8/02/2005

Ama no Hashidate Festival Oeyama

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Hashidate Festival (Hashidate matsuri)

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


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Explanation

July 24

Ama no Hashidate Festival, Ama no Hashidate Matsuri
天の橋立祭
Monju Bosatsu Ceremony, Monju-E 文殊会


. Monju Bosatsu 文殊菩薩 Manjushri  


CLICK for more photos


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Ama no Hashidate 天橋立 Amanohashidate
Located in Wakasa National Park
This area features one of Japan's three most scenic places.

This park spreads across Wakasa Bay and includes Ama-no-hashidate, traditionally regarded as one of the three most famous views in Japan. Its appeal lies in the ever-changing beauty of the seashore and the abundant riches of the sea itself.

Located in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture, Ama-no-hashidate is a sandbar that protrudes out into Miyazu Bay from Fuchu-Ichi-no-Miya, separating the bay and the Aso Sea. It is an exceptionally scenic location that links Monju with Fuchu across the bay. Some 8,000 specimens of Japanese black pine grow on this 3.6km stretch of sand, and in the summer it becomes a popular swimming area. In the pine forest one can find Iso spring water, designated one of Japan's 100 best spring waters, Hashidate Myojin shrine, and stone tablets inscribed with
haiku by MATSUO Basho and YOSA Buson.
Also of sightseeing interest are the man-powered wheeled taxis.


Ama-no-hashidate, seen from Monjuyama Park.
This view is called the flying dragon view because the row of pine trees looks like a dragon flying into the sky.
All images Copyright. 1997 Kansai International Public Relations Promotion Office.

Kehi-no-Matsubara (Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture) is regarded as one of Japan's three great pine forests, along with Miho-no-Matsubara (Shizuoka Prefecture) and Niji-no-Matsubara (Saga Prefecture). Around 17,000 specimens of 200-year-old red and black pine stand in this broad forest park that runs for 1.5km along a seaside beach of white sand. It offers a splendid stroll along a specially constructed footpath. The five lakes of Mikata that run from the town of Mihama to Mikata include Hiruga and Kugushi, saltwater lakes connected to the sea, and Mikata, Suigetsu, and Suga, steaming lakes where salt water and fresh water mix.

Each lake offers scenery that differs delicately from the others'. Approximately 60 species of fish are said to live in the five lakes, and such unique and simple fishing methods as tataki-ami ("beating net") and mondori ("somersault") fishing are practiced. Takahama Town is noted for Shiroyama Park, which protrudes into the bay. Because Wakasa Bay looks like a mirror when seen from the caves there, the so-called Myokyodo, or clear mirror cave, is regarded as a place of scenic beauty along Wakasa Bay.
http://www.kippo.or.jp/culture_e/nature/park/wakasa.htm



歌川広重 Utagawa Hiroshige II (1826-1869)


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The main festival is held on July 24 at the temple Chion-Ji in Kyoto, to celebrate the statue of Monju Bosatsu.
The temple is at the entrance road toward Ama no Hashidate, and the shrine in honor of the Hashidate Deity (橋立明神) can be seen from there too.
はしだてまつり: 智恩寺


Monju Bosatsu
Wisest of the Bodhisattva. In Japan, students pay homage to Monju in the hopes of passing school examinations and becoming gifted calligraphers.

Monju Bosatsu
by Mark Schumacher



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


. Wakasa Daruma ― 若狭 だるま
Laquer and achate stone


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More external LINKS


Take a wonderful photo tour :
source : uemura_usisi



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanohashidate
http://www.amanohashidate.jp/area_all.html

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HAIKU




Thousands times of autumn
Colored wind passes the temple
Enchantment of Wakasa Buddhas


Etsuko Yanagibori


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大江山 いく野の道のとほければ
まだふみも見ず 天の橋立


Ooeyama Ikuno no michi no To kereba
Mada fumi mo mizu Ama no Hashidate

By Oe Mountain
The road to Ikuno
Is far away,
And neither have I beheld
Nor crossed its bridge of heaven.


60 - Koshikibu no Naishi 小式部内侍

. Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Poems 小倉百人一首 .


Her mother was the famous Izumi Shikibu and her father Tachibana no Michisada.

Izumi Shikibu (和泉式部, b. 976?)
was a mid Heian period Japanese poet. She is a member of the Thirty-six Medieval Poetry Immortals (中古三十六歌仙, chūko sanjurokkasen). She was the contemporary of Murasaki Shikibu, and Akazome Emon at the court of Joto Mon'in.
Izumi Shikibu was the daughter of Oe no Masamune, governor of Echizen.
... While at the court, she married Fujiwara no Yasumasa, a military commander under Michinaga famous for his bravery, and left the court to accompany him to his charge in Tango Province. She is said to have lived long, outliving her daughter Koshikibu no Naishi, but the year of her death is unknown. The last Imperial correspondence from her was in 1033.
Her tomb is at the Monju temple, now Chionji.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Koshikibu uses three place names of the Tanba and Tango 丹後 region in her poem.


Ooeyama Oni Densestu 大江山鬼伝説
Demon Legend of Mount Oeyama

in the Tanba disctrict of Kyoto. There is also a famous Noh-Play about the legend.

A fair maiden is kidnapped by a demon and carried away to Mount Oeyama. Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948 - 1021) has a famous sword, Yasutsuna, which he has blessed for this occasion and then goes for the demon ... the rest is happy history.



. Oni Manju cake from Oeyama 鬼饅頭 .

. Saka Doji 酒呑童子 a Sake Yokai Monster .
Shuten-dōji 酒呑童子 Shuten Doji 酒顛童子, 酒天童子, or 朱点童子
- Introduction of the Oeyama Legend -

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Ikuno 生野 the Ikuno plain

In the Tamba region (Tanba 丹波), with the river Yuragawa 由良川 and Hajigawa 土師川

These two places are on the way to
Amanohashidate, the "bridge of heaven".



Ama no Hashidate, by Hokusai 葛飾北斎


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大江山秋七草の籠にあふれ  
Ooeyama aki nanakusa no kago ni afure

Mount Oeyama -
the seven herbs of autumn
overflow in the basket


Nukina Eiko 貫名英子
source : kigo_aki.html


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Related words

***** .SAIJIKI ... OBSERVANCES, FESTIVALS
Kigo for Summer
 


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Hail (hyoo)

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Hail (hyoo)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All Summer.
...........Hail in other seasons see below
***** Category: Heavens


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Explanation

Hail usually comes with the summer storms and is known to destroy the rice harvest in just one go. The grains range from rather small to big as an apple or a man's fist.
I remember well some hail stones banging on my body before I could find safety and later see blue spots on my arms.

hail, hyoo, hyô 雹 (ひよう)
ice rain, hisame 氷雨 ヒサメ, (ひさめ)


hailstorm, hyoo no ooburi 雹の大降り

Gabi Greve

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© Jim Bishop and Simon Brewer (Stormgasm)

More of his HAIL photos are here
http://www.stormgasm.com/photo%20gallery/hail/hail.htm

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Question raised by Bill Higginson, 2001 :

While we're wrestling with various semantic issues, let me add one that puzzles me.

