Post by Hatsuharu Souma on Jul 12, 2005 21:01:13 GMT -5
Momiji Festivals
With the coming of autumn, nature's brilliant reds and yellows make their annual appearance. In Japan, while spring is the time for viewing cherry blossoms, autumn is the season for appreciating momiji, or the changing colors of leaves. Visiting mountains draped in breathtaking color, like cherry blossom-viewing, is a tradition that dates back many centuries, and it's an occasion to appreciate the beauty and blessings of nature.
The festival is usually held on a Saturday or Sunday, and sometimes on both days. It's a chance for kids to show off what they've learned at school to their families and neighbors, and it offers students a change of pace from their normal school routines.
In November, when the autumn foliage is at its peak, numerous momiji festivals are held throughout the country. One of the most famous is held at Kyoto's Arashiyama. Elaborately designed boats are set afloat on the nearby Oi River, upon which costumed musicians play the koto and shakuhachi (bamboo flute), and traditional dances are performed.
A two-month festival is held every fall from October 1 to November 30 on the grounds of Nara Prefecture's Tanzan Shrine, famous for its orange-colored architecture and 13-tiered wooden pagoda. With its abundant maple trees, which turn deep red in autumn, the shrine's compound becomes a place of exquisite beauty.
Another festival is held in mid-November every year at the Kumano Nachi Shrine in Wakayama Prefecture to give thanks for nature's blessings. Short poems expressing autumn's beauty are written on strips of paper and then tied to sprigs and sent down Nachi Falls, a sacred and famous waterfall that's part of the shrine.
Other major festivals are held in early November at the Kotohira Shrine in Kagawa Prefecture and at the Aso Shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture. Many cities, towns, and villages throughout Japan also hold festivals in local parks and gardens.
Tori no Ichi (The Festival of the Rooster)
A number of Shinto shrines around the country hold a lively "festival of the rooster" in November. These festivals, which last throughout the night, are held on the days of the rooster in November, which in 2000 fall on November 11 and 23.
In the old Japanese calendar, modeled after the Chinese system, the years, days, and hours are represented by a repeating cycle of 12 animals: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. For example, 1999 was the year of the rabbit. This means that 2000 is the year of the dragon, the next animal in the cycle.
The purpose of these festivals, which have been held since the Edo period (1603-1868), is to pray for abundant harvests and prosperous sales. People also come to buy colorfully decorated kumade, or rakes, from the many vendors who set up stalls in and around the shrine. The biggest festival is held at the Otori Shrine in Asakusa, Tokyo, where some 200 stalls are set up and attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year.
Why are rakes sold on this day? They are used to "rake in" good fortune. The kumade come in a variety of sizes and are decorated with such good-luck items as masks, replicas of gold coins, and miniature treasure ships and chests. Some shop owners pray for greater prosperity by buying a slightly bigger kumade each year. Some shops with a long history have a kumade-buying tradition that goes back many generations.
In most years there are only two days of the rooster in November, but sometimes there are three. It's said that in such years, there will be many fires.
Shichi-go-san
November 15 is Shichi-go-san, a day of prayer for the healthy growth of young children. Shichi-go-san literally means seven, five, three; in most regions around the country, boys and girls aged three, boys aged five, and girls aged seven visit a Shinto shrine with their parents. Most girls wear kimonos when making their Shichi-go-san visit, while boys don haori jackets and hakama trousers. In recent years, though, an increasing number of children are wearing Western-style dresses and suits.
In medieval times, aristocratic and samurai families celebrated the growth of infants into healthy boys and girls in the following ways.
~Boys and girls aged three stopped getting their hair shaven and were allowed to grow their hair.
~Boys aged five put on hakama for the first time in public.
~Girls aged seven began using obi sash to tie their kimono, instead of cords.
By the Edo period (1603-1868), this practice spread to commoners, who began visiting shrines to have prayers offered by priests. The Shichi-go-san customs followed today evolved in the Meiji era (1868-1912). November 15 was chosen for this celebration because it was considered the most auspicious day of the year, according to the traditional Japanese calendar. Because the date is not a national holiday, most families pay their Shichi-go-san respects on the weekend just prior to or after November 15.
Following the visit, parents generally buy chitose-ame (longevity candy) for the children. The candy is shaped like a stick and comes in a bag that carries illustrations of cranes and turtles--two animals that are symbols of long life. Chitose literally means a thousand years and is used to denote very long periods of time. The candy and the bag are both expressions of parents' wish that their children lead long, prosperous lives.
Labor Thanksgiving Day
November 23 is Labor Thanksgiving Day, a second national holiday in November. It became a holiday in 1948 as a day for citizens to express gratitude to one other for work done throughout the year and for the fruits of those labors.
Labor Thanksgiving Day (Kinro Kansha no Hi in Japanese) is actually a modern name for an ancient ritual called Niinamesai (Harvest Festival). In the ritual, the Emperor makes the season's first offering of freshly harvested rice to the gods and then partakes of the rice himself.
The history of Niinamesai goes back hundreds and hundreds of years; the first written account is found in the Nihon Shoki (The Chronicle of Japan) - one of the oldest histories of Japan, dating from 720 - which says that a Niinamesai took place in November 678. The origin of the ritual is believed to be much older, going back to when rice cultivation was first transmitted to Japan more than 2,000 years ago. Niinamesai came to be held on November 23 during the Meiji era (1868-1912) and was a nationally celebrated event.
After the World War II, Labor Thanksgiving Day was established to mark the fact that fundamental human rights were guaranteed and rights of workers were greatly expanded in the postwar Constitution. Today, Labor Thanksgiving Day has become a national holiday while Niinamesai is celebrated as a private function of the Imperial Family.
A number of major events are held on this day. One such event is a labor festival held every year in the city of Nagano, which hosted the Olympic Winter Games in February 1998. Local labor organizations sponsor this event to encourage people to think about issues affecting peace, human rights, and the environment.
In the suburbs of Tokyo, nursery school pupils present drawings and handicrafts to local police officers, who look after their safety every day.