The Year of the Dragon

 

The fifth year in the Japanese zodiac cycle is the Year of the Dragon (Tatsudoshi, 辰). This is a very positive year, in a sign of good fortune.

The Japanese dragon (tatsu, ryu) is an imaginary animal: its body resembles a large snake, with 81 scales on its back, claws with 3, 4, or 5 fingers on each of its four legs, two horns on its head, long ears, and long beards around its mouth. It is said to live under water or underground. It can fly through the air and then create clouds and rain accompanied by lightning (note that although Japanese dragons can fly, they don't have wings like the Western dragon - the Japanese dragon also doesn't breathe fire). In China, since ancient times, it has been considered the chief of the scaled animals and one of the four auspicious creatures, along with the qilin, the phoenix, and the turtle. In Buddhism, there are eight great dragon kings. The dragon is considered the guardian deity of navigation, and prayers for rain are made to the dragon.

[Dragon painting by Hokusai]

Okakura Tenshin has expressed the above most beautifully in The Awakening of Japan: "In Japan and China, the dragon is not the gruesome monster of the Western, medieval imagination, but a genius of strength and goodness. He is the spirit of change. Hidden in the caverns of inaccessible mountains, or coiled in the unfathomable depth of the sea, he awaits the time when he slowly rouses himself into activity. He unfolds himself in the storm clouds; he washes his mane in the blackness of the seething whirlpools, his claws are in the fork of the lightning, his scales begin to glisten in the bark of rain-swept pine trees. His voice is heard in the hurricane, which scattering the withered leaves of the forest, quickens a new spring. The  dragon  reveals himself  only  to  vanish."

There is no exact theory regarding the origin of dragons, but when Buddhist scriptures were introduced to China, the Nagas, the Indian snake gods and water gods, were translated as "dragons" and "dragon kings," and were incorporated into the Hachibushu of protectors of the historical Buddha Shaka Nyorai. Given this relationship, it is not difficult to imagine that the dragons that came to China after the introduction of Buddhism were also influenced by the image of the snake god Naga. For example, the dragon king in Daoism has almost the same characteristics as Nagaraja in India. However, before Buddhism was introduced to China, Chinese dragons were already believed to be responsible for rain.

In Buddhism, two dragons sprinkled clean water on Buddha at his birth, and when he attained enlightenment, they protected him from seven days of rain. In addition, the Lotus Sutra preaches the attainment of Buddhahood by an eight-year-old dragon girl (According to the Devadatta chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the daughter of Sagara, one of the eight great dragon kings who lived in a palace at the bottom of the sea, attained enlightenment when she heard Bodhisattva Manjushri preach the Lotus Sutra in the dragon king's palace, showing that the power of the Lotus Sutra enables all people in their present forms to attain Buddhahood equally.)

[Susanoo slaying the Yamata no Orochi, woodblock print by Toyohara Chikanobu]

In Japanese myth, the deity Susanoo fights Yamato no Orochi, an eight-headed dragon. He first makes the beast drunk by serving it eight barrels of strong sake. After killing it, he finds the sword Kusunagi in the beast's tail. This is now one of the imperial insignia.

The Sea God is also called the Dragon God and lives in a Dragon Palace beneath the waves. This is visited by Hikohohodemi, who marries Toyotamahime, the Dragon King's daughter - and after she joins her husband on land, she becomes the ancestor of Ninigi-no-mikoto, the mythical progenitor of the Imperial House. Utsukushima Shrine on Miyajima was also believed to be the residence of the Dragon King's daughter. On a different note, in a folk tale, Urashima visits the Dragon Palace on the back of a turtle and also marries the Dragon King's daughter, but when he leaves the underwater world, he has to return alone.

In Japanese folklore, dragons are often associated with water and are believed to control rainfall, typhoons, and floods. Prayers for rain have also been directed to dragons: a famous example is the successful prayer of Kukai (Kobo Daishi) in Kyoto's Shinsenen Garden during a drought in 824. The dragon here is still honored today in the small temple on the island in the center of the pond as Zennyo ryo-o or "Pious Woman Dragon Queen" (See "Cherry Blossoms in Shinsenen").

[Kannon Riding a Dragon by Harada Naojiro]

There are many famous dragon paintings, often on large canvases. An interesting example is the late 19th century painting by Harada Naojiro showing the Bodhisattva Kannon in a white robe riding a dragon (in the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo). Kannon is associated with compassion and is one of the most popular Buddhist deities. The dragon here is a symbol of goodness subject to Buddhist law.

[Ablution basin at Kuramadera, Kyoto]

Dragons are a ubiquitous design element in Japan: we often find dragons on sword guards (tsuba), incense burners, inro decorative containers, and not to forget the water spouts of water purification pavilions (temizuya / chozuya) in temples and shrines.

[Painting of Twin Dragon on the ceiling of the Hodo Hall
in Kenninji, Kyoto, by Koizumi Junsaku]

Dragons appear in the names of Zen temples, such as Ryoanji ("Dragon Peace Temple") and Tenryuji ("Heavenly Dragon Temple") in Kyoto. Many Zen temples have a dragon painted on the ceiling of their assembly halls - since the dragon rules water, this is a talisman against fires.

[Dance of the Golden Dragon in Sensoji, Tokyo]

The Kinryu-no-Mai "Golden Dragon Dance" is an annual Japanese dragon dance performed at Sensoji in Asakusa, Tokyo. The dragon dancers twist and turn inside the temple grounds and outside on the streets. According to legend, the temple was founded in 628 after two fishermen found a golden statue of Kannon in the Sumida River, and golden dragons danced in the sky.

And in popular culture, dragons can be found in everything from Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest to the Chunichi Dragons, not to mention King Ghidorah, the three-headed golden dragon who appears in several Godzilla movies.

Have a great dragon year!

P.S. For a take on the European dragon, see my article "Saint George and the Dragon!"

The Year of the Rabbit

What will the Year of the Rabbit bring? While the year of the Tiger that precedes it can be a time of war and violence (and indeed, 2022 was a year full of war and destruction), will the Year of the Rabbit bring peace and prosperity back to us? In Japan and China, anyway, the rabbit is considered as a lucky animal and as sign of peace.

[Ukiyo-e by Utagawa Toyokuni, 1819, of a hare writing a wish for the New Year]

In Japanese, "rabbit" is "usagi (兔)." Usagi can also mean "hare", but hares are different animals (they have a larger size, longer ears, and longer hind legs) and there is a specific word for hares as well, "no-usagi." But as they are often confused in folklore in Japan, below we will speak about both rabbits and hares.
.
The Rabbit is the fourth in the sequence of twelve zodiac animals, and the Year of the Rabbit is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 卯 (pronounced "bo" or "u").

In the Chinese Zodiac, the rabbit (hare) represents longevity, discretion and good luck. People born under the sign of the Rabbit are believed to be friendly, intelligent, cautious, skillful, gentle, and quick. They dislike fighting and like to find solutions through compromise and negotiation. On the negative side, Rabbit people have the potential to be superficial, stubborn, melancholy and overly-discreet.

[Japanese hare]

The Japanese rabbit, a native species with gray or brown fur that turns white in winter in snowy areas, is an endemic species. Rabbits already existed in considerable numbers in the Jomon period (14000 BCE - 1000 BCE), as rabbit bones have been excavated from shell middens in various regions from that time.

Because rabbits have a large habitat, are diurnal, reproduce at a high rate, and are easily seen by people, they are familiar animals and have been anthropomorphized and used as motifs in fairy tales and myths.

[The rabbit in the moon pounding rice cakes]

The major one of these is the "rabbit in the moon." Since the pattern of the moon's surface as seen from Japan has long looked like a rabbit standing on tiptoe and pounding rice cakes (mochi) with the help of an usu, a Japanese mortar, there have been folk tales about rabbits living on the moon since ancient times. A similar tradition has been handed down in other Asian countries, including China. In China, the mortar is said to be used to pound the ingredients of an elixir of long life into powder, rather than the very practical rice cakes in the Japanese example. This legend also gave rise to local festivals in those diverse cultures, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival of China, or the Moon-viewing Festival of Japan, all of which celebrate the legend of the Moon rabbit. 

