Darumapedia

1 Apr 2017

MINGEI - Demon legends Otsu

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. Onipedia - 鬼ペディア　- Oni Demons - ABC-List - .
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Shiga 滋賀県の鬼伝説　Oni Demon Legends　/ 大津 Otsu city
Otsu-E 大津絵 Paintings from Otsu

滋賀県大津市歴博へ「大津絵展」 Exhibition of Otsu-E

The most common topics are
Demons 鬼、Buddhist Deities 仏画、beautiful ladies 美人画、famous warriors 武者絵　and others.
. Otsu Paintings 大津絵 Otsu-E - Introduction .

The name derived from the place where these paintings were sold in the Edo period, in and around the post town of Otsu, which lay on the Tokaido Road. They were welcome cheap souvenirs with a special appeal.
During the 18th century, illustrations were given a moral didactic purpose and explanatory text was introduced about the picture. Often, though, there was a satirical bite: demons were portrayed as monks on alms round,
or as taking a bath with a comment inscribed such as "Many wash the body but not the mind".
- quote wikipedia-

. Otsu Paintings 大津絵不動明王　of Fudo Myo-O .

- Click on each photo for more pictures !
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Oni no nenbutsu, nembutsu　鬼の念仏 Demon saying Amida prayers
鬼の寒念仏 demon praying in the cold

藤娘　鬼念仏 Fuji Musume and Oni no Nenbutsu
Kitagawa Utamaro

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tokkuri 徳利 sake flasks

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. dorei どれい【土鈴】 clay bells .

. Ootsu-e juuninshuu dorei 大津絵十人衆人形土鈴 .
clay bells of 10 important themes of Otsu paintings from Moriyama town 守山市

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伊東桂楽作香合大津絵鬼 Ito Keiraku - Incense container

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ema 絵馬 votive tablets

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. manhole マンホール covers with art motives .

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信楽焼 Shigaraki pottery

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oni no yuki no naka nenbutsu 鬼の雪中念仏 Demon praying in the snow

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. . . CLICK here for more 鬼の念仏 Photos !

- reference : otsu paintings oni nenbutsu -
Praying Goblin dressed as a Buddhist Priest

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oni no gyoozui 鬼の行水 Demon taking a bath

CLICK for more samples !

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oni to sake　鬼とお酒　Demons and rice wine

and even 酔鬼 the Demon is drunk

- Sake collection with Otsu-E paintings

. Master Carver Enku 円空 (1632 - 1695) .
and his Otsu-e type carvings

酒呑童子 Shuten Doji

いい湯だな～ Oni enjoying a hot bath

- reference source : yasuo1992.blog.fc2.com -

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kokeshi　こけし　wooden dolls

collection of dolls from Shiga, including Otsu-e Oni

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kakejiku 掛け軸 hanging scrolls

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. Setsubun 節分 ritual on February 3 .
to drive out the demons and invite good fortune

. hiiragi sasu 柊挿す piercing with a holly and fish head .

oni to hiiragi 鬼と柊 Demon and the Holly branch

fuku wa uchi 福は内 oni wa soto 鬼は外　and even fuku wa soto 福は外

oni wa soto 鬼は外 devil driven out

fuku wa soto 福は外 good luck driven out

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- - - - - Various motives with ONI - - - - -
- reference source : otsue.jp/os/T_oni2010 -

oni no junrei 鬼の巡礼 Demon on a pilgrimage

and more ONI items
- reference source : otsue.jp/os/T_oni2010 -

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Yanagi Soetsu Muneyoshi 柳宗悦 (1889-1961)
wrote about 大津絵 and Oni at the rituals during Setsubun 追分絵.

In some regions it was custom to stick a painting of an Oni upside-down on a sick part of the body and pray for healing.

