nntsuzu/KFTT huggingface dataset:
English: In Song Dynasty and later when tenkoku (seal carving using special Chinese characters, Tensho) by men of literature became popular, cherished motto, Chinese poetry, religious phrases and refined sentences came to be used as inmon.
Japanese: 宋代以降に文人による篆刻が盛んになると、座右の銘や漢詩、宗教的な語句、風流な文などを印文とするようになる。
English: When it is used as a rakkan (signature and seal) in calligraphies and pictures, it is common that yuin in the form of inkoku (carving to remove the pattern) in red ink is put under the full name of the artist in hakubun (carving to remain the pattern).
Japanese: 書画の落款として使用される場合、白文（陽刻）の姓名印の下に、朱文（陰刻）の遊印が捺されることが一般的である。
English: In Japan, yuin came to be made by the calligraphers and men of literature influenced by "Hikodo inpu" reprinted in early Edo period.
Japanese: 日本では江戸時代初期に翻刻された『飛鴻堂印譜』に感化を受けた書家や文人によって遊印が作成され始めた。
English: He was born as a son of Sanenobu WASA in Negi, Wasa-mura Village, Kii Province (present Wasa, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture) in 1663.
Japanese: 寛文3年（1663年）、和佐実延の子として、紀伊国和佐村禰宜（現在の和歌山県和歌山市和佐）に生まれた。
English: Norito also learned kyujutsu under Noritake YOSHIMI (posthumous Buddhist name: Junsei) from Kishu-chikurin line, and he was given the lesson fee by the domain because his skills were excellent.
Japanese: 範遠も紀州竹林派吉見経武（法名：順正）に師事し弓術を学んだが、技量が優れていたので藩より稽古料を給された。
English: In November 1685, his father caused trouble by debt and his stipend was taken away, but Norito was forgiven.
Japanese: 貞享2年（1685年）11月、父は借金で問題を起こし禄を召し上げられたが、範遠は許された。
English: On June 17, 1686, he tried Toshiya at Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto, when he made 8,133 hit out of 13,053 arrows and became Tenkaichi.
Japanese: 貞享3年（1686年）4月27日、京都三十三間堂で通し矢種目を試み、総矢数13,053本の内、通し矢8,133本で天下一になった。
English: Later in 1688, he became the archer for Tsunanori, and 200 more koku (approximately 30000 kgs. of rice) was added.
Japanese: その後貞享5年（1688年）には綱教附の射手役となり200石を加増された。
English: On April 22, 1709, he was placed with Nobutake ANDO, and confined in Tanabe-jo Castle (Kii Province).
Japanese: 宝永6年（1709年）3月13日、安藤陳武に預けられ田辺城(紀伊国)に幽閉された。
English: It is said that the reason of his downfall was 'because he sent a love letter to the wife of his colleague Kojiro TORII' or 'because of his younger brother Hanroku's problems with women.'
Japanese: 失脚の理由は、「同僚鳥居幸次郎の妻に艶書を遣わした」とも「弟の半六の女性問題」ともいわれている。
English: On April 18, 1713, he fell sick and died hopelessly in Nagakura (長ヶ蔵) in Tanabe-jo Castle.
Japanese: 正徳(日本)3年（1713年）3月24日、失意のうちに、病に罹り田辺城内の長ヶ蔵で死去。
English: The other was placed by his descendant to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Norito's death, which is said to have been used for the Toshiya at Sanjusangendo Temple.
Japanese: もう一つは範遠の250回忌を記念して子孫が納めたもので三十三間堂の通し矢に使用されたと伝わっている。
English: He started the Toshiya event at Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto from six in the evening of the day before June 17, 1686, but the next morning he became out of condition and made fewer hit.
Japanese: 貞享3年（1686年）4月27日の京都三十三間堂での通し矢種目の際、前日暮れ六つ（午後6時）から開始したが、翌朝ごろ調子が悪くなり通し矢が少なくなった。
English: Then Shigenori HOSHINO, the record holder of Tenkaichi of the day appeared, and he cut Norito's left hand by a short sword to cure congestion, which made Norito regain his performance.
Japanese: そこに当時の天下一の記録保持者星野茂則が現れ、範遠の左手を小刀で切ってうっ血を治したところ調子を取り戻したという。
English: Hidari Tachi is the technique to hold and grip a sword with the left hand placed towards the Tsuba (a hand guard) and the right hand placed at the base of the hilt, meanwhile the right hand is usually placed towards a Tsuba and the left hand is placed at the base of a hilt in the art of swordsmanship.