[Tsuba (sword guard) with rabbit looking at the moon]

The story of the "Rabbit in the Moon" is found in the "Konjaku Monogatari" (Tales Ancient and Modern), but originally derived from the Jataka, the tales of the previous lives of the Buddha written in India. Here is a link to the Sasa Jataka at the website  "Sacred Texts." The story tells how the Buddha (while still a Bodhisattva) was born as a rabbit. Even as a rabbit, he possessed incredible virtue and goodness. He had three disciples: an otter, a jackal, and a monkey, who, through his teaching, forgot their lower animal nature. Now it was customary on holy days to offer alms to anyone who passed through their forest. Although his three companions had ample means to feed a guest, the rabbit realized he had nothing but the meager blades of grass he ate to sustain himself. So he decided to offer his own flesh as food. Then the deity Taishakuten came by in the guise of an old, weary traveler who had lost his way. The four beasts rushed to his aid: the otter supplied him with several fish, the jackal with a lizard and some sour milk, and the monkey with some ripe mangoes. Seeing that the man had built a fire, the rabbit explained that he was offering his own body and then, without hesitation, jumped into the swirling flames. Taishakuten rejoiced, reached into the fire and pulled out the rabbit and then lifted him up into the heavens and displayed him before the gods. He also adorned the face of the moon with the rabbit's image. So even today the image of the rabbit can be seen in the full moon.

[Okuninushi (Daikoku) and the rabbit]

A hare also plays an important role in the mythical story "Inaba no Shirahagi (White Hare of Inaba)" in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters, 720 CE), the oldest Japanese myth-historical record:

"The god Okuninushi had eighty deities as his brothers, but they were all forced to leave the land to Okuninushi. The reason was the following: Each of these eighty deities wished to marry Princess Yakami of Inaba, and they traveled together to Inaba, having Okuninushi (the youngest one) carry their bags as an attendant. When they arrived at Cape Keta, they found a naked (= stripped of his fur) hare lying down. Then the eighty deities spoke to the hare, saying: "What you should do is to bathe in the sea-water here, and lie on the slope of a high mountain exposed to the blowing of the wind." So the hare followed the instructions of the eighty deities, and lay down. Then, as the sea-water dried, the skin of its body all split with the blowing of the wind, so that it lay crying from the pain. But Okuninushi, who came last of all, saw the hare, and said: "Why are you lying there weeping?" The hare replied: "I was in the Island of Oki, and wished to cross over to this land, but had no means of crossing over. For this reason I deceived the crocodiles of the sea, saying: 'Let you and me compete, and compute the numbers of our respective tribes. So do you go and fetch every member of your tribe, and make them all lie in a row across from this island to Cape Keta. Then I will tread on them, and count them as I run across. Hereby shall we know whether it or my tribe is the larger.' Upon my speaking thus, they were deceived and lay down in a row, and I trod on them and counted them as I came across, and was just about to get on land, when I said triumphantly: 'You have been deceived by me.' As soon as I had finished speaking, the crocodile who lay the last of all seized me and stripped off all my clothing (=fur). As I was weeping and lamenting this, the eighty deities came by and exhorted me: 'Bathe in the salt water, and lie down exposed to the wind.' So, on my doing as they had instructed me, my whole body hurt." Thereupon Okuninushi advised the hare: "Go quickly now to the river-mouth, wash your body with the fresh water, then take the pollen of the sedge growing at the river-mouth, spread it about, and roll about upon it, so that  your body will be restored to its original state." So the hare did as it was instructed, and its body became as it had been originally. This was the White Hare of Inaba. So the hare said to Okuninushi: "These eighty Deities shall certainly not get the Princess of Yakami. Although you are carrying their baggage, you shall obtain her."" (edited from the translation by Basil Hall Chamberlain, 1882)

[Netsuke of a rabbit]

'Usagi' (rabbits or hares) are not a very common subject of Japanese art, except in small-scale paintings, prints, carvings (netsuke) and lacquer decorations - so mainly in the applied arts. Artists of the Rinpa school, however, often crossed borders between the media, and the British Museum owns a six-fold screen by a painter of the Rinpa school, probably of the generation after Korin (1658-1716), which shows rabbits frolicking among the waving grasses on Musashi Moor.


Japanese Seasons

The Japanese Seasons: May

May is a wonderful month with many interesting festivals, customs and holidays. On top of that, May is one of the most pleasant seasons in Japan, when greenery is rapidly increasing under strong sunlight. The traditional name for May is Satsuki, a word possibly derived from a term meaning "early rice sprouts." Around the 6th of May is traditionally the first day of summer. The fine, fresh, clear days which give a hint of the approaching summer are called "Satsuki-bare." 

[Koinobori by Hiroshige]

May starts with Golden Week, which contains four national holidays in a seven-day period. The official holidays are:

April 29, Showa Day (Showa no hi): the birthday of former Emperor Showa, who died in the year 1989.
May 3, Constitution Day (Kenpo kinenbi): commemorates the enactment of the new postwar constitution on May 3, 1947.
May 4, Greenery Day (Midori no hi): dedicated to the environment and nature.
May 5, Children's Day (Kodomo no hi): in fact the day of the traditional Boy's Festival (Tango no Sekku). Families pray for the health and future success of their sons (now also daughters) by hanging up carp streamers and displaying samurai dolls, both symbolizing strength, power and success in life. The Girl's Festival is celebrated on March 3. May 5 is also the day around which courageous rituals such as yabusame (hitting the mark with an arrow from a running horse) and other military arts are performed at shrine festivals.

For example, on May 5 the Kurabe Uma Jinji (Horse-Riding ceremony) is held in the wide grounds of the Kamigamo Shrine. This festival is believed to have originated in 1093, when a horse-riding ceremony was performed for the gods to obtain a good harvest and peace. It was subsequently held every year using horses sent from around the country as offerings to the shrine. Twenty colorfully dressed riders, after first paying homage to the main shrine building, take turns racing their horses two by two.

The counterpart for the hina dolls of the Girl's Festival is the heroic male doll of the Boys' Festival called Gogatsu Ningyo (May Doll). They are also called "yoroi kabuto" (a warrior's armor and helmet) and usually portray heroes from Japanese history and folk tales. Yoroi and kabuto were important items to demonstrate one's heroism in the old days. These dolls, with their intricately made armor, are extremely expensive, and one sees them very little in private homes nowadays.

[Koinobori]

Koinobori, carp streamers, fluttering in the blue sky of May are a great sight. The banners, made of colorful fabric, symbolize carps climbing against a waterfall and show the wish for boys to have the same spirit. The custom originated during the middle of the Edo period and the story of the carp who became a dragon after swimming upstream goes back to a Chinese legend. As it is difficult to put up carp streamers in an urban environment, you see them mostly in the countryside.

Kashiwamochi ("oak leaf rice cakes") are the counterpart to sakuramochi because they are meant for the boys' festival on May 5. They consist of a white mochi (cake of glutinous rice) filled with red bean paste and wrapped in oak leaf. This leaf is not edible - in the past oak leaves were used as plates to hold food. 

[Kashiwa-mochi]

Traditionally, Hachijuhachiya falls on either May 2 or May 3. In the traditional calendar this is the 88th day since the beginning of spring on February 4 (Risshun), and this day was considered suitable for planting seeds and seedlings in the field, including the seedlings of rice. The planting time is considered as the most important part of the agricultural year and is looked upon as a religious festival. The deity of the rice field is present during planting, and songs sung during the planting are addressed to him. This is also the time that farmers can work in their fields without worrying about frost damage to the crops.

Hachijuhachiya is also the time for tea picking (chatsumi). The fresh green tea leaves are full of nutrients and do not have an astringent taste. They come to the market as the new green tea of the year. Japanese green tea can be divided into various types depending on the time of year the leaves are picked and processed. Green tea picked during the best season has a fragrant aroma and refreshing taste.

On May 5 there is also the custom of plucking mugwort and iris leaves and use them in the bath water to ward off evil. This is called shobu-yu, an iris bath. Besides that, a herbal bath is of course good for one's health. 

