Office Flora – Hiromi Nishiwaki – ็ฅๅ็ฅญ (Gion Matsuri Festival)๐ธ๐๐๐พ Final
The Gion Festival in Kyoto (Kyรดto Gion sairei), from the series One Hundred Famous Views in the Various Provinces (Shokoku meisho hyakkei)
Because it is a timely topic. The Origin of Gion Matsuri Festival is an EPIDEMIC!ย
I regret to announce that, Gion Festival Parade is Cancelled Due to Corona virus.
I hope next year Gion festival will be held.
ย
What is Gion Matsuri Festival?
Gion festival is famous for spectaculars grand float procession, Yama-hoko Junko (ๅฑฑ้พๅทก่ก)--- a parade of 33 floats, towed through the streets of Kyoto. The floats weigh as much as 12 tonsย (25 meters tall) and turning them is the highlight of the procession.
ย ย ย
Pity! I wished Gozu Tennล (็้ ญๅคฉ็) release us from the trial of an epidemic. Perhaps, he tells to learn from the pestilence...ย ย
It isย enshrined in Yasaka-jinja Shrine in Kyoto.
A concept ofย "Shinbutsu-shลซgล", "syncretization of Shinto Kami and Buddhism deities" is a religious concept, very unique to Japan.
Susanoo (็ด ๆ็ทๅฐ) - Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Ideology and definition of Kami (็ฅ) (Shinto) and Hotoke (ไป) (Buddhism) have been blended according to the change of times in Japan
Kamiย (็ฅ)- Shinto god
Hotoke (ไป) - Savior in Buddhism
ย I would say general interpretation of History of Japan, or history of yamato imperial court, started with Kami, before emperors in Yamato court officially established the concepts of Kami and developped Shinto Religion in early 8th century, by complining books about anecdotal histories of the Yamato imperial court, by imperial order.
However, before such establishment, Buddhism had been already transmitted from China and Korea in early 6th century, and we had already included it in our culture and already Japanized. This explains well how we incorporate "objects" from other country and how we "Japanize" them. We are an organic, flexible, unique and stubborn, just like you.
ย Gion Daimyojin (็ฅๅๅคงๆ็ฅ)=Gozu Tenno ็้ ญๅคฉ็ (heavenly king of Buddhism) = Susanoo ็ด ๆๅๅฐ(Shinto God)
*In this text, "Tenno" is different from Japanese Emperors. It is a word, related to buddhism means heavenly kings.
History of Jomon period aren't appeared very much in our school text books.
Personally I am very curious about Jomon period, especially Jomon Venus. I'll write about Jomon after I read 10 more books.
Utagawa Hiroshige II (Shigenobu)ย (Japanese, 1826โ1869), 1859 (Ansei 6),
Good morning!
Today I'd like to talk about Gion Matsuri Festival
Because it is a timely topic. The Origin of Gion Matsuri Festival is an EPIDEMIC!ย
I regret to announce that, Gion Festival Parade is Cancelled Due to Corona virus.
I hope next year Gion festival will be held.
ย
What is Gion Matsuri Festival?
ย The Gion Matsuri Festival began in 869 as a way to appease Gozu Tennล (็้ ญๅคฉ็) , which had been believed to bring diseases and misfortunes to people, including epidemic. It is originated with a Goryoue (ๅพก้ไผ) that was held at Shinsenen (็ฅๆณ่) of Heian imperial court in 869, to sooth souls of those who perished when a plague had spread throughout the land, and came to be celebrated every year as the shrine's festival.
Gion festival is famous for spectaculars grand float procession, Yama-hoko Junko (ๅฑฑ้พๅทก่ก)--- a parade of 33 floats, towed through the streets of Kyoto. The floats weigh as much as 12 tonsย (25 meters tall) and turning them is the highlight of the procession.
ย ย ย
Pity! I wished Gozu Tennล (็้ ญๅคฉ็) release us from the trial of an epidemic. Perhaps, he tells to learn from the pestilence...ย ย
More About Gozu Tennล (็้ ญๅคฉ็)
Literally, it means "ox-head-heaven-king (king of Buddhism) and a protector of Gion Shoja temple (็ฅๅ็ฒพ่/Jetavana-vihฤra) , and known as a deity of epidemic disease.
It isย enshrined in Yasaka-jinja Shrine in Kyoto.
Unique religious concept of Japan, "Shinbutsu-shลซgล" (็ฅไป็ฟๅ) = Syncretization of Shinto with Buddhism
It is very interesting that Gozu tenno is considered the identical with Susanoo (็ด ๆ็ทๅฐ), Shinto kami in Japanese mythology associated with the sea and storms.A concept ofย "Shinbutsu-shลซgล", "syncretization of Shinto Kami and Buddhism deities" is a religious concept, very unique to Japan.
Susanoo (็ด ๆ็ทๅฐ) - Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Ideology and definition of Kami (็ฅ) (Shinto) and Hotoke (ไป) (Buddhism) have been blended according to the change of times in Japan
Kamiย (็ฅ)- Shinto god
Hotoke (ไป) - Savior in Buddhism
ย I would say general interpretation of History of Japan, or history of yamato imperial court, started with Kami, before emperors in Yamato court officially established the concepts of Kami and developped Shinto Religion in early 8th century, by complining books about anecdotal histories of the Yamato imperial court, by imperial order.
However, before such establishment, Buddhism had been already transmitted from China and Korea in early 6th century, and we had already included it in our culture and already Japanized. This explains well how we incorporate "objects" from other country and how we "Japanize" them. We are an organic, flexible, unique and stubborn, just like you.
*Example of Syncretization of Shinto with Buddhism
It is written ; ็ฅๅๅคงๆ็ฅ ็้ ญๅคฉ็ใจ็ณใน็ด ๆๅๅฐใใชใ
ย Gion Daimyojin (็ฅๅๅคงๆ็ฅ)=Gozu Tenno ็้ ญๅคฉ็ (heavenly king of Buddhism) = Susanoo ็ด ๆๅๅฐ(Shinto God)
*In this text, "Tenno" is different from Japanese Emperors. It is a word, related to buddhism means heavenly kings.
The Roots of Japan
This is really a challenging subject. To explain the roots of Japan,ย I'd like to also mention, we need to discover more Jomon Period history (1000โ300 BCE).
History of Jomon period aren't appeared very much in our school text books.
Personally I am very curious about Jomon period, especially Jomon Venus. I'll write about Jomon after I read 10 more books.