Festival of Cherry Blossoms

## Introduction

Spring is one of the best season in Japan, though I have an allergy to pollen. We have many various spring festivals in March and April to celebrate spring visiting with flowers.

#### **Cherry-blossom Blooming Information**

##### **tenki.jp (Japan Weather Association)**

https://tenki.jp/sakura/

They update Blooming Information with weather of each place and show access map, events, open day and time, light up at night, and so on.

## Festival of Cherry Blossoms at Hirano Shrine

I'll introduce our festival memory at Hirano Jinja shrine with some old photos.

Our guide with his nice twig is Silly Boy Blue who is three years old. We sometimes took part in the events at some shrines.

He doesn't know how long he has to walk during the parade, though he has been already tired while he was fully dressed up by his mother.

The heat of layered wearing has gone to his head.

##### **Festival of Cherry Blossoms at Hirano Shrine.**

http://www.hiranojinja.com/home/gaiyo/nentyugyoji/okasai

It is said that the Festival of Cherry Blossoms originated from a temporary festival held by imperial order when Emperor Kazan (Kasan) visited Hirano shrine to pray for prosperity of descendants.

##### **花山天皇 : Emperor Kazan**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor\_Kazan

He also gave an order to plant in the garden with a lot of cherry trees.

The main festival is held on April 10 every year. They visit to pray Kazan's mausoleum and display their portable shrine before the parade of deities trip. The parade starts at 1:00 pm.

So, his nurses hurried him to the shrine.

She is his mother who loves costume play. Her Kimono dress is perhaps tailored with a pouch made by the same cloth. Her arms are short and she had to make measured Kimono dress. She sometimes ordered to make her original Kimono dress with her illustration when she was young.

I always ran away from her because she tried to dress me up with her favorite taste, such as a little prince or a little princess with frill.

They are in time!

A little girl is his sister. She is the only one who can endure her frill-full-full dress-up and powder-full-full make-up to the end. I really respected her endurance and tolerance.

She is perhaps looking for her lover. She wants to show her beautiful appearance like Princess Ori-hime to her superstar Hiko-boshi.

She found a nice guy in the ground, but he was not his lover. He is a Samurai warrior who plays hawking or game of horseback archery.

##### **狩装束をつけた武士 : Samuai in hunting wear during Kamakura period**

http://www.iz2.or.jp/fukushoku/f\_disp.php?page\_no=0000084

Where is my superstar?

During the cherry blossoms, there are some temporary tea-houses in the ground. We usually enjoy drinking hot Sake or cool beer with some dishes though their name is tea-house.

##### **桜茶屋 : Tea-houses**

http://www.hiranojinja.com/home/chamise

He is not here, too...

The parade is a sort of costume play representing people of each era in Kyoto history.

About 200 people take part in it and walk around local shrine community with deities in their portable shrine for more than 2 hours. Her lover is usually casual about his appearance in his blue jeans. So, it is hard for her to find him in the festival.

##### **時代衣装(井筒) : Costume of Each Era  (Izutsu, Inc.)**

http://www.iz2.co.jp/jidai/index.html

Oh, she found out his lover! He is coming!

They can be heroes, just for one day, beyond the time, under the cherry blossoms.

##### **直垂姿の武士 : Samurai in his uniform during Kamakura period**

http://www.iz2.or.jp/fukushoku/f\_disp.php?page\_no=0000078

Today's heroine cannot speak to her hero, "hold my hand". She cannot touch him, "look at me".

She wanted him to hold her hand gently. But he holds his fan and sword firmly.

He sometimes disappointed her because of his unfortunate lack of delicacy.

While, Silly Boy Blue is interested in his sword. He likes something long to swing and sing.

He failed to get a long sword and succeeded to get some sweets.

One day, I hit upon an idea.

He is the prettiest star! He looks like very pretty in such a fantastic frill-full-full dress! I'll take pictures of you! Let me use your camera!

I got the best position of a photographer. No need to dress up!

I was interested in mechanism of her cameras rather than her dresses, though our family business was related to something wearing such as 西陣織:Nishijin Textile.

##### **西陣織 : Nishijin Textile**

http://nishijin.or.jp/eng/

Oh, oh! Now, the parade starts.

He was a voluntary staff of the shrine and usually took part in the parade as a Samurai in the middle age.

He was a happy-go-lucky fool. He loved merry festivals and events both at the shrines and the temples.

He loves walking very very much. Not working, but just walking.

The route of the parade is a part of the Nishijin region. There are many small offices and factories related to traditional textiles and Kimono appearance.

While they go to the deities trip, I'll talk about some stories.

I'm a lazy walker and worker...

## 西陣織 : Nishijin Textile

西陣:Nishijin is literally the West Camp. This unofficial regional name came from the west camp around the house of the leader of the west army, 山名宗全:Yamana Sozen, in the north-west of Kyoto city during Onin War.

##### **山名 宗全 : Yamana Sozen**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamana\_S%C5%8Dzen

It is said that the textile style called Nishijin Textile after the war was originally transmitted by Hata clan from China. They had their technique of sericulture and textile manufacture. The court organized the special office and workshops of craftsmans at the west of the palace in Heian Period.

Later, those craftsmans became independent from the court and developed their own style while they were inspired by the latest continental style or got orders from the court.

They once parted to escape from fire to the other cities during the Onin War, but gathered again in their hometown after the war and restarted their work. They established their fine work during the early Edo period.

There is a tragic story concerning to Nishijin Textile.

##### **西陣織 (wikipedia in Japanese)**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A5%BF%E9%99%A3%E7%B9%94

> 空蝉の　唐織ごろも　なにかせむ　綾も錦も　君ありてこそ - 和宮
>
>

> *Such a hollow glory brocade in vain.*
>
>

> *What can I use it for in such a vain world?*
>
>

> *Every dress you gave me was just for you, my darling.*
>
>

> *- Princess Kazu-no-Miya.*
>
>

##### **和宮 : Princess Kazu**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess\_Kazu

##### **徳川 家茂 : Tokugawa Iemochi**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa\_Iemochi

Princess Kazu-no-Miya got married with the 14th Tokugawa Shogun Iemochi and lived in Edo city on some political reasons in the last Edo period. She missed her hometown Kyoto at the beginning, but she happened to fall in love with him to learn his tenderness and delicacy.

But, he was also in delicate health and fell down at the age of 20 in the Castle of Osaka on his trip to Kyoto. After his death, she got a dress he had sent on his trip from her hometown. She cried with her poetry to sorrow for his death.

Now, the parade finished and Silly Boy Blue is on his way home in safe.

He is looking for someone something. He often looks back as if somewhere someone is calling him, and sometimes falls into a gutter to break a bone.

Mother. Where is my baton?

His favorite baton seems to be offered to the deities to wish his health and happiness.

It is a real disappointment. I really wanted to keep my baton.

Father. I want to have my sword like you.

- No. Too early, Boy.

Now, I'm a man.

- Alright, how about a baseball bat? That's fan. Let's play baseball after the festival.

... ...

He often says such a thing. Unfortunately, I also.

Alright, how about blah blah blah?

... Why do you always say something like that? I don't mean such a thing...

What I want is just this. No thank you except for this. I have no other choice than this. Beyond this I want nothing. But, you always show me an alternative plan.

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