Showing posts with label May. Show all posts
Showing posts with label May. Show all posts

5/05/2011

Matsumoto Festival Hirano

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Matsumoto Festival (Matsumoto matsuri )

***** Location: Otsu
***** Season: Early Summer
***** Category: Observance


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Explanation

Matsumoto matsuri 松本祭 (まつもとまつり)
Matsumoto festival


Annual festival at the shrine Hirano Jinja in Matsumoto ward, Otsu town.
May 5.

平野神社 大津

CLICK for more photos

It used to be held on the first day of the fifth month.

In the shrine, the deities

Oosazaki no mikoto 大鷦鷯尊】
(another name for Nintoku Tenno 仁徳 天皇 )
and
Seidai myoojin 精大明神
(another name for Sarutahiko 猿田彦 )

are venerated.

This festival has a long tradtion, when Otsu was prosperous along the trading routes leaving Kyoto.

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Otsu-E, Pictures from Otsu

. Otsu Paintings (大津絵) .


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A famous place for cherry blossoms, which are illuminated in the evenings.

Shrine Hirano Jinja in Kyoto 京都 平野神社

The Hirano Shrine (平野神社) is a Shinto shrine in the city of Kyoto. This shrine is known and popular for its gardens and many trees.
The present buildings of the shrine were constructed in the 17th century, including

Imaki-no-kami (今木神)
Kudo-no-kami (久度神)
Furuaki-no-kami (古開神)
Hime-no-kami (比売神)

京都市北区平野宮本町1番地
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !




risu no o-tsuge りすのおつげ
divine message brought by the squirrel


The squirrel is the messenger of the deity of this shrine and delivers the mikuji sacred lots 御籤.

. Amulets and Talismans from Japan . 


Homepage of the shrine
http://www.geocities.jp/daa01397/



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HAIKU




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Related words

***** . Otsu Festival (Ootsu matsuri 大津祭)


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Fujimori Festival

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Fujimori festival (Fujimori matsuri)

***** Location: Kyoto
***** Season: Early Summer
***** Category: Observance


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Explanation

Fujimori matsuri 藤森祭 (ふじもりまつり) Fujimori festival
... Fuji no mori 藤の森
yakata no chigo 屋形の稚児(やかたのちご)"divine children parade"


May 5



Main festival at the shrine Fujimori jinja 藤森神社.
. . . CLICK here for Photos of the shrine !

The prince Sawara Shinno 早良親王 prayed here for victory over the Mongols, who tried to invade Japan, in 781. (Other sources say it was for victory about the troups of Northern Japan.)
Sawara (Sagara) is the main deity of the shrine.

People in the armour of old parade through the streets, many on horseback.
On the night before the festival many homes show their armour or clad the young boys in armour and visit neighbours. The most favorable boy can sit on the first horse in the parade the next day, followed by 7 or 8 others on foot.


Artistic feats are also performed on horseback.

In the afternoon, three mikoshi palanquins are paraded with the horse parade through the town.



勝運賭馬守
A talisman with a horse rider is very popular at this shrine, since during the festival a ceremonial race is held here 駈馬神事.
Now it is on the Boy's day, with the iris (shobu 菖蒲) as a pun for victory(shobu 勝負).
There are many votive tablets in the shrine.


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Kyoto Fushimi Ward Fujimori Matsuri Festival
VIDEO
source : video.excite.co.jp


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HAIKU






下手乗せて馬もあそぶや藤の森
gete nosete uma mo asobu ya Fuji no mori

with an unskilled rider
even the horse can have fun -
Fujimori festival


. Tan Taigi 炭太祇 .


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Related words

***** . Prince Sawara Shinno (早良親王 , Sawara-shinnō) .  
and the vengeful spirits of Kyoto
Sagara Shinno


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Uji Festival

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Uji Festival (Uji matsuri)

***** Location: Uji Shrine
***** Season: Early Summer
***** Category: Observance


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Explanation

Uji matsuri 宇治祭 (うじまつり) Uji Festival
rikyuu matsuri 離宮祭(りきゅうまつり)Rikyu Festival
taihei shinji 大幣神事(たいへいしんじ)ceremony of the large wands
karakasaboko 傘鉾(からかさぼこ)"kasahoko floats with large parasols"
karakasa gohei 傘御幣(からかさごへい) wands with large parasols

At shrine Uji jinja 宇治神社,and Ujigami Jinja 宇治上神社, Kyoto 京都府宇治市
from May 8 to June 8.
. . . CLICK here for Photos of the shrine !
Ujigami Shrine is a world heritage site.

The shrine has two compounds, the upper and lower one, and both are also called "Rikyu Hachiman Shrine 離宮八幡".
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


The deity venerated here is
Uji wakaira tsuko no mikoto
菟道稚郎子尊(うじわかいらつこのみこと)

On May 5, the mikoshi portable shrines of each shrine are brought to their "travel stations" (tabisho), where they are venerated for one month. This is called
oide 御出 "they have come"

On June 5 they are carried back (Kankoo sai 還幸祭).
On the way they stop at shrine Agata jinja 縣神社, where the ceremony of the "large wands" takes place. People pray for good health and a bountiful harvest.


source : tois.nichibun.ac.jp

These large wands are made from three pines cut at the mountain Taiheisan 泰平山 , cut to a length of about 6 meters. They are cut to a triangular shape and covered with white cloth. These wands are thrust in the sky and slapped on the ground on the way crossing the bidge Ujibashi 宇治橋, where the wands are thrown into the river.
The house on the way where the wand is completely destroyed will have bad luck in the coming year.

