.
We have a special section about the meaning and tradition of the matsuri, please read
Festivals of Japan, before you carry on here.
Festivals during other seasons are the Spring festivals, . Autumn Festival (aki matsuri, Japan) ,
and Winter festivals.
Matsuri are an important part of farmers' lives and later of the lives of townfolk, like Kyoto and Edo. There are also many kigo associated with matsuri, let us look at some of them. They are all kigo for all summer.
When it rained during a festival, people took it as a sign that the gods had heared their payers and accepted their offerings, so they were happy about a bit of rain:
おもふさま降りてあがりし祭りかな
omou sama futte agarishi matsuri kana
as it goes ...
a bit of rain, a bit of shine
the festival
久保田万太郎 Kubota Mantaro
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
kigo for all summer
portable shrine, mikoshi 神輿、御輿
high portable shrine, dashi 山車
. danjiri 山車（だんじり）festival float
"barrel portable shirne", tarumikoshi 樽御輿
..... Small lightweight shrine for children to carry around
festival drums, matsuri daikoo 祭大鼓
..... Drums in Religious Rituals by Gabi Greve
festival flute, matsuribue 祭笛
festival music, orchestra, matsuribayashi 祭囃子
shirne at night, yoimiya 宵宮
evening shrine festival, yoi matsuri 宵祭
..... Indicating a festival that started in the evening and went on for the next day.
Lanterns for the festival, matsuri choochin 祭提灯
..... Painted with special patterns and figures for a festival.
..... Lanterns (choochin) by Gabi Greve
official festival, hon matsuri 本祭り
simple festival, kage matsuri 蔭祭り
..... Literally: Shadow Festival. This was held in some years as a smaller version than the official one. Sometimes the official festival was every second or sixth year only, to avoid too much splendor or spendings for a community.
cloths for the festival, matsuri-goromo 祭衣
..... Ladies wear light summer kimono or yukata. Men wear happi coats and leggins or other group dresses.
..... Kimono, Yukata, Nagajuban by Gabi Greve
. Hikiyama 曳山 large festival floats .
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The following are NOT kigo:
jiguruma じぐるま【地車】"earth cart"
another word for a large mikoshi with four wheels to carry a heavy load.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
地車のとどろとひびく牡丹かな
jiguruma no todoro to hibiku botan kana
the noisy rumbeling
of festival floats . . .
these peonies
Yosa Buson 蕪村
(The Japanese has the cut marker KANA at the end of line 3.)
. Buson and Botan Peony Haiku .
source : shodo86.blog114
*****************************
Worldwide use
Austria
Salzburger Festspiele
Every year in summer the Austrian town Salzburg invites to visit the Salzburg Festival (operas, concerts). Famous musicians, singers from all over the world come to Salzburg and are worth that so many visitors sweat in the queue for tickets.
Angelika Wienert
Here is more information:
http://www.salzburgfestival.at/home_e.php?lang=2
*****************************
Things found on the way
Great link to photos of various festivals, with the matsuribayashi, the orchestra of drums and flutes playing. This takes a while but it will get you right in the mood of matsuri.
Listen to it here.
http://wadaphoto.jp/japan/ot4.htm
Copyright (C) 2000-2005 Yoshio Wada.
*****************************
HAIKU
夕立に次の祭りの通りけり
yûdachi ni tsugi no matsuri no tôri keri
in a cloudburst
another festival shrine
passes by
御祭りや誰子宝の赤扇
o-matsuri ya taga ko-dakara no aka ôgi
festival day--
some treasured child's
red fan
Issa has more than 25 haiku about various matsuri.
http://webusers.xula.edu/dlanoue/issa/index.html
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
樽御輿子供にまじりかつぎけり
tarumikoshi kodomo ni majiri katsugikeri
barrel shrine -
amongst the children
I carry it too
（平成十五年七月 東州句会より）
http://fukami.com/profile/haiku/200307.html
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
お神輿を 川で清めて 秋祈る
omikoshi o kawa de kiyomete aki inoru
purify the portable shrines
in the river
pray for autumn
Autumn means a good harvest.
.. .. ..
担ぎ手が 江戸面になる 神輿かな
katsugi-te ga Edo-zura ni naru mikoshi kana
> > all carriers
> > became Edo faces -
> > portable shrines
Sakuo Nakamura
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Salzburg Festival -
sweating in the queue
for tickets
Angelika Wienert
*****************************
Related words
More religious festivals will be explained here:
Saijiki for Japanese Festivals and Ceremonies
. Autumn Festival (aki matsuri, Japan)
Chrysanthemum Festival kiku matsuri (Japan)
Juggernaut Festival (India)
Kokuseki-Ji Naked Festival Japan (05)
Sanja Festival at Asakusa Kannon (Japan)
Setsubun (Japan) .. Bean Throwing Festival, February 3
Star Festival (Tanabata, Japan)
Festivals of Japan
General Introduction
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Festivals of Japan
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BACKUP copy 2007 January
The BLOGGER has changed.