Virtually every J-E dictionary I know of makes no distinction between _arare_ [Nelson 5066] and _hyou_ [Nelson 5047], except perhaps to note that the former serves in a number of somewhat metaphorical expressions.

arare: (New Nelson 6546), hyoo: (New Nelson 6523)

Yet, every haikai/haiku saijiki that I pick up makes clear that these are somewhat different phenomena, over and above the fact that they occur at different times of the year (_arare_ in winter, _hyou_ in summer).

Collating the descriptions in the saijiki with North American weather guides has led me to believe that "hail" is a bad translation of _arare_, which makes much better sense as "graupel" (technical meteorological name) or "snow pellets" (common name). _Hyou_, on the other hand, does seem to pair well with "hail".

Since I have not lived in Japan year-round since the 1960s, and have no access to mainstream Japanese media, I have not been able to note current popular usage. I wonder if any list members can tell me if the distinction between _arare_ and _hyou_ found in modern haiku saijiki (both as to season and nature of phenomena) is maintained in the popular media? (I realize that these are murky waters when dealing with classical texts, as these and other words, such as _mizore_ today relegated to "sleet" or sometimes confusingly used for mixed rain and snow, for example, are often conflated in earlier times.)

Read the rest of this most interesting discussion here.
Arare versus Hyoo, Discussion, 2001


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


Water kettle with "arare" pattern
鬼霰紋姥口釜

arare moyo 霰模様, referring to a dotted pattern.

source : kunzan-kobo 薫山工房


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kaiun arare Daruma 開運あられだるま
arare crackers for good luck

source : www.hozugawaarare.com


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達磨茶屋 Daruma Tea House, selling all kinds of arare and other sweets
谷汲あられ”の里 - Tanigumi Arare no Sato、Gifu
岐阜県揖斐郡揖斐川町
source : www.tanigumi-arare.com


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HAIKU


Ishiyama no ishi ni tabashiru arare kana

splashing on the stones
of Mount Ishiyama -
these hailstones


Matsuo Basho
Tr. Gabi Greve

Read the discussion of
translating this haiku !

and look at a sweet !

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hailstones, too,
enter my begging bowl

Santoka
An Introduction to the Haiku of Taneda Santoka. Simply Haiku

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Hawaii, March 2006

hailstorm in Hawaii
someone shook
the snow globe

waterspouts
uprooting a pathway
fallen trees

hailstones
under the palmtree
now in my freezer

hailstones in my freezer
evening margaritas
connected to the universe


Shanna Moore


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Related words

Kigo for All Winter


***** Hail in winter, snow pellets, graupel,
arare

jewel-like pellets, tama arare 玉霰


snow and hail, yuki arare 雪あられ(ゆきあられ)
first winter hail, hatsu arare 初霰(はつあられ
ice and hail, koori arare 氷あられ(こおりあられ)
..... hisame 氷雨(ひさめ)

hail stones, "Hail balls", tama arare 玉霰(たまあられ
hailstorm in the evening, yuu arare 夕霰(ゆうあられ)
sudden hailstorm, kyuusan 急霰(きゅうさん)




sleet, mizore 霙 (みぞれ)
yukimajiri 雪雑り(ゆきまじり)"mixed with snow
..... yukimaze 雪交ぜ(ゆきまぜ)


quote
In that winter, when the homeless Basho returned from a stay in Kai Province, his friends and disciples again gathered together and presented him with a new Basho Hut. He was pleased, but it was not enough to do away with his melancholy.
His poem on entering the new hut was:

霰聞くやこの身はもとの古柏
arare kiku ya kono mi wa moto no furugashiwa

The sound of hail -
I am the same as before
Like that aging oak.

. Makoto Ueda -
The master haiku Poet Matsuo Basho .


Written in 天和3年, Basho age 40.
This hokku counts 6 in the first line.

MORE - hokku about arare by
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


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Kigo for all Spring


***** haru no mizore 春の霙 (はるのみぞれ) sleet in spring
..... harumizore 春みぞれ(はるみぞれ


***** Hail in spring, haru no hyoo
春の雹 はるのひょう



***** snow pellets in spring, haru no arare
春の霰 はるのあられ





(Arare
is also the name of a sweet, kind of rice puffs, especially during the Doll festival (hina arare 雛あられ).


http://www.daiei.jp/sukoyaka/saijiki/20040219.html


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.. .. .. .. Rain (ame)

.. .. .. .. Snow (yuki)

... .. .. .. Doll Festival (hina matsuri)


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7/22/2005

Gutsy Radish

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Gutsy Radish (Dokonjo Daikon, dokkonjo daikon)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All Winter
***** Category: Plant


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Explanation


For the main entry about the radish, click here.

gutsy radish, dokonjoo daikon ど根性大根

Radishes that make it after a disaster, earthquake or other, show us an example of the resilience of nature and a strong will to survive (konjoo).

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Latest 'gutsy radish' surfaces through quake crack



The "gutsy" radish found in Genkaijima. March 2006

FUKUOKA
A radish has grown up in a crack formed by an earthquake on an island off the coast here, evoking memories of the renowned "gutsy radish" that has become known around the world.

A police officer found the radish Tuesday sprouting up through a crack in the earth apparently caused by the temblor in 2005 on Genkaijima, an island off Fukuoka.

"We hope the radish will give island residents the guts they need to keep on battling," the officer said.

Genkaijima's gutsy radish has brought back memories of Dokonjo Daikon, literally the gutsy radish, a vegetable that earned praise when it grew up and forced its way through asphalt in the Hyogo Prefecture city of Aioi last year.

Dokonjo Daikon -- and reaction to its appearance -- has attracted international coverage. It has been hailed for providing an example of resilience through adversity.

Aioi Municipal Government officials are currently trying to extract the original Dokonjo Daikon's DNA to try and grow similarly durable radishes.

© Mainichi Daily News
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20060315p2a00m0na021000c.html

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New 'gutsy radish' sprouts up in Tokyo


Higashikurume, Tokyo

A Japanese radish that has pushed its way up between the asphalt on a road and a roadside ditch has gained attention as Tokyo's version of the "dokonjo daikon," or "gutsy radish."

The radish appeared in a residential area of the Tokyo city of Higashikurume, surprising residents and local government officials.

"I have no idea how the seed got here," a puzzled Higashikurume Municipal Government worker said.

