Milky Way on water: 50.000 LED lights on the Okawa river in Osaka

It was just pure luck I found this festival just in time to watch and even participate. A beautiful picture of lasts years spectacle in Osaka caught my eye just one day before the event. It made me think of the Panasonic LED 'fireflies' released in the Sumida river in Tokyo just a few months before. I wished then I could have seen the spectacle, so am I happy to have found this opportunity! So I rushed my behind on the Special Rapid Service to Osaka this Saturday.

Arriving there I watched 50,000 blue lights make a dreamlike landscape on the Okawa River. The blue lights even have a fairy tale name and are called inori-boshi (prayer star). Plus they all have a wish attached to them, which were written on paper strips people could buy at different shops in Osaka in the weeks previous to the event. Wishes are made for happiness, money or health, but also condolences for lost loved ones or people suffering in the Tohoku area. With this man-made Milky Way of lights, the star festival is celebrated, or “Heisei, the Legend of Osaka Amanogawa”.

Thousands of people visited the riverside to enjoy the one-night-only Milky Way. Most of the lights were gathered beforehand and released from small boats, by the organization. A little haphazard and a tad disorganized, it all contributed to the charm of the evening. Visitors could also embark one of the tourist boats (for 2000 yen) and get a 'wish star' to release in the river themselves. The embarking on different boats brought about quite some confusion, certainly for one who doesn't speak Japanese! But a friendly attendant is never far away, so it all worked out well in the end and I did not miss my boat (I'm on a boat!). I would have preferred to enter a open boat though, but that's probably for another life time, when I do speak Japanese and understand what the heck is happening. :)

All of this does not occur without thinking of the environment I'm relieved to report. The wishes are written on paper strips made of papyrus. This paper is made mainly from reeds which grow in Lake Biwa, north of Kyoto. Releasing these papyrus strips in the river helps to purify the water is what I understand. Even only one paper strip will purify approximately 54 liters of water! Of course the LED lights, that have a low electricity consumption, are gathered after the festival and reused. Hurray for Osaka's Milky Way Festival!

Here's a link to the article about the event in Tokyo.

Slaying snakes for a 1000 years at Kuramadera

June 20th I visited Kurama-dera (Kurama temple) to attend the yearly Bamboo Cutting ceremony. Or, as the matsuri is called in Japanese 'Takekiri Eshiki', which takes place at the Kuramadera, a temple and national treasure of Japan, built high on the Kurama mountain.

Coming from the train at the foot of Mount Kurama, I got served instant happiness. The smell of the mountain, the pine trees lining the slopes, filled my nose immediately and I could not help but smile. The ride up there by train is a feast already, but the walk up the mountain let to even more great views. I come from a flat country, so the mountains fill me with awe every time I am near. The higher I got on Mount Kurama, the more giddy. Or was it just the mountain air?…

It took me quite a while to get to the temple up the mountain, because I just had to savor the view every time I got a glimpse through the trees. And to think I took the Cable train for a bit! (I am, and will be a city girl I'm afraid… although my legs don't bother anymore to count all the meters  they've walked in the past few months!) Anyway Mt. Kurama is 584 meters high, so to reach the temple that's one good climb! Lazy me, I took the short route. Literally. The Kurama railway is the shortest in the country, just 200 meters long. So it takes only 2 minutes. If you prefer to walk, what the temple recommends, you'll need about 30 minutes. A very steep climb that is, you are warned! And then you aren't even finished, there are even many more steps ahead of you. To make it all the more pleasurable, the ceremony is in June, when the weather is very hot and humid in Japan, so go figure. I admit, some malicious pleasure washed over me when I saw the unhappy and panting souls that had chosen the 'righteous' path…

The ceremony consists of two teams of priests who race to slay 'the snake' once again as their predecessor priest Minenobu has done a thousand years ago. The story goes that at Mt. Kurama a snake suddenly appeared in front of the priest and it was slain by using the power of Buddhism. Until this day a matsuri is held to commemorate this event, with a bamboo cutting ceremony to help destroy wickedness and the establishment of righteousness. (An appreciation for water is expressed as well.) During the bamboo cutting ceremony the monk Kurama, dressed as a warrior priest, foretells whether the harvest will be rich or poor, as he demonstrates how fast he can cut the bamboo.

