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Aoi Festival preview

May 14, 2019 / John D. / 0 Comments

The procession begins at the Old Imperial Palace, and participants are dressed in Heian garb with a sprig of aoi or katsura leaves

At the beginning there’s a palpable sense of excitement.

A reminder that tomorrow sees one of the Big Three Festivals in Kyoto (the others being the Gion Matsuri in July and the Jidai Matsuri in October). All the preliminary events have been done, such as the horse-riding and various purifications, and the way is clear for the grand procession in which the imperial messenger delivers greetings and offerings for the kami. (For the schedule, please see below.)

The festival originated in the sixth century in a desire to please the kami and prevent disasters. Nowadays there are over 500 participants in Heian era costume; 36 horses; 2 ox-carriages. The procession starts off from the Former Imperial Palace around 10.30, and the stately progress means that it takes an hour to travel the short distance to Shimogamo Shrine.The procession stretches out to be half a mile long, and consists of horseback warriors, foot warriors, courtiers, lower-rank guards, higher-rank guards, halberd bearers and dignitaries. At Shimogamo dances are performed for the kami and the imperial messenger delivers gifts and greetings. Around 2.20 the procession sets off for Kamigamo Jinja where it arrives around 4.30 and rituals are again performed.

In medieval times there were two processions, one for the imperial messenger proceeding from the Imperial Palace and the other for the Saiin (an unmarried female related to the emperor appointed to the shrines). Between 810 and the early thirteenth century, when the practice fell into abeyance, there were 35 such priestesses who lived in palaces somewhere between the two Kamo shrines.

The Saiin inevitably is the star of the show, the May Queen of the whole event

The procession gets ready for departure in the grounds of the Former Imperial Palace. In former times the procession of the Saiin would meet up with that of the imperial messenger, and they would proceed together to the shrines. Nowadays everyone sets off from the south side of Gosho (Former Imperial Palace), and the role of the Saiin is taken by an unmarried young female from a well-bred local family. (For an interview with a former representative, click here.)

Because of the nature of the event, if the weather is bad a decision has to be made as to whether to postpone the parade for a day. After all, those junihitoe (twelve-layered ceremonial kimono) and other exquisite costumes are precious items, not intended by any means to serve as simple rain-gear!

Even the children get to wear precious costumes, though on a hot day it can be an awfully long way to walk in such thick clothing

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Click for more about the Aoi Festival. For more about the significance of the Aoi Festival and its pre-events, see Mikage Festival and Miare sai. To read further details about the festival itself, try the Wikipedia pages or this page of small pictures with accompanying explanations.
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May 15

Kyoto: Aoi Matsuri

Hollyhock Festival of the shrines. This 1,400-year old festival features a magnificent pageant which colorfully reproduces the imperial procession that used to pay homage to these shrines in ancient days. The procession consists of the ox-drawn carriages, courtiers and court ladies clad in ancient court robes, and men holding flower-decorated umbrellas, all decorated with hollyhock leaf. If it rains, the festival will be postponed to the next day.

Schedule & Key events:
10:30 a.m.-11:40 a.m. Procession from Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo-jinja Shrine
2:20 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Procession from Shimogamo-jinja Shrine to Kamigamo-jinja Shrine

Festival information compiled in cooperation with the Tourist Information Center of the Japan National Tourist Organization. (03) 3201-3331). Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

Strolling musicians accompany the procession…

… and even the drum gets decorated with the trademark aoi emblem.

In the late afternoon the procession finally reaches Kamigamo Shrine…

… where a reception party waits at the inner torii…

… though for some it’s been a long and exhausting day

Aoi Festival Saio

May 13, 2019 / John D. / 0 Comments

The Saio-dai arrives at Kamigamo Jinja with her retinue

One of Kyoto’s Big Three Festivals is reaching its highpoint on Wednesday (May 15). The Aoi Festival, sponsored by the World Heritage shrines of Shimogamo and Kamigamo, is the city’s oldest. According to the ancient record Nihon Shoki, the festival dates from the sixth century. Like the Gion Festival, there are a series of purification rites that take place prior to the big parade that is the centrepiece of the festival, when some 500 people take part in a procession dressed in historial garb, pinned to which is an aoi leaf (type of hollyhock). Over the next couple of days, Green Shinto will be featuring highpoints of the festival.