Radishes sprouting up in unusual places have been reported all over Japan, but the area in Higashikurume where the radish was found is lined with supermarkets and apartment blocks, and there are no fields nearby.

The radish, which measures about 4 centimeters in diameter, apparently started growing under the asphalt and pushed up the wooden lid of a ditch as it got bigger. Its leaves span the width of a human hand and the radish can been seen from the road.

The first radish to receive nationwide attention was a one growing through asphalt on a sidewalk in Aioi, Hyogo Prefecture.

Impressed with its strength, Residents named it "Dokonjo Daikon" (gutsy radish). However its top was later lopped off by a vandal, causing it to wither. The radish was taken to an agricultural research center after the attack, and officials are waiting to see if it can be grown again.

© Mainichi Daily News
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20060311p2a00m0na036000c.html

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'Gutsy radish' story turned into picture book



Ganbare Daichan !

AIOI, Hyogo
The story of Dokonjo Daikon, a Japanese radish that gained nationwide attention when it was found poking up through asphalt on a road here, has been turned into a picture book.

The 48-page book, "Ganbare Dai-chan" (Hang in there, Dai-chan), went on sale in bookstores across Japan on Friday. (2006)

"We want to reproduce the radish and add a new page to its history," an Aioi Municipal Government official said.

The author, Ayumi Miyazaki, 33, took two months to complete the book, which she hopes will leave impressions of the vitality of the radish as it grew through the asphalt, and of the people who kept watch over it.

Residents nicknamed the radish "Dokonjo Daikon" (gutsy radish), being impressed with its strength. Unfortunately, however, its life was cut short when a vandal decided to lop its top off.

Dai-chan, as the radish is also affectionately referred to, was later separated into its leaves and stem, and efforts are being made to grow a copy of it.

© Mainichi Daily News
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20060304p2a00m0na034000c.html

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Things found on the way


the radish story reminded me of a haiku moment from 1996.

i was spending the day driving from plano texas to pecos new mexico to finish the last two weeks of a six week course in spritual direction at a benedictine monastery.

the sun was playing peek-a-boo with the clouds.

the grass was covered in pink and white tiny, native morning glories. they crept into the cracks in the asphalt at the edge of the road.

shoulder cracks
caulked by morning glories

and it also put me in memory of the sidewalk cracks outside every indian restaurant. the restaurants put out big bowl of fennel seeds. patrons who like fennel take a big pinch of the seeds on leaving and chew them.
always, if you look down, outside the restaurant, the feathery leaves of baby fennel plants fill the cracks in the pavement.

susan delphine delaney
plano, texas

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HAIKU


dokonjo daikon "gutsy radish"

dokonjo daruma "gutsy Dharma"

Dharma's sandal trips -- gutsy radish

"chibi" (pen-name for Dennis M. Holmes)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Darumasan-Japan/message/1099

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survival of the fittest
the mighty daikon
mother of all radishes


they are very big and strong smelling here in Hawaii we cook with them that have been pickled and brined ...
end up looking and tasting like pinapple

shanna moore, hawaii

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Related words

***** Radish (daikon)


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WASHOKU ... Japanese Food SAIJIKI


Back to the Worldkigo Index
http://worldkigodatabase.blogspot.com/

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7/18/2005

Grapefruit League

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Grapefruit League (USA)

***** Location: USA
***** Season: Spring
***** Category: Humanity


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Explanation

The USA baseball teams
who come to Florida for Spring Training are known as the "Grapefruit League"...Florida is where the "boys of summer" get their first workouts and play the first exhibition games of the year.
There is also the "Cactus League" teams that begin Spring Training in Arizona.

1.(n) grapefruit league
the major league teams that conduct their spring training in Florida.
SYNONYMS: grapefruit circuit, grapefruit loop



Spring training is almost as old as baseball itself. The best evidence points to spring training first taking place in 1870, when the Cincinnati Red Stockings and the Chicago White Stockings held organized baseball camps in New Orleans. Other baseball historians argue that the Washington Capitals of the National League pioneered spring training in 1888, holding a four-day camp in Jacksonville.

Spring Training 2004: Spring Training History
http://www.springtrainingonline.com/features/history.htm


Grapefruit League - Baseball's Spring Training in Florida
http://tampa.about.com/cs/sports/l/blspring.htm


2004 Spring Training Online: Master Schedule: Grapefruit League
http://www.springtrainingonline.com/features/master_schedule.htm


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU


grapefruit league
the hitter and his shadow
run for home


Carol Raisfeld

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cactus league
rookies picking stickers
after the loss


Darrell Byrd
(with permission 041029)


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Related words

***** Baseball Playoff USA (05)

***** . Gureepufuruutsu グレープフルーツ Grapefruit .
Citrus sinensis or Citrus paradisi


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Rice Gruel (kayu)

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Rice gruel (kayu)

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


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Explanation

Rice Gruel, rice porridge, congee ...

CLICK for more photos

Rice may also be made into rice porridge (also called congee or rice gruel) by adding more water than usual, so that the cooked rice is saturated with water to the point that it becomes very soft, expanded, and fluffy. Rice porridge is commonly eaten as a breakfast food, and is also a traditional food for the sick.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


WASHOKU
zoosui 雑炊 rice porridge with other ingredients

Reisbrei mit weiteren Zutaten
kigo for all winter



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Summer
late summer

gesai no on kayu 解斎の御粥 (げさいのおんかゆ)
gesai kayu 解斎粥(げさいかゆ)

This ritual dates back to the Heian period.

On the 12th day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, the emperor is relieved from his vow not to eat fish or meat (kessai) and the inbi no gohan ceremonies come to an end.

The first thing he eats is this rice gruel.
The gruel is served in an earthen pot, with some wakame soup. He eats three mouthful and then sticks his chopsticks into the rest.
This rice gruel was not soft as it is now, but hard to be eaten with chopsticks.


. inbi no gohan 忌火の御飯 (いんびのごはん)
"rice on the memorial day"
 
more details are here 


kessai けっさい【潔斎】
purify oneself by abstaining from fish and meat


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Autumn
early autumn

O-bana no kayu 尾花の粥
..... obana gayu 尾花粥(おばながゆ), obanagayu小花粥(おばながゆ)
..... susuki gayu 薄粥(すすきがゆ)
Rice gruel with susuki grass ears


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Winter
early winter


the 10th night, juuya 十夜 (じゅうや)
prayer night of the Jodo sect of Pure Land Buddhism

Often on November 9th.

honorable tenth night, o juuya 御十夜(おじゅうや)
tenth night ritual, juuya hooyoo 十夜法要(じゅうやほうよう)

gruel at the tenth night, juuya gayu
十夜粥(じゅうやがゆ)


prayer gongs at the 10th night, juuya gane 十夜鉦(じゅうやがね)
temple with ceremonies at the 10th night, juuya dera
十夜寺(じゅうやでら)
monk at the 10th night, juuya soo十夜僧(じゅうやそう)
old woman at the 10th night, juuya baba
十夜婆(じゅうやばば)

persimmons for the 10th night, juuya gaki
十夜柿(じゅうやがき)


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kigo for mid-winter

"Gruel for Priest Chi-E", Chie gayu, Chie-gayu 智慧粥
"Great Master's Gruel", Daishi gayu 大師粥
gruel on the 18th day, juuhachi gayu 十八粥
fuguri gayu ふぐり粥(ふぐりがゆ


CLICK for more photos

In some areas, wheat noodles with red beans are also added to the gruel. Some people eat it on all the days with a 4 in December.

