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Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan. This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.292.
A few days ago, I went to Nagahama Hikiyama Festival, and
I WAS REALLY MOVED!
Nagahama is in Shiga prefecture, and when I visited Kurokabe and Nagahama Castle, I learned about this Hikiyama Festival. Till then, I had never heard about it.
I saw hikiyama (festival cart-whichi is like a float) in Hikiyama Museum and saw films of boy's kabuki plays, and became to be interested in it.
This festival began about 400 years ago, when Hideyoshi Toyotomi began to govern Nagahama. Hideyoshi celebrated his new male baby, he gave Nagahama town people alluvial gold. People made 'hikiyama'(festival cart) with this gold, and used at the Hachimangu Shrine festival. It is said that the origin of this festival.
Now there are 13 hikiyama, which are decorated luxuriously with many hanidcraft technique - metal work, carving, urushi and also decorated with tsume tsuzure and other valuable fabrics. (they are stocked in the each town's special stock house for carts, but 4 are displayed at Hikiyama Museum. Click Here )
Four hikiyamas are selected in each year, and on these four cart, boy's kabuki are played. The cart actually becomes a small stage. Main event is done on 16th of April - boy's kabuki is played in the garden of Nagahama Hachiman Shrine and the plays are dedicated. Not only that, there are various events during the festival(9th April from 18th April).
Here is the official page of Hikiyama festival, and you can see the video how the festival done. There is not English explanation, but scenes were took in chronological order, and you must be able to enjoy it - determines the order of kyogoen plays by lot, young men do 'hadaka matsuri' (bareness festival), four 'hikiyama'(cart) are drawn to the Nagahama Hachimangu, boy actors go up to the shrine, kyogen are played in the shrine, 'hikiyama' are drawn back to each town.
Click Here
Click Here
Kyogen plays are acted by five to twelve year boys. They practiced for a month during the spring vacation. After you look above video, you must understand, the festival are done by all people in the Nagahama town. Actors are boys, but most men experienced the actors when they were young, and they teach and help their junior fellows.
When I visited Hikiyama Museum, I was astonished by the luxuriousness of exhibited items, but to tell the truth, I did not expect the kyogen plays by amateur boy actors would be excellent. Yesterday I visited because I thought plays might be not so good, but their costumes had to be gorgeous and cute.
BUT, I WAS REALLY MOVED!
On the day before yesterday, kyogen play in Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine had been done, and yesterday was the last day of the kyogen play. Four hikiyamas were set on the street of each town's, and kyogen were played several times through a day.
I reached there about 3 pm. and saw two plays in two hikiyamas. They were cute and gorgeous as I imagined.
And at around 5 p.m., the final kyogen was shown, and I saw the play which was played on the hikiyama, which was set on the Kurokabe main street.
I am not sure - it might be because the darkness and light of lantern, or because it was the very final play, the level of kyogen I saw last was completely different from others.
The actors were gorgeous and I was really fascinated by her - not 'her' - she was acted by 12 years old BOY! Incredible! You must agree if you see my photos. They were truly actors.
And their play was well done, and we could know how boys practiced hard, and how people assisted them eagerly.
The Audience was only a hundred or so, but I felt everyone was impressed, and thunderous applause was given at the end.
If you have a chance to come to Japan in spring, I strongly recommend you to visit this festival and enjoy Nagahama's boy's kabuki.
Here is photos - please check!
Click Here
I went to see Yoshino's cherry blossom too. Yoshino is thought to the best sakura viewing spots in Japan.
Please check the page here.
Click Here
These articles and photos are in our new site - funfun-japan.com.
As we wrote in the previous news letter, we are very happy if you could correct our unskilled English and add some comments here.
We went also to Yoshino.
Yoshino is the 'furusato'(home town) of sakura('cherry blossom'). Sakura of Yoshino is not usual Someiyoshino, most of which were planted after Meiji/Taisho era by people, but 'yamazakura'( mountain cherry), and their sakura is natural. From Heian period, the beauty of sakura have been loved and many poems are left, and sakura noble people in Heian period(794-1185) loved was these Yoshino's sakura. Yoshino mountain is covered with 30000 sakura trees, and sakura trees dyed the mountain pink with their flowers from lower part to higher part in two weeks. Each parts are said 'Shimo Senbon'( the lowest part),'Naka Senbon'( middle part), 'Kami Senbon'( the highest part) and 'Oku Senbon'( the farest part).
