nntsuzu/KFTT huggingface dataset:
English: The Shokusanjin origin theory: According to "Tenpo kawa (Good Stories in the Tenpo era)," compiled by Daihenho RYUKAISAN a bit later in 1839, Nanbo OTA (also known as Shokusanjin) was consulted also by an eel restaurant owner, Nanbo devised a tag line in the style of kyoka (a comic tanka [Japanese poem]) saying that "eating eel on the Ox day was good for one's health."
Japanese: 蜀山人説-やや時代が下がった天保10年（1839年）の『天保佳話』（劉会山大辺甫篇）では、やはり鰻屋に相談をもちかけられた蜀山人こと太田南畝が、「丑の日に鰻を食べると薬になる」という内容の狂歌をキャッチコピーとして考え出したという話が載せられている。
English: An ox = two eels theory: The Japanese syllabary characters meaning an ox ("うし"), which were written on something with a brush and India ink, looked like two eels, so they became the origin of the custom, this theory states.
Japanese: 丑＝鰻二匹説-平仮名で墨汁を使って毛筆で書いた「うし」と言う文字が、まるで二匹の鰻のように見えたからと言う説。
English: There has been an advertising campaign to promote the consumption of eel on the Ox days other than the summer one, which has been carried out mainly by eel mariculturists.
Japanese: 鰻の養殖業者らが中心となって、夏以外の土用の丑の日にも鰻を食べる習慣を普及させようという動きがある。
English: Doyo is at the change of seasons, so to some extent it's reasonable to eat eel, which has high nutritional value and benefits one's strength.
Japanese: 土用は季節の変わり目でもあるため、栄養価の高いウナギを食べて精を付けようという趣旨に一応の妥当性はある。
English: In 2007, eel sales fell sharply in Japan because consumers were concerned about the safety of eel imported from China.
Japanese: 中国産ウナギの安全性が問題視され、2007年はウナギの売上が激減した。
English: Hanami is a custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, especially cherry blossoms and the arrival of spring.
Japanese: 花見（はなみ）とは主にサクラなどの花を鑑賞し、春の訪れを寿ぐ慣習である。
English: Cherry trees are seen all over Japan, and since cherry trees in the same region blossom at the same time during Spring and the flowers fall in a short time, often only lasting around two week, the cherry blossoms are very impressive and are seen as an important seasonal symbol for Japanese people and harbingers of Spring.
Japanese: 桜の木は日本全国に広く見られその花は春の一時期にある地域で一斉に咲き、わずか2週間足らずという短い期間で散るため毎年人々に強い印象を残し、日本人の春に対する季節感を形成する重要な風物となっている。
English: The short period in full bloom and the beauty of the flowers are often likened to the fragility of human life.
Japanese: その開花期間の短さ、そしてその花の美しさはしばしば人の命の儚さになぞらえられる。
English: Because of this, it has been said since ancient times that cherry blossoms make people go mad, and in fact, viewers have often caused mayhem at Hanami parties.
Japanese: そのためか古来、桜は人を狂わせるといわれ、実際花見の席ではしばしば乱痴気騒ぎが繰り広げられる。
English: During the Nara period, plum blossoms which were just brought in from China were viewed, but cherry blossoms were blooming all over during the Heian period.
Japanese: 奈良時代には中国から伝来したばかりのウメが鑑賞されていたが、平安時代に桜と変わってきた。
English: The change in people's interest was reflected in waka poems, and "Manyoshu" (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves) contains 40 waka poems for cherry blossoms and approximately 100 waka poems for plum blossoms, however, those numbers were reversed in "Kokin Wakashu" (A Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry) of Heian period.
Japanese: その存在感の移り変わりは歌にも現れており『万葉集』において桜を詠んだ歌は40首、梅を詠んだ歌は100首程度だが、平安時代の『古今和歌集』ではその数が逆転する。
English: According to "Nihon Koki" (Later Chronicles of Japan), Emperor Saga held an imperial festival of the cherry blossom called 'Hana no en no setsu' in 812 at Shinsen-en Temple.
Japanese: 『日本後紀』によると、嵯峨天皇が812年（弘仁3年）に神泉苑にて「花宴の説」を催した。
English: The place to hold this event was changed to the Imperial Court in 831, and this event was gradually being accepted as one of regular programs organized by the Emperor.