Other kigo related to this ceremony,
celebrated at Mt. Hiei-zan from November 23 to 24 in memory of the founder, Dengyo Daishi:

Prayer group for the Great Master, daishi koo
大師講 だいしこう

Memorial day for Tendai Daishi, Tendai Daishi Ki
天台大師忌(てんだいだいしき)
Memorial day for Chisha Daishi, Chisha Daishi Ki
智者大師忌(ちしゃだいしき)
Tendai Prayer Ceremony, Tendai e、天台会(てんだいえ)
Tenday Prayer Ceremony at November,
shimotsuki e 霜月会(しもつきえ)
Great Ceremony at Mount Hieizan, Hieizan hokke e
比叡山法華会(ひえいざんほっけえ)

CLICK for more photos of Mount Hiei-zan
Mountain Monastery at Hiei-Zan


. Saicho, Dengyo Daishi 伝教大師最澄
Mount Hiei (比叡山, Hiei-zan) and Temple Enryaku-ji (延暦寺 Enryaku-ji)



Daishi Ko is also a naming for memorial groups and ceremonies of other great Buddhist personalities (daishi), like Kukai Kobo Daishi or Nichiren.


Tendai - Chisha Daishi  - Chigi 天台智者大師
Zhi-yi (538 - 597): Third founder of Tendai Sect

- quote
Zhiyi (Chinese: 智顗 Wade–Giles: Chih-I; Japanese: Chigi)
(538–597 CE) is traditionally listed as the fourth patriarch, but is generally considered the founder of the Tiantai tradition of Buddhism in China. His standard title was Śramaṇa Zhiyi (Ch. 沙門智顗), linking him to the broad tradition of Indian asceticism. Zhiyi is famous for being the first in the history of Chinese Buddhism to elaborate a complete, critical and systematic classification of the Buddhist teachings. He is also regarded as the first major figure to make a significant break from the Indian tradition, to form an indigenous Chinese system.
. . . T'ien-t'ai taught the principle of Three Thousand Realms in a Single Thought Moment (一念三千) (J. Ichinen Sanzen) in his 'Great Concentration and Insight', based on the Lotus Sutra.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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observance kigo for mid-winter

roohatsu gayu 臘八粥(ろうはちがゆ)
gruel for the Rohatsu sesshin

unzoo gayu 温糟粥(うんぞうがゆ) warm gruel
gomi gayu 五味粥(ごみがゆ) "gruel with five tasts"



roohachi e 臘八会 (ろうはちえ), rohatsu, Rohatsu meeting
..... roohachi 臘八(ろうはち)Rohatsu, Rohachi
..... roohachi sesshin 臘八接心(ろうはちせっしん)Rohatsu sesshin
..... joodo e 成道会(じょうどうえ)、

December 8, the day of the Buddha's enlightenment
(ro hatsu - the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month)
Ritual at Zen temples in Japan.
For the first round, rice is flavored with miso and sake lees, later with kombu seaweed and persimmons on sticks (kushigaki), then soy beans and other ingredients are added too, altogether five different "tastes"


Rohatsu-
the endless wheel stops as
the morning star appears


Angelee Deodhar
December 2013


. Observances, festivals, rituals - SAIJIKI .


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kigo for mid-winter

winter solstice gruel, tooji gayu 冬至粥 (とうじがゆ)
..... akaragashiwa 赤柏(あからがしわ)
..... azuki no kayu 赤豆の粥(あずきのかゆ)
solstice pumpkin, tooji kabochi 冬至南瓜(とうじかぼちゃ)
solstice konyaku (devils tongue starch food)
冬至蒟蒻(とうじこんにゃく)
solstice rice cakes, tooji mochi 冬至餅(とうじもち)


Kigo for winter solstice, tooji 冬至


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kigo for late winter

offering gruel to the poor, kayu segyoo
粥施行(かゆせぎょう)

kayu yaroo 粥やろう or かゆやろう
in old Edo Dialect: kai yaroo かいやろう

During the Edo period, rich people would cook hot rice gruel and distribute it to the poor people in their neighbourhood or special districts where the poor lived. They put the hot gruel in a wooden pail, walked along the road and called "Here comes the gruel" (kayu yaroo).
This was expecially popular in years of bad harvest when many went hungry.


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New Year

Adzuki beans gruel, azuki gayu, 小豆粥 (あずきがゆ)
gruel on the 15th day, juugonichi gayu
十五日粥(じゅうごにちがゆ)
red adzuki beans gruel, azuki gayu 赤小豆粥(あずきがゆ)
..... mochi no kayu 望の粥(もちのかゆ)

CLICK for more photos January 15 of the lunar calendar is also called "mochi no hi" 望の日, the first full moon of the New Year. This is the day when these mochi are eaten in the rice gruel. This custom is especially alive in Eastern Japan to this day.
This custom dates back to the year 897, when a criminal was beheaded in ancient China and later pardoned by the Yellow Emperor and rice gruel cooked to pacify his soul.


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mochi put in rice gruel, kayu bashira 粥柱 (かゆばしら)
eaten on January 15.

In some areas on January 14 a piece of the New Year decorations at the house corners (kado kazari) was sliced off and used as a stick. On January 15 this stick was used when praying at the pillars of the home for support during the coming year.

In some areas, a prayer paper was put in the split stick and kept in the rice gruel, as a talisman for an easy delivery and good health during the year.

In other areas, this stick was used to stir the rice gruel. But since Edo period, most haiku interpret it as a mochi rice cake in the gruel.


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"rice gruel stick" kayuzue 粥杖 (かゆづえ)
kayu no ki 粥の木(かゆのき)
..... kayugi 粥木(かゆき)
fukuzue 福杖(ふくづえ)
..... iwai boo、祝棒(いわいぼう)

CLICK for more photos This stick was used to stirr the rice gruel for January 15 celebrations.
It could be used to hit a woman on her behind with the wish for fertility, when this stick was symbolizing the male organ.
The custom is still practised in some rural mountain areas.