After this, the mikoshi are carried back to their shrines.
During the parade, there are also large floats with parasols and lanterns. Young men with masks of demons dance under these parasols.

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Agata matsuri あがた祭り / 県祭 Agata Festival

kigo for mid-summer
kurayami matsuri くらやみ祭(くらやみまつり)
festival in the dark


The Agata Festival on June 6 begins in the early morning and runs until late at night. The festival is famous throughout western Japan for the activities that are rumored to take place when the lights are suddenly doused at midnight.

- quote -
Agata matsuri
The main annual festival (reisai) of Agata Shrine, in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture held around June 5 (originally, the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar).
The festival begins on the fifth with the offering of a sacred meal to the kami. At about 1 a.m. on the night of the sixth, after all lights have been extinguished, a large image of the deity Bonten (Skt. Brahma-deva) , which is considered to be a representation of the kami enshrined at Agata, is paraded by naked young men.
The statue is carried in procession to a temporary enshrinement location (otabisho) in the heiden (a structure between the main sanctuary and the worship hall, where offerings are usually presented to the kami).
The Agata Festival is also known as kurayami matsuri (festival in the dark). Agata is the shrine of the tutelary deity of the temple Byōdōin. Given that the heiden where the image of the kami enshrined at Agata, Konohanasakuyahime also hosts the sacred palanquin (shinyo) of the male deity of the Uji Shrine, the festival has also been regarded as a divine nuptial rite (shinkon). Two days later a purification ritual using large paper streamers is carried out at the Uji Shrine.
- source : Kokugakuin, Mogi Sakae -



Bonten togyo 梵天渡御 "Bonten is passing"

. Bonten 梵天 Baramonten, Brahma .


. Reference : Ujigami Shrine

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quote
Since Uji is a place full of tradition, there are many small temples to be found on both sides of the river.
Byōdō-in Temple (平等院), Phoenix Hall (鳳凰堂 Hōō-dō)
Kosho-ji Temple
Mimurotoji Temple
Mampukuji Temple (萬福寺)

Uji Shrine. This shrine is located right next to Ujigami Shrine, this shrine was built to consul the soul of Prince Uji no Wakiiratsuko, who committed suicide in the Uji River.

Ujigami Shrine, (Located just to the left of Uji Shrine). This modest little shrine is a registered World Heritage Site.
It's said to be the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan.
source : iguide.travel/Uji


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Festivals at Uji Shrine

1月 1日 歳旦祭
2月 3日 節分祭 [通称]星祭
4月 第二日曜日 水神祭 [通称]宇治川祭
5月 8日 例祭 [神事名]神幸祭
6 5日 幣渡祭 [通称]梵天渡御祭
6月 8日 例祭 [神事名]還幸祭
6月 30日 大祓式
10月 1日 献茶祭
12月 中旬日曜日 火焚祭
12月 31日 大祓式
毎月 1日 月次祭
source : www.kamimoude.org


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In the 4th century the son of Emperor Ōjin established a palace in Uji.

Three Battles of Uji-gawa took place here in 1180, 1184, and 1221.

Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408) promoted cultivation of green tea in the Uji area. Since that time Uji has been an important production and distribution center of superior quality green tea. Tsuen tea has been served since 1160 and is still sold in what is the oldest tea shop in Japan, and possibly the world—the Tsuen tea shop.

The final chapters of the Tale of Genji are set in Uji, attracting visiting literature buffs.

In the 15th century A.D., tea-jars were brought by the shoguns to Uji in Kyoto, Japan from the Philippines which was used in the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Ujigami Shrine was found via dendrochronology to be the oldest original Shinto shrine in Japan, having been built around 1060, and is supposed to have a close relation with Byōdō-in in 1052.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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HAIKU


山吹や宇治の焙炉の匂ふ時
yamabuki ya Uji no hoiro no niou toki

mountain roses -
when tea ovens at Uji
are so fragrant

Tr. Barnhill


MORE - discussing this hokku and
Drinking tea with
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .



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秋晴や宇治の大橋横たはり
akibare ya Uji no oohashi yokotahari

fine autumn weather -
the big bridge at Uji
spreads over the river


Tomiyasu Fusei 富安風生

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Related words

***** . The Phoenix Hall in Uji 鳳凰堂  

***** . Tea from Uji 宇治茶
Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408) promoted cultivation of green tea in the Uji area.


source : morihan shop, Uji


8 - Monk Kisen 喜撰法師
. Ujiyama うぢ山 Mount Uji 宇治山 .
. Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Poems 小倉百人一首 .

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Fuchu Festival

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Fuchu Festival (Fuchuu matsuri)

***** Location: Tokyo
***** Season: Early Summer
***** Category: Observance


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Explanation

Fuchuu matsuri 府中祭 (ふちゅうまつり)
Fuchu Festival


May 5 at the shrine Ookunitama 大国魂神社 Okunitama Jinja
3-1,Miya-Machi,Fuchu-Shi,Tokyo



. . . CLICK here for Photos of the Shrine!

rokusho matsuri 六所祭(ろくしょまつり)
"festival at six places"
Fuchuu yami matsuri 府中闇祭(ふちゅうやみまつり)
Fuchu festival in the dark, Fuchu Kurayami Festival
..... Fuchuu kurayami matsuri 府中暗闇祭(ふちゅうくらやみまつり)
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

Fuchuu kenka matsuri 府中喧嘩祭(ふちゅうけんかまつり)
Fuchu fighting festival

This used to be the main shrine of the Musashino plain and six regional shrines have their representative shrine halls there too. This was called

rokusho myoojin 六所明神 Deities from six places

During the festival, these six deities are placed on a mikoshi sacred palanquin each. They are paraded around from midnight on in the pitchdark, since all the homes on the roadside have to turn off their lights. On the way back to the shrine from the "tabisho" station, the mikoshi carriers sway back and forth and rub each other in a virtual "fight".


