#japanese festival

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Yasaka shrine’s chimaki, a charm for warding off evil (made of only rice reeds and no rice cake insiYasaka shrine’s chimaki, a charm for warding off evil (made of only rice reeds and no rice cake insiYasaka shrine’s chimaki, a charm for warding off evil (made of only rice reeds and no rice cake insi

Yasaka shrine’s chimaki, a charm for warding off evil (made of only rice reeds and no rice cake inside unlike sweets sold in May). It’s deadly awful, hot and wet July and the arrival of Gion Festival in Kyoto.

Few days ago after celebrating my mom’s birthday at some ryotei (authentic Japanese restaurant) around Higashiyama, I dropped in Yasaka shrine for receiving this year’s new chimaki (you use the word “receive (from god)” instead of “buy” in Japanese for charms and amulets of shrine). Yasaka shrine’s chimaki is sold during the entire month of July and relatively easy to obtain compared to Yama and Hoko floats’, though every float, built and exhibited on the street, starts selling its original chimaki only a few days before the parade day and sells out quickly.

Chimaki will be hanged out at the porch or the gate. The protection lasts for a year and you will take it back to any shrine after a year: since it’s a holy item Shinto priests burn old charms with praying. Appreciate for the protection of the past one year, and wish for another one-year mercy.

Chimaki of Gion Festival
https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/koho/eng/preview/40.html
Strip color and letters differ by float. Yasaka shrine’s is to ward off evil but every chimaki’s mercy differs by float, such as for romantic love, study, and money profit.

Folklore on Somin Shorai
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somin_Shorai
The red strip on Yasaka shrine’s chimaki reads “A Somin Shorai’s descendant”.

Gion Festival
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gion_Matsuri

八阪神社の厄除ちまき(お菓子ではなく中は空)。時は蒸暑くも不快極まりない七月、祇園祭の到来である。

先日東山の料亭で母の誕生日を祝った後、八阪神社へ寄り今年のちまきを受けた(ちまきは「買う」ではなく「受ける」「授かる」)。街中に建つ祇園祭の山鉾のちまきは巡行日の2、3日前から売りに出され、すぐに売切れてしまうが、八阪神社のちまきは山鉾と違い7月中売られており手に入りやすい。

ちまきは玄関の外か門の前に掲げる。御利益は一年間。1年過ぎたらお焚き上げのため神社へ返す。一年間の御守護に感謝。また一年間御加護が有りますように。

ちまきとは
http://www.kyotodeasobo.com/gion/chimaki/
八坂神社の厄除けである蘇民将来の謂われについて。八阪神社のちまきには「蘇民将来子孫也」と書かれた赤い紙が付いている。また山鉾ごとのちまきの御利益一覧表など。縁結びの保昌山(ほうしょうやま)は女子に大人気で毎年速攻売り切れる。筆者も恋する女子友に購入に付き合わされたことが(長蛇の列に並んだ)。

祇園祭
https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/祇園祭
https://www.kyokanko.or.jp/gion/gyoji.html


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Bamboo Light Festival in Kouzuke, Nachikatsuura

Bamboo Light Festival in Kouzuke, Nachikatsuura


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Like India Japan is land of festivals(aka Matsuri). Japan has year long festivals from thanking the god for crops , celebrating sea day, giving thanks to their ancestors to appease the god’s thought to cause fire, floods and earthquakes, mountains, etc. It’s always fruitful to plan a trip to be part of the festival special events

1)Gion Matsuri-The Gion Matsuri gives the chance to see traditional Japanese performances , spectacular festival floats, girls and boys dressed in summer kimono & yukata and Japan’s finest festival food. The highlight of the festival is the dozens of huge festival floats that are pulled through the streets of Kyoto on July 17, the main festival day.

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2)Tenjin Matsuri - The Tenjin Matsuri is ranked as one of Japan’s three greatest festivals including Gion Matsuri in Kyoto and Kanda Matsuri in Tokyo. The festival is held at the famous Tenmangu Shrine in Osaka and honors the god of learning.The major part of the festival includes the land procession with portable shrines ,a river procession with festival boats along the Okawa River and spectacular fireworks as night falls.

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3)Kanda Matsuri- The Kanda festival is celebrated as a demonstration of prosperity with prime reason being worshipping the god of good harvest and matrimony and the god of fishermen and businessmen.The crowd goes crazy with the start of procession This procession features crowd favorites such as men on horses clad in samurai uniforms, festival floats with characters from popular folk stories and contemporary pop culture, musicians and dancers.