Japanese: 左太刀（ひだりたち）とは、剣術において通常は右手を前、左手を後ろに刀を持つのを、逆に左手を前、右手を後ろに持つ技術のこと。
English: It is created in 1955 by Shuretsu MIYASHITA the first, a So player and composer, and improved by Shin MIYASHITA, his son.
Japanese: 1955年（昭和30年）、箏演奏家および作曲家の初代宮下秀冽が考案し、その息子の宮下伸の改良による。
English: It is a large type of So with 30 strings and its size is around 235cm in length and around 55cm in maximum width, and it belongs to an incomplete zither with mobile frets.
Japanese: 30絃、全長235cm前後、最大幅55cm前後の大型の箏であり、可動フレットの不完全ツィターに属する。
English: The instrument is designed to extend the interval from the ryukaku (the fixed bridge on the performer's right) to pins and to have the function of percussion instruments so that a player can play strings (atonal) or beat (hit) there.
Japanese: 竜角からピンまでの間隔を長くし、そこの位置で絃を弾いたり（無調音）、打ったり（打音）できるように工夫され、打楽器的機能も備えている。
English: Material of the instrument is the same as the traditional So and each string is twisted around a pin at the head portion just as Jushichigen So (17-string Koto).
Japanese: 材質は従来の箏と同様で、各絃が頭部のピンに巻きつけられる点は、十七絃と同様である。
English: The extra-thick strings (thicker than the strings for Jushichigen So) are used for tenor note strings and made strong enough for beating at full strength with a hand as percussive.
Japanese: 低音絃は極太（十七絃用より太い）を使用し、打楽器として手で力いっぱい叩いても十分耐えられるようにされている。
English: The thickness of the strings are changed in about threes of strings and 17 strings in the tenor note part are made of silk and 13 strings in the treble note part are made of tetrone.
Japanese: 絃の太さは、3本単位ぐらいで変えられており、低音部17本は絹、高音部13本はテトロン製である。
English: Bridges of Koto are generally large and the largest one (for the tenor notes) is around 8.5cm-high and the smallest one is the same as those of Jushichigen So.
Japanese: 箏柱は、全体的に大きく、最大例（低音部用）は総高8.5cm前後、最小例（高音部）は十七絃の箏柱に同じである。
English: Bridges of a Koto are designed not to line up diagonally in a single line by adjusting the thickness of strings and the height of bridges.
Japanese: 絃の太さと箏柱の高さの調整により、箏柱は斜め一列に並ばぬよう工夫されている。
English: Solo for 30-string Koto' composed by Shuretsu MIYASHITA the first (won Arts Festival [the Agency for Cultural Affairs] Excellence Award played by Shin MIYASHITA)
Japanese: 初代宮下秀冽作曲「三十絃のための独奏曲」（宮下伸の演奏により芸術祭(文化庁)優秀賞）
English: Symphonia for S.M.' composed by Makoto MOROI (won the Arts Festival Grand Prize played by Shin MIYASHITA)
Japanese: 諸井誠作曲「S.M.のための“シンフォニア”」（宮下伸の演奏により芸術祭大賞）
English: Nimen no Sanjugen to dagakki no tameno Hibiki' (sounds for two 30-string Kotos and percussions) composed by Shin MIYASHITA (1972, commissioned by NHK)
Japanese: 宮下伸作曲「二面の三十絃と打楽器のための“ひびき”」（1972・NHK委嘱）
English: Sanjugen to dagakki no tameno Hibiki' (sounds for 30-string Koto and percussions) composed by Shin MIYASHITA (1972, commissioned by NHK)
Japanese: 宮下伸作曲「三十絃と打楽器のための“ひびき”」（1972・NHK委嘱）
English: Sanjugen, So, Shakuhachi, dagakki no tameno "Kairyu ni notte"' (Going with Kairyu, the ocean current for 30-string Koto, 13-string Koto, Shakuhachi, and percussion) composed by Shin MIYASHITA (1993, commissioned by Nihon Sankyoku Kyokai)
Japanese: 宮下伸作曲「三十絃・箏・尺八・打楽器のための“海流にのって”」（1993・日本三曲協会委嘱）
English: Hariko is one of the plastic arts technique which forms papier-mache by attaching pieces of paper to frames made of bamboo or wood or molds made of clay.
