Hachijuu-hachi-ya(the 88th day of spring)



tea plantation for "Shirakawa Tea" in Gifu Prefecture
photo by syaraku



tea plantation for "Shirakawa Tea" in Gifu Prefecture
photo by syaraku


May 2nd is Hachijuu-hachi-ya(八十八夜), which is the 88th day after Rissyun(立春, the first day of spring). Legend has it that you'll lead a long life if you drink tea picked on the day. Farmers start planting rice seeds around the day and it also contains a warning against late spring frost.
In Nagano Prefecture, crops suffered frost damage in late April.
The Shizuoka Local Meteorological Observatory issues a frost forecast for tea farmers in parts of Shizuoka Prefecture every day from March 15 to May 10. The cherry blossoms are late in blooming in Tohoku Region. Some areas of Hokkaido still have snowy days.

Tea leaves started growing earlier than usual.
New tea leaves from Shizuoka were sold at this year's first auction at the Shizuoka Tea Market on April 15.
Uji(宇治) in Kyoto Prefecture is very famous for its high-quality tea. New tea leaves from Uji were sold at this year's first auction in Kyoto on April 24.
In late April, a tea plantation in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture was caught in a landslide.


We associate the following famuns song for children called Chatsumi(茶摘み, tea picking) with Hachijuu-hachi-ya.

夏も近づく八十八夜
野にも山にも若葉が茂る
「あれに見えるは茶摘みぢやないか
あかねだすきに菅の笠」
On Hachijuu-hachi-ya, summer is around the corner.
I can see fresh green fields and mountains.
"Look at the women over there. they are picking tea,
tucking up their kimono sleeves with a red band and wearing a sedge hat. "


Daisen Tea Festival(大山新茶祭り) in Tottori Prefecture
will be held on June 2 this year.

 Tea ceremony has a profound connection with Japanese-style confectionery.

Tea schools sophisticated Kyoto's confectionery. There are tree types of confectionery shops in Kyoto: Okashiya-han(お菓子屋はん) sell top-grade confections for gifts, tea ceremonies, shrines and temples. Omanya-han(おまん屋はん) sell manju(steamed buns filled with sweet bean paste) as an everyday confection. Omochiya-han(お餅屋はん) sell glutinous rice cakes stuffed with sweet bean paste as an everyday confection.  However, modern Omanya-san also sell rice cakes.


Matsudaira Harusato
photo by Shimane Prefectural Tourism Federaion


Matsue in Shimane Prefecture is also famous for its confectionery.
Matsudaira Harusato (松平 治郷, 1751-1818) was the 7th lord of the Matsue Domain. He was also known as a tea master under the name of Matsudaira Fumai(松平不昧) and founded the Fumai school of tea. He wrote a handbook for tea ceremony. Wakakusa(若草, young grass) and Yamakawa(山川, mountain and river) appear in the book. The names of both confections come from Fumai's poems.




Wakakusa(left) and Yamakawa(right)
photo by Shimane Prefectural Tourism Federaion

     Wakakusa is a gyuhi coated with green rice flour for spring tea ceremony, and Yamakawa is a dry confection for autumn. Gyuhi is a soft confection made with rice flour, sugar, and water.

New Year's Day 2013

Happy New Year! May the New Year bring many good things to you.

Ready-made New Year's dishes including many untraditional ingredients set in three-tiered boxes

confections for the New Year:
"Fukubukuro(lucky bag)" on which the character "寿" is written, "Hatsu-hinode(the first sunrise of the year), Shochikubai (pine, bamboo and plum trees)









According to the Chinese zodiac, 2013 is the year of the Snake.　Most people don't have a good image of a snake.
In Japan, it has also been worshipped as the deity of fertility and the deity bringing rain since long ago.  The white snake was considered a messenger of the Hindu goddess Saraswati whose Japanese name is Benzaiten (弁才天, 弁財天). It is believed that it brings economic fortune.

