Gion-Festival （祇園祭） Kyoto

"Gion Festival"（祇園祭） is one of the most famous festivals in Japan.

This festival dates back to the Middle Ages,more than 1000 years ago.

Exorcising evil spirits is the main purpose of this festival.

It spans the entire month of July and is crowned by a parade.

The street is crowded with so many people.

So many lanterns...

Tonight is the previous night of big parade.

We call this "Yoiyama",

which means the night before the parade.

This float is called "Kitakannonyama"（北観音山）,

which is decorated with beautiful tapestries

 both from Nishijin and imported from all over the world.

This float is going to parade down the street tomorrow.

Children dress in yukata,enjoying the festival.

This is also float shaped like a ship.

This is also decorated beautifully.

Tomorrow,about 40 people is going to get on this float

and parade down the street.

This ship is decorated by these imaginary birds

 made of mother-of pearl,gold,etc...

Even the ceiling is like a work of art...

The next day of "Yoiyama",

people march in procession around the Kyoto city.

Some floats are decorated with European tapestries.

These European tapestries are said to have been brought from Belgium,

about 400 years ago.

This festival takes place annually in Kyoto.(in July)

Every year,so many tourist come to see this festival.

This festival brings us the real feeling of summer.

Nadeshiko Japan won Gold medal at 2011 World Cup in Germany

Congratulations!

It was a dramatic game.

This victory encourages every Japanese people,

and is worth more than anything else in the world!

The game was a very clean match with lots of fair spirit.

USA team was really strong,

and the German supporters were really gentle in the games.

Thank you for the great match.

Maccha-KakigoriーCool Dessert for the Dog Days of Summer

This is "Maccha-Kakigori"（抹茶かき氷）.

This is Japanese shaved frozen dessert flavored with Green tea syrup in summer.

Greentea syrup is poured on top of it,(on the right side)

and left side is condensed milk.(white)

Toppings are adzuki beans and green tea ice cream,and white dumplings.

We enjoy this to fight the scorching heat of summer.

This shop is Kyoushouan（京匠庵）.This is located near Kintesu Nara Station.

Summer sweets ーkudzu-warabi（葛わらび餅）

This is "kudzu-warabimochi".（葛わらび餅）

Topping(orange) is "yuzu"（柚子）,an aromatic citron.

This is summer sweets,looks very cool.

I chose grape juice for set menu.

They're so cool, make me forget the heat.....

Wakousha（和光舎）ーAtelier restoring ancient embroidery

Today I visit an interesting atelier in Kyoto.

This atelier specializes in restoring ancient embroidery of canonical robe.

http://www.wakohsha.com/kobo/business/index.html

This is a lotus flower.

Lotus flower is closely related to Paradise,Heaven in Buddhism.

This is like real lotus flower...This is made with wonderful skill.

But artisans in this atelier do not create this from the very beginning.

Their work is to restore this kind of ancient embroidery.

These robes with embroidery are used in many temples in Kyoto,

and as years go by,these clothes and embroideries become old and damaged,

so they need to be restored.

That is why this repair shop is needed and relied on for many temples in Kyoto.

This is also lotus flower.

This is peony. In Buddhism,peony is also related to Paradise,Heaven.

Restoration of these embroideries is once in 10 or 20 years.

These flowers are so gorgeous and so realistic.

And these are not for Zen. This is important.

Zen motto is "modest,and simple,humble".

These embroidery are too gorgeous for Zen temple and Zen priest.

These embroideries are for "Higashi-Honganji" and "Nishi-Honganji".

http://higashihonganji.or.jp/english/

http://www.hongwanji.or.jp/english/

This is a Chinese phoenix.

This is an imaginary bird.

Chinese phoenix is also related to Paradise,Heaven in Buddhism.

This bird spread its wings.

These wings are also very realistic,

I can see this bird flapping its wings a couple of times....Wow!

This is cherry blossoms.

I admire this delicate workmanship.

Originally,these way of embroidery came from India,and China about 1500 years ago.

And artisans in this atelier maintain this tradition.

They restore countless embroideries of canonical robes from many temples in Kyoto.

And this is Chinese lion.

This lion is three-dimensional.

This is technique of embroidery to make this lion as real as possible.

And his eyes.

The artisan of this atelier said,

"His eyes were damaged because of overage,

so we restored his eyes using glass."

And  his eyes are bloodshot,

this is also technique to make this lion real.

As you see,everything is restored with care in this atelier.

Embroidery of canonical robe in Japan has established for many years.

These techniques should be succeeded to future generation.

Maiko Kanzashi （舞妓 かんざし）

These pics below are postcards of Maiko.

Maiko changes their "Kanzashi"(long ornamental hairpin) every season.

In July,(this month),Maiko wears "Uchiwa" Kanzashi.

"Uchiwa" means "a round paper fan".

http://www1.odn.ne.jp/maya/season/07.htm

In August,they wears "Susuki" Kanzashi.

"Susuki"means "Japanese pampas grass".

http://www1.odn.ne.jp/maya/season/08.htm

In September,they wears"Kikyo"Kanzashi.

"Kikyo"means "a balloonflower".

http://www1.odn.ne.jp/maya/season/09.htm

And she's enjoying "a moon-viewing".

As you see,people in Kyoto always care about a sense of the season.

And Maiko express that by their Kanzashi.

I admire their sensitiveness to the seasons,and their hospitality.

Seien （栖園）－Sweets Cafe in Kyoto,Karasuma

From this outward appearance,who believes that this is "sweets cafe"...?
But this is cafe,"Seien" （栖園）, since 1885.
That appearance is very tasteful...
This shop curtain, which is hung outside the entrance,is impressive.
This shop is located near Kyoto-Daimaru (Department Store) in Karasuma.

I ordered "Kohaku-Nagashi" (left) and "Zenzai"(right).

This is "Kohaku-Nagashi".
This dessert is like transparent jelly,and apricot is on it.
This dessert has an apricot taste,which is sweet and sour.
"Kohaku" means "amber".
This dessert is amber-colored,that is the origin of the name of this dessert.
This amber color comes from this apricot.
This is cool-looking summer dessert.
 

 This is "Zenzai", sweet red-bean soup with pieces of rice cake.
In summer,we enjoy cool Zenzai, and in winter,we enjoy hot Zenzai.
This is yummy...^ ^

And I bought these desserts for souvenir.^ ^
They are made in the shape of sweetfish,inside is a white bean jam.
Around the fishes,there are cute sweets...flowers,fruits,eggplant...
They're colourful and cute.