Japanese: 831年（天長8年）から場所は宮中に移り、天皇主催の定例行事として取り入れられていった。
English: While there is a description of a feast admiring Japanese wisteria in "Genji Monogatari," 'Hana' (flower) had been used as a synonym for cherry blossoms by that time, so a feast admiring flowers other than cherry blossoms was not meant to be called hanami or hana no en.
Japanese: 『源氏物語』には藤を鑑賞する宴会についての記述もあるが、この頃には「花」はほぼ桜と同義に使われるようになっていたためか桜以外の花を観賞する宴が花見、花宴といわれることはない。
English: Kenko YOSHIDA explained the difference between a noble-style hanami and a countryside style hanami in "Tsurezure Gusa" (the Essays in Idleness), and it is learnt that even the local samurai warrior society was enjoying a hanami feast in the early Muromachi period.
Japanese: 吉田兼好の『徒然草』には貴族風の花見とそうでない田舎ぶりの花見の違いが説かれており、室町時代初期には地方の武士階級にも花見の宴は行われていたことが伺える。
English: It is understood from paintings that out-door hanami was held in the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
Japanese: 安土桃山時代には野外に出て花見をしたことが、絵画資料から確認される。
English: It is believed that the custom of hanami was widespread among ordinary people in the Edo period since Yoshimune TOKUGAWA had cherry trees planted in many spots in Edo and encouraged people to view the cherry blossoms.
Japanese: 花見の風習が広く庶民に広まっていったのは江戸時代、徳川吉宗が江戸の各地に桜を植えさせ、花見を奨励してからだといわれている。
English: Rakugo (Japanese comic story telling) stories about hanami during this period are "Nagaya no Hanami" (Hanami at tenement house) and "Atamayama" (Mt. Head).
Japanese: この時期の花見を題材にした落語としては『長屋の花見』や『あたま山』がある。
English: In every March, the Japan Meteorological Agency announces the timetable for the blooming of cherry blossoms all over Japan, and the line connecting the areas where the blossoms will bloom on the same date is called the cherry blossom front.
Japanese: 各地域での桜の開花予想日は毎年3月に気象庁から発表され、同じ日に開花予想された地域を結んだ線は桜前線と呼ばれる。
English: This cherry blossom front is based on Someiyoshino (Prunus yedoensis), so the blooming date may slightly vary depending on the types of cherry trees.
Japanese: この前線はソメイヨシノを基準にしているため、桜によっては若干、開花の時期が前後する事があるので注意が必要である。
English: In more than half the areas of Japan, the blooming period is April, which coincides with the beginning of the fiscal year for companies and the start of a new school year for Japanese schools.
Japanese: 日本の半分以上の地域では桜の開花時期が4月と、つまり会社や学校などの年度始めや学校の新学期と重なる。
English: However in certain parts of Kyushu, the Chugoku and Shikoku Regions cherry blossoms start blooming in March when school children are on holiday ahead of the start of a new term for school, and in the Tohoku Region and Hokkaido cherry blossoms start blooming in May.
Japanese: ただし、新年度以前の春休みの3月に桜が開花する九州・中国地方・四国地方などの一部の地域や5月に開花する東北地方や北海道ではこの限りではない。
English: Meanwhile, because of global warming and climate changes in recent years, since the 1990's cherry blossoms have started to bloom earlier and since 2002 in regions west of Kanto, hanami has been held in March rather than April.
Japanese: しかし、近年では地球温暖化や気候変動の原因で、1990年代以降桜の開花が2002年を皮切りに記録的に早まってきており関東以西では花見の習慣が4月ではなく、前月3月に行われるようになっている。
English: The typical cherry tree of Okinawa Prefecture is the Kanhizakura (Taiwan cherry) and it blooms in January when Kyushu and other regions north of Kyushu are in midwinter.
Japanese: なお、沖縄県で代表的な桜はカンヒザクラでその開花時期は1月、つまり九州以北では真冬の季節となる時期である。
English: Similarly, the custom of hanami is not as common in eastern and northern Hokkaido, and instead, it's a custom to enjoy a feast called 'kanpukai' (maple-leaf viewing) during the season of autumn leaves.
