Akemi's Blog

What happens in Yasaka Shrine during the Gion Matsuri (Festival)?

Although Yamahoko Junko is the highlight, there are also various events held as part of Gion Matsuri throughout the month of July.

The video below shows you such events. Enjoy!

 

July --- the month of Gion Matsuri (Gion Festival) in Kyoto

From June 23 through July 17, I introduced Ms Noriko Kiyota's articles about Japanese silk from the magazine "Japanese Kimono +". I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did. Many thanks to Ms Kiyota for letting me share her articles on my blog. I'm very much looking forward to interviewing Japan's craftspeople together with Ms Kiyota in the future.

I will take a little beak from her magazine for now, and will write about what's happening in Kyoto this month... Gion Matsuri (Festival).

Until the Emperor Meiji moved to Tokyo in 1869, Kyoto had been Japan's royal capital for over 1,000 years.  The gold pavilion in Kinkaku-ji Temple, geishas and maikos (apprentice geishas), and hundreds of bright orange shrine gates in Fushimi Inari...... Many things representative of Japan are found in this old city.

July is a special month for people in Kyoto and also for tourists, because that's when the famous Gion Matsuri (Festival) is held.

Gion Matsuri started in 869 as a purification ritual when a plague spread out in Kyoto. This is the festival held by the Yasaka Shrine and by people living the neighborhood.  Many events are held throughout the month of July.

The highlight of the Gion Matsuri is called Yamahoko Junko (the procession of floats), held on July 17 and 24. This year 33 Yamahokos are to participate in the procession. Those "Yamahoko" floats are 'moving museums' because of their elaborate decoration with tapestries and wooden and metal ornaments.  

The Yamahoko Junko was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2009.

What do Yamahoko floatsk look like? What kind of music accompanies the procession? The video below should answer your questions.

 

The video below is longer (57 minutes) and shows you more in detail of the festival.

 

Tradition and innovation

This blog's subtitle is "Japan: Tradition and Innovation". My assumption is that innovation is indispensable in order for any tradition to continue over hundreds of years.

All the Onshozoku Shimpo used to be burned or buried after each Shikinen Sengu. This custom continued over 1200 years. It was only with the 58th event that Ise Shrine started to keep all the accessories and also documenting the specification of all the items that were remade.

Until Japan opened its doors to the Western world in late 19th century, there had been very little change in the lifestyle for centuries. All the accessories that were remade every 20 years were of the highest quality, but they were things used in everyday life.

Japan's lifestyle changed dramatically with the waves of western influence; many of the techniques for making items like Onshozoku Shimpo were in danger of extinction. Hence the decision was made to break the custom of destroying the items but keeping them for the next Shikinen Sengu 20 years later.

Here I see an example of innovation for tradition.

Onshozoku Shimpo (御装束 神宝）

Those 1,576 items that are created every 20 years for Ise Shrine's Shikinen Sengu are called Onshozoku Shimpo (御装束　神宝). What happens to the old Onshozoku Shimpu when the new ones are placed in the new pavilions?

They used to be burned or buried, but now some of them are housed in one of the museums in Ise Shrine and some are given to other shrines.

When the 62nd Shikinen Sengu completed in 2013, four items were given to Izumo Taisha (出雲大社). Here are the photos:

 

Old Ise Shrine lumber gets a second life

For each Shikinen Sengu, over 10,000 trees (mainly Hinoki cypress) are used. All the trees are mainly over 200 to 300 years old. Ise Shrine workers start cutting trees 8 years prior to the Shikinen Sengu. The ceremony of cutting the first and and most important two trees is called Misomahajime-sai (御杣始祭).

After the old pavilion is disassembled, the lumber is never wasted. Rather, it is given to other shrines all over Japan and used for repair or rebuilding.

When Ikuta Shrine lost its torii gate due to the Kobe earthquake in 1995, the gate was rebuilt with lumber from the 58th Shikinen Sengu.

 The video below was created to publicize the Misomahajime-sai in 2005.

 

Why Ise Shrine pavilions are renewed every 20 years

The photo below is a Google Earth photo of the Ise Shrine's main pavilion called Naiku (内宮). The Naiku pavilion is almost brand new, completed in 2013. As of today there is an empty lot of identical size to the right of the pavilion. Until last year there was an older pavilion, identical to the new one. The old pavilion has been dismantled, and a new building will be completed in 2033.

Every 20 years the shrine pavilion is rebuilt. The contents are moved to or recreated into the new structure. This practice is called "shikinen Sengu (式年遷宮)" and it has been taking place for the last 1300 years.  2013 marked the 62nd rebuilding.

One of the objectives of the practice is to pass on traditional shrine carpentry know-how to future generations.

There were around 230 carpenters and specialists who worked on the 62nd Shikinen Sengu. Out of the 230, three people were involved in the past three events, 25 people were involved in the past two events, and the rest participated for the first time.

What Ise-Shima is best known for... Ise Shrine

Ise Shrine (伊勢神宮) is one of the oldest shrines in Japan with history of over 2,000 years, and the most revered one among people in Japan.

The Ise Shrine website says " Ise Jingu, officially 'Jingu', includes 125 jinja(shinto shrines), centered around Kotaijingu (Naiku), dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami, and Toyo'uke-daijingu (Geku), dedicated to Toyo'uke-no-Omikami. Its area is roughly the same size as Paris. More than 1,500 rituals are conducted here yearly to pray for the prosperity of the Imperial family, the peace of the world, and the huge harvest."

For so long Ise Shrine has been a pilgrimage destination for the Japanese people.

The video below shows you an overview of this great shrine. 

G7 Japan held on May 26 and 27 in Ise-Shima

Japan is hosting G7 Summit in Ise-Shima region on May 26 and 27.

What does Ise-Shima region look like? Here is a video of Ise-Shima made by the Japanese government.

I wonder, does this video tell you about Ise-Shima well?

 

Zen garden in front of Hojo

The garden in front of the Hojo (方丈) building of Kodai-ji Temple is Kare Sansui (枯山水) style.

In a Kare Sansui style garden, there is no real water, or real mountain, or real creatures. There are simply rocks and pebbles. You might see tranquil ocean, or huge waves. The rock you see might resemble a strong man, or a beautiful bird.

Only your imagination can determine what you see in front of you.

 

Bamboo passage

Sagano (嵯峨野), the north west section of Kyoto is famous for its beautiful bamboo forest. Yet here in Kodai-ji Temple, you can also stroll the bamboo passage.

What makes the bamboo passage so special? Maybe its orderly verticle lines?

It's easy to admire the beauty of the nature, but the thing is, this beauty is a product of meticulous care taken by human being.

A bamboo passage, an example of perfect collaboration between the nature and people.