. Bondeko ぼんでこ fertility stick
Akita


Kobayashi Issa :

粥杖に撰らるる枝か小しほ山
kayuzue ni eraruru eda ga oshio yama

choosing a branch
for her "preganancy stick"...
Mount Oshio


Tr. David Lanoue


Oshio Yama 小塩山, Close to Oharano Shrine 大原野神社 in the West of Kyoto.
The grave of Junna Tenno 淳和天皇is on top of the mountain, in the middle is the old temple Konzooji 金蔵寺, founded in 718. The forests around the temple and on this mountain are very old and kept as sacred grounds.

. . . . .


More about hitting the bottom :

. Usaka no tsue 鵜坂の杖(うさかのつえ)Sakaki stick of Usaka
At the Usaka Jinja shrine festival.

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"fishing for rice gruel" kayutsuri 粥釣 (かゆつり)
This refers to a custom which is still practiced in remote areas of Shikoku. Children with wrapped-up faces go from house to house in the neighbourhood to ask for grains of rice to be used to boil the gruel for January 15 ceremonies.
In Tottori and Okayama it is called kotokoto ことこと, in Kyushu and Yamaguchi tobitobi とびとび.


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divination with rice gruel, kayu ura 粥占 (かゆうら)
ceremony for ... kayu ura shinji 粥占神事(かゆうらしんじ)

CLICK for more photos

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quote:
"Rice-gruel divination" is a type of "divination for the coming year" (toshiura) that was formerly held around the 15th of the first lunar month of the year, koshōgatsu (literally, "little New Year's Day"), which follows ōshōgatsu on the first day of the lunar year. Today, it is generally performed on January 15.

The objective of kayu'ura is to divine the weather, harvest, or other aspects of the year to come. The ceremony takes various forms. A practice found nationwide involves stirring cooked rice gruel (kayu) with a branch of willow or other wood with a slit at one end (this stick is variously called a kayubō, kayubashi 粥箸, and so on), then divining the future by the number of rice grains attached to the stick's slit. In another method, twelve slim "cylinders" (tsutsu) of bamboo, reed, or other material are placed with rice or azuki beans in a pot and removed when the rice or beans are done cooking; after splitting open each cylinder with a knife, that year's harvest is determined by the number of rice grains or beans within the cylinders, with each of these cylinders representing a month of the year. To predict the harvest of individual agricultural crops, the number of bamboo cylinders placed in the rice gruel corresponds to different crop types rather than months of the year. A former practice is said to have based divination on the mold that spontaneously formed on rice gruel that had been left for several days.

This use of rice gruel for annual divination is thought to have derived from a belief in its supernatural power to exorcise evil spirits. Until the Meiji period, rice-gruel divination was found throughout Japan and is believed to have been a communal ritual conducted by rural communities, the head family of clans, and other groups, but it is very rarely encountered in modern times. Vestiges of this practice can still be seen at shrines in the "rice-gruel divination ceremony" (Kayu'ura shinji) or "cylinder divination ceremony" (Tsutsu'ura shinji) and, even today, some shrines announce the results of such divination ceremonies by posting them at their altar or distributing them in print.
© Suzuki Kentarō , Kokugakuin University.

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Other kigo related to this rice gruel divination:

kayu dameshi 粥試し(かゆだめし)
kayu ura matsuri 粥占祭(かゆうらまつり)
..... kudakayu matsuri 管粥祭(くだかゆまつり)
"gruel in pipes" kudakayu 管粥(くだかゆ)
..... tsutsugayu 、筒粥(つつがゆ)
pipe .. tsutsu 筒(つつ)
o-kayu matsuri 御粥祭(おかゆまつり)
kayu shinji 粥神事(かゆしんじ)



Ceremony at Hiraoka Shrine :
Hiraoka no okayu ura shinji

枚岡の御粥占 神事 (ひらおかのおかゆうらしんじ)
On January 11 at Hiraoka Shrine in Osaka. The result of the divination was published on Janaury 15.
CLICK for more photos
Hiraoka Shrine, click for more photos



Kayu rice gruel divination at Shrine Iimori Jinja
飯盛神社の粥占
February 14
CLICK for more photos
This ceremony is as old as the Yayoi and Jomon period.
Sacred ricewine is drunk from abalone shells.
It is a special honor for children to be allowed to add sticks to the fire while boiling the rice.
First, the rice is boiled as a soft gruel, and presented and kept in the shrine for a while. Then, it is opened and inspected. The condition of mold on the surface will show weather the harvest will be rich or poor.
Boiling rice into gruel: February 14 around 20:00 ~ 1:00,
Presenting the gruel: February 15 at 6:00.
Opening and inspecting the gruel: March 1 at 6:00.




At Miho Jinja 御穂神社 ー 三保神社 Shizuoka
. Miho matsuri 三保祭 Miho festival .
with rice gruel divination


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Seven Herbs of Spring (haru no nanakusa)
nanakusa gayu 七草粥(ななくさがゆ)gruel with the seven vegetables
nanoka gayu 七日粥(なのかがゆ) gruel on day seven




observance kigo for the New Year

wakana matsuri 若菜祭 (わかなまつり) "festival of new leaves"
nanakusa matsuri 七草祭(ななくさまつり)"festival of the seven vegetables"
..... 七種祭(ななくさまつり)
wakana shinji 若菜神事(わかなしんじ)ritual of the seven vegetables

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, a special rice gruel was eaten in most homes of Japan. It was also served ritually in many temples and shrines.
The most well known rituals of this kind were held at
Kitano Tanmangu Shrine and Kibune Shrine in Kyoto. at Ikutama Jinja in Osaka, Fujisaki Hachimangu Shrine in Kumamoto and some others.


. Kitano Tenmangu 北野天満宮 .

. Kifune Shrine 貴船神社 .

. Ikutama Shrine 生国魂神社 .

Fujisaki Hachimangu 藤崎八幡宮

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Worldwide use

Oatmeal

Porridge, made from oatmeal, is a common breakfast dish.
There are certain types of porridge prepared only seasonally.
Please let me know of any seasonal preparations of your area to add them as kigo.
Haferbrei.

Higginson mentiones
HOT CEREAL
as a kigo for all winter in Europe, North America and elsewhere.
Also called porridge or mush.


quote
Porridge, or porage,
is a simple dish made by boiling oats (normally crushed oats, occasionally oatmeal) or another cereal in water, milk, or both. It is eaten in a flat bowl or a dish. If made from cornmeal to which boiling water is added this can be seen as a variant of porridge, though these are more often described by regional/national variant names such as polenta and grits and are prepared and served according to special regional traditions. Oat and semolina porridge are the most popular varieties in many countries, other cereals used for porridge include rice, wheat, barley, and cornmeal. Legumes such as peasemeal can also be used to make porridge.

oat porridge - can be made with steel-cut oats (traditional in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man) or with rolled oats (traditional in England and the United States); known simply as porridge in Ireland, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, as oatmeal or oatmeal mush in the United States, and known as both in Canada; also a traditional Scandinavian and Icelandic breakfast, where it is known as havregrød in Denmark, havregrynsgröt in Sweden, Havregrøt in Norway, hafragrautur in Iceland, and Puuro in Finland. In Scotland Porridge Oats is traditionally prepared using a spurtle. Oat porridge has been found in the stomachs of 5,000 year old Neolithic bog bodies in central Europe and Scandinavia.