Today concerns the Saio-dai, a young lady who represents the imperial princess who in ancient times was attached to the shrine as titular head (Saio – the ‘dai’ of Saio-dai means representative). Because she is a symbol of purity, she should be young, unmarried and of a good family background with good manners. The girls are usually selected from families of ancient vintage with high esteem such as a background in traditional arts and crafts. This year, as can be seen below, she’s from an incense making family. Notice too that she has a most respectable and appropriate hobby – the tea ceremony.

The Saio-dai wears the most beautiful clothing and captures all the attention, with a throng of photographers clustered around her. During the rituals and the procession, she has to dress in the twelve-layered kimono (junihitoe) that was worn to the most formal ceremonies of the Heian court. The choice of the dazzling colours for the twelve layers was considered a fine art, and the result is usually a visual delight. The total weight of the costume comes to something like half the weight of the young female, and if the weather is anything like today (sunny and 27 degrees) it will be close to torture as the Saio-dai is paraded through the streets.

Congratulations and good luck to this year’s beauty queen!!

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Rika Ouno Selected as Aoi Festival’s 64th Saio-dai

Kyoto Shimbun 8 May 2019

Rika Ouno who has been selected as the 64th Saio-dai (dressed in ordinary kimono at a hotel in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto)

Rika Ouno, a 23-year-old company employee living in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, has been selected as the 64th “Saio-dai,” heroine of the Aoi Festival, which will be held on May 15. The festival is known as one of the three major festivals of Kyoto. This announcement was made by the preservation society of the Aoi Festival Procession, located in Kamigyo Ward, on April 15.

Rika Ouno is the second daughter of Kazuo Ouno, who manages “Ouno Kungyokudo,” a maker and seller of incense in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto. She graduated from Doshisha University last September. This spring she began working for Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. While she was at Doshisha High School, she served as a captain of the lacrosse team. Her team won the national championship, and she was named the most valuable player. She began learning German during her high school days, and studied in Germany for a year during university. Her hobby is tea ceremony.

During a press conference held at a hotel in Kamigyo Ward, Ouno shared her recollections. “I was an elementary school student when I saw the Aoi Festival and was touched by the beauty of the women’s procession.” As she will be Saio-dai in the first Aoi Festival in Reiwa, or the symbolic reign of the new emperor, she said, “The Aoi Festival is the festival to pray for the peace and security of our country. I would like to play my role praying that the next reign is also peaceful. I will take care of my health to fulfill this duty.”

The role of Saio-dai was restored in 1956, taken from the tradition of “Saio,” or imperial princesses who served Kamigamo Shrine and Shimogamo Shrine in the Heian Period. The system of selecting a female commoner to replace the Saio has now become established, and the Saio-dai [Saio-replacement] has become an integral part of the Aoi Festival.

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For a report on the 2014 Saio-dai, click here. For an interview with a Saio-dai, see this original piece.

Dressed in the most formal of kimono, the Saio-dai has to perform ritual ablutions and offerings in advance of the main procession

The emperor’s role

May 6, 2019 / John D. / 0 Comments

Emperor Naruhito at his ascension ceremony, receiving two of the three sacred regalia (the jewel and the sword)

Mainstream Shinto is based around the emperor system. In Japan, An Attempt at Interpretation (1904) Lafcadio Hearn wrote of its central role in unifying the nation, and from recent events surrounding the accession of Emperor Naruhito it is evident that the views Hearn put forward have hardly dated.

In 1956 Jinja Honcho (Association of Shrines) agreed on a kind of mission statement. It was put together for Shinto to have some equivalent to the Lord’s Prayer in Christianity, and it is recited before official ceremonies. Known as Keishin seikatsu no kōryō (General charactersistics of a life lived in reverence of the kami), it is described by the Kokugakuin encyclopedia as ‘a standardized doctrinal document’. It consists of the following main points:

1) To be grateful to the kami and ancestors, applying oneself to rituals with whole-hearted sincerity
2) To contribute to others through service without thought of self-promotion
3) To bind oneself in harmonious acknowledgement of the will of the emperor

The role of the emperor is thus of vital interest to anyone sympathetic to Shinto, and there has been debate in its leading circles about the significance of the emperor being a national ‘symbol’ as the Constitution of Japan puts it. Should the emperor be engaged in what might be seen as secular activities, or should he concentrate on his private role as semi-divine head priest?

Emperor Akihito in priestly garb on his way to announce his abdication to the Sun Goddess

The following piece by John Breen dealing with these issues is extracted from a longer article on the subject entitled ‘Abdication, Succession and Japan’s Imperial Future: An Emperor’s Dilemma’. Please note that the paragraphing is mine, and that the original article for the Asia-Pacific Journal, updated May 5, 2019, is annotated, referenced and contains the Japanese kanji for names. (Click here should you wish to see it.)