Japanese: 同様に北海道でも道東・道北を中心に花見の習慣はそれほど盛んではなく、代わりに秋の紅葉シーズンに「観楓会」と呼ばれる宴会が実施される習慣がある。
English: Viewing cherry blossoms at night is called 'yozakura o miru' or 'yozakura kenbutsu,' and it is unique to cherry blossoms.
Japanese: 夜に花見をすることは夜桜（よざくら）を見るまたは夜桜見物と呼ばれ、桜に独特な習慣である。
English: Some famous spots such as Ueno Onshi Park temporarily display paper lanterns for yozakura (night viewing of cherry blossom).
Japanese: 上野恩賜公園など一部の名所では夜桜のためにぼんぼりを仮設することがある。
English: Sakura fubuki (lit. blossoms falling) refers to the simultaneous falling of petals and the beauty of such state is admired as part of hanami, and after all petals have fallen from the trees they are called Hazakura (leaf cherry trees).
Japanese: 桜吹雪とは一斉に花弁が落ちる様であり、その美しさも花見の一環として愛でられており全て落花した後には葉桜と呼ばれる状態になる。
English: In contrast to tsukimi dango (rice dumpling for moon viewing) prepared for tsukimi, hanami dango are bright like cherry blossoms, pink, white, and green.
Japanese: 月見で食べる月見団子と対照的に桜色（薄い赤色）・白色・緑色などの色で華やかな色彩をつける。
English: The combination of these three colors is common, and pink represents cherry blossoms as the sign of spring, white represents snow to express passing winter and green represents Yomogi as an early sign of summer.
Japanese: この3色の組合せが一般的で桜色は桜を表わして春の息吹きを、白は雪で冬の名残りを、緑はヨモギで夏への予兆を表現している。
English: The proverb 'hana yori dango' (dumplings are preferable to flowers) has its origins in the eating of dango at hanami parties and makes fun of people's tendency to choose a more tangible substance such as dango over the abstract act of viewing flowers.
Japanese: 「花より団子」という諺は花見団子に由来し、花の観賞という抽象的な行為より団子という実質を選ぶ行動を揶揄したもの。
English: When hanami is held under a cherry tree or plum tree which is designated a natural treasure, or a historical cherry tree or plum tree, a tea-ceremony place is often set up.
Japanese: 天然記念物クラスの枝振りが見事な桜や梅、歴史のある桜や梅などの下では茶席が設けられる事が多い。
English: The most hanami in Japan is to enjoy viewing Someiyoshino trees in many areas.
Japanese: 実際に日本国内における桜の花見はソメイヨシノを対象としているところが多い。
English: A majority of the Someiyoshino trees around Japan are getting old.
Japanese: しかしながら、全国のほとんどのソメイヨシノが寿命を迎えていると言われている。
English: Because of this, old Someiyoshino trees have been replaced with young trees in many parks, and the time they bloom varies significantly.
Japanese: この為、現在多くの公園などで桜の植え替えが行われており、これにより開花時期が大きく異なっている。
English: For example in the Tomoyama Park (see picture) an attempt to extend the life of a trail lined with numerous cherry trees is accomplished through the efforts of alternately planting Someiyoshino trees, Kawazu cherry trees and Yoshino cherry trees.
Japanese: 例えば、画像のともやま公園ではソメイヨシノの他に河津桜、吉野桜などを交互に植える等の桜並木の延命作業を行っている。
English: Because the various cherry trees bloom at different times, there has been a slight change in the period of hanami.
Japanese: この為、開花時期の異なる木が混在するなど、僅かながら花見の時期も異なり始めている。
English: Some revelers cause disturbances or danger such as karaoke, fire or smoking, and their behavior bothers other viewers and breaks laws.
Japanese: 花見中に、カラオケや、火気の使用、喫煙など周りの人に迷惑や危険を与えたり法律を守らない人がいる。
English: The "kimo" in kimosui means literally liver, but actually it's a region of the guts generally composed of the stomach and other parts of adhesive organs, such as the kidneys and bowels.
Japanese: 「肝」という字を用いるが肝臓ではなく、胃を中心とした腎臓や腸の一部が付着した部位が用いられる。
English: These guts are considered to be suited for clear soup, since they contain less fat than the part used for kabayaki (broiled eel).