This shrine was established more than 1900 years ago. It is well known to host the gods for good fortune and marriage ties. From the city of Fuchu an avenue of zelkova trees of about 700 meters leads to the shrine.




ema votive tablet from the shrine, depicting the procession of the
yamiyo matsuri 闇夜祭り night festival.

. Amulets and Talismans from Japan . 


. Atariya 当たり矢 amulet arrow to hit good luck .

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quote
Fuchū (府中市, Fuchū-shi) is a city located in western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan.
The city is located 20 km west of central Tokyo.
The government of ancient Musashi Province was established in Fuchū by the Taika Reform, and the city prospered as the local center of politics, economy, and culture. It prospered as a post town on the Kōshū Highway in the Edo period, and the Kita Tama District public office was placed here after the start of the Meiji era.
1602: The Fuchū post-town was established with the upgrading of the Kōshū-dochu road (Kōshū Highway).
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Okuninushi no ema 大国主命の絵馬 votive tablet


Okuninushi, Daikoku and the White Rabbit of Inaba
. Amulets and Talismans from Japan . 


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At the shrine Iwaki Okunitama Jinja  いわき大国魂神社



Gomottomo sama 御神体「ごもっともさま」
福島県いわき市平菅波字宮前54
source : www.kuniomi.gr.jp


go-mottomo 御尤 is a normal expression in daily conversation, it simply means "you are absolutely right".


Go-Mottomo Sama is celebrated in many shrines throughout Japan as a symbol of male fertility.

The female symbol of Go-Mottomo Sama is a square wooden box (masu) filled with beans.

quote
Gomottomosama is the vernacular name for the February setsubun festival that is held at Mitsumine Jinja in Ōtaki Village, Chichibu County, Saitama Prefecture.
A ritual bean scattering takes place in the haiden on the day before the calendrical beginning of spring (setsubun no hi).
Toshiotoko (men born under the same sign of the Chinese zodiac as the current year, or men who are in their yakudoshi, or unlucky year), carry a measuring cup (masu) filled with lucky beans in one hand and a wooden pole or pestle eighty centimeters in length in the other.
When they appear, the waiting people shout,
"Akuma taisan, banpuku shōrai
(Evil spirits begone! Great fortune begin!),"

at which point the men respond with a chorus of "Gomottomosama," and scatter the beans with their pestles.
Also, there is a setsubun purification ceremony (tsuinashiki) and a performance of the mikomai and yamatomai dances.
source : Mogi Sakae



. . . CLICK here for Photos !


This shrine also houses the "six places" rokushoguu 六所宮 (rokusho no miya) for the old province of Mutsu.


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Yaegaki Shrine (八重垣神社, Yaegaki Jinja)
. Yaegaki, Susanoo and Fertility .



. Ooyamato Jinja 大和神社 Oyamato Jinja .
Nara
Yamato no Ookuni Tama no Kami 倭大国魂神
Okunitama no Kami


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HAIKU


府中祭頬紅淡く掃いてきぬ
Fuchuusai hoobeni atsuku haite kinu

Fuchu Festival -
thick rouge brushed
on her cheeks


Nakamura Ami 中村阿弥
source : tsuru/kukai

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Related words

***** .Honen Matsuri (Hoonen Matsuri 豊年祭)  
The Penis Festival at shrine Tagata Jinja 田県神社


***** . Nada Fighting Festival (Nada no Kenka Matsuri)   



***** . sumomo matsuri すもも祭 (すももまつり)
Sumomo plum festival
 
karasu uchiwa 烏団扇(からすうちわ)"craw fan"
July 20 at the shrine Ookunitama 大国魂神社 Okunitama Jinja


***** . WKD : Musashino Plain 武蔵野 .


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5/03/2011

Seihaku Festival

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Seihaku festival (Seihakusai)

***** Location: Ishikawa prefecture
***** Season: Early Summer
***** Category: Observance


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Explanation

Seihakusai, seihaku sai 青柏祭 (せいはくさい) Seihaku festival
("Green oak Festival")

Dekayama Festival デカ山

May 3 till May 5

Annual festival at the shrine Ootokonushi Jinja in Nanao Town.

石川県七尾市/大地主神社

CLICK for more photos

Seihakusai is a festival where three large floats (hikiyama 曳山) with huge wooden wheels are pulled through the town of Nanao, Ishikawa prefecture. In Nanao, they are called dekayama, large floats, because they are 20 m high and weigh as much as 20 tons. (They are the biggest floats of this kind in Japan.)

On an open stage on the float are decorations of popular traditional theater figures.
They have large levers of 8 meters with flags, where a group of young man stand to try and lift the front wheels for a curve.

The floats are decorated with green leaves of regional oak trees (kashiwa 柏), hence the name.

These floats are made by three villages, Uo-Machi, Fuchuu-Machi and Kai-Machi.
To pull these large floats through the small roads of the village is quite a job for the men in charge.