What is interesting is the reaction of ultra-conservative groups, the self-appointed guardians of Japan’s imperial legacy. The most vociferous among them today is Nippon Kaigi (Japan Conference; hereafter NK). This is a powerful group, whose board features many Shinto religious leaders. The chief priests of the Ise Shrines, the Yasukuni Shrine, and the Meiji Shrine are among them. But NK matters because Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and the majority of his cabinet are members.

How did NK respond to the emperor’s address? NK was swift to deny press reports that it was “vigorously opposed” to abdication, but statements by key NK members suggested otherwise. The most articulate among them was Kobori Keiichirō emeritus professor of Tokyo University and incumbent NK Vice-Chairman… Kobori blamed the American makers of the “anti-kokutai Constitution” for creating confusion about the emperor’s role.

Other NK members were less measured. Murata Haruki authored an extraordinary opinion piece in the journal Seiron October 2017. His critique of Emperor Akihito makes for fascinating reading. Murata saw the emperor’s wish to abdicate as symptomatic of his failure to appreciate the unique nature of Japanese emperorship. The emperor cannot refer to himself as an individual, as he did in the broadcast, since he is semi-divine; he has no need for popular approval, since he is neither politician nor performer, but descendant of the Sun Goddess; and he has no business appearing on TV to address the people; it is his ancestors – the Sun Goddess and the first emperor Jinmu above all – whom he should be addressing.

Nippon Kaigi is, in fact, divided over the abdication issue, but it is clear that what matters to Kobori, Murata and their fellows is not the person of the reigning emperor, nor the Constitution, but the unbroken imperial line that began, so they believe, with the Sun Goddess. Emperor Akihito’s words and actions constituted a threat to their view of emperorship. Clearly, if an emperor can change the rules of succession on a whim, the myth becomes untenable.

What then would they and their allies have had the emperor do? On the specific issue of succession, they wanted him to hand the burdensome tasks over to a regent, and stay put. As a general principle, emperors should abstain from the sort of public service in which Emperor Akihito found meaning. They should instead remain within the walls of the palace, perform their acts “in matters of state,” and otherwise devote themselves to prayer.

The NK position… is that “symbol of the State” means precisely the emperor’s performance of prayer at the shrine-complex within the Tokyo palace. The complex in question, built in 1888, … comprises three sites. There is a central shrine for the Sun Goddess (the kashikodokoro) , which is flanked by the kōreiden, a shrine dedicated to the imperial ancestors (the spirits, that is, of all deceased emperors since the time of the mythical Emperor Jinmu), and by a shrine for the myriad gods of heaven and earth (the shinden). It is worth noting in passing that the rites which Akihito and his father before him performed at the shrine-complex since 1945 are precisely those of prewar Japan; they differ only in that they are private, and no longer public, events.

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For more about Nippon Kaigi, please see here or here.

The new emperor has expressed his intention to follow in his father’s footsteps and steer towards a liberal interpretation of his role as ‘symbol of the State’.

Sacred regalia and ascension (3)

May 1, 2019 / John D. / 0 Comments

This morning we enter a new historical period called Reiwa as Emperor Naruhito begins his reign. It’s a very different feel from the beginning of the Heisei Era in 1989, as there is no death preceding the ascension of the new emperor – for the first time in 200 years. The sense of change is enhanced by the attendance at this morning’s ritual by a woman. Though female members of the imperial family are not allowed to participate, those in attendance included a female member of the cabinet. – an historical first (see below). Just over five minutes for the whole ceremony, and not a single word spoken! Would that every Japanese ceremony were like that…

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Extract from Japan Times May 1, 2019

In a ceremony to be held Wednesday morning [May 1], the new emperor will inherit the regalia — as well as the state and privy seals — as proof of his accession to the throne.

Spot the lone female in attendance…

While it will be attended by male adults from the imperial family, the event will be off-limits to its female members, including the new empress, taking a page from the last inheritance ritual in 1989 when female members were similarly barred from attending. The existing law stipulates only males can accede to the throne.

The government, however, has decided to allow members of the Cabinet to attend the rite as observers regardless of sex, paving the way for its only female minister, Satsuki Katayama, to do so. After the inheritance is over, the new emperor is set to give his first public address.

