Setsubun

February 3rd is Setsubun. It means each end of four seasons and February 3rd is the last day of winter. February 3rd of this year also corresponds to the first horse's day of February (初午, Hatsuuma).

photo by:Motoko Alexander(photost.jp)

People throw roasted soybeans while shouting "Fuku wa Uchi, Oni wa Soto(Fortune in and demons out)" to ward off evil spirits and attract good fortune. The thrower of this event used to be the master of a family or a man called Toshi-otoko who was born in a year with the same sign of the Chinese zodiac as the current year. People eat the same number of beans as their age, wishing for health.



Ikuta Jinja Shrine(生田神社) in Kobe


At many Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, the throwers are men and women who were born in a year with the same sign of the Chinese zodiac as the current year. People try to get beans thrown from them.

Ikuta Jinja Shrine

Minatogawa Jinja Shrine(湊川神社) in Kobe
purification ritual with a bow



Minatogawa Jinja Shrine
Lucky Man and Fuku-musume throw soybeans





Tsuina-shiki at Nagata Jinja Shrine



In ancient times, this event comes from an annual ceremon called Tsuina(追儺) that was held in the Imperial Court on New Year's Eve in the lunar calendar. At some temples, tsuina is held to ward off demons in early January.


At first, monks read a sutra aloud or burn small pieces of wood on the altar to invoke divine help. Several demons dance and hold the ceremony to cut rice cakes(kagami-mochi). At last, pieces of rice cakes are thrown to visitors.




Tsuina-shiki at Nagata Jinja Shrine



Tsuina-shiki at Nagata Jinja Shrine


Tsuina-shiki(追儺式) at Nagata Jinja Shrine(長田神社) which dates back 650 years is held on the day of Setsubun.

Seven demons appear as messengers of the god, burn disasters with burning torches, strike misfortunes with swords, purify the country, pray for the safety of people and for good health and celebrate the coming spring.



Tsuina at Tenporin-ji Temple(転法輪寺) on January 7


Demons pat visitors on the head.














Tsuina at  Myouou-ji Temple(明王寺) on January 4





Tsuina at  Myoho-ji Temple(妙法寺) on January 3




Myoho-ji Temple(妙法寺) on January 3


 












Tsuina at  Taizan-ji Temple(太山寺) on January 7





Tsuina at  Kakurin-ji Temple(鶴林寺) in early January














Tsuina at  Tamon-ji Temple(多聞寺) on January5

 

Tsuina at  Usuki Hachiman Jinja Shrine(魚吹八幡神社) in late March






Usuki Hachiman Jinja Shrine(魚吹八幡神社) in late March







Tsuina at  Choko-ji Temple(朝光寺) on May 5



Tsuina at  Ruri-dera(瑠璃寺) in early February

Tsuina at  Josho-ji Temple(常勝寺) on February 11

Tsuina at  Josho-ji Temple(常勝寺) on February 11

Tsuina at  Getsurin-ji Temple

Demons go from Getsurin-ji Temple(月輪寺) to  Omiya Hachimangu Shrine (大宮八幡宮) in January.



Tsuina at  Omiya Hachimangu Shrine



Omiya Hachimangu Shrine

phot by 神戸観光壁紙写真集




serdine for Setsubun and Ehou-maki roll


People living in the Kansai region eat uncut rolled sushi called Ehou-maki(恵方巻き) in silence for good luck, while facing in the year's auspicious direction (north-northwest this year). This custom has been rapidly spreading in other areas. I also ate this sushi.


People in the Kansai Region eat grilled sardines on this day. Some people put up small decorations of sardine heads and holly leaves on their house entrances. Because spiky leaves of a holly stick into the eyes of demons and smoke and smell pouring from griled sardines ward off demons.


The word "oni(鬼)" is usually translated as "demon".
The word "鬼" originated from ancient China, but its meaning varied from the original. Oni was originally believed to be an invisible being that puts a whammy on people.