This festival is an important cultural property of Japan.
重要無形文化財






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長まし Nagamashi sweets, eaten at the festival.
They help to ward off bad fortune.
These mochi ricecakes are made from local rice


. WASHOKU : Mochi cakes .


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HAIKU



CLICK for more photos


青柏祭七尾乙女の瞳燃ゆ
seihakusai Nanao otome no hitomi moyuru

Seihaku Festival -
the eyes of the girls of Nanao
are shining


Ota Hideo (Yamaguchi)

source : hot-ishikawa.jp
with more haiku about specialities from Ishikawa prefecture


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Related words

***** . WKD : Main Index  


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Nanto Town Toyama

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Festivals of Nanto Town, Toyama


for Fukuno no yotaka see below.



source : www.tabi-nanto.jp
富山 南砺市

SPRING

南砺いのくち椿まつり
平成24年3月24日(土)・25日(日)

福光宇佐八幡宮 福光春季例大祭
平成23年4月17日(日) 早朝より

五箇山春祭り
毎年4月19日から5月6日

福野夜高祭 Fukuno Yotaka Matsuri
宵祭り 毎年5月1日・2日 18:00から深夜
本祭り 毎年5月3日 早朝から

井波よいやさ祭り Inami Yoiyasa Matsuri
毎年5月3日 早朝から夜まで

城端曳山祭(国指定重要無形民俗文化財)
毎年5月4日・5日

四季の五箇山 春の宵 Gokanyama
平成23年5月28日(土)・6月4日(土)

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SUMMER


上畠アート
平成23年8月19日(金)~21日(日)

利賀とがめん麵祭り
平成23年7月30日(土)・31日(日)

スキヤキ・ミーツ・ザ・ワールド
平成23年8月19日(金)~21日(日)

SCOTサマーシーズン Marathon
平成23年8月19日(金)~28日(日)

城端別院善徳寺虫干法会
毎年7月22日から28日

井波太子伝会&いなみ太子伝観光祭
毎年7月21日から29日

福光ねつおくり七夕祭り
平成23年7月21日(木)~24日(日)


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AUTUMN


なんと彩菜まつり
平成23年10月29日(土)・30日(日)

福野のごっつお里いもまつり Fukuno
毎年11月23日(祝)10:00

雪恋まつり
毎年11月23日(祝) 9:00~15:00

南砺菊まつり
平成23年11月3日(木)~13日(日)

ど〜んと利賀の山祭り
平成23年10月22日(土)・23日(日)

こきりこ祭り Kokiriko Matsuri
毎年9月25・26日

五箇山麦屋まつり
毎年9月23、24日

五箇山和紙まつり Gokanyama Washi Paper festival
平成23年10月1日(土)・2日(日)

城端むぎや祭
毎年敬老の日(9月第3月曜日)直前の土日

寺のまちアートinいなみ
平成23年8月20日(土)~9月4日(日)

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WINTER


利賀の初牛 Toga no Hatsu uma
1月15日近辺の休日

四季の五箇山 雪あかり
平成24年2月5日(日)

つごもり大市
平成24年2月28日(火)・29日(水)

こきりこ味まつり
平成24年2月19日(日

南砺利賀そば祭り
平成24年2月10日(金)~12日(日)

南砺ふくみつ雪あかり祭り
平成24年2月11日(土)~2月12日(日)

南砺市アイスフェス
平成24年2月11日(土)・12日(日)

福野歳の大市
毎年12月27日

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Yotaka andon matsuri 夜高行灯祭 (よたかあんどんまつり)
Yotaka andon lantern festival
Fukuno no yotaka 福野の夜高(ふくののよたか)

observance kigo for late spring



quote
The Yotaka Matsuri festival of Fukuno is performed at the annual spring festival of Fukuno Shinmeisha Shrine 神明社, located in Fukuno, Nanto City, in the form of large and small andon (paper lanterns) going round the streets of Fukuno.

On the evenings of May 1 and 2, huge papier-mache andon produced by the seven towns - Ura-machi, Okura-machi, Kami-machi, Shin-machi, Tatsumi-cho, Nanatsuya, and Yoko-cho - visit Fukuno Shinmeisha to pay homage in turn, and then go out to the streets of Fukuno, accompanied by the music of flutes, drums and songs.
Late at night on May 2, the festival ends following a ceremony of conclusion called Shanshan which is performed by each town authority.

This festival is a major event in Toyama Prefecture, where huge andon are taken to the streets of the town. It is also a valuable resource for the study of andon production, the size of the andon having gradually become gigantic since the latter part of the Edo period, as well as for the change in the style of the procession.
It is also significant for its relationship with a ta-matsuri festival called Yotaka, which is widely seen in the Tonami district.
source : bunkashisan.ne.jp

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Shrine lantern

With more photos
source : airnanasi


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Shrine Shinmeisha 神明社




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Related words

***** . OBSERVANCES – SPRING SAIJIKI .

***** . Andon 行灯 lanterns .


. Amulets and Talismans from Japan . 

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5/01/2011

Goryo Matsuri Festival

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Goryo Festival (goryoo matsuri)

***** Location: Kyoto
***** Season: Early Summer
***** Category: Observance


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Explanation

Goryoo Matsuri 御霊祭 (ごりょうまつり)
Goryo Festival

goryoo no shinji 御霊の神事(ごりょうのしんじ) Goryo Shinto ritual
goryoo no oide 御霊の御出(ごりょうのおいで) visiting Goryo (shrine)

May 1 till 18 at the Kami Goryo Shrine 上御霊神社, Kyoto.
At Shimo Goryo Shrine下御霊神社 on a sunday near May 18.

