Hatsumode in Fushimi Inari Taisha

Hatsumode in Fushimi Inari Taisha

01.01.2015

In my first year in Japan, I realized that experiencing Hatsumode is a must, in a new year, particularly for persons living in Kyoto as it is a city of hundreds of beautiful shrines!

Among other Japanese traditions, Hatsumode, a Japanese term, which means the first visit to a Shrine, was our first target while entering a new year, 2015.

We had known that it would be the most crowded shrine in Kyoto, probably second Yasaka Shrine and third Shimogamo Shrine, but, it did not stop us to chose  experiencing Hatsumode in Fushimi Inari Taisha!

Yes, it was very crowded, but at the same it was very amazing and different experience. Walking through the “Senbon Torii” (thousand doors), being influenced by the colour of Fushimi Inari, a bright vermillon at night, feeling that we were definitely entering into the new year with a new experience...

After thousands of steps, we stopped in the Yotsutsuii Intersection and watched Kyoto landscape. It was bright, it was colourful, it was amazing, it was Kyoto…

 

We were not only listening the voices of Inari but also listening the voices of Kyoto, above… Above the Senbon Torii.

Yes, it was cold, I do not remember how cold it was, cold enough that some of us decided to leave Fushimi, about 5 oclock in the morning…

However, we had also other purpose: watching the sun rise from Fushimi Inari! And we were about to reach sunrise... Only we had to wait few hours more…

Then of course, I was in the team who decided to wait sunrise, we had two purposes at the beginning, walking through the doors and experiencing the sunrise...

Sunrise was not my primary goal, as I was with myself while walking the steps, climbing Inari, itself, was an amazing experience for me while entering a new year, but watching the sun rise would be  additional experience.. Then, why not?

We realized that Yotsutsuii intersection was in the west, even if many people were waiting sun rise there, we decided to find a place to sit in order to watch sunrise directly, from the east..

We jumped through the stairs, through the toriis, tried different parts of Inari Shrine in order to find a proper place to see the sunrise.. It was about 6 oclock in the morning!

Then, finally, we found an eastern side to sit on the rocks and to watch sunrise.

 

There was a few people at the beginning, then more people came.

It was definitely better than the Yotsutsuii intersection!

Our journey came to end with the sunrise...

But, it was already first of January and  too many people were still coming to Inari to welcome the new year!

In my first new year in Japan, in the center of Kyoto, experiencing Hatsumode in Fushimi Inari, would remain one of the amazing experiences of my timeless Kyoto...

Tayu Ceremony in Shimogamo Shrine

Tayu Ceremony in Shimogamo Shrine

November, 2014

It was the time to experience the tradition coming from past in the center of  Kyoto!

Experiencing a tradition coming from past may have several meanings in Kyoto, this time the meaning was the “celebration of being a Tayu” in Shimogamo Shrine...

We all know about Geishas, sometimes wrong, sometimes right, but knowledge on Tayus are far from being widespread and is not as much as Geishas.

 

In order to give an historical information, I should apply to the book of John Dougill, which I mentioned before: Kyoto : A Cultural History.

 

"Tayus were the objects of Pleasure Quarters, particularly during Edo times. Within the compound women were divided into a hierarchy according to beauty and accomplishment. The elite were the tayu, a type of courtesan  whose favours were reserved for the rich. Their world was modelled after that of nobility; they were given names similar to those of princesses, and their "ladies-in-waiting- addressed them in the deferential language of court. When they went on assignments, they were accompanied by parasol bearers in the kind of processions enjoyed by the aristocracy.

 

The tayu were trained as entertainers, and among their skills were arts that had previously been restricted to the nobility, but were now being spread among the merchant class. The instrument they favoured was the shamisen, a kind of three- stringed banjo imported from Okinawa during the fifteenth century.

 

…..

 

The heyday of the tayu was in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Their skills declined with their success and they began to call on others trained in dance and music to perform for their guests. These belonged to a new profession, called geisha.”

 

These are the parts that I would like to share from the Dougill’s book. We do know how many geishas still living in Kyoto, but there is not actual number for Tayus. Only we know that, even if they were working as a type of courtesans before, the anti-prostitution law which was enacted in 1958, it would not have been possible to work as they did in the past. So, what would be the meaning of  being Tayu in todays Kyoto? It was an area that should definitely be investigated…

From the Tayu ceremony….