The imperial succession will set in motion what is to become a yearlong celebration punctuated by a host of rituals at the palace, culminating in an enthronement ceremony on Oct. 22 and a great thanksgiving ceremony from Nov. 14 to 15.

At the latter event, the emperor “offers newly-harvested rice to the Imperial Ancestor and to the deities of heaven and earth,” giving “thanks and praying for peace and abundant harvests for the country and the people,” according to the Imperial Household.

Two of the three regalia are brought into the Pine Room and placed before the new emperor.

The emperor and heir apparent (Akishino, younger brother of Naruhito) symbolically receive the sacred regalia. Between them are the state and privy seals that are passed on to the new emperor.

The sword precedes the emperor and the magatama follows Emperor Naruhito out of the room. The clock shows 10.35 – just five minutes after the ascension ceremony began! (The big celebrations will take place in the autumn.) As on the previous day, the circular mirror representing the Sun Goddess stays in the sanctuary, to which the new emperor straightaway proceeded to announce his succession.

Sacred regalia and ascension (2)

April 30, 2019 / John D. / 0 Comments

Today Emperor Akihito officially abdicated, marking the last day of the Heisei era. In Shinto terms this meant that he reported his abdication to the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu ōmikami, as the purported great ancestor of his lineage. Reporting events to ancestors is a major element in the Japanese cult of the dead, known as ancestor worship. For the occasion the emperor dresses up in the ceremonial robes of high priest and enters the sanctuary which houses a circular mirror representing the Sun Goddess.

In Shinto mythology Amaterasu presented the original (housed at Ise Shrine) to Ninigi no mikoto when he descended to earth, telling him that it contained her spirit, as if her reflection was seared into the polished bronze surface. At some stage a copy of this was made and housed in the imperial palace. As reported in the previous post, this never leaves the sanctuary. However, the other two elements in the three Sacred Regalia play a very prominent part in the ceremonies, as can be seen in the photos below.

Emperor on his way to report his abdication to the Sun Goddess, ancestor of his lineage (he’s the 125th of his line, though the first ten at least are improbable)

Emperor pays respects before entering the sanctuary

The 85 year old Akihito, having reported his abdication now looking ahead to retirement

Divested of his priestly attire, the emperor attends a civic ceremony at which he receives appreciation from the prime minister representing the nation, before delivering his final words of gratitude to the nation. Notice the two patterned cases to left and right of him, one containing the sword and the other the magatama jewel – pagan symbols from two thousand years ago.

Extract from May 1 edition of The Japan Times
Tuesday’s ceremony to mark the abdication was televised live nationwide, taking place in the Imperial Palace’s most prestigious chamber, known as the Pine Chamber — the “only hall in the Imperial Palace that has a wooden floor,” according to the Imperial Household Agency.

The ceremony involved two of the three sacred emblems of Japan’s imperial family — a sword and a jewel — being placed on a table by chamberlains, who also brought state and privy seals into the room.

Throughout the 10-minute ritual, Emperor Akihito went nowhere near touching any of the regalia — let alone handing them down to his son — reportedly to avoid the impression that he was actively declaring his intention to abdicate, a taboo gesture that could be interpreted as running counter to the Constitution, which strips the Emperor of any political power.

The rite was attended by about 300 participants, including imperial family members and heads of the legislature, the government and the judiciary, as well as state ministers and representatives from local municipalities.

Sacred regalia and ascension (1)

April 29, 2019 / John D. / 2 Comments

Pine room and a secret jewel: Japan’s abdication rituals

By Miwa Suzuki Apr. 28 Japan Today

Japan has waited more than two centuries for an emperor to abdicate, but the main ceremony to perform the ritual will take a mere 10 minutes.

The solemn rite will take place at precisely 5 p.m. on Tuesday [April 30] in the 370-square-meter Matsu-no-Ma (Room of Pine), considered the most elegant hall in the sumptuous imperial palace.

It is the only room with wooden floors — made from Japanese zelkova trees — rather than carpet, and the walls are covered with fabric featuring raised pine-leaf motifs.

Emperor Akihito will abdicate in the Room of Pine. Photo: POOL/AFP/File

The ceremony will be conducted in the presence of an ancient sword and jewel — part of the imperial regalia — considered crucial evidence of an emperor’s legitimacy. The sword and jewel will be brought in boxes into the room but a third element of the regalia, a sacred mirror, never leaves its sanctuary in the palace.