More in the Wikipedia


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INDIA

kanji, congee
kigo for winter

Rice congee is a type of rice porridge that is eaten in many Asian countries. The word congee is possibly derived from the Dravidian word kanji.
Udupi rice ganji is a variant made by Kannada-speaking, Tulu-speaking or Konkani people in and around Udupi and Mangalore (Karnataka, South India). Here parboiled rice (Kocheel akki in Kannada, oorpel aari in Tulu or ukda tandul in Konkani) is steamed with a small amount of water. Fresh coconut is grated and its milk is skimmed; this milk is then added to the ganji. The ganji (called pej in Konkani) is served hot with fish curry, coconut chutney, or Indian pickles.
In Tamil and Kerala a plain rice porridge, or the thick supernatant water on overcooked rice is called 'kanji' with no stress on either syllable (or both short syllables in the Tamil system based on duration of sounds).
MORE . Congee in the Wikipedia



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Things found on the way



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HAIKU


けふの日やするする粥もおがまるる
kyoo no hi ya suru-suru kayu mo ogamaruru

this day--
even stirring gruel
is a prayer!

Kobayashi Issa
Tr. David Lanoue

The expression, suru-suru, denotes a smooth, gliding motion; Kogo dai jiten (Shogakukan 1983) 896. Here, it seems to refer to the stirring of gruel.
The Chinese Tendai Buddhist Third Patriarch Chigi (Chih-I 538-597) passed away on the 24th day of Eleventh Month, 597. His memorial service is celebrated on this day.
A "wisdom gruel" (chie-gayu 智慧粥) in memory of priest Chi-E is served at Tendai temples.


MORE hokku by Issa about this gruel

なむ大師しらぬも粥にありつきぬ
namu daishi shiranu mo kayu ni aritsukinu

azuki-gayu daishi no yuki mo furinikeri

kyoo no hi ya suru-suru kayu mo ogamaruru

. Tendai Daishi (Saint Tendai 天台大師) .


. WKD : Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 in Edo .

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ボランティア朝まだきより粥施行
borantia asa mada kiyori kayu segyoo

the volunteer
comes again in the morning ...
offering of rice gruel

Tr. Gabi Greve

Takenouchi 竹内柳影 : food haiku


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紙問屋粥施行して竪川べり 
kamidonya kayu segyoo shite Tategawa beri

the paper wholesaler
gives alms of rice gruel
at the river Tategawa

Tr. Gabi Greve

member of Shunto Kukai 春 燈 俳 句 会
Tategawa is a canal in Tokyo.


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Related words

***** Beans (mame) adzuki beans

***** Rice cakes (mochi) and pounding the rice for them


BACK TO
SAIJIKI of Japanese Ceremonies and Festivals


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WASHOKU ... Rice dishes

WASHOKU ... Japanese Food SAIJIKI



[ . BACK to Worldkigo TOP . ]
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7/16/2005

Gods are absent (kami no rusu)

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
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Gods are absent (kami no rusu)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Early Winter
***** Category: Season


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Explanation

The tenth lunar month (now November), after the harvest when the Japanese gods had done their duty, they left their local shrines for a bit of a vacation. They would all go for an audience and to celebrate at the great shrine of Izumo, so the rest of Japan was "without gods".



There are various kigo related to this important event.

"gods-absent month", 10th lunar month,
kannazuki, kaminazuki 神無月 かんなづき


"gods-present month", month with the gods
kamiarizuki 神有月
This kigo could only be used in IZUMO itself, where the gods were present.

the gods are absent, kami no rusu 神の留守
the gods are travelling, kami no tabi 神の旅

saying good bye to the gods, sending off the gods
..... kami okuri 神送り

welcoming the gods, greeting the gods
..... kami mukae 神迎
This kigo could only be used in IZUMO itself, where the gods were arriving.

During this month, various taboos were observed all over Japan, after all, the protective deities were all away ! And in Izumo, they would be feasting and celebrating with the boss, so to speak. Okuni-Nushi no Mikoto (ookuninushi) 大国主命 was the most important deity, revered at the grand shrine of Izumo, Izumo Taisha 出雲大社.
Okuni-Nushi is also known as the god of happiness and marriage. In this respect, he is equivalent to the Buddhist Deity of Daikoku-Sama 大黒 . 大国.

The shrine compound is most serene, settled in a forest of old pines. Close by is Hino Misaki (Hinomisaki) 日の岬, with a view to the sacred island where the god stood when he fished for the Japanese Islands in the sea, as the legend goes.

I visited the area a while ago and the strong impression of the actual presence of the deities is still with me.

Gabi Greve





kami okuri 神送り saying good bye to the gods, sending off the gods

島根県八束郡鹿島町の佐太(さだ)神社で神在祭

Sada Jinja 佐太神社
73 Kashimacho Sadamiyauchi, Matsue, Shimane

- quote
a Shinto shrine in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. The Taisha-zukuri north, central and south halls of 1807 are Important Cultural Properties.
Sada Shin Noh, ritual purification dances performed annually on 24 and 25 September, have been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. In 2011 Sada Shin Noh was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !



CLICK for more images !

kamiari matsuri 神在祭 (かみありまつり) ritual to welcome the Gods
kamiari, kami-ari 神在(かみあり "gods are here"
kami tsudoi 神集い(かみつどい) gods are meeting
o-imi matsuri 御忌祭(おいみまつり)
karasade no shinji 神等去出神事(からさでのしんじ) ritual of seeing the gods off

kami mukae 神迎え (かみむかえ) "welcoming the gods"
kami kaeri 神還り(かみかえり)gods are going home, leaving


At the end of the month-long "working-meeting" at Izumo Taisha the deities gather for a final meeting
naorai 神宴(直会) to celebrate and drink ... at the shrine
万九千神社 Mankusen Jinja
before they travel back on the 26th day 神等去出.

- Three deities in residence
Kushimikenu no Mikoto 櫛御気奴命 / 櫛御氣奴命 (くしみけぬのみこと)
- honorific name of God Susano-o-no-mikoto
Oonamuchi no Mikoto 大穴牟遅命 (Okuninushi)
Sukunahikona no mikoto 少彦名命



The head priest of this temple has to get up at night and hit the closed door of the celebrating hall with a sacred plum tree branch, to tell the god's its time to hit the road.
Finally he opens the door
and then he must make a deep bow and close the eyes so as not to see the gods taking their leave.
In the compound of the shrine is a large pillar, from where the gods take off 神等去出 (カラサデ)karasade.