I wasn't at all clear to me that it was supposed to be a race though, I had to find out afterwards when doing research. No less fun even so, it was rather an entertaining and clumsy sight seeing the monks pottering around with the 4 meter long bamboo stalks and which priest would stand where holding it! But when handling the swords…, another thing. You would want to stay on the good side with those priests!

As you might have noticed, the snake in the tale is replaced by long bamboo stalks. These have to be cut in pieces three times, for the 'snake' to be conquered. I have to say I'm quite pleased about the use of bamboo. I wouldn't have wanted to see real snakes cut to pieces. Having to warn Greenpeace and all that would have taken a bit of the pleasure out of the whole thing I imagine.

Midosuji Festa, 10th anniversary of Osaka's Street Fair

Osaka celebrated it's rich culture this week with a 10th anniversary party of the Midosuji Open Festa, known in short today as the Midosuji Festa. The aim of the organization of this very busy street fair is to attract more visitors to Osaka as a whole and to the Midosuji Avenue and Minami neighbourhood in particular. An 'urban regeneration' is what they call it. Minami and Midosuji though are very different neighborhoods. Midosuji Avenue represents the high end visitor with all the big brands and their flag ship stores like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Cartier, Hermès and Dior. Minami attracts a younger, more urban public. There you'll find the new trends, or shops for all kinds of subcultures, but also clubs, small restaurants and izakaya.

But maybe when it comes to open air street fun, like music, dance, art, fashion and sports, the public is not so different! Last year the Festa was flooded with 370,000 visitors. I would not be surprised if the Midosuji Festa 2012 attracted even more. The Festa sure could count on the weather for support, it was a great 21 °C, a prefect day for a street fair. The downside of these perfect conditions, not surprisingly, are the huge numbers of visitors. All dance, sports and music performances were on street level, not on a podium. That way everyone crowds around, so if you're not on the front row, tough. If you have a preference to see something, try to find a spot beforehand and stick with it. It would give you the chance to then see all the dance performances, or all sports performances for instance. Because those are all held continuously through the day, by different groups.

I would recommend the dance groups. They are always so very energetic, happy and colourful! The groups consist mostly of very young dancers to sometimes quit old and they are with many. Several play their own (small) instruments or shout out yells to the music. See at least a show or three, you're in for a superb spectacle. The sports performances differed greatly, but all had their own appeal. Some funny (basketball), some exiting (tae kwon do), and some awe inspiring (karate). If you like to take it low-key, watch a fashion show, or go to the 'beauty salon' where you can have your hair or nails done. Why not?! All in all, the day had a very positive and happy vibe.

Ohara-me festival celebrates the strong women of Ohara

In the north of Kyoto, in Sakyo Ward, lies a pitoresque mountain village called Ohara. Very much in the rural area, the lives of the inhabitants of Ohara is still for the most part about farming. The women of Ohara are famous for it even. Wearing traditional farm clothing, they are called 'Oharame'. These women come to the city of Kyoto still today, selling mostly vegetables and sometimes flowers. Nowadays they use pull carts, but mostly small trucks. In earlier times the women carried their loads on their heads.

As part of the Aoi festival, from May 1st till May 15th, lost of festivals (matsuri) are celebrated all over the Kyoto area, every day. At Ohara on May 12th, the girls and women of Ohara wear their traditional costumes, stemming from the Muromachi era. From the very young to the old, they are all proud of their ancestry. The Oharame walk in procession through their village starting at the Shorin-in (temple). And since Ohara is not only famous for it's strong women, but also for their many temples, the procession get's a beautiful and ancient background. One of the most famous temples of Ohara, Hosen-in is included in the tour too. The procession ends after two kilometers, at the Sanzen-in temple. At the starting point, however you'll get ample time to take pictures. There is even an official moment to take a group portrait. Which a lot of beaming grand-parents do!