[Katsuo by Hiroshige]

Early May is considered as the beginning of summer, the time that katsuo, striped tuna fish (also called bonito), migrate north. The first bonito of the season is called hatsu-gatsuo. Bonito had been consumed at court since the third century, but was especially popular during the Edo period (1603-1867). Especially the lean hatsu-gatsuo was considered an expensive delicacy at that time. Indeed, the Edo city people valued the first bonito of the season because they thought everything was "cool" that was first. Basho wrote:

you made it!
getting past Kamakura alive
first bonito of the summer

Much katsuo was caught in the sea near Kamakura, and the fish was not only offered to the great Shinto temple in the city, but also taken to Edo as a gift for the shogun. Hatsu-gatsuo was so highly prized in those days that a saying went, "I would be willing to pawn my wife to be able to taste hatsu-gatsuo." Sashimi or tataki (seared on the outside with the inside remaining rare) of bonito is still popular in early summer.

On May 3 and 4 the Hataka Dontaku festival is held in Fukuoka. The festival is said to have started as a New Year's Day celebration in the Muromachi period (1333-1568) in which local citizens dressed up as the Seven Deities of Good Fortune or as Chigo (child shrine and temple attendants) and performed in the style of the matsubayashi processional then popular in Kyoto. Doll-decorated platforms and elaborate floats (dashi) were added during the Edo-period (1600-1868) when the current name was adopted (apparently from the Dutch word "Zondag", "Sunday," which was taken to mean "holiday").

[The Saio-Dai or Vestal Princess in the Aoi Matsuri parade]

One of the most elegant festivals of Japan is the Aoi Matsuri or "Hollyhock Festival" held on May 15 in Kyoto. The aoi plant (hollyhock or heart vine) is sacred to the Kamo shrines (Shimogamo and Kamigamo in Kyoto) and at the Kamo festival people used to decorate their headdresses and carriages with it. During the Heian Period, these leaves were believed to protect against natural disasters such as earthquakes and thunder, and were often hung under the roofs of homes for protection. The Kamo festival was the greatest festival of Kyoto in the Heian period and still exists as a beautiful panorama of courtly times. The main procession on May 15 is led by the Imperial Messenger, followed by a retinue of 600 people all dressed in the traditional costumes of Heian nobles, plus two oxcarts, four cows and thirty-six horses. The oxcarts are adorned with artificial wisteria flowers. The procession starts at the Kyoto Imperial Palace and slowly works its way towards the Shimogamo shrine and finally (in the early afternoon) the Kamigamo shrine. At both shrines, the Saio-Dai (the Vestal Princess) pays her respects, and the Imperial Messenger intones the imperial rescript praising the deities and requesting their continued favor (read more about the Aoi festival and its role in the Tale of Genji in my article at this blog "Reading the Tale of Genji (9): Heart-to-Heart (Aoi)."

On the third Sunday in May the Mifune Matsuri (Three Boats Festival) of Kuramazaki Shrine is held in Kyoto. The serene atmosphere of the Heian period is recreated on the Oi River where the emperor and his courtiers often went  to view the fine scenery of Arashiyama. Gaily decorated boats float down the river, while music is played on the two larger craft, of which the bowsprits are fashioned in the form of a dragon and a phoenix. The flotilla of boats makes a beautiful panoramic picture coupled with the natural beauty around them.

The third full weekend in May is the time that the Sanja Matsuri is held in Tokyo. During this popular and noisy local festival, on Saturday more than 100 portable machi-mikoshi (shrines belonging the the different wards) in which Shinto deities (kami) reside, are carried through the streets to bring good fortune to the local businesses and residents. And on Sunday, the main festival day, the three main honja-mikoshi make their ceremonial exit from the Asakusa Shrine where they are housed. The festival honors the three founders of Sensoji Temple, who are enshrined in the Asakusa Shrine next door to the temple. For the duration of the festival, Asakusa is in "matsuri mode" and packed with stalls selling food and other items. In the dance known as binzasara-mai the dancers beat time with binzasara, percussion instruments made from wooden slats tied with cord.

Seasonal flowers are tsutsuji (azaleas) from mid-April to mid-May, and fuji (wisteria) from late-April to early-May. 

[Azalea Festival in the Nezu Shrine, Tokyo]

Japan is a paradise for azaleas and the hardy plant has long graced urban gardens, their flowers often lasting several weeks. Their popularity already starts with Prince Kusakabe in 7th c. Nara (who wrote about azaleas in his death poem), and is continued in The Tale of Genji in which Genji gives his young beloved Murasaki a garden where azaleas grow alongside other flowers. In the Edo period, there even was a sort of azalea boom among samurai gardeners, who looking something new, developed interesting new variants of the flower. Despite its popularity, the azalea has been neglected in the decorative arts. By the way, azaleas can be distinguished from rhododendrons  - of which they are a subgenera - by having only five anthers per flower. There are many azalea festivals in japan - for example, the Nezu Shrine in Tokyo holds a Tsutsuji Matsuri from early April until early May. And Shiofune Kannon Temple in Ome celebrates a wonderful Tsutsuji Festival on (and around) May 3.

[Wisteria trellis in the Kasuga Shrine in Nara]

The Fuji or wisteria was considered as an aristocratic flower in ancient Japan, because of its sweet scent and graceful blossoms, but also because the use of the color purple in their dress was a prerogative of court and aristocracy. Its links with traditional culture are numerous:
- In The Tale of Genji, not only is the name "Fujitsubo" (Wisteria Pavilion) given to Genji's stepmother (with whom he falls in love and even has a child), his young beloved was called "Murasaki", "Purple", after the flower - and the author (Murasaki Shikibu) even took this name herself.
- The name of the powerful Fujiwara family means "Wisteria Field."
- A flowering branch of wisteria was an elegant gift, often accompanying a love poem.
- Wisteria were not only grown on trellises, but lustrous cascades of wisteria flowers hanging on old pine trees in the forest were even more admired.
- The image of Fuji Musume (Wisteria Girl) was a bestselling Otsu folk painting and was also adapted to a Kabuki dance which is still often performed.
- Wisteria were also a popular symbol in family crests and heraldry.
- Wisteria were a popular design element in art, for example in the national treasure "Tea-leaf Jar with a design of wisteria" by Nonomura Ninsei in the MOA Museum, or the "Wisteria screens" by Maruyama Okyo in the Nezu Museum.
- Wisteria also appear frequently in poetry, from the Manyoshu to haiku. Basho wrote:

kutabirete | yado karu koro ya | fuji no hana

when - exhausted -
I arrive at my inn:
wisteria flowers!

The Japanese Seasons: April

April (shigatsu) bears the poetic name Uzuki, because it is the month (tsuki or zuki) that the U no hana or deutzia shrubs are in bloom - which is now not anymore the case, as this name is based on the lunar calendar. It is also the month that preparations for planting by farmers are progressing, as well as a good time to be outdoors and enjoy the new greenery appearing in profusion.

April could better be called "cherry blossom month," for it is the time that the Japanese queen of flowers are in majestic bloom. The cherry blossom, sakura, is Japan's national flower - not for nothing is the word for flower, hana, synonymous with "cherry blossom." When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, for a few weeks Japan is a land of breathtaking beauty. Cherry blossoms are an important theme in classical poetry as well, especially since the Middle Ages. To the Japanese, the cherry blossoms are all the more attractive because of their frailty and short duration - even when in full bloom, they can be easily blown by the winds and fall instantly. 

During the short blooming season, sakura are the topic of the hour. People discuss the best places to see them, the varieties, and trees of unusual interest. They have become accustomed to do away with daily duties during the sakura season and enter into a gay holiday mood and have sakura-viewing parties (hanami). Others (including the undersigned) prefer to admire the blossoms in a quiet, remote spot or by some riverbank less frequented by other people. It is also possible to enjoy just one choice tree instead of a great number of trees. There are 16 principle varieties of sakura. The first trees to flower are the pink-and-white single petaled variety. After that, the double-petaled varieties bloom in abundance for a period of about 2 weeks.