The Gods have come from the Sea at Izumo AMA 海(あま)から迎え山―天(あま)から送る and are then sent to heaven again - AMA 天.

kamitachi 神立 -- からさで祭 Karasade matsuri
ritual of the "Gods leaving"
at Sada Jinja on the 25th, at Izumo Taisha on the 27th.



万九千神社 Mankusen Jinja
Hikawa-cho, Aikawa, Shimane / 島根県簸川郡斐川町併川258
next to Tachimushi Jinja 立虫神社



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Izumo Kaido, The Old Road of Izumo 出雲街道
Gabi Greve



The Asian Lunar Calendar. Reference

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To celebrate sunrise, 日が昇る, prayers are sent to
. Ise Jingu 伊勢神宮 Ise Grand Shrine .
Amaterasu Omikami is a deity in charge of all things that humans can see.

To celebrate sunset, 日が沈む, prayers are sent to
. Izumo taisha 出雲大社 Grand Shrine at Izumo .
and Hinomisaki Shrine 日御碕神社 close by at the beach.
Okuninushi (Daikoku) is a deity in charge of all things that humans can not see, especially relationships and feelings.
目に見えない世界 - 神事(かくれたること)

The great shrine at Izumo, where the Gods are celebrating



Click on the PHOTO to look at more !

External LINKs
Shimane and its Important Shrines

Great Shrine at Izumo, Izumo Oyashiro
Japanese Homepage 日本語



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- quote
Izumo Shinkō
is the faith centered around the shrine Izumo Taisha in Taishamachi, Shimane Prefecture. The "enshrined kami" (saijin) Ōkuninushi has many variant names or titles modifying those names, and from these we know that he was worshipped as, among other things, an earth kami, as the king or possessor of the land of Japan, and as a kami of land reclamation and agriculture. From the distribution of legends concerning the kami associated with Ōkuninushi in the Izumo no kuni fudoki (733) we can see that the cult of Izumo encompassed the entire Izumo region.

Until the Bakumatsu Period, Izumo Taisha was generally referred to as Kidzuki Taisha, and the shrine's foundation legend (which describes Ōkuninushi's "relinquishing the land" (kuniyuzuri), accompanied with the construction of a tremendous shrine) seems to reflect the historical unification of the Japanese nation. There are, however, many theories concerning the era of the shrine's founding, and no definitive interpretation has been settled upon. The officiant of Izumo Taisha, the "governor of Izumo" (Izumo kokusō – also read as kuni no miyatsuko), worshipped both his traditional "clan kami" (ujigami) at Kumano Jinja (the present-day Kumano Taisha) and also at Izumo. From the Nara Period into the first half of the Heian Period, every time a new kokusō took office, he would travel to the capital and recite the norito "Izumo no kuni no miyatsuko no kanyogoto."

At first the central government regarded Kumano more highly than Izumo, but from the second half of the Heian Period, Izumo Taisha became an ichinomiya, and its land holdings were increased, numbering twelve towns and seven seaside villages in the Kamakura Period. At the end of the medieval period, the amount of rice garnered from these holdings amounted to about 5,400 koku, but in 1591 the shrine was stripped of all but five towns and two seaside villages, in order to fund Mōri Terumoto's dispatching of troops to the Korean Peninsula. Except for an increase of "fields that provide rice offerings" (saiden) and of lands to provide for shrine repairs, Izumo didn't recover the lost tribute land until the Bakumatsu Period.

Activities of oshi (shrine priests who guided and hosted pilgrims) related to Izumo Taisha date back to approximately 1532 - 1555 but it is thought that the economic problems cited above explain the sudden increase in their activity. In many regions there is a legend that the kami gather at Izumo during the tenth month of the lunar calendar. At Izumo this month is referred to as kamiaritsuki (the month when the kami are present). In accordance with this legend, the tenth month was referred to as kannadsuki (the month when the kami are absent) throughout the rest of Japan.
An early example of this term can be found in the Ōgishō, written in the first half of the twelfth century, and the term kamiaritsuki appears in the Kagakushū, written in the Muromachi Period (1444). These terms spread widely in the first half of the sixteenth century due to such texts as the yōkyoku (Noh script) Ōyashiro. These legends probably derive from local customs of greeting and seeing off the "kami of the rice paddy" (ta no kami) and from igomori festivals (abstinence and confinement to purify the self before religious events). Rites for the gathering of kami are also conducted at the shrines Sada Jinja and Kamosu Jinja in the Matsue area, but Izumo Taisha's Kamiari Festival became particularly famous. The cult of enmusubi (connecting romantic couples or enabling marriage) through the kami of Izumo seems to be an early modern development created by the activities of oshi.

Somewhat older, however, is a cult relating to the "deities of prosperity" (fukutokujin) which held that Ōkuninushi was the deity Daikokuten. In Indian religion, Daikokuten was the deity of battle, Mahākālā; in T'ang Dynasty China he was adopted as a Buddhist deity of food; and in Japan he became a guardian deity of Buddhist temple kitchens. The conflation with Ōkuninushi  derives from the homophonous characters "大黒" (read "daikoku") and "大国" (read "daikoku" or "ōkuni"), and from the similarity of the two deities' characters as guardian kamis of food. Evidence of the conflation of these deities was recorded in the Chiribukuro written in the mid Kamakura period. In Japan's Shikoku and Chūgoku regions, there are many "Izumo yashiki" buildings. These structures have been purified with small amounts of sand taken from below the floor of the Soga no Yashiro, which stands behind the "main shrine" (honden) of Izumo Taisha. People thereby make a spiritual offering of their land or homes to the ruler of the land, Ōkuninushi, in order to receive his protection.

At the beginning of the Meiji Period, Izumo Taisha emphasized the legend of "relinquishing the land" (kuni yuzuri) – namely, a peaceful transfer of land. The shrine also actively incorporated the notion that Ōkuninushi was a kami who ruled the other world (originally posited by Hirata Atsutane), in order to preach about a peaceful afterlife and to appeal for the introduction of Shinto-style funerals (shinsōsai). At this time, two religious groups were established, based around associations for worshipping the kami ("keishinkōsha") and on places of assembly. The two religious groups are the Izumo Ōyashirokyō, connected with the Senge clan of governors (kokusō), and the Izumokyō, connected with the Kitajima clan of kokusō. The combined number of believers in these groups is claimed (by the sects themselves) to exceed 1,500,000. See also Izumo Taisha, Izumo Taishakyō, and Izumokyō.
- source : Hirai Naofusa - Kokugakuin 2006


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


. The regional 六所神社 Rokusho Jinja Shrines .
They are resting places for the deities on their journey to Izumo.