Furthermore Ohara has a charming shopping street up the mountain where local products are sold, like pickles, jams, wooden and leather wares, furoshiki and more. But the most beautiful about Ohara is just strolling around, walking through the mountainous landscape and savour the view.

More spectacle on Boy's Day, with horseback acrobatics at Fujinomori Shrine

Aoi festival part II, Children's Day on May 5th. This time a little way of the beaten path, I visited Fujinomori Shrine as part of the Aoi festival celebrations. Fujinomori Shrine is over 1200 years old, so it was built even before Kyoto became the Imperial capital in 794. The deity of the shrine is connected with military arts and war. Members of the imperial family and leading samurai warriors have always worshiped at this shrine.

Surprisingly a completely different atmosphere is present today. The visitors of Fujinomori in Fushimi Ward are very much the 'ordinary' man and woman, and child so to speak. May 5th is Children's Day after all. Therefore lot's of game and play for the little ones. Like target shooting, playing with goldfish, turtoises and crabs, to take home whatever you can grab. Not the average kid's entertainment in the Netherlands and I'm happy for it. The rest of the amusement was all very responsible and fun. All kinds of food stalls didn't miss on the premises, it is Japan after all. The whole set up gave it a bit of a carnivalesque feel and with it's absolutely great weather is was a fun day 'in the south'.

May 5th is also known as Boy's Day (March 3th historically became Girls Day). Weeks before Boy's Day streamers in the form of a carp, koinobori, can be seen throughout Japan. The bigger the carp, the older the son. Carp are a popular Japanese symbol because they are admired for strength and their determination to swim upstream. These qualities are what parents hope for in their children.

Boy's Day is celebrated at Fujinomori Shrine with a festival called Kakeuma Shinji or Fukakusa Matsuri. Spectacular stunts are shown while riding a horse, techniques deriving from the battlefield of samurai. Samurai in their day had to be able to ride their horse through enemy country, but also try not to get shot! Well, why not hang yourself by the side of your horse, stand on it's back on your head or sit backwards on it so you can shoot arrows at your pursuers. Where Shimogamo Shrine showed Yabusame Umashinji earlier in the week (shooting arrows from horseback), this time it was about the acrobatic moves. I'm glad they don't combine the two nowadays, because also this ritual is not without danger. The last horseback rider at Fujinomori fell while performing his last trick. And this time the rider did not stand up. Up till now I'm not sure how he's doing. It is not something unheard of, participants or spectators getting hurt or even dying during the performance of a ritual stint. So whatever you do at times visiting a spectacular festival, personally I would advise not to take the front row...

Spectacle and courage; Mounted Archery at Shimogamo Shrine

The first week of April is called the 'Golden Week'. It got it's name from the fact that this week Japan experiences the highest peak in commerce, because supposedly 127 million Japanese get to have the week of. There are already 4 national holiday's during this week, and why not take an extra day or two and have a whole week of freedom? So a Golden Week it is, for retailers, as well as holiday makers. And there's plenty of events to choose from where to spend your time (and money).

On May 3th I went to see a very spectacular event at the Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto, where very brave men perform archery on horseback called Yabusame. The ritual can be dated back to 300 BC. The event on May 3th is part of a period of the Aoi Matsuri (Hollyhock festival) that lasts two weeks. To watch this actual event, one need a liberal dose of patience, but it get's rewarded generously also. If you would like to visit this event next year, get there at 11:30 a.m. (the event starts at 1 a.m.) and queue for a ticket. If you don't want to stand for 3 to 4 hours, first to get a good spot and then through the whole event, you have to get there early. First all officials and archers ride past the spectators a few times. This takes a while, but when the ceremony is done, the actual spectacle starts. There are three targets where the archers aim their arrows, so it's even nicer to sit directly in front of one of those. Not without danger to oneself though! The space between the mounted archers and the spectators is a mere 3 to 4 meters. The archers shout an impressive 'In-Yo-In-Yo!', darkness and light, and thunder past on their horses at high speed, mud flying everywhere!