Japanese: 張り子、あるいは張子（はりこ）とは、竹や木材などで組んだ枠、または粘土で作った型に紙などを張りつけ、成形する造形技法のひとつ。
English: Paper used for the papier-mache is called 'konkurigami' ('konkuri' means concrete).
Japanese: 張子に用いられる紙は「混凝紙（こんくりがみ）」（「混凝」はコンクリートの意味）と呼ばれる。
English: As a dog breeds many puppies at a time and its delivery is quicker compared to other animals, it is used as an Omamori (a personal amulet) for easy delivery and baby's health.
Japanese: 犬は1回に複数頭の子供を生み、出産も他の動物に比べて軽いことなどから安産や子供の健康を祈願する守りとして用いられた。
English: It is used as the root of an expression, 'hariko no tora' (papier-mache tigers of which neck swing), which means a person who is in high spirits but superficial.
Japanese: 威勢ばかりで中身の伴わないことを指す「張子の虎」ということわざの語源となっている。
English: Its original brand name of green tea is Kisen and the fine quality tea is called Jokisen (or Shokisen).
Japanese: 本来の銘柄名は喜撰で、その上等なものを上喜撰（あるいは正喜撰）と呼んだ。
English: The brand is famous for the kyoka (comic [satirical] tanka) that played on words associated with the arrival of the Black Ships (jokisen [steamboat] in Japanese) by Matthew Calbraith PERRY, 'Jokisen is such a good tea that you have trouble sleeping at night with just four cups and rouses you from your quiet long sleep.'
Japanese: 1853年、マシュー・カルブレース・ペリーによる浦賀への黒船来航（蒸気船）とかけた狂歌「泰平の眠りをさます上喜撰たつた四杯で夜も寝られず」で有名。
English: Tsuzura (wicker clothes hamper) is originally a kind of basket with a lid and is woven out of Tsuzurafuji (Sinomenium acutum, another name is Otuzurafuji) vines.
Japanese: 葛籠（つづら）は、元来、ツヅラフジのつる植物で編んだ蓋つきの籠の一種である。
English: Later, it became general to call a square clothing storage box woven bamboo into ajiro (wickerwork).
Japanese: 後に竹を使って網代に（縦横に組み合わせて）編んだ四角い衣装箱をさして呼ぶことが一般的になった。
English: Originally, the vines of Tsuzurafuji is strong and easy to work so that people seemed to call baskets woven out of viny materials Tsuzura, naming after its materials.
Japanese: もともとはツヅラフジのつるが丈夫で加工しやすいことから、つる状のものを編んで作る籠のことを材料名から葛籠と呼んでいたようである.
English: Even after its materials were changed, they have kept using the name, 'Tsuzura,' and still use the Chinese character, 葛籠, even today.
Japanese: 原材料が変化しても呼称だけは残り、葛籠という字があてられたまま「つづら」と呼ばれるに至っている。
English: The Chinese character '葛' itself is read as 'kuzu' but it is sometimes read as 'kazura' and kazura is a word used as a general term for vines.
Japanese: 「葛」という字は単体では「くず」であるが、「かづら」とも読むことができ、かづらはつる植物の総称としても使われる語句である。
English: Tsuzurafuji is written as '葛藤' in Chinese character and it reminds of vines tangled, and the word, 'katto' (struggle) remains as an expression for the emotional entanglements.
Japanese: ツヅラフジは漢字で書く場合は「葛藤」となり、つるがもつれ合う様から、感情がもつれることの表現として「かっとう」という言葉が残っている。
English: The baskets woven out of plant vines has been made and used to carry things since the Jomon period.
Japanese: 植物のつるを編んで作る籠は縄文時代から作られ、運搬に利用されていた。
English: When the technique of using bamboo materials was established in the Heian period, people made use of the characteristics of bamboo that is easy to process in constant width and began to made square baskets for a box to keep clothes.
Japanese: 平安時代に入り竹を加工する技術が確立されると、幅を一定にそろえやすい特徴から衣装を保管する箱として、四角く作られるようになった。
English: In Teijo-zakki (Teijo's memorandums) written by Sadatake ISE from 1763 to 1784, there is a description of a tsuzura and its material that had changed to bamboo.
Japanese: 伊勢貞丈が1763年から1784年にかけて記した「貞丈雑記」には葛籠に関する記述があり、素材が竹に変っていっていると書かれている。
English: In the Genroku era, a merchant in Edo (Tokyo), Jinbe TSUZURAYA, made and sold unified size baskets (about 87 x 53 x 45cm) as bridal furniture and they became popular products for the common people.