More than 300 people are expected to attend, including royals, government and parliament leaders, top judges, heads of local governments and their spouses. Around a dozen royals are due to be present.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will come forward and make a speech representing the people, before Akihito delivers his final official address as emperor. This is the last occasion the emperor will meet representatives of the people before he abdicates.

Technically, Akihito will remain emperor until the clock strikes midnight. Naruhito’s ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne on the stroke of midnight on May 1 marks the start of his new imperial era, named Reiwa or “beautiful harmony”, to replace his father’s Heisei.

The initial set of enthronement ceremonies takes place in the same Matsu-no-Ma at 10:30 a.m. on May 1 and are also very short. During the first ceremony, the new emperor will inherit the sword, the jewel and the royal seals. Again, the sacred mirror remains in the sanctuary but this time, an envoy is sent to offer a ritual prayer before it. This represents the emperor “inheriting” the mirror.

The emperor flanked by a boxed sword on one side, and a boxed magatama jewel on the other. The mirror stays in the imperial sanctuary.

The emperor does not speak in this 10-minute ceremony, which is off-limits to female royals. Shortly afterwards, at 11:10 a.m., Naruhito will take part in another ceremony in which he will give his first speech as emperor. Again, Abe will speak on behalf of the people.

The new emperor will greet well-wishers from a glass-covered balcony on May 4 but is then likely to keep a low profile until the autumn. On Oct 22, he will formally proclaim the enthronement with 2,500 participants from Japan and abroad in an official ceremony, followed by a motorcade through central Tokyo.

In these spring ceremonies, male royals are expected to wear Western-style coats and the women full-length dresses. They will don traditional palace costumes for the autumn ceremonies and rites.

Motonosumi Inari Shrine

April 28, 2019 / John D. / 0 Comments

Photo by Jordy Meow

Motonosumi Inari Shrine

From Japan Today

In 1955, a divine message was sent from the fox spirit to a local resident of Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture. He was told to build a shrine on the picturesque cliffs where he went fishing. This is the story locals tell when asked about the origin of the Motonosumi Inari Shrine.

Often described as breathtaking, the secluded shrine on the coast of Yamaguchi boasts 123 torii gates. They are all lined up along a footpath leading to the shrine. Most of the gates originally came from its sister shrine; Daikondani Inari Shrine in Shimane prefecture. The path stretches over 100 meters and is said to bring good luck in fishing, business, travel and pregnancy.

Torii tunnel (Photo by: Akira Takiguchi)

What really sets this shrine apart is the offertory box where traditionally you throw a coin in to make a wish or ask for luck. Normally set upon the ground, this shrine’s box is attached to the top of the first torii gate on the path. Patrons have to throw their coins at the box, hoping it will go in. If your aim is true and your coin does go in then your wish is said to come true.

Photo by: Bsx The rocky cliffs of Omijima.

Along the cliffside next to the shrine you get a gorgeous view of the ocean. The rock face of the cliff is riddled with grooves and holes created by weathering. This is particularly impressive when the waves crash against the cliff face, forcing water through the largest of these holes, creating a geyser-type effect. This is called the Ryugu no Shiofuki, or dragon palace geyser as it is said to look like a mythical water serpent emerging from the ocean.

The reflective pools [of the rice paddies] next to the intensely blue ocean make for quite the sight.

Further along the coast, there are sights such as Omijima or “the Alps of the sea.” These are a small island chain made up of gargantuan rocks violently jutting out of the water. You can take a cruise ship around these natural formations or see them from beneath along with the locally famous senzaki squid on a diving trip.

Photo by: Yuri Ueno A farmer in the Higashi-ushirobata Rice Terrace.

Also close-by are the reflective rice fields of Nagato. From the top of Yuya terrace, you can look down up the layered rice fields. Each one is on a different step, leading down to the ocean. Another terrace just a six-minute drive from there is Higashi-ushirobata Rice Terrace.

The reflective pools next to the intensely blue ocean make for quite the sight. On a clear night, the pools reflect the stars and the only artificial lights that can be seen are the squid fishing boats bobbing to and fro in the waves. The pools, ocean and night sky all mix in a sea of speckled lights, brightening the darkness.

Rika Ouno Selected as Aoi Festival’s 64th Saio-dai

Pine room and a secret jewel: Japan’s abdication rituals

Motonosumi Inari Shrine

How To Get There 498 Yuyatsuō, Nagato-shi, Yamaguchi-ken 759-4712, Japan

How To Get There
498 Yuyatsuō, Nagato-shi, Yamaguchi-ken 759-4712, Japan