CLICK for more photos

Ritual to appease the six "vengeful spirits" of enemies of the state.

Sudo, Sudoo Tenno 崇道天皇 (? - 785) and his son,
Iyo Shinno 伊予親王.
his mother, Fujiwara Fujin, 藤原婦人
Fujiwara Hirotsugu, 藤原広嗣
Tachibana Hayanari, 橘逸勢
Bunya no Miyata Maro 文室宮田麻呂

. . . Later two more were added :
Kibi no Makibi 吉備真備
Sugawara Michizane 菅原道真

The rituals are now for these 8 vengeful spirits.

. Sutoku Tenno, Sotoku 崇徳天皇 (1119 - 1142) .

CLICK for original,kyoto album walking


quote
History of the Gion Matsuri
Kyoto has suffered on many occasions from all kinds of bad omens, including epidemics, floods, fires, and earthquakes. To keep the spirits from being angry, special protective or goryo-e festivals have been held in Kyoto since ancient times.

The first Gion Matsuri, one of Japan's oldest goryo-e festivals, was held in the early Heian period (794-1185) to stop a series of devastating plagues.
source : www.kyotoguide.com


The Chinese characters are also read

mitama matsuri みたままつり【御霊祭(り)】
These rituals and festivals are also held at other Shinto Shrines in Japan.
Some are held during the O-Bon rituals for the ancestors.


. 御霊神社 Goryo Jinja, Kamakura .
Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa 鎌倉権五郎景政 "Gongoro san"
is the deity in residence.


御霊神社(ごりょうじんじゃ)という名前の神社は、日本各地に存在する。
- A long list :
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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The vengeful spirits, goryoo, onryoo 御霊、怨霊
Sugawara Michizane 菅原道真

. the vengeful spirits of the dead .  


. Kibi no Makibi 吉備真備  


. The Tachibana clan (橘)  



Prince Sawara
(早良親王 , Sawara-shinnō)
posthumous Emperor Sudō (崇道天皇, Sudō-tennō).
He was also made part of pantheon of ‘disgraced’ figures enshrined at the Shinsenen in Kyōto, in 863, to appease (rather than banish) troubled, even vengeful, souls. The others were Mononobe no Moriya (killed 587), Prince Iyo (executed 807), Fujiwara no Nakanari (executed 810), Tachibana no Hayanari (executed 842) and Bunya no Miyatamaro (executed 843).
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

- quote -
Scholar uncovers the fascinating history behind Japan’s folklore
One such story is “The Curse of Prince Sawara,” said to have been one of the reasons for Emperor Kanmu to relocate the capital to Heiankyo in present-day Kyoto in 794, only years after moving it to nearby Nagaokakyo.

It is said that Crown Prince Sawara, the emperor's brother, was framed for an assassination and died of indignation, and that Emperor Kanmu was haunted by his vengeful ghost because a number of imperial family members died afterward.
- source : asahi shinbun -
桓武天皇 . Prince Sawara (早良親王, Sawara-shinnō) .



. Taira no Masakado 平将門 (? – 940) .
Possible reincarnation of Sugawara Michizane . . .

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What is a kenboko?
剣鉾 (けんぼこ)



The kenboko is a ritual apparatus used to appease evil spirits. In festivals, it takes the lead position during the passage of mobile shrines. The shape of the kenboko has been linked to such ancient weapons as bronze swords and halberds, although the connection is by no means definite.

Of more certainty, is its association with belief in the spirits of the dead, during the Heian Period. In 869, during the first Gion Goryo-e (meaning "service for souls"; later to become Gion Matsuri), 66 tall spears (hoko) were erected in Shinsen Garden, after which prayers were offered in the hope of driving away the pestilence then ravaging the city.

Nenjugyoji Emaki, a series of picture scrolls depicting annual events from the Heian Period, show a festival hoko leading the passage of a mobile shrine during Gion Goryoe. Historical materials from around the beginning of the Muromachi Period show kenboko in forms close to those of the present day.

The rakuchu-rakugai-zu folding screen illustrations in the Uesugi Family Book from the late Muromachi Period show a Goryo-sha kenboko procession.


Toya-kazari of Kenboko
Kenboko serve to appease evil spirits by appearing in festivals in a ritual called kenboko-zashi (bearing of the kenboko). People who come under the protection of the deity to whom the shrine is dedicated are responsible for looking after the kenboko. The kenboko themselves are procured by the local community or a Hoko Association.

Therefore, kenboko do not usually belong to a shrine. Rather, they are the property of a community in that shrine's jurisdiction, or a Hoko Association. Each year the kenboko is passed to a different residence in the community, where it is feted for the following 12 months. This practice is called toya-kazari.


A kenboko is typically made up of kensaki (point of the sword), shingaku (deity plaque), kazari (ornamentation), fukichiri (standard) and rin (bells). All of these are attached to a long pole.

The kensaki is made of thin metal, while the shingaku carries the name of the shrine, the deity to which it is dedicated, and the name of the era from which it derived. Kazari, or ornamentation, includes crests and heraldic emblems of plants and animals, elaborately crafted in metal. Each kenboko takes its name from the kazari designs.

When carried in procession, the kenboko is placed vertically in a pouch secured around the waist. As the bearer walks, he moves the kenboko back and forth, up and down, all the while ringing the bells. As kenboko are 6~7 metres long and weigh about 60 kg, this kind of movement calls for a high degree of skill.