The five best places to see sakura in Kyoto are:

Arashiyama

The Kyoto Incline 

Kyoto Botanical Gardens

Ninnaji Temple 

Nishiyama

April is the start of the fiscal year (shinnendo) as well as of the academic year and the school year (although that may change in the near future); new recruits are hired from April one by companies and government offices. The sakura parties are a good way to get to know new colleagues.

The Spring Shows of the Geisha Districts of Kyoto ("haru no odori"):
Miyako Odori (Gion Kaburenjo) from April 1
Kyo Odori (Miyagawa-cho) from April 2
Kitano Odori (Kami Shichiken near Kitano Tenmangu) from April 15
Pontocho Kamogawa Odori from May 1

[Hanamido with Buddha statue]

The Flower Festival or Hanamatsuri on April 8 is the celebration of the birth of Buddha. Also called Kanbutsu-e ("Baptizing Ceremony of Buddha"), in Japan, temples set up a temporary structure called hanamido (literally, "blossom temple") decorated with various plants and flowers. Inside the hanamido, a Kanbutsu-oke tub is placed which is filled with amacha (hydrangea tea). A Buddhist statue is placed at the center of the tub and amacha is poured over it with a tea ladle as a celebration. The statue, with one hand raised high toward heaven and the other directed to the earth, represents Buddha soon after his birth when he stood erect, raised his right hand, lowered his left hand and declared: "I am the lord through heaven and earth". People pour amacha based upon the legend that nine dragons poured sacred water from the sky to be used for Buddha's first bath when he was born. The tradition of bathing the Buddha originated in China and was introduced to Japan where it was reputedly first held in Nara in 606.

Yasurai matsuri on April 10 at the Imamiya Shrine in Kyoto. The origin of the festival dates back to the 8th c., when the people prayed to the shrine for help in abating a serious epidemic. There is a costumed parade of court nobles and their retinues; a procession of men dressed as devils; and priests chanting "yasurai!" (Relax!). 

Hirano Sakura Matsuri on April 10. A costume parade originating in the Heian area, at the time that all the blossoms in the shrine grounds are in full bloom.

April 21 to 29 is held the Mibu Dainenbutsu Kyogen, religious plays at Mibudera in Kyoto with a 700 year history, performed entirely in pantomime with 30 characters who wear ancient wooden masks. Each day four or five kyogen are performed from 13:00-17:00. 

April 29: Kyokusui-no-En at the Jonangu Shrine, Kyoto. A drinking party - originally a pastime of courtiers - which involves cups of sake being floated down a small, winding stream in a garden, whereby participants seated on the bank had to improvise poems; if the participant could not compose a poem, he had to drink a cup of sake as a penalty.

April 29 is a public holiday: Showa no Hi. Showa Day honors the birthday of Emperor Showa (Hirohito), the reigning emperor from 1926 to 1989. This holiday is also the start of Golden Week, which lasts until May 5.

Festivals held in April in other locations than Kyoto include:
- April 7-14: Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine Spring Festival in Kamakura
- April 14,15: Takayama festival in Spring (Sanno Festival in Takayama, Gifu)

In the Japanese kitchen, the mild spring is the time for fresh new ingredients like bamboo shoots (takenoko) and also wild plants in bud that still have a certain bitterness (sansai). Shellfish are at their best. The first bonito fish (katsuo) of the year are caught near Hokkaido. A popular snack with green tea are sakuramochi, rice cakes containing red bean paste wrapped in a salted cherry leaf. The combination of the sweetness of the red-bean past and the saltiness of the cherry leaf is very interesting.

The Japanese Seasons: March

March (sangatsu) is also called Yayoi, meaning "plants grow luxuriantly." Plum blossoms are in full bloom and so are yellow rape flowers. Green plants also grow abundantly. The weather is getting warmer and a bit more spring-like. As cherry blossoms are seen later in the month, March is also called Sakurazuki, Kagetsu or Hanamizuki.

In the beginning of the month, on March 3, Hina Matsuri or the Doll's Festival is celebrated (also called Momo no Sekku or Joshi no Sekku). This day of praying for the growth and future happiness of young girls was originally a purification ritual. Dolls functioned as substitutes (katashiro) used to draw away impurities and malevolent spirits from people, and they were floated away in rivers and streams, or otherwise destroyed, taking human pollutants with them. Called Hina-nagashi, this custom is still observed in some regions of Japan, most famously Tottori Prefecture. Since the Muromachi period, this has changed into the custom to decorate sets of Hina dolls in the home, and enjoy certain foods as hishimochi (diamond-shaped rice cakes, colored red, white and green) and shirozake (sweet white sake).

Hina dolls are not ordinary dolls, but ceremonial dolls, a heritage of the family, sometimes handed down for generations. They are only taken out for the Doll's Festival and carefully kept in boxes during the rest of the year. They are usually put out in the second or third week of February and immediately taken away again the day after the Hina Matsuri. The classical way of display is on five or more tiered steps covered with bright red cloth. The dolls represent the imperial court, with the emperor and empress (dairi-sama) on the top row, ministers, court ladies and musicians. Around the dolls, several intricately made miniature household articles are placed. Not surprisingly, a whole classical set of hina dolls is very expensive.

In March, several museums in Japan hold hina doll exhibitions. The Tokugawa Art Museum in Nagoya, for example, brings out the Hina doll collection of the Owari Tokugawa family, and this is a very gorgeous set. The Kyoto National Museum also holds a smaller Hina doll exhibition, as does the Yodoko Guest House (Yamamura Residence) near Kobe. But the most attractive display is always in the Hokyoji Temple in Kyoto, where dolls originally belonging to imperial princesses are exhibited.

From March 1 to 14 the Omizutori festival is held at Nara's Todaiji Temple, part of an annual rite called shunie. The highlight falls on the evening of March 12 (at 19:00) , when monks light large torches made from pine branches and bamboo (taimatsu) and wave them around from the outer gallery of Nigatsudo, showering the spectators with sparks (this dance and waving of torches is called "dattan no mai"). After that, a water-drawing ceremony is performed at the well in front of the temple hall (on March 2, this water has been "sent" here in the Omizu-okuri ceremony held at the Jinguji Temple in Obama, Fukui). The Omizutori festival announces the beginning of spring. Note that the pine torches can also be seen on March 1-7 (also 19:00), when the crowds are considerably smaller. Read Basho's haiku about the Omizutori festival.

Feb. 15 in the lunar calendar is the day the Buddha passed on into Nirvana (Nehan), so temples usually commemorate this occasion in March. Several temples in Kyoto display large, colorful paintings called Nehan-zu in which the scene of Buddha's passage into Nirvana is depicted. Examples are Shinnyodo (3/1-31), Sennyuji (3/14-16), Tofukuji (3/14-16) and Honpoji (3/15-4/15).

[Botamochi]

On approximately March 21 falls Shunbun, Vernal Equinox or Spring Higan-e. This day, on which daytime and nighttime are of equal length, is thought of as the end of the cold weather and is also the Buddhist holiday Higan-e. On or close to this day, the Japanese usually visit the graves of their ancestors to clean the tomb and offer incense and flowers (ohaka-mairi). From the old ritual of offering food to the ancestors developed the custom of eating botamochi, a ball of soft rice covered with sweetened bean paste. This day is a National Holiday.

Also around March 21 usually falls the start of the Hanami or the flower viewing season. This is the time to go out and enjoy cherry blossoms. Originally it was a time to pray for an abundant harvest. People intently follow the news to see when the "sakura front" (sakura zensen) will roll over their heads. This is such an important event that there are many specific terms related to Hanami.

[Sakura in Ninnaji, Kyoto]

There are two more March flowers: Nananohana are the cruciferous yellow flowers of rape, which cover the fields in this season; and Mokuren, the lily flowered magnolia, which has large upright chalices for flowers, either light-red or white. It flowers just before the cherry blossoms start.

As regards foods that are in season, in March shells are delicious, for example hamaguri (Venus clams) or akagai (blood clams). Karei (flatfish) is also in season around the Doll's festival. Various sansai (mountain vegetables) can be plucked in the spring mountains (haru no yama) in this season, such as zenmai (royal fern) and seri (water dropwort). In the fields of spring (haru no no) also yomogi (mugwort) and warabi (bracken) are found.