Here is the new Festival file now
http://wkdfestivalsaijiki.blogspot.com/2007/02/festivals-of-japan.html
NEW Main Index for Festivals and Ceremonies
http://wkdfestivalsaijiki.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html
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Matsuri quoted from About.com "Matsuri" is a noun, derived from a verb, "matsu" meaning "to wait" or "to invite" or in a wider sense "to be submissive". In such a feeling of worship and esteem something superhuman is waited and invited. It could be earth, water or the sun, empowered to grow plants. It might be a thunder, storm or earthquake for violent actions to be displayed beyond human control. In plains, mountains, rivers and seas there are "kami" or guardian deities to be feared in worship. The moon and stars in heaven would also be objectsof worship. More characteristically in Shintoism in Japan, spirits of the deceased are worshiped to seek lesson and requests from ancestors, which are to regulate one's conducts and to be handed down to descendants. To express such worship and to gain understanding between the worshiped and the worshiper "matsuri" are performed. There are certain prerequisited to a "matsuri" as originally observed. The worshiped would request a pure and clean place to be invited to and a proper sign to indicate its location. It must be in darkness for the worshiped to sit on the prepared seat of "matsuri". The worshiper on the other hand should have such a pure and clean site of "matsuri" prepared and fresh food ready to be offered to the worshiped. For presiding a "matsuri" the worshiper must condition himself be observing a taboo, purifying himself by bathing in water and concentrate himself in spirit. Such preparation for a "matsuri" takes longer in time, as the "spiritual rank" of the worshiped is higher. Those high in ranking are called "kami" or deity goods. The worshiper in a "matsuri" is required to be a descendant of the worshiped, and when not related in blood, a spiritual line is assumed. The concept of spiritual relations was adopted in later years in the system of "ujigami" parish, in which people in a region were made proteges of the shrine governing the locality. The head of a tribe or family would preside the "matsuri" and a "miko" maiden would act as a medium to hear words of the "kami" in presence. The original purpose of a "matsuri" to learn what a "kami" had to tell was gradually changed to the one-way request to the worshiped made through "prayers". The selection of persons for regular perfromance of "matsuri" came into existence, though there are still some localities where the "matsuri" is presided by those chosen in rotation from among local villagers. The annual schedule of "matsuris" seems to have been set early in the history of Japan. At the beginning of a year "matsuris" are are observed to pray for and celebrate in advance over a good harvest. In spring the start of an agricultural season is reported to "kami" in "matsuri". The summer "matsuri" is a prayer for stamping out noxious insects and the autumnal "matsuri" is designed to be a thanks-giving affair. More and more non-scheduled, extraordinary "matsuris" came to be observed, as the ages advanced, upsetting their old established procedures, for they could not be prepared for, as in case of the regular "matsuris". One important consequence of such irregular "matsuris" was the alleviation of taboos. The first step in a "matsuri" is the arrival of the "kami" which is usually seen at night. Then the offering of food and wine is made to the seat of the "kami". The offering would include staple grains, fish and vegetables, cooked and prepared as though to threat guests at home. After the service the food is shared by all in a tradition, handed down from the days of the mixed dinner party of gods and men. During the course of a "matsuri" a dance may be performed as a means of spititual concentration for the worshiper. The prayer to the worshiped is a practice seen in the loss of power or techniques to receive words from "kami". As suggested by the sharing of the offering after the "matsuri" is to place the worshipers as close in spiritual ranking with the worshiped as possible. Another cause for "matsuri" to be observed apart from the mass of people is found in the procession of "kami" to the place of "matsuri", which became more elaborate. it was easier for masses to enjoy as onlookers than to go through the taboo requirements for suffering. Matsuri Today Having lost the religious significance, "matsuri" today are enjoyed by participants and onlookers more for what used to be only additive to their essential meaning. some of them provide shrine proteges with opportunities for recreation and amusement and some others demonstrate scenes of interest in the name of tradition. It is intended now to describe some of the things you may, as onlookers, come to see in "matsuris". The foregoing information of the historical backgrounds of "matsuri" festival in Japan is hoped to be for your better appreciation of "matsuri" scenes. .. .. .. Mikoshi In the "matsuri" of a shrine the "kami" is moved to the place of service on a "mikoshi" palanquin, which is usually described as a miniature shrine or portable shrine in English. A "mikoshi" should not be taken