The Main Kenboko Festivals in Kyoto:
Kumano Shrine Jinko Festival April 29
Shinsen Garden Shinsen Garden Festival May 1~3
Saginomori Shrine Annual Festival May 4
Imamiya Shrine Imamiya Festival
..... From May 5 to a Sunday near May 15
Otoyo Shrine Ujigami Festival May 5
Hachidai Shrine Jinko Festival May 5
Jinushi Shrine Jinushi Festival May 5
Suga Shrine Jinko Festival May 10

Gojo Tenjinsha (shrine) Ujiko Festival October 10
Sugadaijin Shrine Annual Festival 2nd Sunday in May
Ichihime Shrine Ichihime Festival Sunday nearest May 13
Nagi Shrine Jinko Festival 3rd Sunday in May
Ebisu Shrine Annual Grand Festival 3rd Sunday in May
Atago Shrine Nonomiya Shrine Saga Festival 4th Sunday in May
Seimei Shrine Jinko Festival September 23
Kitano Tenmangu (shrine) Zuiki Festival October 1~4
Kita shirakawa Tenjingu (shrine) Annual Festival October 7
Awata Shrine Awata Grand Festival October 10
Hiraoka Hachimangu (shrine) Annual Festival October 10
Kono shimaza Amaterasu Omikami Shrine (Kaikono yashiro)
... Annual Festival October 10
Kasuga Shrine Kasuga Festival 2nd Sunday in October
Yoshida Shrine / Imamiya Shrine Imamiya Shrine Annual Festival 2nd Saturday in October
Hachi Shrine Autumn Grand Festival 3rd Sunday in October
Fukuoji Shrine Autumn Grand Festival 3rd Sunday in October
Sumiyoshi Otomo Shrine Jinko Festival 3rd Sunday in October
Okazaki Shrine Ujiko Grand Festival October 16
Jonangu (shrine) Jinko Festival Sunday nearest October 20
Yuki Shrine Kurama Fire Festival October 22
Iwakura Shrine Annual Festival 4th Saturday in October


Kenboko from Shrine Kasuga Jinja

source : www.kyobunka.or.jp


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kigo for early summer

Imamiya matsuri 今宮祭 (いまみやまつり)
Imamiya shrine festival


Imamiya matsuri oide 今宮祭御出(いまみやまつりおいで)
take part in the Imamiya festival

From May 5 to a Sunday near May 15
Three large ox-drawn festival floats are paraded around town.

CLICK for more photos

A Shinto shrine located in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan. It was originally established for patrons to pray for safety from an epidemic, though it has evolved into a shrine where patrons can pray for general good health.

On every second Sunday in April, one of the 3 major festivals in Kyoto, Yasurai Matsuri 安良居祭 (やすらいまつり), is held at the shrine. The word imamiya (今宮) means "newly constructed.

There are several attractions that are unique to Imamiya Shrine. Specifically, there are two longstanding restaurants adjacent to the shrine. These shops' specialty are aburimochi - skewered, roasted rice cakes that are a traditional Kyoto confection. The two restaurants, named Ichiwa and Kazariya, have been open since 1002 and 1656 respectively and are located immediately outside the shrine's east gate.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


. WASHOKU : aburimochi あぶりもち


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU


半日は神を友にや年忘れ
hanjitsu wa kami o tomo ni ya toshi wasure

half a day
I spent in the company of the gods -
this Year-End Party

Tr. Gabi Greve

Basho spent the last day of the year with the priest Ogurusu Yuugen 小栗栖祐玄 Yugen
at the shrine Kami Goryoo Jinja 上御霊神社

Discussion of this hokku
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


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Related words

***** . Gion Festival (Gion matsuri)  
祇園祭り (ぎおんまつり)

***** . Sugawara Michizane 菅原道真 .

. ikiryoo 生霊 . 生き霊 Ikiryo“living spirit” .


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2/04/2011

Sunafumi sacred sand

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Stepping on sacred sand (sunafumi)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: May and October
***** Category: Observance


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Explanation

o-sunafumi, osunafumi お砂踏み
stepping on sacred sand



CLICK for more photos


At the temple Tamagawa Daishi in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo there is a special ceremony twice a year,
in May and October from the 21st to the 23nd,
where people pray in front of hanging scrolls of the 88 Temples of the Shikoku Pilgrimage and the 33 Temples of the pilgrimage in honour of Kannon Bosatsu.


Pilgrimage(henro, junrei)
Pilgrims. Japan and worldwide



玉川大師 お砂踏み 大祭
Tamagawa Daishi Temple and the Big Ceremony in May and October

In the temple grounds there are over 300 stone statues of Buddhas while you walk along replikas of the Shikoku and the Kannon Pilgrimage. The last statue on the pilgrimage is one of Kobo Daishi himself.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




川崎大師 お砂踏み 遍路道
Kawasaki Daishi Temple in Kawasaki City and the Sacred Sand Walking The Sacred Sand Walking was taken up as a means to improve the health and legs of the visitors. Under each stone memorial of one of the 88 temples of the Shikoku pilgrimage there is a bit of Sacred Sand in the ground, so you can actually “Walk in Shikoku”.
At Kawasaki Daishi there is a big Daruma Market during the first Days of the New Year, where our Daruma is sold in the thousands.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




Temple Shootoku-ji 聖徳寺
Tsuyama Town, Okayama prefecture
In Honour of the 88 temples of the Shikoku Pilgirmage and the 33 Temples dedicated to Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) in the Saikoku area of Western Japan.
http://www.tvt.ne.jp/~syoutoku/osunafumi.htm
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




Temple Iza-Ji 医座寺
The main object of veneration is Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of Healing.
His statue is carved in stone, the letters are said to be the handwriting of Dengyoo Daishi, the great Buddhist teacher and founder of the Tendai Sect.