大神神社 三輪明神 〆柱 by Mixtribe Photo /flickr

Omiwa Jinja Shrine(大神神社) in Nara Prefecture is one of the oldest shrines in Japan. Its enshrined deity is Omononushi-no-okami who is transformed from a snake and is considered to bring forth clouds and rain. So eggs, a favorite food of snakes, are offered to the deity. When I visited the shrine with a friend a long time ago, a small snake came with the aim of an egg. Then an elderly woman near me started to fold her hands and worship the snake. I was amazed.
We stayed at an inn located on the shrine's grounds and visited the shrine in the early morning. Many local worshippers payed their respects at the shrine. They were pious.


The shrine is not equipped with Honden (main shrine). Mount Miwa linking to the shrine is believed to contain the spirit of the deity. Visitors directly worship the mountain at Haiden (a hall of worship). I thought I understood why ancient people worshipped the mountain. It had a distinct personality.

I highly recommend walking along a path named Yamanobe no Michi(山の辺の道) including Omiwa Shrine, Isonokami Jingu Shrine (石上神宮), Chogaku-ji temple(長岳寺). It's an ancient route connecting the foots of some mountains in Nara Prefecture.

Isonokami shrine by teaoka /flickr

 Isonokami Shrine has a long history and appears in the oldest history book "Kojiki" （712 AD） and in "Nihonshoki". When visiting the shrine in the off-season, there were no visitors. A priest explained "Kotodama(言霊)" fully.  Kotodama was usually the spiritual power believed to be contained within words in Japan.

We walked the route in early summer and ate Miwa Soumen(三輪素麺) at Chogaku-ji temple along the path. It's probably one of the best-tasting somen I've ever had.

Moon viewing events

After hitting the islands of Okinawa and Amami, the season's 17th typhoon(Jelawat) headed northeast along Japan's Pacific Ocean coastline and made landfall in Aichi Prefecture. High temperatures was 29 degrees Celsius in Yokohama.

September 30th corresponds to the 15th day of the 8th month in the lunar calendar this year. Moon Viewing is held on this day.
Moon viewing events were staged across Japan on the night of September 30th, but some of them were cancelled due to the typhoon. Many people couldn't see the harvest moon.

Kangetsusai at the Yasaka Shrine(八坂神社), Kyoto was held on the 30th.

It includes court music and dance, performances of koto and Japanese drums.

dumplings and Japanese pampas grass as offerings


photo by KYOTOdesign




harvest moon over Osawaike Pond


Daikakuji Meigetsu Kangensai was held in Daikakuji Temple(大覚寺)and Osawaike Pond(大沢池) Area, Kyoto from the 28th to 30th . Visitors can enjoy the moon-viewing on pleasure boats with dragon head and imaginary bird head.

pleasure boats with dragon head and imaginary bird head










Noh stage


Takasago Shrine(高砂神社) in  Hyogo Prefecture holds Noh performance by moonlight.
The shrine is the birthplace of "Takasago", which is a noh play to celebrates the harmony and longevity of married couples.

Noh player

The moon-viewing event on Tonomine Plateau(砥峰高原), Hyogo Prefecture
       

         

  This plateau  was used as a location for the movie "Norwegian Wood" by Tran Anh Hung.











 

koto performance

The moon-viewing event in Tatsuno Castle, Hyogo Prefecture             

  open air tea ceremony





神戸観光壁紙写真集
http://kobe-mari.maxs.jp/

A confection in the shape of a taro. 
Taros are also moon-offerings.













Mukojima Hyakkaen Moon Viewing is being held from September 29th to October 1st. An antiques dealer open Mokojima Hyakkaen Garden, Tokyo during the period from 1804 to 1830. He planted ume trees  at first. Later, flowers and shrubs found in classical Chinese and Japanese literature were planted.

The custom of moon viewing comes from the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. So the festival is being held in Kobe Nankinmachi chinatown on 29th and 30th, in Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown from September 27th to October 1st.
(Unfortunately, Kobe chinatown's events on the 30th were cancelled due to the thphoon.)
The festival includes lion dance, dragon dance and several attractions. In Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown, 1000 yellow lanterns welcome visitors.

In Yokohama China Town, the celebration of China's National Day is being held on September 30th and October 1st.  At a hotel, a giant mooncake (1 Meter in diameter) to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival was into 300 pieces and they were given to the first 300 guests. A banquet with 300 guests was held at a Chinese restaurant.These chinatowns are crowded with visitors as usual although the number of Chinese tourists has dropped significantly.