for a shrine beyond the sense that there is a "kami" inside in a "matsuri" procession. It had better be called a sacred palanquin to be more closely identified. A "mikoshi" consists of a roof, body and stand. It may be lacquered in black with many metal decorations on the surface and square, hexagonal or octagonal in shape. The possible origin of "mikoshi" is said to be found in the Nara Period, when the "kami" of the Hachiman Shrine in Usa was invited on a purple palanquin to Nara for the constructin of the "Daibutsu" Great Statue of Budda. A "mikoshi" on its way the place of "matsuri" service is carried by young men who are not supposed to provide the "kami" with a smooth, fast ride. Instead they make it in a zigzag, swaying in all directions and pushing the "mikoshi" up and down, often very violently to amuse the "kami". The movement of a "mikoshi" is considered to be directed by the will of the "kami" beyond the control of those shouldering it. Without a "mikoshi" a "matsuri" lacks proper atomospheres. Though a "mikoshi" is only a means of transportation for the "kami" to the place of service and non-essentioal an element in the "matsuri" from the religious point of view, it has been made to bring a highlight to the festive occasion. The only religious excuse for making the "mikoshi" more elaborate in style in more gorgeous a procession is to please and amuse the "kami". In some "matsuri" festivals, "mikoshi" of several shrines are brought together. In some others the "mikoshi" is carried into a river or sea for the "mikoshi washing". Still in other "matsuris", "mikoshis" are brought into contests of one kind or another, often causing blood to shed. A "mikoshi" in procession is sometimes seen running into homes. Such accidents are regarded as lucky omens by some and worried about by others as penalties for the lack of faith. .. .. .. Dashi In the original meaning a "dashi" is a landing mark for the "kami". What is called a "dashi" today is a colorfully decorated festive float which is equipped with a "dashi" for the "kami" to land. Festive floats are found in two types; "hoko" on wheels to be pulled and "yama" to be carried on the shoulders, as well and gorgeously displayed in the Gion Matsuri of Kyoto. In other words a "dashi" is combined with a "hoko" or "yama" to make up a moving seat of "kami". The annual "matsuri" is indeed a highlight in community life in Japan. Particularly in summer, when more "matsuris" are observed that other seasons of the year, people are out fully to enjoy fold dances and other amusement programs in addition to carrying the "mikoshi" and "dashi". There are many strange and queer "matsuris" in the country. Young men would brave the freezing winter weather in shorts in a hustling contest for good luck charms at various shrines. In some others, participants speak against each other in all insulting words to decide a lucky winner. Still other are held in darkness and silence for a solemn religious session, often to end in an undesirable state of manners. There are many others, reflecting local colors and traditions. http://gojapan.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fmothra.rerf.or.jp%2FENG%2FHiroshima%2FFestivals%2F24.html |
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Matsurigoto 政
The importance of a matsuri, a festival for the appeasement of the deities, can also be seen in the word matsurigoto, a word that originated in the performance of religious festivals by the emperor or regent and soon became identical with "governing" in general.
Quote:
The rule of the state was referred to as matsurigoto, a word very close to that for religious ritual - matsuri - that was used to refer to both government and worship. The Emperor and the court had very clear religious obligations, ceremonies that had to be carried out meticulously to make sure that the kami looked after Japan and its people.
These ceremonies (which soon included as many Buddhist and Confucian elements as they did Shinto) became part of the administrative calendar of the Japanese government. This court liturgical calendar continued to play a major part in Japanese government until virtually the present day.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/features/nationalism/index.shtml
Festival (matsuri) in itself is a kigo for all summer. 祭, natsu matsuri 夏祭り
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Some Links
Japanese Festivals: January - April
Japanese Festivals: May - August
Japanese Festivals: September - December
List of Festivals, September 2005
Japanese Fall Festivals
Japanese Plum Festivals
Japanese Festival Photos
Aomori Nebuta Festival
Cherry Blossom Festivals
Halloween in Japan
Kyoto Gion Festival
Nara Todaiji Temple Shuni-e ceremony
Phallic Festivals in Japan
Sapporo Snow Festival
Tanabata -Star Festival
More about Festivals
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From this source about Japan
http://gojapan.about.com/
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.. .. .. From the World Kigo Discussion Forum
Buddhist Ceremonies and Events, a topical Saijiki
Some events in January in Japan
September Festivals as Kigo
Festivals of October around Tokyo
Japanese Festivals, Autumn
Japanese Festivals With many links
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