According to old Japanese literature, oni gazed at a funeral procession of an empress, walked through the town of Kyoto and infested even the Imperial court to maneat.
Some people say that oni were humans including antigovernment force, conquered native tribes and people who were shut out of the social system.
Now oni came to be portrayed as humorous.
In the 6th chapter of "The Tales of Ise", the lover of Ariwara no Narihira(在原業平) is eaten by oni. In fact, it is said that Narihira was separated from his lover Takaiko(高子) by her brothers. Because she was very noble and was considered appropriate for a concubine of an emperor. Later she became an empress dowager. Narihira bowed before authority and couldn't openly profess his hatred for her brothers.
The writer of the story says, "They are called oni(それをかく鬼とはいふなりけり)" He expresses Narihira's deep regretfulness with the word "oni."
"Red Demon cried(泣いた赤鬼, Naita Aka-oni)" was written by Hirosuke Hamada(浜田 廣介, 1893-1973) who was a children's literature writer and was originally printed in 1965.

A gentle red demon tried to get along well with villagers, but they were afraid to make contact with him. A blue demon, his close friend, puts on a show to grant the red demon's wish. The blue demon plays a bad role and the red demon drives away the blue demon. The red demon bonds with villagers, but the blue demon leaves behind a letter and moves further away. The letter says the blue demon decided never to see the red demon again to prevent their secret from being leaked. The red demon cried.

This story is for children, but it makes a durable impression on its reader whether he is a child or not.
In the late 1910s many foremost writers and poets published their works for children. Although their works tell stories in simple terms, critics said they were profound books for children. Many of Japanese children's books don't have a happy ending.
The movie based on this story was released last year.
The play "Red Demon(赤鬼, Akaoni)" has been written and directed by Hideki Noda(野田秀樹.) We associate red demon with "Red Demon cried." The play was also performed in Thailand and the United Kingdom.


books for reference:
Akiko Baba, Oni no Kenkyu(A study of Oni),(Tokyo:Chikumashobo(P.E.),1990)
馬場あき子著, 鬼の研究(東京:筑摩書房(ちくま文庫),1990年)

Japanese washi paper

Making washi paper is held in winter after plants used as raw materials are harvested from autumn to winter.

An exhibition showed Rembrandt's 30 prints on Japanese washi paper last year. He used a type of Japanese washi paper called ganpi-shi(雁皮紙) for his 80 prints around 1647. The non-Catholic Dutch were allowed to maintain trade relations even during a period of national isolation. So washi papers were also exported to the Netherlands.
Many of today's Japanese copperplate engraving artists use ganpi-shi.

Ganpi-shi is made from the bark of ganpi(雁皮, Diplomorpha sikokiana). It was called "pearl paper" because it is thin and smooth-faced. Since ganpi is difficult to cultivate, we have to depend on wild ganpi trees. So real ganpi papers are rarely offered in markets.
Now most "ganpi-shi" papers contain another materials for washi such as kouzo(楮) and oriental paperbush(三椏, mitsumata).

Oriental paperbush(三椏, mitsumata)

Oriental paperbush trees bloom from mid-March to April in my area.  It's also one of garden species. Gampi and oriental paperbush are relatives of Winter Daphne.

Its bark is used as the material of Japanese banknote paper even now. Because it is wrinkle-resistant, takes ink well and is not nearly damaged by worms.

Japanese banknotes do not disintegrate when washed, so many wet notes were brought to the Bank of Japan in tsunami-hit areas. The bank's staffs washed muddy, oily or salty notes by hand and dried them.

Mitsumata(三椏) means three-way fork. The tree is called so because each branch of the tree divides into three branches.


kouzo(male flower)


Kouzo(楮, Broussonetia kazinoki × B. papyrifera)

Kouzo belongs to the mulberry family.




kouzo(fruits)



kouzo(bark)



Aibika (Abelmoschu manihot Medik)

This plant is called tororoaoi(黄蜀葵) in Japan. Extracts from the root of aibika is used to make washi.


photo by 「季節の花 ３００」






machine-made version of Echizen-washi paper

 Washi paper has been made throughout Japan. Most of washi papers on the market are made by machine.