The weather in March becomes more "spring-like" (haru meku) and light mists (usugasumi) may veil the hills. Note that early March is still the season of plum blossoms, until the cherry blossom takes over after Shunbun no Hi. Harusame is the word for a soft spring rain. Although there still are some cold days, nodoka (balmy) is the word for springtime.

The Year of the Tiger

The tiger is the third animal of the Chinese zodiac featuring a well-known series of twelve animals, which are also common in Japan as “eto.” Japan has never known tigers in the wild, so the zodiacal tiger is a 100% import from its neighboring country. Tigers were very common in China in ancient times – although today only about 30 wild tigers are left (generally speaking, the tiger is an Asian animal, with a present population in the wild of roughly 3,300 in India, 500 in Bangladesh, 430 in Siberia and 370 in Indonesia). 

['Sitting Tiger' by Maruyama Okyo, 1777,]

In China, the tiger is a yang animal and is associated with a potent male principle of bravery, dignity and magisterial sternness. As the emblem of courage and fierceness, which should be characteristic of a soldier, a tiger head was formerly painted on the shields of soldiers. The presence or roar of a tiger is synonymous with danger and terror.

Throughout Chinese history, the tiger has incited a sense of both awe and admiration. It embodies the spirit and drive to achieve and make progress. It is said that it has the power to drive away demons - a painting depicting a tiger is often hung on a wall inside the building facing the entrance - in this way demons are scared away and cannot enter. For the same reason, the shoes of small children are often embroidered with tiger’s heads.

Each direction of the compass is traditionally believed to be ruled by a mythical creature; the White Tiger is the ruler of the West. The tiger is also associated with autumn, when it comes down from the mountains into villages. Medicinal virtues were ascribed to the ashes of the bones and other parts of the tiger (unfortunately helping its extinction).  

 

In the days of Marco Polo, the multitude of tigers in the northern part of the empire rendered traveling alone dangerous – the most famous tiger-slaying story by a lone traveler can be found in the chapters about Wu Song in the famous novel Water Margin (chapter 23, also adapted as the first chapter of another classical novel, Jinpingmei), where the hero, although half drunk, with his bare hands kills a tiger which attacks him in the mountains.

The tiger was an important motif in Chinese art, and tiger paintings were also popular in Japan, especially among samurai or in the palaces of feudal lords. Tigers, for them, were a symbol of strength. Japanese painters therefore studied the tiger paintings produced in China, but, as they had never seen a real tiger before, they often modeled their tigers on cats! As a result, Japanese tiger paintings look both a bit stiff and too cute -  so to speak “just a cat, which failed to become a tiger.”

I close this post with the first stanza from William Blake's famous poem "The Tyger" from 1794, which beautifully imagines the beast:

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

(Read the whole poem at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43687/the-tyger)

Have a great Year of the Tiger!

 

The Japanese Seasons: November

November is traditionally called Shimotsuki, or “Month of Frost.” It is the time that temperatures get lower and days shorter - one week into November the seasonal turning point of Ritto comes along and actual winter is deemed to start. In November, daytime temperatures are between 14º to 18º C. As there are no typhoons anymore, the weather in fact is usually very comfortable in November.

Although the weather in November is generally good, in early November (or sometimes already in late October) a cold wintry wind coming from the northwest called Kogarashi blows - “Kogarashi” is literally the wind that sears the leaves of the trees. The first such withering blast is called “Kogarashi Ichigo.” Early and mid-winter are also the season of Shigure, rain showers. These showers occur after the sky suddenly clouds over, but they pass quickly. Shimoyo is the name for nights when the stars are bright in the sky and there is a blanket of frost on the ground. November actually knows also many beautiful, clear days and these are known as Koharu(-bi), or “Little Spring” as the weather can be quite balmy.

November is in fact a most beautiful month as it is the time of momiji (maple leaves). Although less well-known outside Japan than cherry blossoms, in Japan the koyo or colored leaves of autumn are just as big an event. Like hanami or blossom viewing, momijigari ("hunting for colored maple leaves") draws huge crowds. Not only the famed "sakura zensen," but also the "koyo zensen" or "front map of autumn colors" is heavily reported, from TV to magazines and internet. Based on the information given by the media, people plan day trips or short holidays to enjoy the fall colors. In the past, the beauty of autumn leaves was eulogized in poems and paintings. In the Heian-period, aristocrats would enjoy lavish banquets under the autumn leaves, gathering the fallen leaves, and writing poetry.

[Koyo]

National holidays and events in November are:

Culture Day (Bunka no Hi) on November 3 is originally the holiday dedicated to the Emperor Meiji, whose birthday according to the Lunar Calendar fell around this date. Before the war, people would gather at shrines throughout the country and bow in the direction of the Imperial Palace. Under the postwar constitution the day was rechristened as "Culture Day", as after all autumn is a time for cultural pursuits. On this day the Emperor awards the Order of Culture to people of outstanding achievement in the fields of science, art or culture. The Emperor presents the awards (shaped as a mandarin orange blossom with purple cord; the mandarin orange was planted in the palace courtyard since Heian times and symbolizes eternity - in this way the timelessness of culture is expressed) during a ceremony held in the palace.

There are also many art festivals (such as the Nitten Exhibition in Tokyo) and cultural activities nationwide, where lesser awards are given by all kinds of organizations.

Around this time, museums have special exhibitions, such as the annual Shosoin Exhibition of priceless treasures and household goods once belonging to the 8th century Emperor Shomu held at the Nara National Museum. These are 650 items, all personal belongings of Emperor Shomu, given to the Great Buddha of Todaiji by his widow, the Empress Komyo in the 8th century. Among the priceless treasures are many Persian and Chinese items that reached Japan via the Silk Road. Carefully kept under lock by Todaiji for many centuries, the Shosoin is now under the care of the Imperial Household Agency. The annual exhibition shows a limited number of items, usually for about 3 weeks from the last week of October.

There are also special openings in Kyoto of temples which are normally closed to the public, such as of subtemples of Daitokuji (these seasonal openings are nowadays held - depending on the temple - somewhere between late October and early December).

November 15 is a good day to visit a Shinto Shrine, as this is Shichi-Go-San (Children's Shrine Visiting Day), the "seven-five-three" festival when parents with boys of five, girls of seven and either boys and girls of three dress their children in gay clothes and take them to shrines where they pray for their children's future. These three numbers were chosen since odd numbers are considered lucky and also go back to old dress customs.

November 23 is Labor Thanksgiving Day, established after the war as a day to express gratitude for hard work done in the past year. Originally, Nov 23 was the day when since the Meiji-period the Niiname-sai, an ancient rice festival, was held. The Emperor would make an offering of the new harvest to the gods and himself taste the first rice of the year. The Niiname-sai is still held privately by the Imperial Family.

Popular foods and fruits of November are:

As foods go, November is the season that kaki or oysters come to market, which are cultivated on a large scale, for example in Hiroshima. They are fried, cooked in hotpot or mixed through rice (kakimeshi). Another wintry seafood that starts being sold in November are large crabs from the coast of the Sea of Japan called zuwaigani. They are served in various forms, as sashimi and tempura, or just with some vinegar. It is also the season of ginnan or gingko nuts, from the prehistoric Gingko tree, which have a subtle taste and are eaten skewered, grilled or in chawan mushi.

[Kaki]

As fruit goes, in November the season of kaki or persimmons starts. This autumn fruit rich in Vitamin C is either eaten raw or dried (hoshigaki); persimmons in Japan are usually sweet but there are also astringent varieties. Dried persimmons also form part of the New Year decorations. The orange kaki fruits hanging on the trees or after plucking strung under the eaves of farm houses are a beautiful sight in the Japanese countryside.

The Japanese Seasons: October

October is sometimes called "kannazuki," "month without gods." The reason is that agricultural activity, during which the gods are present, is finished this month and the gods start their winter absence. The gods arrive in spring to watch over the growing crops and to see to it that the harvest is completed safely. This all serves to show how closely the Shinto religion was associated with agriculture in Japan.