Japanese: 元禄時代になり、葛籠屋甚兵衛という江戸の商人が規格サイズ（約87×53×45cm）を婚礼の道具として作り出し、庶民にも親しみやすいものになっていった。
English: Its height was from the Meiji period to the Taisho period and there were many tsuzura craftsman in Nihonbashi (Chuo Ward, Tokyo), a famous town for kimono, and there was also a tsuzura traders' union.
Japanese: 最盛期は明治時代から大正時代にかけてのころで、呉服の街として名高い日本橋(東京都中央区)には葛籠の職人も多く、葛籠屋の組合もあった。
English: In the case of bamboo tsuzura, thin constant width bamboo boards are woven in a matrix pattern and made into a square box shape.
Japanese: 竹製の葛籠の場合、細く幅をそろえた竹を縦横に編み、四角い箱の形を作る。
English: The box was painted with astringent persimmon juice and lacquered (cashew [Anacardium occidentale] is sometimes used today) and finished.
Japanese: こうして作られた箱に柿渋を塗り、漆（現代ではカシューが使われることが多い）塗りを経て、完成。
English: The bamboo made tsuzuras are light and have a high level of permeability to maintain moderate humidity with the effects of astringent persimmon juice and lacquer and they also have moth-proofing and antibacterial effects.
Japanese: 竹製なので軽く、通気性が良く、柿渋と漆の効果で湿度を適宜に保ち、防虫と抗菌の効果がある。
English: As their service life is said to be more than 100 years and they are strong enough to keep its shape without breaking apart even if they are thrown, they have a feature to protect the things kept inside easily even when it is roughly handled in the event of an emergency such as a fire.
Japanese: 耐用年数は100年以上とも言われ、その頑丈さは放り投げてもばらばらになりにくいため、火事などの緊急時に粗雑に扱われても中に保管していたものを守りやすいという特徴を持つ。
English: Traditionally, lacquer had been used, but since a synthetic-resin paint called cashew was invented, it has been used in place of lacquer because it is easy to handle.
Japanese: 元来、漆が使われてきたが、カシューという合成樹脂塗料が発明されて以降、取り扱いやすさから代用されることが多い。
English: Tsuzura is also written as '九十九' (tukumo, winding and twisting) of which origin is the vine of Tsuzurafuji that twists and turns.
Japanese: つづらは「九十九」とも変換されるがこれはツヅラフジのつるが曲がりくねっていることが語源とされている。
English: The reason why sloping roads such as Iroha-zaka Slope in Nikko City are called 'tsuzuraori' (winding road) comes from this characteristic of Tsuzurafuji.
Japanese: 日光市のいろは坂のような坂道を「つづら折り」と呼ぶのも、これが語源である。
English: A big tsuzura and a small tsuzura as containers for souvenirs appear in a Japanese fairy-tale, 'Shitakiri-suzume' (The Tongue-Cut Sparrow).
Japanese: 日本のおとぎ話、「舌切り雀」にはおみやげ物が入っている容器として大きな葛籠と小さな葛籠が登場する。
English: Sumai no Sechie was one of the ceremonies that took place in the imperial court between the Nara period through to the Heian period.
Japanese: 相撲節会（すまひのせちえ）とは、奈良時代・平安時代にかけて行われた宮中行事の1つ。
English: However, it is believed that the oldest record of Sumai no Sechie events is that referred to in "Secret Imperial Events Chronicle" etc in the year 726 when we are told that Emperor Shomu had sumo wrestlers ('rikishi') who were subjects in his court controlled domains pay tribute.
Japanese: しかし、相撲節会の最古の記録は『宮中行事秘事』などに伝えられる聖武天皇の神亀3年（726年）に令制国より相撲人（今日の力士）が貢進されというものであると考えられている。
English: Something not recorded in the official "Shoku Nihongi" (Chronicle of Japan Continued) history that occurred two years later (on June 11, 728) were entries about the tributes from participants in horseback archery and sumo having fallen into arrears.
Japanese: これは正史の『続日本紀』には載っていないものの、2年後の神亀5年4月辛卯（25日）（728年）条に騎射・相撲に参加する者の貢進の停滞に関する記事があること。
English: Moreover, noted in the same book on July 29, 719 is mention of an a predecessor of a 'sumo organization' and mention of establishment of a spin-off organization is seen around this time.