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- - - - - Oni legends from Shiga - - - - -

. Shuten Dooji 酒呑童子 Shuten Doji "Sake Child" Demon
Shuten Dōji 酒顛童子, 酒天童子, 朱点童子 Saka Doji / "Demon Child" 鬼童 Kido .
Kidoomaru 鬼童丸、鬼同丸（きどうまる）Kidomaru
It is related to the famous demons of Oeyama 大江山.
And
Minamoto no Yorimitsu 源頼光 (948 – August 29, 1021), also known as Minamoto no Raikō
Oni no dookutsu 鬼の洞窟 Oni's cave
Oni-take Inari Jinja (鬼岳稲荷神社)
Oni-iwa 鬼岩 Demon boulder - Hyogo
鬼越山　Onigoeyama - Ibaraki
Watanabe no Tsuna 渡辺綱 (953-1025) fights against a demon (Ibaraki doji)
鬼殺し Onikoroshi " killing the demon" - Sake
The demon 外道丸 Gedomaru lived a while at the foot of Mount Ibukiyama 伊吹山の麓 as 伊吹童子 Ibuki Doji and then moved on to Oeyama.

dooji kirimaru 童子切丸 Doji Killer Blade
Name of the sword from Minamoto Raiko, used to kill 伊吹童子 Ibuki Doji.
(Below, there are other famous swords called Kirimaru.)

最上家伝来の宝刀「鬼切丸」/ Onimaru 鬼丸 - - Oni Kirimaru - "Demon cutter"
源氏重代の宝刀の一つ鬼切
- reference source : samidare.jp/yoshiaki -

The elder brother of Raiko, 美女丸 Bijomaru,
took the sword and became quite wild. His father 光仲 Mitsunaka ordered 藤原仲光 Fujiwara no Nakamitsu to kill Bijomaru, but Nakamitsu killed his own son instead and presented it to Bijomaru. Bijomaru finally changed his wild ways and became a monk at 比叡山 Hieizan.

- quote -
美女丸　Bijomaru and 幸寿丸　Kojumaru (小童寺　Shodoji Temple)
There is a tragic tale told of Shodoji Temple located in Nishiuneno.
Minamoto-no-Mitsunaka, who was the Lord of Settsu and the person who built Tada-In （Tada Shrine） in the 10th century, sent his son, Bijomaru, to Nakayamadera Temple （Takarazuka City）, to receive training to become a Buddhist priest. Bijomaru, however, spent all his time playing martial arts, and was not serious at all in his training to become a priest.
One day, when Bijomaru became 15 years old, his father, Mitsunaka asked him how much progress he made in his training. When Mitsunaka realized that Bijomaru could not read Buddhist scriptures, nor compose a tanka （a 31-syllable Japanese poem） nor play music, he became furious and ordered his chief vassal, Nakamitsu Fujiwara, to kill Bijomaru by cutting his head.
Nakamitsu was in big difficulties, since he could not take the life of a son of his lord. As Kojumaru, one of the sons of Nakamitsu, knew the plight of his father, he told his father to kill him instead. Nakamitsu found Kojumaru join his hands in prayer, and close his eyes. Holding back his tears, Nakamitsu slew his son, and let Bijomaru secretly go off to Mount Hiei （Shiga Prefecture）.
Bijomaru later found out what had happened, and devoted himself to ascetic practices to become a priest. He became a high-ranking priest, called Genken-sozu, and built Shodoji Temple to enshrine the spirit of Kojumaru.
The temple of this legend is highlighted by ever-changing scenery of the seasons, from cherry blossoms in spring to vibrant yellows and reds in autumn.
- source : city.kawanishi.hyogo.jp -

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hebi kirimaru 蛇切丸 serpent cutter sword

Niigata, 松之山町 Matsunoyama
The serpent wanted the princess of the pond 蒲生池 / 蒲生の池 Kamo-no-ike as his bride. But the Nakodo was refused. In his anger he killed all the members of the family.
He borrowed the famous serpent-cutting sword Hebikirimaru 蛇切丸 and fought with the enemy.