Camellia

Two periods of seven days with the middle day falling on the spring or autumn equinox are called Higan(彼岸), which means "the other shore" or Buddhahood. We visit our family graves during Higan. Many people also visited their family graves in the tsunami-hit areas. I visited my family grave with my family on the 22nd.

The 84th Spring High School Baseball Tournament began on the 21st. It will be held at Koshien Stadium to April 2nd on the sidelines of spring vacation. There are arguments for and against its holding and the participation of Tohoku High School representing Miyagi Prefecture last year.
In the fair play pledge at the opening ceremony, the captain of Ishinomaki Industrial High School representing Miyagi Prefecture said, "Many people still can't handle their griefs," "What we can do is to go all out and stay the course." The athlethe oath-taker of this tournament is decided by lot. The lot fell upon him.

The season's first trees started to blossom in Kochi Prefectures On March 21st. However, most blossoms incuding cherry blossoms are late in blooming this year.According to some forecasts, cherry trees are expected to start blooming on March 30th or 31st in Tokyo.

Haru-ichiban(春一番) didn't blow in Kanto, Kinki and Tokai regions this year. Haru-ichiban is the first strong south winds of the year which blow between Rissyun(立春:the first day of spring,Feb 4th this year) and Syunbun(春分:spring equinox,March 20th this year). It has been so cold during the past few months.

Ume blossoms are in full bloom now. The camellia is nearing the end of its blooming season.


yabu-tsubaki

Camellias are native to eastern and southern Asia.
we've been familiar with some species of camellias, especially yabu-tsubaki(藪椿,Japanese Camellia, Camellia japonica) and sazanka(山茶花, Christmas Camellia, Camellia sasanqua.)

The word "tsubaki(椿)" means camellia, but it doesn't include Christmas Camellia. Tsubaki usually means Japanese Camellia. In China, Chinese characters "山茶" mean most varieties of camellias.
Camellia tree is also cultivated as hedge plant.

Camellia sasanqua 'Ryomen-ko' (両面紅)

The sazanka blooms from late autumn to winter and are native to Japan. Unlike the Japanese Camellia, the petals detach from the flowerhead and flutter to the ground.
The Japanese Camellia is native to China, Taiwam, Korea and Japan. It blooms from winter to spring.　When its petals begin to wither, the whole flower head falls off. People associated beheading with fallen flower heads, so camellia blossoms are not favored as a get-well gift.
Some varieties of Japanese Camellia such as Goshiki-yaechiri-tsubaki(五色八重散椿) in Jizo-in(地蔵院), Kyoto shed petal by petal.

Camellia oil has been used for various purposes. Now it's used mainly for cooking and cosmetic purposes. Camellia oil from Izu Oshima island are available at most drugstores.

At Omizutori in March, paper-made camellias are dedicated with rice cakes and paper-made nanten(nandina) to the principal image of the 11-faced form of Kannon Bodhisattva in Todai-ji Temple, Nara.

巨勢山の　つらつら椿　つらつらに　
見つつ偲はな　巨勢の春野を
Ko-se-ya-ma-no  Tsu-ra-tsu-ra-tsu-ba-ki  Tsu-ra-tsu-ra-ni
Mi-tsu-tsu-shi-no-wa-na  Ko-se-no-ha-ru-no-wo

"Camellia trees are lined up on Mount Kose, let us remember rows of camellia blossoms in the spring fields of Kose by looking at these trees," written by Sakato no Hitotari(坂門人足) in "Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves" (the oldest existing anthology of poetry)

He made this poem when he visited Kose in the autumn of 701. This poem is based on an old poem that praises camellia blossoms in full bloom in the spring fields of Kose. Many poets have used the phrase "tsura-tsura-tsubaki(つらつら椿)" of the poem in their poems.

 Tsubaki-mochi(椿餅) are sandwiched buns between two leaves of camellia. This confection appears in the Tale of Genji although it didn't contain sugar. Camellia leaves are inedible, but cherry leaves wrapping sakura-mochi are edible.