Japanese: 更に同書養老3年7月辛卯（4日）（719年）条に相撲司の前身であるとされる抜出司設置の記事が見られることからこの前後の成立であると考えられている。
English: With the arrival of the Tenpyo era in 729, 'Tanabata' (Festival of the Weaver) and sumai events were held together on July 7 (lunar calender).
Japanese: 天平年間に入ると、7月7日(旧暦)に行われていた七夕の節会と融合してこの日に行われるようになった。
English: Meanwhile, emissaries from the central government sent to the various provinces to urge contribution of sumo wrestlers were called 'sumo emissaries.'
Japanese: なお、諸国に対して中央から相撲人貢進を促すために派遣された使者を相撲使と呼称した。
English: Sumo wrestlers were originally apprenticed as imperial and military guards and, the majority of them were sumo wrestlers contributed by the various provinces on this basis.
Japanese: 相撲人は本来、近衛府・兵衛府の官人及び白生（見習い）が中心で諸国から貢進された相撲人がこれを補う形であった。
English: However, afterwards the various provinces were compensated for their contributions and, selected individuals (tournament winners) were employed as imperial/military guards as well as being appointed to local government roles upon return to the provinces.
Japanese: しかし、後に諸国からの貢進で賄われる様になり、その抜手（優勝者）を近衛府・兵衛府などで採用したり、帰国後に在庁官人などに登用された。
English: During the Heian period, a temporary sumo office, the Sumai no tsukasa, was set up and supervised by Imperial princes given honorary roles as Betto (chief of the sumo office).
Japanese: 平安時代には相撲司と呼ばれる親王を別当とした臨時の役職が設置されるようになった。
English: However, due to the death on August 9, 824 of Retired Emperor Heijo, the dates of Sumai no Sechie events were shifted to July 16 and subsequently faded away.
Japanese: だが、天長元年7月7日（824年8月5日））に平城上皇が崩御したのを機に節会が7月16日(旧暦)に期日変更されてからは次第に衰微した。
English: Afterwards, Emperor Koko promoted sumo which lead to a revival, but from the middle of the Heian period, the events were called sumo 'Meshiawase' (invitation) events that were smaller in scale and in fact organized by the imperial guards.
Japanese: 後に光孝天皇が相撲を奨励するなど再興の動きも見られたが、平安時代中期以後は相撲召合と呼ばれて規模が縮小されるようになり、近衛府が事実上の主催するようになった。
English: After being sporadically held in 1158 and 1174, the event was finally abolished.
Japanese: 保元3年（1158年）と承安(日本)4年（1174年）に散発的に行われたのを最後に廃絶することになった。
English: The 'komahiki' event was one ritual that occurred within the imperial court in August each year when horses that were agisted in the Eastern provinces according to imperial edict were brought to the south hall of the imperial palace and paraded in front of the Emperor and afterwards nobility selected some whilst the remainder were stabled or allocated to the imperial guard.
Japanese: 駒牽（こまひき）とは、宮中行事の1つで毎年8月に東国に置かれた勅旨牧から貢進されたウマを内裏南殿において天皇の御前にて披露した後に出席した公卿らに一部を下賜し、残りを馬寮・近衛府に分配する行事。
English: Because the imperial agistment sites were required in four provinces (Shinano, Kai, Musashi and Kozuke), the plots of grazing land were dispersed and, according to ancient laws and political guidelines the ceremonies took place in an eight day timeframe in August.
Japanese: 勅旨牧は信濃国・甲斐国・武蔵国・上野国の4国に及んだため、牧単位で分散して行われ、『延喜式』・『政事要略』によれば、8月のうちから8日間に分けて儀式が開かれた。
English: Also, on the morning of the day prior to the ceremony another ceremony whereby a horse contributed by the officers and men of the imperial guard was taken to the Osaka no seki (the Osaka Barrier) in a ceremony called the Komamukae ('Horse Welcoming').
Japanese: また、儀式に先立って当日の朝に近衛府の将兵が貢進された馬を逢坂関で出迎える駒迎（こまむかえ）の儀式もあわせて行われていた。
English: Later on, parts of the grazing land outside of Shinano Province stopped being used; however, to make up for some sort of shortfall etc the Oshu area had previously been acquired and it is also thought that influential local people contributed horses.
