Haiku Travels
Kitano Tenmangu (Kyoto)
white plum blossoms -
in a Kitano teahouse:
a sumo wrestler
shira ume ya / Kitano no chaya ni / sumaitori
しら梅や北野の茶店にすまひ取
Buson
[Plum blossoms in Kitano Tenmangu]
As originally a Sinologist myself, I have always been fond of Sugawara no Michizane, the greatest Sinologist - and writer of poetry in Chinese - from ancient Japan. For the same reason, I also like the Tenmangu Shrines dedicated to Michizane.
Sugawara no Michizane (845-903) was a famous scholar and statesman. He served Emperor Uda who promoted him to the highest office in the country in order to act as a foil to the Fujiwara clan, whose hegemony in affairs of state the emperor was contesting. The Fujiwara clan, however, proved too strong for them and Michizane was removed from central politics by being made Governor of Dazaifu in Kyushu - a virtual banishment. (Heian politics were relatively peaceful, in later times political enemies would be more cruelly dealt with).
Michizane died in exile after a frustrated career, and then another story begins. The imperial house and capital were beset by various disasters, which were all ascribed to the angry spirit of Michizane (in the Heian period, people were very much afraid of resentful spirits and wrathful ghosts). An imperial prince died suddenly at a young age, and lightning struck the palace. Michizane was posthumously pardoned and promoted in rank, and when that did not help, deified as Kitano Tenjin. That worked - his angry nature was pacified and he changed into the benevolent god of learning he has been to this day (albeit vulgarized into a deity helping with school exams).
[Michizane as thunder god, wreaking havoc in the imperial palace
(Kitano Tenmangu Engi Emaki)]
You now find many thousands of shrines dedicated to him all over Japan. You
will recognize them by two symbols: the plum blossom, used in stylized
form as the emblem of the shrines, and the ox. Often plum trees have been planted
as well. Plum
blossoms were popular among Chinese poets, and also Michizane wrote
famous poems about this tree, which was considered as a symbol of the
Confucian gentleman (it spreads a delicious but not too strong fragrance
when the weather is still cold - like the "virtue" of the gentlemen in
adverse circumstances).
According to legend, Michizane addressed the plum tree in his Kyoto garden as follows when he was leaving in exile:
When the east wind blows,
spread your fragrance,
plum blossoms -
although your master is gone,
don't be oblivious to spring.
kochi fukaba
nioi okose yo
ume no hana
aruji nashi tote
haru o wasuru na
東風吹かば
にほひをこせよ
梅の花
主なしとて
春を忘るな
The legend says the plum tree followed its master by an aerial voyage to Dazaifu, where it still stands in the Tenmangu Shrine in Dazaifu. Thanks to this background, it is known as "tobi-ume" (flying plum), and it is believed to have given comfort to Michizane in his exile.
According to legend, Michizane addressed the plum tree in his Kyoto garden as follows when he was leaving in exile:
When the east wind blows,
spread your fragrance,
plum blossoms -
although your master is gone,
don't be oblivious to spring.
kochi fukaba
nioi okose yo
ume no hana
aruji nashi tote
haru o wasuru na
東風吹かば
にほひをこせよ
梅の花
主なしとて
春を忘るな
The legend says the plum tree followed its master by an aerial voyage to Dazaifu, where it still stands in the Tenmangu Shrine in Dazaifu. Thanks to this background, it is known as "tobi-ume" (flying plum), and it is believed to have given comfort to Michizane in his exile.
[White plum and ox statue in Kitano tenmangu]
In Shinto, every kami (god) has its own messenger animal: the fox for Inari, the crow for Hachiman and the monkey for the Hie (Hiyoshi) shrines. In the case of Michizane and the Tenmangu shrines, that animal is the ox, which is not so strange as oxen pulled the carts in which court aristocrats
like Michizane rode. Also when Michizane died in exile in Dazaifu 903, he was entitled to a grand funeral with an ox-cart to carry his body. As the funeral cortege was making its way to the burial ground, however, the ox pulling the cart sat down about halfway and refused to budge. This was interpreted to mean that Michizane wished to be buried precisely at that spot (it is where now the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine stands). Ever since, the seated ox has been one of the symbols of Tenjin, the deified Michizane, and you'll find plenty of ox statues in Tenmangu shrines.
But back to the plum blossoms. Many Tenmangu shrines boast a plum garden and Kitano Tenmangu, as the grandfather of all these shrines, is of course no exception. The Kitano plum garden has 1,500 trees in 50 varieties, and is open in February and March when the trees are in bloom (exact dates vary each year). The highlight comes on February 25, the day of the monthly Tenjin festival (when the shrine museum is open, and also a flea market is held in the extensive shrine grounds): on that day the Baikasai, Plum Blossom Festival is held. This festival features an event called “Nodate,” a tea ceremony in which maiko and geiko from the nearby Kamishichiken geiko district perform an open-air tea ceremony in colorful kimono in the plum garden. The atmosphere is both tasteful and cheerful as plum trees are blooming perfectly around this time of year.
But back to the plum blossoms. Many Tenmangu shrines boast a plum garden and Kitano Tenmangu, as the grandfather of all these shrines, is of course no exception. The Kitano plum garden has 1,500 trees in 50 varieties, and is open in February and March when the trees are in bloom (exact dates vary each year). The highlight comes on February 25, the day of the monthly Tenjin festival (when the shrine museum is open, and also a flea market is held in the extensive shrine grounds): on that day the Baikasai, Plum Blossom Festival is held. This festival features an event called “Nodate,” a tea ceremony in which maiko and geiko from the nearby Kamishichiken geiko district perform an open-air tea ceremony in colorful kimono in the plum garden. The atmosphere is both tasteful and cheerful as plum trees are blooming perfectly around this time of year.
[Plum garden in Kitano Tenmangu]
This tea ceremony is a modern element and didn't exist yet in Buson's days, but apparently there was a tea house among the plum trees where visitors could enjoy some refreshments ("Kitano" in the haiku at the top of this page of course refers to "Kitano Tenmangu"). And what does Buson see there? Not a geiko, but a rikishi, a sumo wrestler! Of course the big and tall man stood out among the crowd, just as sumo wrestlers do today when they appear in public. Somehow, seeing the sumo wrestler adds to the overall festive mood...
P.S. Buson was fond of white plum blossoms - they appear also in the haiku he wrote before his death (cited in my article Buson and Konpukuji elsewhere on this blog).
Kitano Tenmangu: City Bus (50) or (101) from JR Kyoto Station; or (203) form Demachiyanagi Station, to Kitano Tenmangu-mae. Or a 5 min walk from Hakubaicho St. on the Keifuku line.
Grounds free. Fee (300 yen) for visiting the Treasure Hall, where you can see paintings of the shrine legend and of Michizane (open on the 25th of each month).
Entrance to the Plum Garden (Baien) is 700 yen (includes a cup of plum tea and a rice cracker). Opening period changes every year; the best period is around the second week of March.
The Baikasai is usually held on Feb 25 from 10:00-15:00 and a ticket has to be bought in advance at the shrine office (1,500 yen). Note there is a cap of 3,000 on the total number of tickets.
It is not necessary to join the tea ceremony or enter the plum garden to enjoy the plum trees, as many beautiful trees have also been planted around the shrine's main hall.
Photos:
The photo at the top of the page of pink plum blossoms is my own.
All other photos are public domain, via Wikimedia Commons