Then, Tayu, with more than twenty layers of kimono, obi, make up, high hilled shoes, parasol bearers, two representative girl children in front of her,  she appeared.

 

                                                             They were walking towards Shrine  

 

Walking differently (in comparison to Geisha) into the crowded. As in the past, the ceremony was proving that they are still in the center of  every kind of public curiosity. Several pictures of her were taken when she was closer to the people, the woman beside Tayu were requesting to open the way for Tayu to walk. Then again pictures and pictures!

 

Tayu announced her ceremony through her blog,  the crowded  was partly by chance, there. A woman beside me was asking what the people  were waiting for before Tayu  appeared. She was visiting Shimogamo Shrine by chance at that time. At the same time there were also some TV canals there including NHK waiting for tayu ceremony.

After a short walk towards Shrine they went into the Shrine
 

Then we waited her traditional dance.

Two girl children were sitting beside her (again why?), then she started to dance.

                                                  While she was preparing for her dance

                                                             
                                                                While she was dancing

After she completed her traditional dance, she was interviewed by TV canals.

Complete ceremony took not more than 45 minutes but it was enough time to see how Tayus' clothes and styles different than that of geishas. But of course it is necessary to investigate Tayus deeply.
Tayu dances can be watched through my album in Flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/128131034@N03/16011083347/
 

Beyond Timeless Kyoto: While Starting...

Beyond Timeless Kyoto: While Starting

November, 2014


As a new comer in Japan, particularly in Kyoto, I was thinking how to survive in Kyoto without being lost, yes, being lost should not be understood as a negative way as it is something totally positive for me.

Here, Kyoto  is like a pool for every kind of way of living and one can easily lost oneself if s/he doesn not know where to go, how to go, where to search and how to search.

I was thinking to give some time for myself to be lost, as I was believing that being lost for a while can also help me to decide my way in Kyoto.

Then, I started to read, experience, see, travel around Kyoto for months and months. Discovering Buddist Temples, Shinto shrines, examining maikos and geishas, watching transition between season to season, enjoying momijis, ginko trees,  zen gardens, tea ceremonies, cycle tours and green times and times!

From the beginning, I was thinking that Kyoto has a secret voice, a voice that is coming from inside, and if you feel that you are outsider, it would be very difficult for you to hear and feel the voice! However, when you feel that in addition to be an outsider, you are also an insider, you start to hear and feel the voices of Kyoto which comes very slowly but deeply. It means that feeling of being an insider makes you to feel the deep voices of Kyoto. You may want to be surrounded by these voices which reminds yourself that it will be a very long journey… Without considering the time you have spent and you will spent here in Kyoto, an insider who would like to be surrounded by the voices of Kyoto should definitely know that it would be a very long journey..

And, now, I feel that, my journey had already started! When days passing, I feel that time spent in Kyoto is not only something enjoyful  or something different, but also it is something specific to your way of exploration which should definitely be shared!  Based on the identity of the Kyoto, itself, everybody has her/his own story of exploration here and this story may constitute different identities of Kyoto. Here, that I will share, then, will show my own readings of Kyoto with my lost identity within the identities of Kyoto.

Kyoto is a timeless city which involves different types of times without being a part of specific time. One can redefines and reconstructs the perception of time here and face with a timeless Kyoto...

The first book through which I start to discover Kyoto is "Kyoto: A Cultural History" written by John Dougill,  who he is a professor of British Studies at Ryukoku University and who is the writer of  several Japan books such as "Japan's World Heritage Sites", "In Search of Japan's Hidden Christians" and also writer of one of my favorite Kyoto blogs: Green Shinto (http://www.greenshinto.com/wp/)

 

I have started to read his Kyoto book, Kyoto: A Cultural History and while discovering Kyoto within my own way of living, his book is one of the guides that I apply especially when I feel I am lost in Kyoto. I will also share my own reading of his book, which I can say, it may be an interpretation of my own reading.


Second, while discovering Kyoto, there are so many words  on my mind, sometimes based on a landscape, sometimes based on the history, sometimes based on a feeling of surprise or sometimes just based on a feeling of being lost in some parts of Kyoto. The thing that I would love to do also, to share the pictures which bring these words to my mind at the time of meeting with them, and share the meaning of my own readings again towards these pieces in Kyoto.

Then I feel, these words will constitute my own Kyoto. I am also wondering about this! Let’s start!