The weather in early October is at first a prolongation of September, with rain due to the "autumn front" moving up now and then, and typhoons, but as the month advances, there is less and less rain and typhoons also become scarce. The weather becomes moderate and comfortable with average daytime temperatures between 19 and 23 °C. The sky is clear and blue and the air is fresh - this is a good season. In the morning and at night there may be some chilliness in the air ("asa-samu," "yo-samu").

Aki no kure (aki no yugure), "autumn evening", is a word frequently used in Japanese poetry for this season. It expresses a sort of pathetic feeling as in this waka by Saigyo:

even though I claim
no longer to have a heart
I'm made to feel this sad beauty -
a snipe flying up from a marsh
at dusk in autumn

kokoro naki | mi ni mo aware wa | shirarekeri | shigi tatsu sawa no | aki no yugure

(See my post about Saigyo)

National holidays and events in October:

Second Monday in October: Sports Day

Established in 1964 in commemoration of the Olympic Games in Tokyo. On this day, people young and old gather to enjoy this autumn day with with athletic competition, often organized by the schools (and the parents are forced to watch).

More importantly, the pleasant temperatures in October entice people to go outside and do some hiking or walking and take care of their health after having been confined to their air-conditioned houses during the long hot summer. In Japan one speaks about "undo no aki," "autumn of physical exercise."

[Chrysanthemum exhibition]

The flower of the month is the chrysanthemum - although this is usually at its most gorgeous in November rather than October (and also despite the fact that it is already celebrated during the Double Ninth festival on September 9). The chrysanthemum was brought to Japan from China during the Nara period (8th c.), and Japan also imported the extensive Chinese chrysanthemum lore. The most important aspect is that the chrysanthemum was associated with long life: it was thought to have the power to bestow long life and exorcise evil influences. It was imbibed as an infusion in sake. The most famous Chinese poem about the quiet enjoyment of chrysanthemums is by Tao Yuanming (365-427 CE):

I built my hut in the world of men,
yet there is no noise here from wagons.
Would you know how that is possible?
With the mind detached, one's place becomes remote.
Plucking chrysanthemums by the eastern hedge,
in the distance I see South Mountain.
The mountains are beautiful by evening,
birds in flight return two by two.
In these things lies a deep meaning -
I want to say it, but have forgotten the words.

(See my post "Drinking Wine" in the series "Lyric Poetry Around the World" at this blog for further details)

In Japan the chrysanthemum also became the flower of the imperial house, and thanks to its elegant simplicity and fine aroma, it became a popular flower in gardens. The chrysanthemums grown in Japan today are among the finest in the world.

[Chrysanthemum doll festival in Nihonmatsu. Dolls are being made up here with flowers - it takes a lot of work to keep them in good shape. The X at the back is the family emblem of the Niwa family which ruled Nihonmatsu in the Edo period]

Where to see chrysanthemums:
Tokyo: Shinjuku Gyoen Garden (first 2 weeks of November); Yushima Tenjin Shrine (first 3 weeks of November).
Yokohama: Sankeien Garden (late October to late November).
Kyoto: Daikakuji temple (last 3 weeks of November).
Nihonmatsu (Kiku-ningyo, "chrysanthemum dolls"): Castle grounds (whole of October and the first 3 weeks of November).

In November, temples all over Japan hold small chrysanthemum exhibitions. 

[Matsutake in a shop]

Matsutake mushrooms hold the first place among the dainties of autumn (for those who can afford the high price). The earliest to come are thinly sliced for soup. Matsutake can also be cooked with rice. The most delicious ones are roasted and served  with a mixture of citron, sugar and vinegar. Dobin-mushi is an autumn specialty of Kyoto, a delicate clear soup made in an individual miniature dobin (small teapot made of pottery). It contains matsutake, chicken, mitsuba (a herb, Japanese wild chervil) and ginnan (ginkgo nut). The juice of a sudachi (a small, green zesty citrus fruit) is squeezed into the dashi, which is drunk from tiny cups. The other ingredients are then fished out with chopsticks and eaten.

[Chestnuts]

Kuri, chestnuts, are also appreciated in this season. Kuri are very popular in Japan and used in many sweet confections as kinton (a puree of sweet potatoes and chestnuts). Amaguri are made in street stalls by roasting chestnuts in a tub of revolving hot pebbles. Kuri-meshi is rice cooked with small pieces of chestnuts.

October also is the start of the new brewing year for sake breweries that keep to the traditional custom of "kanzukuri," only brewing during the cold season from October to March. Many breweries hold events, such as tastings or an opening of the brewery to the public in this month. But as brewing just starts, the new sake will only be ready for tasting at the end of the year.

October is also the season of the rice harvest (sake rice takes longer to grow and may be harvested in November). You can find the "new rice" labeled as "shinmai" in rice shops and supermarkets.

[Jidai  Matsuri]

Cultural festivals:

Special Autumn Opening of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Oct. 31-Nov. 4
Admission free period. 9:00-15:30. 
Karasuma line subway to Imadegawa St or Marutamachi St

Kaijo Jinko-sai, Munakata Taisha, Munakata, Fukuoka on Oct. 1
The Kaijo Jinko or Procession of Gods by the Sea is held on the first day of the Autumn Festival of the Munakata Taisha Shrine. The Munakata Shrine is dedicated to the guardian deity of sea traffic and consists in fact of three shrines: Okitsumiya, Nakatsumiya and Hetsumiya, of which the first two stand on islands before the coast. Visitors go to Hetsumiya, the only shrine on land. During the festival, hundreds of fishing boats decorated with flags and banners parade from Okinoshima Island with the Okitsumiya Shrine and Oshima Island with the Nakatsumiya Shrine to Konominato, the harbor near Hetsumiya Shrine. They escort a barge that carries the portable shrine. It is an impressive spectacle (Take a Nishitetsu bus for Kohnominato Hatoba at JR Togo Station of the Kagoshima Main Line and get off at Konominato).
- When visiting the Munakata Srhine, don't miss the interesting shrine museum with its national treasures.

Mibu Kyogen (Buddhist miracle plays) at Mibu Temple, Kyoto, in the weekend which also includes Sports Day (only for 3 days, from 13:00-17:30).
See: http://www.mibudera.com/eng/pages/schedules.html

Zuiki Matsuri at Kitano Tenmangu, Kyoto, from Oct. 1-5.
Harvest Thanksgiving at Kitano Tenmangu. On Oct. 1 at 13:00 sacred floats are carried to a temporary abode (otabisho); on Oct. 4 at 13:00 they are brought back to the main shrine by a parade of people dressed in Heian costumes. This, the Kankosai, is the main part of the Zuiki Festival. The festival derives its name from zuiki, or taro stalks, which are used as thatch for the roof of the mikoshi; the miniature shrine is dressed in other vegetables as well, and dried marigolds hang from the four corners.

Lantern festival in Nihonmatsu (Fukushima Pref.), on the first Sat., Sun., and following Mon. in October.
Annual festival of Nihonmatsu Jinja. Seven floats strung with hundreds of paper lanterns are paraded through the town. (5-minute walk from Nihonmatsu St. on the Tohoku Main Line)

Okunchi at Suwa Shrine, Nagasaki, from Oct. 7-9.
Parade of umbrella-topped floats. A Chinese-style dragon dance is also held. Okunchi is okunichi, "ninth day," the ninth day of the ninth month according to the lunar calendar, considered as a very auspicious day. Held at the Suwa Shrine and various places in town (odoricho), which are each year different (Suwa Jinja is near Suwa Jinja-mae tram stop in Nagasaki).

Hachiman Matsuri in Takayama (Gifu Pref.) from Oct. 9-10.
Annual festival of the Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine. On October 10 there is a parade of mikoshi and people in traditional costume (20 min walk from JR Takayama St.).

Otsu Matsuri at Tenson Jinja Otsu, weekend before Sports day
Parade of floats (starting at 9:00 at Tenson Jinja) through town on the Sunday; floats on view hung with lanterns the eve before. There are 13 floats with elaborate clockwork mechanisms and beautiful tapestries (Near JR Otsu St and the Tenson Shrine).