Japanese: 蒲焼に使われる部分に比べて脂肪分が少ないため、吸い物に適していると考えられる。
English: Unadon, or unagi-donburi, is a Japanese cuisine consisting of boiled rice in a bowl topped with kabayaki (broiled eel) and poured tare (a special sauce for broiled eel) on it, and as one's preference, some powdered sansho (Sichuan pepper) added on top.
Japanese: 鰻丼（うなどん、うなぎどんぶり）は、丼に入れた飯の上にウナギの蒲焼を乗せ、タレと好みによりサンショウの粉を振りかけた日本料理。
English: Tare sauce for unadon or unagi-donburi is mainly made from soy sauce and sugar, but its ingenious recipe is traditionally and secretly reserved in each shop.
Japanese: タレは、醤油と砂糖を主に作られるが、各店は門外不出の秘伝のタレとして作り方に工夫を凝らしている。
English: Usually, the tare sauce is first poured on the plain boiled rice and then poured again after the broiled eel is placed on it.
Japanese: このタレは、まず御飯に掛け、鰻の蒲焼を乗せた後に再度掛けるのが一般的である。
English: According to "Zokuji Hyakko Kigen (1885) Masayasu MIYAGAWA" (literally, the "Origins of Mundane Affairs and Crafts and Arts written in 1885 by Masayasu MIYAGAWA,"), unadon (or unagi-donburi) was said to have been devised by Imasuke OKUBO in Sakai-cho (the present-day Ningyo-cho, Tokyo).
Japanese: 「俗事百工起源(1885)宮川政運」によると、堺町(現在の東京人形町)で大久保今助がこの鰻丼を考え出したとされている。
English: The taste of boiled rice with the tare sauce seeped in it became so popular in the Shibai-cho area, and it is said that Onoya in Fukiya-cho as the origin started selling it under the catch phrase, "Ganso Unagi-meshi" (the originator of a dish of broiled eel on boiled rice).
Japanese: この御飯にタレが染込んだ味はこの芝居町で大人気となり、葺屋町にある大野屋が「元祖鰻めし」という看板で売り出したのが最初だと言う。
English: Unagi-meshi is an abbreviation for "unagi donburi meshi (a bowl of boiled rice topped with broiled eel)," according to Morisada Manko (a kind of encyclopedia of folkways and other affairs in the Edo period, written by Morisada KITAGAWA), which is regarded as a basic document on the history of early modern folkways.
Japanese: 近世風俗史の基本文献とされている守貞謾稿によると、鰻飯は「鰻丼飯」の略。
English: Occasionally, the dish is called unaju when broiled eel and boiled rice are served in a double layer ("ju 'pile-up'", in such an alternate order from the bottom, as rice-eel-rice-eel).
Japanese: また、鰻と御飯が二重になっている物をそう呼ぶ事がある(器の底から「御飯-鰻-御飯-鰻と「重」ねる意味から)。
English: The jubako box made its appearance during the Taisho period, and lacquer or other material was used in an effort to create the impression of luxury, so that even today unaju in a jubako box tends to be more expensive than unadon or unagi-donburi in a bowl.
Japanese: 重箱を使うものは大正時代に登場し、漆器を使うなど高級な印象を与えることを狙ったようで、現在でも鰻丼と比べると価格が高い傾向がある。
English: The broiled-eel dish has been a specialty of Lake Hamana and its surrounding area, since the cultivation of eel was once the prosperous industry of the area.
Japanese: 浜名湖周辺では、ウナギの養殖が盛んであったこともあって代表的な名物となっている。
English: Previously, "unagi-bento" (a box lunch containing broiled eel, commonly known as "una-ben") used to be sold on the Tokaido Shinkansen (and partly on the Sanyo Shinkansen), but that is no longer the case.
Japanese: 以前は東海道新幹線（一部山陽新幹線）車内でも、鰻丼に似た「うなぎ弁当」（通称「うな弁」）を販売していたが、現在では見かけない。
English: Setsubun,' or 'sechibun,' means the day before the beginning of a season, while the first day of spring, summer, autumn or winter is called 'risshun,' 'rikka,' 'risshu' or 'ritto,' respectively.
Japanese: 節分（せつぶん、またはせちぶん）は、各季節の始まりの日（立春・立夏・立秋・立冬）の前日のこと。
English: Particularly since the Edo period, the term setsubun (or sechibun) has been often used to specify the day before risshun (the first day of spring, around February 3 of every year except February 4 for leap years).