Japanese: 後に信濃国の一部の勅旨牧以外からの貢進は途絶えたが、奥州から予め購入あるいは現地の有力者から貢進された馬で不足分を補った。
English: Besides this, on May 5 (lunar calender) each year preceding the 'komahiki' event, there was another ceremony where horses to be used in horseback archery and horse racing that had been presented to the emperor by princes and nobles were displayed in front of the Emperor.
Japanese: なお、これとは別に毎年5月5日_(旧暦)の節会に先立って、騎射・競馬の儀式の際に用いられる馬を親王・公卿ら及び畿内周辺諸国から献上された馬を天皇の御前に披露する駒牽の儀式もあった。
English: Doko' are utensils used to heat water and warm sake by placing on braziers.
Japanese: 銅壷（どうこ）とは、火鉢の中に置き、湯を沸かし燗酒をつくる民具である。
English: Since the days of yore it has been said that water in 'Doko' heating units never goes bad; however, this is because of the sterilizing effect of the copper ions.
Japanese: 古来より「銅壷の水は腐らない」と言われるが、これは銅イオンの殺菌作用によるものである。
English: A large section of that part of the unit which is heated is designed to conceal the charcoal which is placed below.
Japanese: 熱を受ける部分の形状は、炭を覆うものと炭直下の灰に埋め込むものに大別される。
English: Built to be buried in the charcoal directly below is a u-shaped pipe which makes it comparatively easy to control the charcoal by use of metal chop sticks.
Japanese: 炭直下の灰に埋め込むものの構造はU字型に曲げられたパイプであり、炭を覆うものに比して火箸で炭の世話をしやすい利点がある。
English: The place at which the pipe and hot-water bath section come together is slightly separated and built to enable the circulation of heated water.
Japanese: パイプと貯湯部分の結合部は上下にずらされており、熱せられた水が循環する仕組みと成っている。
English: The shape of the section used for heating porcelain flasks full of sake is generally rectangular, but the openings in the water reservoir in the upper section of the unit have round openings to facilitate the insertion of sake flasks for warming.
Japanese: 湯を貯め徳利を湯煎する部分の形状は概ね直方体で、上部に給水口を兼ね徳利を挿し入れる丸い穴が開けられている。
English: The openings in the water reservoir were covered by lids to keep in the warmth and prevent ash from falling in.
Japanese: 湯を保温するためや灰の混入を防ぐ目的で、この穴を塞ぐ蓋が付属するものもある。
English: Modern day sake flask warmers have changed to using gas as the heat source and being made of rust resistant stainless steel.
Japanese: 現代の燗銅壷は熱源をガス燃料に変え、筐体は錆に強いステンレス鋼で作られている。
English: Doko' style warmers that are placed over a brazier are no longer main-stream, and 'Kandoko' copper sake warmers are often simply referred to as 'Doko' copper warmers.
Japanese: 火鉢に置く銅壷が一般ではなくなったこともあり、燗銅壷を略し銅壷と呼ばれることも多い。
English: Fundoshi Iwai (aka Heko Iwai) is a coming-of-age ritual for men, that takes place in some regions of Japan.
Japanese: 褌祝(ふんどしいわい、へこいわい)は、日本の一部地方で行われる男子の成人になるための祭事。
English: Origins of the ritual come from a practice where having reached puberty, adolescent males in their early teens wore a loincloth for the first time and were recognized as adults.
Japanese: 第二次性徴期を迎える十代前半の男児が初めて褌を締めて成人と見なされることから由来する。
English: Fundoshi Iwai is mainly held among the western Japan, but it is also seen in some areas in eastern Japan such as Nagano, Chiba, and Ibaraki Prefectures.
Japanese: 主に西日本を中心に行われるが、東日本では長野県、千葉県、茨城県でも散見されている。
English: As the 'Fundoshi' (loincloth) is designed to cover the genital region, the Fundoshi's use is a symbol that celebrates the wearers capacity to reproduce.
Japanese: 褌は下着として陰部を覆うことから、生殖能力を備えたことを祝う象徴として用いられた。
English: The Fundoshi was provided by an aunt on the mother's side; however if lacking, in principle it could also be given by a paternal aunt.
Japanese: 褌は母方の伯母、叔母か、いない場合、父方の伯母、叔母から贈られることを基本としている。
English: In cases when there was also no paternal aunt, it was presented by blood relatives such as mother or sisters and called an 'Oba (aunty) Kure (received) Fundoshi (loincloth).'