It was very clear how terribly dangerous and difficult this ritual actually is. Not very often all three targets on the 255 meter long track were hit by an archer. To hit all three is therefore considered an admirable accomplishment. But hitting the targets is not the only concern of the archers. One of them, aiming for the second target, fell from his horse at full speed! In shock I totally forgot my camera and was very happy to see he stood in just seconds and walked. He even got back on his horse and did another few runs! He was a bit disheveled, but he was the hero of the day. To be selected as a Yabusame archer is a great honor and he did right to his status. The other archers did have quite a bit of difficulty hitting the targets also, but when they did, it was under loud cheers.
Around 800 years ago, mounted archery was used to train samurai and keep them prepared for war and the archers who performed poorly could be ordered to commit seppuku (known as ritualistic suicide)! And dogs should also be grateful, since it was common to use them as a target first... Just as well it's 2012!

In honour of one of the most beautiful woman in the world

Ono no Komachi, poet in Japan in the early Heian period, was considered to be one of the three most beautiful women in the world. She was the only woman of the rokkasen, the Six best waka poets of her era. (Waka is a classical Japanese short poem.) The Six waka poets were also known as the Six Poetic Geniuses. A thousand years have gone by, but the famous poems of Ono no Komachi are still read today and 'Komachi' became a synonym for feminine beauty in Japan.

The Zuishin-in (temple) is connected with the remembrance of this extraordinary woman. Every year, on the last Sunday of March Ono no Komachi is honoured with the performance Hanezu Odori Dance. Hanezu is an old Japanese word meaning 'light red colour'. Which can be seen in the beautiful shade of red in the kimono of the dancers. The name of the colour does also refer to the late-blossoming ume (plum) trees adorning the 'Ono Plum Garden' of Zuishin-in. The blossoms of these plum trees have this same light red colour and are therefore called 'Hanezu Plum Trees'.

The two slow and elegant dances are performed four times on the day and accompanied with live music through traditional instruments. It is a popular event, so come early if you would like to sit on the benches. Otherwise, join the many photographers on the back rows. Better even, take your own stepladder!
Afterwards enjoy some traditional Japanese food, like soba, and stroll through the Ono Plum Garden. Not only to enjoy the blossoming trees, but also to enjoy the excitement that takes hold of the Japanese nation when the first blossoming flower shows itself! 

Link to the website of the Zuishin-in (Japanese), for address and directions.

Girl's Day at Shimogamo Shrine

Never before had I spent a day in Japan (79 days all in all, till now) where I was in the middle of such an excited, carefully but certainly pushy crowd. Never too sure about the information found on Japanese websites either (even so thank you Sergey & Larry for Google translate), today I knew I must be in the right place.

March 3rd is a festive day in Japan, specially for girls. This day the Hinamatsuri (Dolls Festival) is celebrated, which is also called Girls Day. Families celebrate and pray for health, happiness and a strong marriage for their young daughters. And today these families visiting Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto were excited!

Their daughter's futures hang in the balance at such a day and Hina dolls are an important part of it. A few days before the festival, mothers and their daughters make a display at home of the dolls the family has gathered over the years. The 'stage' for the hina dolls can be extended to quite a few, including accessories. These proud displays can cost them thousands of yen. The main dolls in the display, though, are the Emperor and the Empress. So one can start small. Fortunately, one would like to add, for the less prosperous little ones.

Part of the celebration of Girls Day is done by 'Nagashi Bina'. A special ceremony where small hina dolls in their boats made of straw are released on a stream or at sea. Hundreds of people gathered to join or watch the boats flow away. And to add to the festivities, a demonstration was held where a girl was dressed as an original hina doll in twelve layers of kimono! Just like the Genroku-bina doll, she was dressed in a court costume of the Heian period (794 to 1185). Every layer was tied with a knot around her waist to keep everything in place, which would be released after the next layer was added. The last two layers were more elaborate and colorful. These robes must have weighed quite a few pounds on this poor girl, but she was unfased by all the plucking and gentle tucking of the two women dressing her and the heavy garments (and temperature!) she had to endure. A perfect picture of serenity and calmness on this perfect spring day on March 3rd.