Japanese: 特に江戸時代以降は立春（毎年2月3日ごろ、うるう年は2月4日ごろ）の前日のことを指す場合が多い。
English: In the following explanation the term setsubun is used to mean the day before the beginning of spring, referring to various events to be held on that day.
Japanese: 以下、立春の前日の節分、およびその日に行われる各種行事について述べる。
English: According to Engishiki (an ancient book on the codes and procedures on national rites and prayers), the Imperial Court used to adorn each gate of Daidairi (the Outer Palace Precincts) with dolls of colored soil in the shape of an ox and child on this setsubun day.
Japanese: 延喜式をひも解くと、宮中ではこの日、彩色した土で作成した牛と童子の人形を大内裏の各門に飾ったもの。
English: A ritual of purification to exorcise oni (ogres) or evil spirits held on this setsubun day originally came from "Tsuina" (a year-end ceremony to drive away ogres), which had been observed since around the Heian period.
Japanese: もともと、この節分の鬼を払う悪霊ばらい行事は、平安時代頃から行われている「追儺」（ついな）から生まれた。
English: After entering the modern age, the above-mentioned annual events went out of fashion; instead, people became accustomed to placing Hiiragi-iwashi (a sprig of holly pricked into a baked sardine's head) at the door of each house and to performing a bean-scattering ceremony.
Japanese: 近代から、上記に述べた年中行事が廃れ、節分当日の夕暮れ、ヒイラギの枝にイワシの頭を刺したもの（柊鰯）を戸口に立てておいたり、豆撒きをしたりするようになった。
English: In some regions, people hang a straw rope attached with a holly sprig and the head of a baked sardine.
Japanese: 一部の地域では、縄に柊やイワシの頭を付けた物を門に掛けたりするところもある。
English: This custom has been practiced for the purpose of exorcising oni (ogres), which are believed to show up at the time of seasonal change.
Japanese: これは、季節の変わり目には鬼（鬼）が生じると考えられており、それを追い払うためである。
English: People in some localities have the custom of eating one more pieces of the beans than his or her age in order to build up their health and prevent colds.
Japanese: また、自分の年の数の1つ多く食べると、体が丈夫になり、風邪をひかないというならわしがあるところもある。
English: The throwing of beans implies the clearing away of noxious vapors by striking oni with the beans and making a wish for perfect health during the coming year.
Japanese: 豆を撒くことには、鬼に豆をぶつけることにより、邪気を追い払い、一年の無病息災を願うという意味合いがある。
English: It has been practiced in Japan since at least the Muromachi period, considering the fact that the oldest descriptions of it were found in the documents of that period.
Japanese: 室町時代の書物の記載事項が最も古い記載事項から少なくとも日本では室町時代以降の風習となっている。
English: In Kanto, Tokai, Nishi-Nihon (West Japan) and Kita-Kyushu (Northern Kyushu), roasted soybeans (irimame) are used.
Japanese: 使用する豆は、関東・東海・西日本・北九州では炒った大豆(炒り豆)である。
English: In Hokkaido, Tohoku, Hokuriku and Minami-Kyushu (Southern Kyushu), people throw unshelled peanuts, which have the advantage of being easy to collect, and even those thrown on the ground can be collected and eaten.
Japanese: 北海道・東北・北陸・南九州ではラッカセイをまく（大豆よりも回収し易く、殻ごと撒くため地面に落ちても食べられる、等の利点がある）。
English: Usually, they shout "Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi (In with good fortune! Out with ogres!)," although the words vary according to the region or shrine.
Japanese: 掛け声は通常「鬼は外、福は内」であるが、地域や神社によってバリエーションがある。
English: At a shrine where an oni is enshrined as a deity or treated as a messenger of a deity, or at a shrine or temple for katayoke (elimination of hazards existing in an ominous direction), the words shouted by bean throwers are "Oni mo (wa) uchi (In with ogres, too!)" instead of "Oni wa soto ("Out with ogres!)."
Japanese: 鬼を祭神または神の使いとしている神社、また方避けの寺社では「鬼は外」ではなく「鬼も内（鬼は内）」としている。
English: If a family name contains a kanji character (a Chinese character) of "Oni" (such as "Onizuka," "Kito," and so on, though they are comparatively few), or if any region has a kanji character of "Oni" in its name, most of the bean throwers are reported to yell "Oni wa uchi (In with ogres!)."