I knew it, and wanted to visit to see, but at a time, we heard that TOO many people visit during sakura blooming season, and Yoshino mountain is too crowded to enjoy sakura. We heard many people said their visit were only burden, and only saw incredibly many human. However, sakura of Yoshino mountain is in the class of its own, and we think we must visit there and let our customers know how it is. Till the night before I visted, I still hesitated because of the fear for jam.
In this year, I already saw lots of sakura blossom - is it really special to visit Yoshino?
However, I heard the flowers were just full bloom, and in addition, daimyo procession seemed to be acted. There had not be other better day for visiting Yoshino.If I had better visit before die, this year may be the best occasion.
I set my alarm at 4:30 ( my usual wake up time), and decided to go. There was no choice of car. Visiting by car on Sunday ( of sakura season ) is said to be the worst. And I have been caught by that traffic jam when I went fishing more than 15 years ago. My goal was not Yoshino, but a lake near Yoshino, and my car was stucked in a jam deadly. I checked many blogs, and all says how the traffic jam was terrible, and abandoned visiting by a car. My nearest station is Tondabayashi(Kintetsu Minama Osaka Line), and I waked up at 4:30( not too early, because its my usual wake up time), and take the first train at 5:46.I reached Yoshino station at 7:40. The train was not crowded yet, and I could ride a rode cable car from that station imediately, and reached 'Shimo Senbon'. I was astonished to see there already were quite many visitors.
Main part of Yoshin sakura viewing the between the cable car station('Shimo Senbon') to 'Yoshino Mikumari Jinja Shrine' ( 'Kami Senbon'). There is a causeway, which only a car can go. Besides the road, resturants, suvenior shops and ryokan stood, and upper part of the road goes among the mountain, and sakura flowers in the mountain can be seen. The road is climb, it took about one hour by walk with taking pictures. Usually cars can go this road, but it became pedestrian road on Saturaday and Sunday of sakura season.
YES! Sakura flower are beautiful. The higher I went, flowers became more beautiful. 'At around 'Kami Senbon' sakura was at full bloom, but sakura of 'Shimo Senbon' was ending. The specie of sakura is not one, and more than several species could be seen - yamazakura, 'shidare-zakura'(weeping cherry ), 'yae-zakura'( layered petal sakura), very white one( I don't the name) and so on. As guide book says, mountains are dyed pink shading partly, and its scene was magical. The weather is excellent, and petals flew as snow with slight wind. Many visitors were taking pictures.
There are two main temples - Kinpusenji Zaodo and Yoshino Mikumari Jinja Shrine.Kinpusenji temple is the temple of Shugendo, and it was built in 1592. Its building has exceptionally dignified attitude. Building is giant, and we understand its oldness with seeing wooden pillars. Its very old and giant atmosphere has different magical atmosphere, which can not be seen in Kyoto. I think Yoshino is worth visit to see Kinpusenji Zaodo, if it is not sakura flower season.
Mimakuri Jinja Temple is not so big, but was built in Momoyama Era, and its calm atmosphere is also worth to visit. Old weeping cherry blossom was blooming, and this small and very old temple has wonderful charm.
Chikurin'in was very old, and it has fabulous Japanese garden, which was made by Sen-no-Rikyu for Hideyoshi Toyotomi.This garden is said to be the one of 'Three best Yamato Area Garden'. When I visted, weeping cherry blossom was blooming and a pond was covered with sakura petals. Entrance fee is 300 yen, but it is worth to pay. Chikurin-in is doing business as ryokan, visitors can stay and take supper.
In the Yoshino, there exist some other 'shukubo', a kind of ryokan(hotel), whose buildings are old shrines or temples. I don't stay, but staying in 'shukubo' must be fun!
When I visited, daimyo procession event was hold. Yamabushi( Shugendo monk), monk with gorgeous kesa and happi men marched from Chikurinin to
As a whole, visiting Yoshino was exciting experience for me.
Here is the photos of Yoshino.
Click Here
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