Koya San in Wakayama 高野山 和歌山県
By Gabi Greve

See the Haiku below.

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Grand Shrine at Izumo

"Since ancient times, there have been records of Izumo Taisha once having been housed in a 45-meter-high building, but those records couldn't be substantiated," commented the information guide at the hall. "But then in 2000, enormous pillars were discovered that could have supported a structure of that height.
That would have made it taller even than Todaiji, the temple housing the giant Buddha in Nara."

Read an interesting article:
Izumo : Here be the land of the gods
By CHRIS BAMFORTH

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HAIKU


風寒し破れ障子の神無月
kaze samushi yabure-shooji no kannazuki

cold wind
through our torn paper doors
in the month without gods


. Yamazaki Sokan 山崎宗鑑 Yamazaki Sookan .
1465 - 1553

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さをしかや 神の留守事 寝て遊ぶ
saoshika ya kami no rusu koto nete asobu

young buck--
while the gods are away
sleeping and carousing

Tr. David Lanoue



Haiga by Nakamura Sakuo


けふからは薬利くべし神迎
kyoo kara wa kusuri kiku beshi kami mukae

from today on
may my medicine work!
welcoming the gods

Tr. David Lanoue

. Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 Issa in Edo .

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ranto no torii ya ge ni mo kannazuki

passing the torii gate
made of grave stones
Month without Gods


Kikaku

Another Haiku stone I found on Mt Koya.
This one is difficult to explain. The general meaning is: although there are torii gates (a symbol of Shinto shrines) in front of the graves, they have been built of grave stones, and on top of that, Mt Koya is the territory of the Buddha, there are no Japanese native deities here. And that beautifully fits the fact that the author, Kikaku, makes his visit to the mountain in October, the month which was called Kannazuki, or the Month without Gods. In short, this haiku is a crafty play on words.

From a great BLOG about Haiku Stones:
Copyright Ad G. Blankestijn, 2006. All rights reserved

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month without gods
only this brilliant moon
and I


kawazu - Cliff T. Roberts
Fort Worth, Texas. USA, November 2011

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Related words

I left the capital
and shared many nights on the road
with the gods


Matsuo Basho at Shrine Numazu Hie Jinja

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

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Goldenrod (seitaka awadachisoo)

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Goldenrod (awadachisoo)

***** Location: Japan, worldwide
***** Season: Early Autumn
***** Category: Plant


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Explanation

This is a very common plant, rather one of these weeds you would not like in your garden.
I remember in Germany we called it the "French Weed" and my neighbours here in Japan call it "Korean Weed" - always blaming the country next to yours ...

goldenrod, awadachisoo 泡立草
aki no kirinsoo 秋の麒麟草(あきのきりんそう)kirin giraffe grass of autumn
seitaka awadachisoo 背高泡立草(せいたかあわだちそう) high goldenrod


It was introduced to Japan late and during the Showa period it could be found all over the islands. It grows along rivers and fields and here in my area it is slowly taking over the fallow rice fields.



It is also used as a herbal drug in folk medicine, see below.

Gabi Greve

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Goldenrods (Solidago)

Habitat:
Goldenrod is a very common wildflower. It occurs in many habitats, including waste areas, meadows, and on the margins of forests. There are about 125 varieties of Goldenrod native to North America. There are 30 species of goldenrods in Ontario! Their identification may be difficult!

All these goldenrods are native to North America.
Goldenrod occurs in most areas where there is full to part sun.

Folklore:
There is an old legend that relates goldenrods to asters. Two young girls talks about what they would like to do when they grew up. One, who had golden hair, said she wanted to do something that would make people happy. The other, with blue eyes, said that she wanted to be with her golden-haired friend. The two girls met and told a wise old lady of their dreams. The old lady gave the girls some magic corn cake. After eating the cake, the girls disappeared. The next day, two new kinds of flowers appeared where the girls had walked: Asters and Goldenrods.

Read a lot more about these flowers here:
http://www.ontariowildflower.com/goldenrods.htm


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Worldwide use

Germany

Goldrute, in some areas Franzosenkraut.
... ... ...

Echtes Goldrutenkraut - Solidaginis virgaureae herba
Goldrautenkraut, Goldwundkraut, Edelwundkraut;
Englisch: Golden rod, golden rod wort, goldenrod.

Anwendungsgebiete:
Zur Durchspülung bei entzündlichen Erkrankungen der ableitenden Harnwege, Harnsteinen und Nierengrieß; zur vorbeugenden Behandlung bei Harnsteinen und Nierengrieß.

Read more about this drug use in Germany
http://www.pharmakobotanik.de/systematik/6droge-f/solida-v.htm


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Historically, goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea), also called European goldenrod, has been used topically for wound healing. In fact, the name Solidago means "to make whole."

In traditional medical practices, goldenrod has been used to treat tuberculosis, diabetes, enlargement of the liver, gout, hemorrhoids, internal bleeding, asthma, and rheumatic illnesses (disorders of the muscles and joints). Topical preparations of goldenrod are used in folk medicine to treat inflammation of the mouth and throat as well as slow-healing wounds.

Today, goldenrod is primarily used as an aquaretic agent, meaning that it promotes the loss of water from the body (as compared to a diuretic, which promotes the loss of both water and electrolytes such as salt). It is used frequently in Europe to treat urinary tract inflammation and to prevent or treat kidney stones. In fact, goldenrod is commonly found in teas (typically with other herbs including uva ursi) to help "flush out" kidney stones and alleviate inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract.

Contrary to popular belief, goldenrod does not cause hay fever. Its pollen grains, which are meant to be carried by insects, are much heavier than those of ragweed and other plants with airborne pollens that may be associated with allergies or hay fever.

Read more about it here:
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/Goldenrodch.html


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU










picnic by the lake -
the green beetle
feeds on gold



Picknick am See -
der kleine Käfer
futtert Gold


... ... ...





goldenrod -
a butterfly balances
in the wind








© Photos and Haiku by Gabi Greve


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こんなにも捨て身背高泡立草
konna ni mo sutemi seitaka awadachisoo

神野紗希 Koono Saki
http://www.nhk.or.jp/haiku/html/haiku16-11-20.htm

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goldenrod ~
nothing to sneeze at
or is there


- Shared by Elaine Andre
Joys of Japan, March 2012


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- Shared by Pat Geyer Andre
Joys of Japan, March 2012


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Related words

kigo for mid-summer

***** kirinsoo 麒麟草 (きりんそう) "giraffe plant" Sedum
..... hosoba kirinsoo 細葉麒麟草(ほそばきりんそう)
Sedum aizoon. Fetthenne

Grows wild in the mountains with good sunshine, even among rocks.





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***** AUTUMN . . . PLANTS -
SAIJIKI




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