Japanese: 家庭内での豆まきで、「鬼」の付く姓（比較的少数だが「鬼塚」、「鬼頭」など）の家庭もしくは鬼が付く地名の地域では「鬼は内」の掛け声が多いという。
English: When setsubun season comes, many supermarkets reserve special spaces for setsubun, where they sell parched beans called 'fukumame' (literally, 'lucky beans') for the mamemaki ceremony.
Japanese: 節分の時期になると、多くのスーパーマーケットでは節分にちなんだコーナーが設けられ、その中で福豆（ふくまめ）として売られている。
English: Fukumame are sometimes sold with a free gift of an oni mask (ogre's face mask) printed on a piece of thick paper, which the father or another family member puts on his face to play a role of the oni, then stirring up the mame maki.
Japanese: 厚紙に印刷された鬼の面が豆のおまけについている事があり、父親などがそれをかぶって鬼の役を演じて豆撒きを盛り上げる。
English: However, originally, the ceremony was intended to demonstrate the father's authority as the head of the family by exorcising oni.
Japanese: しかし元来は家長たる父親が鬼を追い払うことで権威を示すものであった。
English: Therefore, fifth-grade pupils at many elementary schools play a central role in performing the mame maki.
Japanese: そのため、5年生が中心となって豆まきの行事を行っているところも多い。
English: At some kindergartens or day nurseries linked with some shrines or temples, children may play the role of miko (shrine maidens) or chigo (children in a festival procession).
Japanese: 神社仏閣と幼稚園・保育園が連携している所では園児が巫女や稚児として出る所もある。
English: It may be said that big shrines and temples have made it become as an event to invite entertainers, athletes or others as bean throwers on the day of setsubun.
Japanese: 大きな神社仏閣では、節分の日に芸能人・スポーツ選手・等が来て豆をまくようなことも行なわれ、イベント化しているとも言える。
English: In the past, rice, wheat, dried chestnuts, charcoal and other materials were reportedly used along with beans, but eventually beans became exclusively used because they are the most productive of the five main cereals, and also because of their hitting sound and proper size for throwing.
Japanese: 以前は豆のほかに、米、麦、かちぐり、炭なども使用されたというが、豆撒きとなったのは、五穀の中でも収穫量も多く、鬼を追い払うときにぶつかって立てる音や粒の大きさが適当だったことによる。
English: The reason these beans were roasted was, to avoid such inconvenience as any of the thrown beans sprouting, since setsubun throws away all disasters or troubles of the past year with those beans.
Japanese: また炒り豆を使用するのは、節分は旧年の厄災を負って払い捨てられるものである為、撒いた豆から芽が出ては不都合であったためであるという。
English: Around the time of setsubun, geisha (maiko, geiko) (Japanese professional female entertainers at drinking parties) as well as other hostesses in such places as Asakusa in Tokyo, Kyo no Hanamachi (Kagai) in Kyoto and Kita-Shinchi in Osaka make themselves up in costumes other than their usual attire.
Japanese: 東京の浅草、京都の京の花街、大阪の北新地などでは、芸者（舞妓、芸妓）やホステスが、節分の前後に通常の芸妓衣装ではない、様々な扮装をする。
English: This custom is called "obake" (according to one theory, it is claimed that people originally disguised themselves as children with a child-like hairstyle called "obokami (お坊髪) (a hairstyle for children)," but the term was changed to "obake").
Japanese: これを「オバケ」と呼ぶ（一説には当初は子供の様な格好をしたことから「お坊髪」と呼ばれ、それが「お化け」になったといわれている）。
English: It came from the belief that people may dispel devils by disguising themselves with different costumes than the usual ones.
Japanese: いつもと違う扮装をすれば、魔を追い払うことが出来る、と信じられたことから始まったもの。
English: At one time, it was practiced among ordinary people and families, but it has remained up to now only in hanamachi (geisha district) as an attraction to draw in customers.
Japanese: かつては一般人、一般家庭でも行われていたが、お客への呼び物になるせいか、花街のみに残った。
English: However, this custom of "obake" has recently been showing its reappearance among the ordinary citizens of Kyoto City and surrounding areas.