While you stand in front of the stone saying your prayers, you tread on sand from Shikoku, doing the SUNAFUMI of the temples with Yakushi Nyorai. The stone where you stay has the form of Buddha’s footprints.
Stay there firmly and pray for your future career and it might be granted. Shusse Yakushi, the Yakushi Buddha for your Career, might take care of things.
Say the mantra of Yakushi three times, stepping on the stone firmly.

On korokoro sendari madowagi sowaka.

. . . CLICK here for Photos !



. Fukusenji 福泉寺 Fukusen-Ji - Yokohama .


Yakushi Nyorai 薬師如来、
Buddha of Medicine and Healing


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O-Sunafumi in Hawaii
Local residents may re-create a famous pilgrimage for healing through the Osunafumi 88 Temples exhibit in the Pikake room. Soil was brought from each of the Shikoku island temples to allow participants to make the mini-pilgrimage.
http://starbulletin.com/2002/08/24/features/story2.html


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四国霊場お砂撫で o-suna nade
stroking the sacred sand


a ceremony held in various places, with bags of sand from Shikoku





あたたかく四国霊場お砂撫づ  
atatakaku Shikoku reijoo o-suna nade

on a warm day
we stoke the sacred sand -
Shikoku pilgrimage

Shooji 湘次
http://shashin-haiku.jp/allblogs-1580


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The Pilgrimage to 33 Kannon Temples
To learn about Kannon Bosatsu.


In his/her honour there are many pilgrimages all over Japan to 33 temples in the localities. Mark Schumacher has a good page about this.
... Kannon Bosatsu


. JAPANESE PILGRIMS and PILGRIMAGES



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Things found on the way



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..... BACKUP Sunafumi


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5/29/2010

Yokohama Port Festival

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Yokohama Port Festival

***** Location: Yokohama
***** Season: Early Summer
***** Category: Observance


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Explanation

Yokohama Port Festival
Yokohama Kaiko-sai
横浜開港祭(よこはまかいこうさい)

May 29, 30, and June 2, 2010.

at Minatomirai 21, Rinko Park

. . . CLICK here for Photos ! 



Reference


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quote
The 30th Yokohama Kaiko-sai (Yokohama Port Festival)
takes place in Yokohama Akarenga Park on June 2, 2011.
It's held in commemoration of the opening of Yokohama Port in 1859.

Many marine events and stage events are planned in the park and nearby locations. It's situated in Yokohama Minato Mirai 21, which is a newly developed area with shopping malls, hotels, event halls, museums, and more.
Also, the annual commemorative bazaar is held in Yokohama Koen from May 31 - June 6 in 2011.
About 200 stalls set around the Yokohama Stadium sell clothing, crafts, and more items from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
source : gojapan.about.com


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Gaijin in Japan

- quote
If you’re jōzu and you know it, hold your ground
A non-Japanese (NJ) friend in Tokyo recently had an interesting experience while out drinking with coworkers. (For the record — and I only say this because how you look profoundly affects how you are treated in Japan — he is a youngish Caucasian-looking male.)

His Japanese literacy is high (which is why he was hired in the first place), but his speaking ability, thanks to watching anime in America from childhood, is even higher — so high, in fact, that his colleagues asked him whether he was part-Japanese!

That kinda harshed his buzz. He wondered how he should respond. Should he abide by Japanese manners and deferentially deny his jōzu-ness (skill)? Or accept the praise with a “thank you” and a smile?

I suggested he should not only say thank you and accept the accolades, but also claim the part-Japaneseness. Yes, lie about it.

Why? Because this simple-looking interaction involves several issues, such as social hierarchy, bad science and privacy. And if not handled well, this episode could end up eroding his standing within the group.

First, hierarchy: Longtime readers of this column are by now aware that I see most social interactions in terms of power relationships. This is particularly true in Japan, where just about everything from politeness levels to porn seems to revolve around power. There is almost always some element of social stratification involved — be it senpai/kōhai (senior/junior), jōshi/buka (boss/subordinate), nenpai/wakamono (elder/youngster), not to mention gender, educational background, etc.

One’s social standing naturally affects expectations of how people should behave, and what manners one should adopt. But manners get really screwy if NJ are involved.

For example, consider the expectations behind international communication strategies. It’s pretty much axiomatic that NJ who don’t “look Japanese” can’t possibly speak Japanese: NJ must speak and be spoken to in English!

This means that if somebody has the courage to address an NJ (overcoming the group psychosis of English instruction in Japan; see “Don’t blame JET for Japan’s bad English,” JBC, Sept. 7, 2010), he will often take it as a personal affront if the NJ defies expectations by clicking into Japanese.

Even if no umbrage is taken, the Japanese-speaking NJ is still treated as deviant. You see that in frequent microaggressive behavior like “henna gaijin” (weird foreigner) snipes, or the occasional public figure candidly wishing that “gaijin” weren’t fluent (see “Newscaster regrets anti-foreigner quip”, Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 21, 2006).