Among them, Echizen-washi(越前和紙) in Fukui Prefecture, Mino-washi(美濃和紙) in Gifu Prefecture and Tosa-washi(土佐和紙) in Kochi Prefecture are known as three major producers of Japanese washi paper.
 


machine-made version of Echizen-washi paper


The Japanese washi paper has been used to repair cultural properties such as paintings, ancient documents and prints around the world because of its softness and durability.
Thin washi papers such as ganpi-shi are pasted up on the worn and battered papers. You can see the old papers through pasted washi paper.
Thick washi paper is used to patch disbound pages or reinforce seams of books.

handmade tengujo-shi

 Tengujo-shi (典具帖紙) is a type of Japanese washi paper which developed in Tosa(土佐, now Kochi Prefecture). It is made from kouzo and is called "the wing of mayfly".
This paper is transparent.

handmade Tengujo-shi

 This type of washi paper was used to restore the painting which Michelangelo painted on the wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican.


handmade Tengujo-shi

The paper also served for the restoration of ukiyo-e and boooks at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
 




There are many types of Japanese wash paper. I have only few types of them.



unryu washi(雲龍和紙)


This paper is transparent.

this pattern is made via pressing paper between carved boards.
This type of washi is called Itajime(板締め).



block‐printed washi paper



paper dyed in gradations of color



Compared with paper made from wood pulp, Japanese washi paper have longer fiber. You can fluff edges of washi paper by tearing with hands.

chigiri-e

Chigiri-e(ちぎり絵) is a kind of torn paper collage. Fluffy edge make the collage look like a watercolor painting.

A paper patchwork called tsugigami(継ぎ紙) was popular in the Heian Period.  Nobles preferred writing papers made by splicing together straight or squiggly cut pieces of various washi papers.
 



Choju-jinbutsu-giga
A frog and a rabbit are having a sumo bout.

 
On February 15th in 2011, the Kyoto National Museum announced that it made a new discovery about the picture scrolls called Caricatures of Animals and Humans (鳥獣人物戯画, Choju-jinbutsu-giga).

The scrolls belonging to Kozan-ji temple in Kyoto were drawn from the 12th to the 13th centuries and have been designated a national treasure.



rabbit lost

  Pictures were originally drawn on both sides of paper about one of the scrolls and the paper was divided into two sheets by peeling away a layer of the paper.  It is thought that the scroll was originally a practice piece.

frog won



another rabbit is watching the bout in amusement


This technique is called aihagi(相剥) and is used to divide one ink-wash painting on washi paper into two paintings. This is possible because Chinese ink seeps down into the washi paper and washi paper has many layers. The lower layer of the paper is lighter in color than the upper layer, but it's not fake.









rabbit goes fishing



rabbit is going to run an errand



dancing frog



rabbit with arrows



rabbit goes walk the deer
















rabbit goes after a monkey



monkey is followed by rabbit












washi-making process

1. Steam and unbark branches of Kouzo or Mitsumata trees after harvesting them from November to January.
2. Soak the bark in water overnight.
3. Scrape off dark outer bark with a knife.
4. Immerse white inner bark in ice water or expose it to the sun. In snowy regions, place it on the snow.
5. Boil it for 2 or 3 hours.
6. Nervously remove the dirt by hand after washing it with water.
7. Make pulpy material by beating it with a wooden hammer or the machine.


paper making of Awa(present-day Tokushima Prefecture) washi

8. Scoop wet, pulpy material containing extracts from aibika's roots with a wood-framed bamboo(or reed) screen and shake the screen to spread the material. Make paper by repeating this procedure several times. Stack the wet paper in layers.

9. Squeeze out the water from stacks of the paper by presser.
10. Peel a sheet off of each stack and put it on board.
11. Dry sheets of paper by exposing them to the sun.
12. Sort and cut out them.

Raw material producers are aging. Most of them harvest and process plants for the material on the side during agricultural off-season, but the plants require increased care need to be looked after from spring to summer.  These works place a burden on them.