Japanese: しかし近年は京都市内を中心に、一般市民の「お化け」も復活の兆しを見せている。
English: "Fuku wa uchi" is shouted because the temple enshrines Kishimojin (a goddess of childbirth and children, which term includes a Chinese kanji character of oni) in its precinct, and professional wrestlers enter the service for the shrine because it has kept the grave of Rikidozan, the late popular Japanese professional wrestler.
Japanese: -境内に鬼子母神を祀るので「福は内」、力道山の墓所があるためプロレスラーが出仕する
English: Seven oni perform dances, burning out various plagues with torches and cutting inauspicious matters off with swords.
Japanese: -七匹の鬼が、たいまつで種々の災を焼き尽くし太刀で不吉を切り捨て、踊る
English: The term "higan" refers to enlightenment or escape from earthly desires, and refers to the 'other side' as opposed to the term 'shigan' (this side) which means this world filled with earthly desires and doubt.
Japanese: 彼岸（ひがん）とは、煩悩を脱した悟りの境地のことで、煩悩や迷いに満ちたこの世をこちら側の岸「此岸」（しがん）と言うのに対して、向う側の岸「彼岸」という。
English: The term 'higan-e' refers to one of the Zassetsu (collective term of the specific days which show the change of seasons other than the twenty-four divisions of the old calendar), and the seven days around Spring Equinox Day or those around Autumnal Equinox Day.
Japanese: 「彼岸会（ひがんえ）」は、雑節の一つで、春分・秋分を中日とし、前後各3日を合わせた7日間のこと。
English: According to the calendar, the first day is called 'entering higan,' and the last day is called 'finishing higan,' and in some regions the last day is called 'hashirikuchi.'
Japanese: 暦の上では最初の日を「彼岸の入り」、最後の日を「彼岸明け」なお、地方によっては最後の日を「はしりくち」という地方もある。
English: It is said that on the middle day people give thanks to their ancestors and on the other six days people practice one each of the six types of virtue a day, called Rokuharamitsu, which are necessary for reaching enlightenment.
Japanese: 俗に、中日に先祖に感謝し、残る6日は、悟りの境地に達するのに必要な６つの徳目、六波羅蜜を1日に1つずつ修めるためとされている。
English: It is thought that the Pure Land of Amitabha (the pure land ruled by Amida Nyorai or Amitabha Tathagata) exists off in the distance in the west (it is also called the Western Pure Land).
Japanese: 浄土思想で信じられている極楽浄土（阿弥陀如来が治める浄土の一種）は西方の遙か彼方にあると考えられている（西方浄土ともいう）。
English: As the sun rises directly in the East and sets directly in the West around the Equinox, people worshipped the sun setting in the west and imagined a faraway Pure Land of Amitabha; and this was the precursor to higan.
Japanese: 春分と秋分は、太陽が真東から昇り、真西に沈むので、西方に沈む太陽を礼拝し、遙か彼方の極楽浄土に思いをはせたのが彼岸の始まりである。
English: It was originally based on the idea of believing in an afterlife, the idea of which was transmitted through the Silk Road.
Japanese: もとはシルクロードを経て伝わった、生を終えた後の世界を願う考え方に基づいている。
English: It seems to be understood as a wish for rebirth in the Pure Land by imaging the Pure Land of Amitabha.
Japanese: 心に極楽浄土を思い描き浄土に生まれ変われることを願ったもの（念仏）と理解されているようだ。
English: Although Higan was begun with the intent to spread Buddhism throughout the country by Imperial order, it was gradually became for the repose of ancestors since people regardless of age are interested in the other world.
Japanese: しかし後述のように、天皇の詔として仏教思想を全国に広げることを意図して始められた行事であったが、いつの時代も人として、生を終えた後の世界への関心の高いことは同じであり、いつの間にか生を終えていった祖先を供養する行事として定着するに至った。
English: The sun and ancestor worship have been common elements of faith since ancient times, not only in Japan.
Japanese: 日本に限らず古来から、太陽や祖霊信仰は原始宗教の頃からつきものなのである。
English: There is another theory that the Buddhist term "higan" merged together with the idea of sun and ancestor worship (according to Shigeru GORAI) at a later stage.
Japanese: 仏教語の彼岸は後から結びついたものであるという説（五来重による）もある。