Baikasai ーKitano-Tenmangu (Tea ceremony)ー（梅花祭 北野天満宮） ②

Her kimono is an arabesque design.It is beautiful.

Pink plums are in their full.

This is "Darari-Obi".

As you know,this type of obi is peculiar to "Maiko" (young girl),

After they graduate "Maiko",they become "Geiko".

And "Geiko" wears different types of obi,which is called "Taiko-musubi".

The woman (left) wearing green kimono is "Geiko",

and the girl (center) is "Maiko".

The plum trees are covered with blossoms.

She entertains the guests  with hot green tea.

She smiled tenderly.

The plum flowers are in their full glory now.

We hold this celemony in every Feburary 25 in Kitano-Tenmangu.

So if you visit Kyoto,please take part in this tea celemony with your friends or family. 

Baikasaiー Kitano-Tenmangu (Tea ceremony) （梅花祭 北野天満宮） ①

On February 25,we held "Baikasai" in Kitano-Tenmangu.

A lot of people visit here today to see beautiful maiko and geiko girls!

They entertain guests with hot green tea.

This ceremony has long history, about 900 years.

Please enjoy photos.

This is "Geiko".She put on "Taiko-obi".

She already graduated "Maiko".

To be coutinued....

Kyoto-Sweets (京菓子）

These are Kyo-gashi.

They're colorful and the shape is cute.

They're like jelly coated with sugar,so the feel of them are a bit hard.

These are Namagashi,soft Japanese sweets.

These are sweets of elaborate craftsmanship.

So if you visit Kyoto,please try these Kyo-gashi by all means.

The website below shows the process of creating Kyo-gashi,please visit it.

http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/people/fukuyaky/sub-5.htm  →Fukuya shop

Fukuya（富久屋） is a good sweets store in Kyoto.

(Address:Nakagyo-ku,Nishinokyo)

Kyo-Ningyo ー Tanaka Doll Shop (京人形 田中彌） in Kyoto

If you visit Kyoto,I recommend "Tanaka Doll Shop".(京人形　田中彌）

You can see these all dolls in this shop.

web http://www.kyoto-wel.com/shop/S81010/

This is long-established famous shop since 1808.

(Attention: The dolls change every season.)

The above three pictures are "Hina-ningyo".

We celebrate the Girls' Festival on March 3.

Parents who have little girl display these kind of dolls in their house on that day.

The above three pictures are "Ichimatsu-ningyo".（市松人形）

These are originally a doll for dress-up.

These are traditional craft in Japan.

Kyoto girl in ancient times.

These are good for souvenir when you visit Kyoto,I think.

The bean-scattering ceremony in Yoshinoyama,Nara （節分 吉野山）

We are in Mt.Yoshino now.

This steep stairs leads to the Big Temple,Kinpusenji.

We're having the bean-scattering ceremony ,

and some other events in this temple tonight.

Many people gather here for the ceremony,

including people from a distant place.

web  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao0c-NleQEY

Can you see the ogres in the darkness? Can you see their horns?

The  young people disguise themselves as devils.

(They're menbers of young men's association in this town.)

We throw beans toward them,to exorcise evil spirits from us.

The bean scattering is our custom early in February.

Every year on Feburary 3,we scatter beans,all over the country.

This day is called "Setsubun" （節分）in Japan.

And we eat sushi (which is rolled in seaweed with various ingredients).

Another performance started in the temple.His performance is acrobatic,using torches.

It's his showtime now!

Next,beating drum performance started.

A young lady play the drums very skillfully.

Her performance is so powerful that our evil spirits are all gone and dissapear!  

May this year be happy and healthy for you,too!

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. 

web  http://www.kitanotenmangu.or.jp/

The pink plum.

maiko in Tenmangu 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MUg0B1oxAs

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!