Camellias have been favored as one of flowers appropriate for tea ceremonies or tea house. Powerful people including Toyotomi Hideyoshi(豊臣秀吉), Tokugawa Hidetada(徳川秀忠, the second Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate) also loved camellia blossoms. It became a status symbol for cultural figures to have camellias, and various varieties of camellias had been created during the Edo Period. A fondness for camellias spread among commoners.

A nephew of the first Shogun ordered a painter to paint a 24m-long picture scroll called“One Hundred Camellias(百椿図)”in 1635. The scroll shows a variety of flowers arranged not only in flower vases but in articles for daily use such as a bowl, a fan, a basket, a trash tray. Forty-nine foremost cultural figures including the second lord of the Mito domain, poets, scholars, monks wrote 52 poems in the margin of the scroll. The poems include the above Sakato no Hitotari's poem.
Some varieties of camellias written on it are now lost. The process of improvement in camellia varieties can be inferred from the scroll.
(refer to  http://bluediary2.jugem.jp/?eid=2736 about One Hundred Camellias.)



wabisuke

Camellia wabisuke(侘助, wabisuke)  has been popular as a flower for tea ceremony. Wabisuke is thought to be derived from Camellia japonica 'Tarokaja'(太郎冠者). Tarokaja and other wabisuke camellia cultivars have the same characteristics as camellias in China.





Tarokaja

Tarokaja is called uraku-tsubaki(有楽椿, Camellia uraku Kitam.) in Kyoto. The name "Uraku" comes from Oda Urakusai(織田有楽斎) who was a feudal lord and a master of the tea ceremony.

Kochouwabisuke

In the Edo Period, Camellia japonica × wabisuke'Kochouwabisuke'(胡蝶侘助) was referred to as wabisuke. It is said that there is the Japan's oldest wabisuke tree at Ryoan-ji Temple(龍安寺) in Kyoto.


Sukiyawabisuke

Camellia japonica×wabisuke 'Sukiyawabisuke' (数奇屋侘助) was called Sukiya(数奇屋) in the Edo Period.

Kingyobatsubaki(金魚葉椿) is a Camellia japonica for enjoying the leaves. Camellia japonica 'Kingyotsubaki' appears in a pictorial book of plants and flowers published in 1789.




●Higo-tsubaki

Camellia japonica 'Shin-tsukasanishiki'(新司錦)
was created in the Meiji Period.

The cultivation of Higo-tsubaki(肥後椿) started in Higo area(present Kumamoto Prefecture). The varietes are single-flowered camellia with prominent golden stamens. Higo-tsubaki lovers appreciate the stamens.



Camellia japonica 'Jitsugetsusei' (日月星)

The lords of the Higo Domain encouraged the cultivation of flowers including Chinese Peony, chrysanthemum, Japanese camellia, Morning Glory, Hanashobu(Iris ensata var. ensata) and Christmas Camellia as a mental training for samurai.



Camellia japonica 'Osaraku' (長楽)
was created in the Edo Period

Higo-tsubaki was never allowed to be taken out of the domain in the Edo Period, but we can buy its seedlings now.

About chrysanthemum(Higo-giku), a member of the domain wrote the technical guidebook for its cultivation in 1819.

Camellia japonica 'Goshozakura' (御所桜)

Camellia japonica 'Higo-ozeki' (肥後大関)







● camellias created in Edo(present Tokyo)

Camellia japonica 'Shokkou' (蜀紅) appears in a pictorial book of camellias published in 1757.

Camellia japonica ‘Bokuhan’(卜伴) appears in a pictorial book of plants and flowers published in 1719.

Camellia japonica 'Harunoutena' (春の台) appears in a pictorial book of plants and flowers published in 1841.

Camellia japonica 'Iwaneshibori' (岩根絞) appears in a pictorial book of camellias published in 1859.

Camellia japonica ‘Ezonishiki’(蝦夷錦)  appears in a pictorial book of camellias published in 1859.

Camellia japonica 'Akinoyama' （秋の山） appears in a pictorial book of camellias published in 1859.

Camellia japonica 'Miyakodori' (都鳥) appears in a pictorial book of plants and flowers published in 1841.

Camellia japonica 'Kagoshima' (鹿児島) appears in a pictorial book of plants and flowers published in 1739.