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4)Obon Matsuri - The Bon festival, also known as Obon, is usually one of the biggest summer festivals in Japan. Although it’s not an official holiday, most people get about 3 days off during Obon season. At Obon, people honor their dead ancestors through a special type of dance (Bon Odori / Bon Dance) and also take this time to visit the resting places of their dead relatives.

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So festivals are integral part of any culture of any country, but what’s so special about Japanese Festivals??

Japanese Food - You have to eat it to believe it…the mouthwatering snack stands at matsuri is people are crazy about! I bet if you can stand in those long queues ofyakitori(grilled chicken in sticks) and karage(fried chicken skewed in stick with a cream dip!! Not to be forgotten  the yakisoba more like the desi chowmein all stirred with vegetables and fish(optional).The okunomiyakai sometimes called as Japanese pizza is made up of cabbage /egg/tons of veggies with the topping of green onion,mayo and sweet sauce.You cannot stop at the jagabata stand which the traditional baked potatoes without skin tossed with salt and butter, which you can add as much as your arteries can stand!

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Japanese Yukata- Japanese festivals gives you the chance to see beautiful, colourful yukata, which is a causal cotton summer kimono usually worn to festivals in Japan. It is a rare chance to see so many Japanese dressed in this beautiful traditional outfit as well as a fantastic opportunity to join in on the action and dress in a yukata yourself. Yukata are available for rent easily in Tokyo.

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Fireworks-  “Summer”: The season of fireworks also called as  Hanabi has a long history in Japan.Japanese fireworks events (Hanabi) have an electric atmosphere & people dress in tradition yukata and lay mats in the grass for party with friends and family.People go to the firework locations 1-2 hours beforehand to reserve the best viewing location.With the fireworks starting the hooting becomes crazy with people shouting kirei and sugoi(beautiful/splendid) with beer cans and recording cameras in hand!!

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The feel and rush of excitement of Japanese Festivals is something cannot be described in words…you have to be here to feel it!!

Interested in knowing more? Contact us right away: http://ghumojapan.com/

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Kabuki and Night Festival - Chichibu Yomatsuri

#japanese culture    #kabuki    #festival    #japanese festival    #yomatsuri    #matsuri    

47 Ronin Festival in the hometown of the ronin - Ako in Hyogo Prefecture

Tall Japanese Float depicting a Traditional Hunter at Goshogawara’s Tachi Neputa.https://www.youtube

Tall Japanese Float depicting a Traditional Hunter at Goshogawara’s Tachi Neputa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-kK6S-IVQg


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Onbashira - Japanese Log Riding Festival in Nagano that happens once every 6 years.https://www.youtu

Onbashira - Japanese Log Riding Festival in Nagano that happens once every 6 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XC0B7CKTvc


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Giant Japanese Lantern Festival

Wednesday 4th October 2017. 19:30 Kyoto Japan.The full moon and the accompanying traditional JapanesWednesday 4th October 2017. 19:30 Kyoto Japan.The full moon and the accompanying traditional JapanesWednesday 4th October 2017. 19:30 Kyoto Japan.The full moon and the accompanying traditional JapanesWednesday 4th October 2017. 19:30 Kyoto Japan.The full moon and the accompanying traditional JapanesWednesday 4th October 2017. 19:30 Kyoto Japan.The full moon and the accompanying traditional Japanes

Wednesday 4th October 2017. 19:30 Kyoto Japan.

The full moon and the accompanying traditional Japanese music and dancing was a pleasure to watch. When the clouds covered the moon it made for an even more beautiful scene, quite magical.


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Sunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a publiSunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a publiSunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a publiSunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a publiSunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a publiSunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a publiSunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a publiSunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a publiSunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a publiSunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a publi

Sunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.

Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a public urban park and historical site situated at Osaka-Jō in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. It lies on the south of the Ōkawa (Kyū-Yodo River) and occupies a large area in the centre of the city of Osaka. This park is the second largest park in the city.

This place is so close to my house, 2 stops down on the train or a 25 minute bike ride. Perfect.

We jumped on the train and went for a wander. We were greeted by a huge festival, we had no idea this was taking place, but there was such a great vibe and everything was so loud! We walked up to the castle and sat on the top of the turrets watching the sunset over the city. The koyo looked amazing too. 


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祇園祭第2祇園祭第2祇園祭第2祇園祭第2祇園祭第2祇園祭第2祇園祭第2祇園祭第2祇園祭第2祇園祭第2

祇園祭第2


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