Sawara Autumn Festival, October 12-14, Sawara (Chiba Pref.)
Fourteen floats with huge moving dolls representing figures from history and legend are paraded through the city from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (From Sawara Station, walk 5 minutes to Omatsuri Hiroba and Nigiwai Hiroba).

[Ushi Matsuri (Bull Festival), Koryuji, Kyoto, on Oct. 10. In the evening (20:30-) the Madara deity riding a bull enters the temple grounds, accompanied by Nio (Deva Kings) and people dressed in ancient costume. The deity then reads Buddhist sutras from a stage, with the Deva Kings as a chorus. When finished, all quickly flee the scene. Unfortunately, this ancient festival seems to have been indefinitely postponed, due to the difficulty of obtaining a suitable ox (in the past, farmers used oxen instead of tractors!)]

Kamogawa odori, Kyoto, Mid Oct. - mid Nov.
Autumn dances by the geisha of Pontocho.

Nijugo Bosatsu Oneri Kuyo, Sokujoin, Sennyuji, Kyoto, on Second Sunday of Oct. 25 children enact the descent of Amida with 25 Bosatsu to welcome souls into Paradise.

Nada Fighting Festival, Himeji, 14-15 October
One of the Kansai's boisterous fighting festivals, which is believed to please the gods. Young men in loin cloths carrying portable shrines battle to reach the bell in the courtyard of the Matsubara Shrine.

Doburoku Festival, Shirakawago (Gifu Pref.), Oct. 14-19
Harvest festival. Visitors can enjoy doboroku, a milky-white home-brewed sake.

Nagoya Festival, Nagoya, mid-October
Nagoya's biggest festival. Parade of large floats with people dressed in period costumes and down Otsu dori celebrates Japan's three unifiers of the late 16th c: Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. There is also yabusame (horseback archery) in the Atsuta Shrine.

Kiyomizu Danchi Pottery Fair, Yamashina, Kyoto, 3rd Friday, Sat and Sun of Oct
The famous Kiyomizu pottery kilns have been relocated from Gojozaka to a rather matter-of-fact area in Yamashina (thanks to the growth of the city), but at the fair more than 100 shops offer their wares at discounts of up to 50% (Kiyomizu Danchi, Keihan Bus 29 from JR Yamashina St).

Kawagoe Matsuri, Kawagoe, 3rd weekend in October.
Parade of tall floats and mikoshi, which end up taking part in a hikkawase ceremony in which they are crashed in to each other. The full festival only takes place once every two years.

Autumn Festival, Toshogu Shrine, Nikko (Tochigi Pref.) on Oct 16 and 17. 
Also called Sennin Musha Gyortesu or Procession of a Thousand warriors. Reneacts the 1617 procession in which the remains of Tokugawa ieyasu were brought from Kunozan in Shizuoka to Nikko.

Kinryu no Mai, Tokyo Golden Dragon Dance, on October 18, commemorating Sensoji Temple's founding legend, at 11:30, 14:00 and 15:30. Sensoji Temple, Asakusa, Tokyo.

Jidai Matsuri, Heian Shrine, Kyoto, on Oct. 22
A modern festival, as it only started in 1895. Features a procession of people dressed in historical costume or representing historical personages, working back from the Meiji Restoration to the Heian period. Starts at noon at the Imperial palace after which the parade winds its way through the city to the Heian Shrine.

Kurama Fire Festival (Hi-Matsuri), Yuki Shrine, Kurama, Kyoto, on Oct. 22
At nightfall, two mikoshi of the Yuki Shrine (belonging to Kuramadera) are paraded among crowds holding torches. The whole area is transformed into a sea of fire. The Yuki shrine was built in 940 for the protection of the capital. It is famous for its lion guardian dogs, one open mouthed, the other with the mouth closed, resembling Deva Kings. In 940, the deity was transported here at night from the Imperial Palace by young men carrying flaming torches. Every year this event is reenacted in the village.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons, as well as my own stock

The Japanese Seasons: September

September is the 8th month in the old lunar calendar, called "Nagatsuki" or "month of long nights" because the days have become shorter and the nights longer. September by the lunar calendar is the time to harvest the rice, and offerings of the newly harvested grain are made by the emperor to the gods.

Modern September is a bit of a half-baked month as the weather is concerned. Temperatures start to fall somewhat, but especially in the first half of September it can still be very hot and muggy. In fact, much of the summer heat lingers until past the middle of the month - the "switch" comes usually around the autumn equinox on the 23rd, when temperatures suddenly drop.

Monthly precipitation amounts are large in September due to the active autumnal rain front and typhoons (see "Nihyaku-toka" below). The high-pressure system in the Pacific Ocean begins to weaken and a cold high moves down from the Asian continent. The two high-pressure systems collide and create a stationary front over the Japanese archipelago. This stationary front is referred to as the "autumnal front", and the rain during this period is called "akisame" (autumn rain) or "shurin"; an other name is "aki no naga-ame" (the long rains of autumn).

[The full autumn moon]

National holidays and events in September are:

September 1: Bosai no Hi, Disaster Prevention Day
September 1 was the day on which the devastating Great Kanto Earthquake struck in 1923. In the 1960s, this day was designated as Disaster Prevention Day. Various types of drills in preparation for (unfortunately inevitable) future disasters are held on this day, not only for earthquakes, but also for tsunami and typhoons.

Around September 1: Nihyaku-toka, the Two-Hundred and Tenth Day
This day, counted 210 days from Risshun, the first day of spring, falls in early September. It is the time that the rice plant flowers bloom, but also a period when typhoons are rather frequent, causing damage to the rice fields. Heavy rainfall and strong winds can wipe out the year's crop if they come before the autumn harvest.  Local farming communities often developed ritual festivals in order to prevent storms from damaging the rice plants.

September 9: Choyo, Double Ninth Festival
The repetition of the number nine was considered very auspicious in China, where this custom came from. In Japan, the festival is also known as the Chrysanthemum Festival (Kiku no Sekku). It is one of the five seasonal celebrations know as sekku. In China and Japan it was believed that the chrysanthemum had the power to give long life. In Japan, this flower is also considered to have the power to exorcise evil. The festival is celebrated at both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples from the wish for longevity. It is observed by drinking chrysanthemum sake and eating dishes such as chestnut rice (kuri-gohan). The chrysanthemum is the symbol of the emperor as well. The flower was imported from China in the 8th c., and with its elegant simplicity and fine aroma suited Japanese tastes, so the chrysanthemum was eagerly cultivated and displayed. The chrysanthemums grown in Japan today are among the finest in the world. However, although there may be some early blooming flowers in the course of September, the real chrysanthemum season is in October and November. 

Third Monday of September: Keiro no Hi, Respect for the Aged Day
A public holiday celebrated annually to honor elderly citizens, a custom which started in 1966. Originally, it was held on September 15, but since 2003 this has been changed to the third Monday of September due to the "Happy Monday System." On this day, senior citizens are honored for their contributions to the nation  and their long life is celebrated. The average life span for Japanese men and women is among the highest in the world. It is a festival which is typical for a Confucian society. Japanese media take the opportunity to feature the elderly, reporting on the population and highlighting the oldest people in the country. In the Edo period, rice cakes with the characters "kotobuki" (long life) were given to persons celebrating their longevity. Nowadays, the Japanese government gives a commemorative sake cup to Japanese who reach the age of 100. In the Japanese language, there are specific words for indicating people of advanced age (in the old "kazoedoshi" system of counting the age of persons): 61 years old is called kanreki; 70 years old is koki; 77 years kiju; 88 years beiju; 90 years sotsuju; and 99 years hakuju. [Kazoe-doshi system: a person was considered one year old at birth, and became a year older every time at New Year. So one was considered one or even two years older than the actual age]

Around September 17: Moon-viewing Festival (Tsukimi)
The Japanese variant of the East Asian Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Chushu no Meigetsu, The Harvest Full Moon, or Jugoya, Fifteenth Night (in the old calendar it was held on the the night of the 15th of the 8th month). Tsukimi traditions include displaying decorations made from Japanese pampas grass (susuki, see below) and eating rice dumplings called "tsukimi dango" in order to celebrate the beauty of the moon. Seasonal produce, such as satoimo or yams are also offered to the full moon, and sake formed an important part of the offerings. In October (on the 13th of the 9th month in the old calendar, and therefore called Jusanya, Thirteenth Night), a similar festival is held for the waxing moon, with as main difference that the potatoes are replaced by chestnuts or beans.    

