Saturday, January 29, 2011

Spring has comeー Kitano Tenmangu(北野天満宮) Kyoto

It seems that spring has come in Kyoto.The plum trees are now budding.
Kitano Tenmangu is good shrine in Kyoto.It is worth visiting 

This gateway is a symbol of Kitano Tenmangu shrine.

This is a stone gurdian dog at the gate.

This is the entrance of the shrine.
This is outward appearance of main shrine.

This flower smells sweet!
This is main shrine,which is national treasure.
Kitano Tenmangu is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane,who is a nobleman in Heian era (about 1200 years ago)
He was a brilliant person,so he is known as "god of study" for everyone. 
So this shrine is very popular among students preparing for an examination.
Now is the season of entrance examination,so students from all over the country come to this shrine to pray for success in the entrance examination. 

The pink plum.



maiko in Tenmangu 

She is Heian Hime.
Her sweetheart is a bad correspondent,so she is anxious about that.
She expressed that in her poetry.

Students write their wish on these votive tablets,and dedicate them to this shrine.

For example,"I'll definitely pass the entrance examination this year!" etc....
Like new year resolution.
This tablet is called "Ema".
May God answer their prayers!


12 comments:

  1. I love the spring plums. Beautiful
    I can't wait until it is Spring here too!

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  2. @Freida,
    Thank you very much.I can't either. It's unbearably cold now!

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  3. Il y a déjà des fleurs ? Il fait quelle température pour que les cerisiers bourgeonnent ?
    Vos photos sont magnifiques

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  4. @Tifette,
    Merci beaucoup de votre commentaire!
    On dit que basse température(moins de 7 degrés) est nécessaire pour les cerisiers bourgeonnent.(Il faut au minimum 1000 heures.)
    Chaque anneé à cette période(au début de février) les cerisiers bougeonnent en Japon.
    Ce sent très bon.

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  5. Hello Kumiko!
    So lovely pics, thank you for sharing it!!!!
    Do you know when Baikasai event with geikos will be?
    It`s so wonderful tea meeting, I dream to see it though on pics.

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  6. @molla,
    Thank you for leaving a comment!
    I'm surprised, you know "Baikasai"? Wow...
    I think it's on February 25.At the end of this month.
    If you search "梅花祭" word on Google,you can find some beautiful photos of geikos,I think.
    Thank you.

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  7. Je vous envie, c'est magnifique, avec l'odeur ça doit être magique.

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  9. @Tifette,
    Vous êtes gentil de dire ça.Le printemps de votre pays ça doit être magnifique,c'est mon rêve.

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  10. Hello Kumiko san,
    I`ve known I hope the most of events connected with Kyoto Karyukai and its kagai :) It`s so beautiful, I saw it for the first time on pics collected on the Flickr.
    now in Poland is so bad weather that it`s incredible to use polite words to describe it. When I`m watching these first spring flowers I`m more happy, and fell better and warmer in my soul.
    thank you!

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  11. I hope you don`t mind using your picture for my spring post on my blog:)

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  12. @molla,
    Thank you very much,molla!
    It is my pleasure if you like these photos^ ^
    Yes,I love these flowers,too!
    They signal the beginning of spring.

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