That’s one issue. The second is the bad science. Do people seriously believe that having Japanese ancestry makes you better at Japanese?

Actually, many do. But that’s quite unscientific. Admittedly, growing up where people are speaking Japanese around you is helpful for learning what I call “kitchen Japanese,” i.e., unaccented speech but limited literacy. However, not all people with Japanese lineage grow up in a Japanese-language environment, so the connection remains tenuous.

In any case, bloodline doesn’t account for my NJ friend’s Japanese literacy, which rarely happens without structured and disciplined study. He accomplished it, hence the compliments. But the praise is still entangled within a “blood = ability” narrative.

The fact is, Japanese language is a skill, which means it can be learned by anyone able to learn a foreign language, regardless of bloodline or background.

Which leads us to the third issue: privacy. What business was it of my friend’s coworkers to ask about his background?
That’s why he should feel free to lie about it. After all, everyone else in Japan lies about things that are nobody’s business.

Consider the single young lady with the ring on her finger. Ask her where she got it and she’ll probably say she bought it for herself. Even if her boyfriend gave it to her last night at the love hotel. Why? Because personal matters are kept private.

Lying is nothing controversial. I’ve talked before about how not telling the truth is a standard practice of adult life in Japan (see “The costly fallout of tatemae and Japan’s culture of deceit,” JBC, Nov. 1, 2011).
But in this case, lying might actually do some good. By confounding expectations.

Confounding expectations erodes stereotypes. And an excellent way to do this (as comedians and satirists throughout the ages have done) is by poking fun through absurdity and satire.

Naturally, there will be some resistance. Critics of this column essentially believe that Japanese society can never be satirized, i.e., using humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule to criticize social stupidity and folly. That’s what this column has done for years, raising howls of “cultural insensitivity” and so on.

Such critics are missing the point of irony and satire within social commentary. Since Japanese humor is short on sarcasm, avenues are limited for pointing out foibles. Fortunately, you can still be absurd and get your point across.

Let’s play this out. Consider what would happen if my visibly Caucasian friend were to (falsely) claim Japanese lineage in this setting.

The dogmatists would be pleased to have their expectations confirmed — quite possibly bloodline is the only explanation they’ll accept. The critical thinkers may pause and say to themselves, “Hang on, really?” And maybe, just maybe, a few would realize that the question is patently absurd, and that blood is irrelevant to learning skills.

But what if my friend instead went the route of humility and showed deferential manners? He’d lose. Because, again, Japanese manners are not applied equally to NJ.

For example, even if a Japanese says, either as a response or a disclaimer, “My language ability is no good,” it is usually taken as pro forma humility. People pretty much know “he’s just saying that,” and they don’t take it all that literally. However, if a NJ does it, it reaffirms the narrative and expectation that NJ don’t speak Japanese.

But there are knock-on effects for NJ, especially if you’ve acted deferentially to your juniors: You’ve taken yourself down a rung in the social hierarchy.
Never do that. As I’ve written before (“Toot your own horn — don’t let the modesty scam keep you down,” JBC, Sept. 4, 2012), once you drop down a peg, the group is probably not going to help you back up. Hierarchy is not only something you earn; it’s something you claim.

After all, most native speakers of Japanese cannot appreciate what non-natives have gone through to reach fluency. As I’ve said before, communicating in Japanese is not all that difficult. What’s difficult is communicating with Japanese people.

You have to get over the Catch-22: people not speaking to you in Japanese because it’s not good enough, yet it’s not getting good enough because people won’t speak to you in Japanese. All the power relations and ingrained prejudices accompanying just about every social interaction work both as a barrier and a subordinator for NJ.

So when complimented, say thank you. You’ve earned it, so own it. And if they ask you to play to their expectations, only do so in a way that is to your advantage. Because it’s only going to get more difficult as you get older, and all the young pups who have trouble accepting NJ as senpai will happily enforce stereotypes and police you back into the Dumb Gaijin category. And then you will languish as a permanent subordinate, unrecognized for your herculean efforts.

Defy disempowering expectations, or ultimately it will be your expectations — of equal and respected treatment in Japan after all your investments and sacrifices — that are defeated.
source : Japan Times, Debito Arudou, September 2013


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HAIKU





蟻穴を出でて外人墓地めぐる
ari ana o idete gaijin-bochi meguru

an ant out of a hole
it wanders around
the cemetery for foreigners


Oogushi Akira 大串章
Tr. Fay Aoyagi


"The Yokohama Foreign Cemetery is situated on the part of the former premises of the Zotokuin temple. In February 1854, the Japan-U.S. Peace and amity Treaty was signed, a tomb was erected for the burial of one of the crew of the fleet commanded by Commodore Perry who visited Yokohama for the signing of the treaty.

After the Yokohama Port opening, that place was officially designated as the cemetery for foreign residents. Now, many foreigners lie in peace here who have been contributors to Japanese culture, including Charles Wirgman, Edmund Morel and Anton Johannes Cornelius Geerts as well as the unknowns killed at the Namamugi or Idogaya Incidents."
-- Yokohama City

- Reference - The Foreigner's Cemetery


quote
The foreign cemeteries (外国人墓地, gaikokujin bochi)
in Japan are chiefly located in Tokyo and at the former treaty ports of Nagasaki, Kobe, Yokohama, and Hakodate.
They contain the mortal remains of long-term Japan residents, and are separate from any of the military cemeteries.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Related words

***** WKD - ants coming out of their hole


. Place names used in Haiku .

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