Camellia japonica 'Moshio' (藻汐)  appears in a pictorial book of camellias published in 1859.

Camellia japonica 'Soshiarai'(草紙洗) appears in a pictorial book of plants and flowers  published in 1841.

Camellia japonica 'Tennin-matsushima'(天人松島) appears in a pictorial book of camellias published in 1859.

Camellia japonica 'Somekawa'  (染川) appears in a pictorial book of camellias published  in 1879.

Camellia japonica 'Daikagura' (太神楽) appears in a pictorial book of plants and flowers published in 1789.

Camellia japonica 'Hikarugenji' (光源氏) appears in a pictorial book of camellias published in 1859.





 
 

 
 
  ● camellias in Owari(the areas aound Nagoya)

Camellia japonica 'Beni-myourenji' (紅妙蓮寺) created in the Edo Period

Camellia japonica 'Daijoukan' (大城冠) created in the Edo Period

The variety registration of  Camellia japonica 'Mikasanotsuki' (三笠の月) was granted in 1941.











● camellias in Kaga(the areas around Kanazawa)

Camellia wabisuke 'Seioubo' (西王母) is said to have been created by a member of the Kaga Domain in the end of the Edo Period.

In the tea ceremony, a charcoal water heater embedded in the floor is used in place of a portable water heater from the day of the boar in the 10th lunar month to late April. Seioubo is often decorated in the tea ceremony on the day.

Camellia japonica 'Tobousaku' (東方朔) created in 1972






● camellias in the areas  including Toyama and Niigata

Yuki-tsubaki(雪椿, Camellia japonica var. decumbens or Camellia japonica subsp. rusticana）is native to Tohoku and Hokuriku regions along the Sea of Japan including Toyama and Niigata.

Camellia japonica 'Tsugawashibori' (津川絞) was found in the garden of a home in Tsugawa, Niigata Prefecure.

Camellia resticana 'Kitanonada' (北の洋) was found in the garden of a home in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecure.






● camellias in San-in Region

Many species of camellias are native to San-in Region including Matsue.
Matsudaira Fumai(松平不昧), the 7th lord of the Matsue Domain, was a leading master of tea ceremony and gathered various varieties of camellias. There is a camellia tree that Fumai loved in Matsue.


● camellias created in Kyoto

Camellia japonica 'Akebono' (曙) created in the Edo Period

The masters of tea ceremony loved Camellia japonica 'Shiratama' （白玉）. This camellia was created  before the Edo Period.

Camellia japonica 'Akashigata' （明石潟） appears in a pictorial book of camellias published in 1859.

Camellia japonica ‘Kamo-hon-nami’(加茂本阿弥) was created in the Edo Period.

Camellia wabisuke 'shiro-wabisuke' (白侘助) is very popular as a flower for tea ceremony.  It appears in a pictorial book of camellias published in 1859.

Camellia japonica 'Yuritsubaki' (百合椿)  appears in  a pictorial book of plants and flowers published in 1829.

Honen-in Temple(法然院) in Kyoto
photo by KYOTOdesign　

Otome-tsubaki

There are a variety of Higo-tsubaki and Otome-tsubaki(乙女椿, Camellia japonica 'Otome' ) in my garden.
Otome-tsubaki appears in a pictorial book of plants and flowers published in 1892.

The original tree of Camellia japonica 'Satsuma' was cultivated at Sengan-en(仙巌園) in Kagoshima Prefecture. Sengan-en was originally built by the lord of Satsuma Domain as his personal villa garden.






Karako-tsubaki
photo by 神戸観光壁紙写真集

A camellia tree called Karako-tsubaki(唐子椿) in Sairin-ji Temple(西林寺) in Hyogo Prefecture is estimated to be over 200 years old.








Karako-tsubaki
photo by 神戸観光壁紙写真集




Chiri-tsubaki
photo by 神戸観光壁紙写真集

A camellia tree called Chiri-tsubaki(散椿) in Choraku-ji Temple(長楽寺) in Hyogo Prefecture is estimated to be over 500 years old. Chiri-tsubaki shed petal by petal.


Chiri-tsubaki
photo by 神戸観光壁紙写真集