Japanese: 父方の伯母、叔母もいない場合は、母親か姉妹と、血族の女性から贈るものとされ、「オバクレフンドシ」と呼ばれていた。
English: The age of adulthood differed amongst regions in Japan; however, it was usually considered to be adolescents between the ages of 13 and 15.
Japanese: 地域によって成年の年齢の違いはあるが、概ね13歳から15歳の年齢に達した男児とされる。
English: It is said that celebrations were held when adolescents reached the age of puberty where a bolt of cloth, rice or sake (rice wine) was presented to a girls household whereupon, the cloth was used to make loincloths and a naked adolescent was instructed how to tie traditional undergarments and toasts were exchanged.
Japanese: 成年に達した男児は、布1反と米か、或いは、餅か酒を女性宅に持参し、その1反の布を女性が褌（六尺褌）に仕立てて、男児を裸にし、褌の締め方や使い方を教え伝えて、祝の杯を交わす儀式であると言われる。
English: After the ceremonies had concluded an adolescent was afterwards permitted to wear a loincloth, treated as an adult and and permitted to marry from the community.
Japanese: この儀式を終えた男児は以後、褌の着用が許され、村の共同体で結婚の資格を有した一人前の男性と扱われた。
English: There was a reason why the loincloth was treated as an adults piece of underwear and adolescents who had not reached adulthood were not permitted to wear the same.
Japanese: 褌が成人の下着と扱われる所以であり、成年に達しない男児の着用は許されなかった。
English: In some regions the loincloth celebrations were used to hand down gender specific etiquette and it said were at times a form of sex education.
Japanese: 一部の地方では、この褌祝の祭事は、子に性技の作法を伝える、性教育の儀式でもあったと言われる。
English: When an adolescent boy reached maturity in a matriarchal family dominated by a mother figure, reproductive potential was something to be celebrated and, ceremonies to celebrate good fortune and success involved the selection of womenfolk from the maternal side of the family as partners for the adolescents initial acts of coitus.
Japanese: 母系家族の代表である母親が、男児が成長し、生殖能力を備えたことを祝い、その幸福と成功を祝う儀式として、母方の家系の姉妹が男児の最初の性行為の相手として選ばれた。
English: Prior to this, mothers were directly involved as partners in this arrangement however, after incest became more of a taboo, there was a shift to women who were not blood relatives.
Japanese: それ以前では、母親が直接の相方となっていたようだが、近親相姦のタブーが広まったことから、母方の姉妹、血族以外の女性と変遷したようだ。
English: In more recent times, in a departure from traditional loincloths (Rokushaku Fundoshi), along with the changing times there were some regions who held simplified loincloth (Etchu Fundoshi) events.
Japanese: 近代以降、褌も六尺褌から、時代と共に簡略化されて越中褌で行う地区もあった。
English: However, since the 1920's incest has increasingly been taboo and with WWII Westernization spread and loincloths largely died out as nuclear families gained ground and, as such, holding loincloth ceremonies largely died out in most regions whereby the sentiment is conveyed in form alone by serving rice with red beans it appears.
Japanese: しかし、昭和に入り、近親相姦のタブーが拡がったことや、第二次世界大戦後は、洋装化が進み、核家族化の進展と共に褌が廃れたことで、褌祝の祭事を行う地区は殆どなくなり、その内容も形式的に赤飯等を配るなどの内容となっているようだ。
English: Kenjo no shoji (sliding screens of the 32 Chinese sages) are sliding screens that were placed at the main housing of the Shishin-den Hall (hall for state ceremonies) to be separated from the kitakata kitabisashi (northern eaves) in the Imperial Palace.
Japanese: 賢聖障子（けんじょうのしょうじ）は、内裏の紫宸殿母屋の北方北廂とのさかいに立てられていた障子。
English: On the both sides of the above mentioned paintings, there are four slide screens each, and the pictures of four sages are painted on each screen; in total, 32 sages are painted.
Japanese: その東西それぞれに4間、1間ごとに像4人ずつ、つまり32人がえがかれた。
English: It is said that paintings were completed in the period of Emperor Yozei (according to the "Konendairyaku") or the Emperor had KOSE no Kanaoka to paint them in 892 (according to the "Kokon Chomon ju" [a Collection of Tales Heard, Past and Present]).
Japanese: 陽成天皇の時代に完成したとも（『皇年代略』）、また寛平4年に巨勢金岡にえがかせたとも（『古今著聞集』）いう。