[Otani cemetery in Kyoto on Shubun no Hi]

Shubun no Hi, the Autumnal Equinox
Falls on the 22nd or 23rd of September - on this day, day and night are of exactly the same length. From now on, nights will be getting longer (another reason for the name of the month, "Nagatsuki"). It is a day to revere one's ancestors and remember the dead. During the Ohigan week (the equinox day falls in the middle of this week) people visit cemeteries of deceased family members and clean the graves. As with Shunbun no Hi in March, the weather changes around this time: after the autumnal equinox, one can truly sense the fall. From the old ritual of offering food to the ancestors developed the custom of eating botamochi, a ball of soft rice covered with sweetened bean paste.

Popular flowers and plants of September are:

The "seven flowers of autumn":
- Bush clover (hagi, Lespedeza bicolor). Deciduous sub-shrub. Arching branches grow in clusters from a single root stock. Pink pea flowers come in panicles at the ends of the branches in late summer. The intricate beauty of the flowers  and rustic charm of the plant appeal to the Japanese, and in the heat of late summer promise cooler, more serene autumn days. A good place to enjoy hagi in Tokyo is Mukojima-Hyakkaen Garden, which I have discussed in my "Haiku Travels" series because of its many haiku monuments. In Kamakura, Hokaiji Temple, close to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, is a good place. In Kyoto I advise to visit the Nashinoki Shrine (close to Gosho, the Imperial Palace) and Jorinji temple (close to Demachiyanagi Station).

[Hagi]

- Japanese pampas grass (susuki, Miscanthus sinensis). A stout clump-forming perennial, to 2 m high when in flower, with smooth stems. The leaves are slightly toothed, rough and linear. Flowers grow in yellowish-brown tassels that are 20-40 cm long in late summer. This flower is an essential part of the Japanese autumn landscape, when the seeds ripen, giving a silkily sheen to whole mountain sides. The reeds were in the past used for thatching roofs.

[Susuki]

- Kudzu vine (kuzu, Pueraria Thunbergiana). A fast growing vine. The flowers grow in 10–25 cm long panicles, which consist of 30 to 80 individual flowers. Each flower is 1–1.5 cm long, purple and fragrant. The flowers produce a lot of nectar and are visited by many insects such as bees, butterflies and moths. The plant flowers in late summer, which is followed by the production of hairy, flat legumes, containing three to ten hard seeds. Also called "arrowroot," a high-quality thickening starch is made from the roots of this vine (kuzuko). The most famous kuzu comes from Yoshino in Nara Prefecture. It has many uses such as kuzumochi (a snack), goma dofu (a vegetarian dish) and kuzuyu (a herbal tea used as folk medicine). Kuzu fiber is used traditionally to make clothing and paper.
- Fringed pink (nadeshiko, Dianthus superbus). A widespread hardy perennial growing to 50 cm. The flowers are mainly solitary, with long calyces, in shades of pink, from mid-summer onward. The intense fringing of the petals camouflages that there are only five of them. The delicate beauty of the flowers belies the hardness and strength of the plant. This has made it the symbol of the ideal woman in traditional literature - a combination of strength and grace.

[Nadeshiko]

- Valerian (ominaeshi, Patrinia scabiosaefolia). 60-120 cm high plants with 4-8 mm tiny yellow flowers, arranged in flat dense clusters. The stems are slightly hairy. Grows in fields and other sunny habitats throughout Japan.
- Japanese Bonset / Japanese Throughwort (fujibakama, Eupatorium stoechadosmum). 100-150 cm high. Flowers sit in massive heads on top of the stem and contain several small white or pink florets. The leaves are large. Grows in  fields and at roadsides. 
- Bellflower or balloon flower (kikyo, Platycodon grandiflorum). Blue, 4-5 cm saucer shaped flowers, which resemble traditional paper balloons, hence the name. Beautiful kikyo flowers can be found in the garden of Rozanji temple in Kyoto.

[Kikyo]

These seven autumn flowers which are already named in the Manyoshu poetry anthology of 759, provide much visual enjoyment, but unlike their spring counterparts, they are not intended for picking or eating.

[Higanbana]

The spider lily or equinox flower (higanbana, Lycoris radiata) has scarlet trumpets,  spidery because of the long stamens and pistils and narrow curved perianth segments, in a cluster at the top of fleshy stems that are up to 30 cm tall. At this time there are no leaves, they come later, coming straight from the bulb which is poisonous. Found on the edges of fields and in graveyards due to the ancient belief that it is one of the flowers in paradise.

Mexican aster or cosmos (kosumosu, akizakura, Cosmos bipinnata). This medium-sized flowering herbaceous plant in the daisy family Asteraceae stems from Mexico, was brought to Europe, and at the end of the 19th c. came to Japan. It is now widely planted and also occurs in the wild in autumn. The flowers may be pink, violet or white. A beautiful spot to see cosmos flowers is Hannyaji Temple in Nara, where the flowers stand next to old stone Buddhas.

[Japanese pears]

The fruit of the season is the Japanese pear (nashi), a popular autumn dessert fruit. In contrast to Western pears, the Japanese variety is round so that it has the appearance of an apple, and its crispness, but it then surprises with the juiciness and flavor of a pear. There are brown and green varieties; among the green ones, the nijisseiki is very well-known.

Japanese grapes (budo) are eaten fresh in late summer and autumn. The small and seedless Japanese grapes are sweet and have a thin skin. Mountain grapes have been growing naturally in Japan for a long time. Today's Koshu grapes are said to have been cultivated since the Kamakura period, especially in Yamanashi. About 90% of Japanese grapes are grown as table grapes.

September is also the season of the Pacific saury (sanma, Cololabis saira), a long and slender fish of the northern waters which grows to a length of 35 cm. On sea currents from North America it arrives at the end of August at the north coast of Hokkaido, and it reaches northern Honshu in September and October. The oily and relatively inexpensive fish is popular in home cooking.

[Sanma]

The insect of autumn is the bell cricket (suzumushi, Meloimorpha japonica), known for its chiming song and therefore often kept in a small cage as a pet (for example by Chieko, the protagonist of Kawabata's novel The Old Capital).

The best festivals in September are:

- Karasu Sumo Wrestling on Sept. 9 at the Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto - shrine priests imitate the voice of crows and their manner of jumping, after which local children compete in the shrine's annual Karasu Sumo wrestling event (from 10:00).
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Matsuri on Sept 14-16 at the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura - yabusame (archery on horseback) on Sept. 16.
- Danjiri Matsuri on Sept. 15-16 in Kishiwada (Osaka) - a fight between large floats crashing into each other, while young men waving fans balance themselves on the roofs of the floats.
- Menkake Gyoretsu on Sept. 18 at the Goryo Shrine in Kamakura - procession of people wearing grotesque masks from the Goryo Shrine to Gokurakuji Temple (from 13:30). Based on a legend that Yoritomo had an affair with an outcast girl whom he visited accompanied by masked men to hide his identity. The masks are antique pieces from the mid 18th c.
- Comb Festival on Sept. 24 at Yasui Konpiragu Shrine in Kyoto - offering of thanks to women's combs and hair ornaments (from 13:00). Procession of women with various historical hairstyles.
- Kangetsu no Yube on Sept 28-30 at Daikakuji in Kyoto - moon viewing party (from 17:00-). Dragon boats sail on Osawa Pond as in Heian times for this festival of the harvest moon.
- Uneme Festival on Sept 30 at Sarusawa Pond in Nara - procession of Hanaguruma from JR Nara St to Sarusawa Pond from 17:00. Boats and gagaku on Sarusawa Pond from 19:00-19:30. During the Nara period, "uneme" was a term indicating a female courtier who attended to the emperor in the inner palace. One such palace lady, lamenting that she had fallen out of favor with the emperor, threw herself into Sarusawa Pond. It is said that the Uneme Shrine was constructed to console her spirit.

[Danjiri Matsuri]