. nakōdo 仲人 Nakodo, legends about matchmakers .

kumo kirimaru 蜘蛛切丸 spider cutter, spider-killing sword
The sword Kimaru, Onimaru 鬼丸という刀 used to kill the Tsuchigumo monster 土蜘蛛退治.
This sword is also called Hizamaru (膝丸)

- quote -
There are various theories to the story of the tsuchigumo, and in the Heike Monogatari, there is as following (they were written as 山蜘蛛).
When Yorimitsu suffered from malaria, and lay on a bed, a strange monk who was 7 shaku (about 2.1 meters) tall appeared, released some rope, and tried to capture him. Yorimitsu, despite his sickness, cut him with his famous sword, the Hizamaru (膝丸), causing the monk to flee. The next day, Yorimitsu led his Four Guardian Kings to chase after the blood trail of the monk, and arrived at a mound behind shrine Kitano jinja where there was a large spider that was 4 shaku wide (about 1.2 meters). Yorimitsu and the others caught it, pierced it with an iron skewer, and exposed it to a riverbed. Yorimitsu's illness left him immediately, and the sword that cut the spider was from then on called the Kumo-kiri (蜘蛛切り, spider-cutter).
The true identity of this tsuchigumo was said to be an onryō of the aforementioned local clan defeated by Emperor Jimmu.
This tale is also known from the very fifth noh, "Tsuchigumo."
- source : wikipedia -

- quote -
the sword Onimaru 鬼丸
Onimaru is one of the 'Tenka-goken', the five famous swords of Japan.
Its legend is about an ogre which made Hojyo Tokiyori, 5th regent in Kamakura era, suffer from nightmares. One night, he saw a dream of an old man, who turned out to be a spirit of the katana. After following the his advice in real world, the katana fell down and cut down the silver decoration of an ogre.
Since then, he never saw a nightmare again.
Imperial Household Agency is currently keeping this Onimaru. Unfortunately, it has only been displayed three times.
- source : wasa-bi.com/topics -

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kishin 鬼神 "Demon Deity"

Once Fujiwara no Chikata used his four Demon Deities to haunt travellers in the region.
But Tamuramaro came to punish him.

. Sakanoue no Tamuramaro 坂上田村麻呂 (758 - 811) .
... a general and shogun of the early Heian Period of Japan.

Fujiwara no Chikata no Yonki 藤原千方の四鬼 The four demons of Fujiwara Chikata

- quote -
Fujiwara no Chikata Kutsu 窟 cave (Takao, Iga City)
This is the castle of Fujiwara no Chikata, who appears in the Taiheiki, or Records of Great Peace.

In the Heian Period, noble family Fujiwara no Chikata started war with the imperial court, used the
yonki (four devils: kinki 金鬼 gold devil, fuuki 風鬼 wind devil, suiki 水鬼 water devil,
ongyoki 隠形鬼 / 怨京鬼 stealth devil)
to distress the imperial armies.
The waka poem of Kinotomo, who had come to put down Fujiwara no Chikata, said
"All things, whether grass or tree, are ruled by the Emperor,
and not even a devil can turn his back to the Emperor and live in this land"
to disperse the four devils and Fujiwara no Chikata was defeated. The four devils are said to have been the original archetype for ninja. The Chikata monument was built in 1760, and commemorates Fujiwara no Chikata and Wakamiya deities.
- source : iganinja.jp/en/place/spo -

- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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kijin 鬼人 "human demon"
Once upon a time
King Ashoka (阿育王 Aiku O) from India asked a human demon to throw three rocks to 琵琶湖 lake Biwako in Japan.
This is the beginning of an island called Shiraishi 白石島 "white stone island".

沖の白石 Oki no Shiraishi - rocks in the middle of Lake Biwako
There are now four rocks, sticking out from about 80 meters below the water level.
Now a favorite resting place for birds, which turned the rocks white from bird droppings.

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蒲生郡 Gamou district 日野町 Hino

At the shrine 綿向神社 Watamuki Jinja there is an ema 絵馬 votive tablet of a half-naked woman, only clad in koshimaki 腰巻 waste wrapper, and an Oni with only a fundoshi 褌1丁 male underware doing a bout of 相撲 sumo wrestling.
- If any one can locate this ema, please share ! -

馬見岡綿向神社 Umamioka Watamuki Jinja
滋賀県蒲生郡日野町村井711　 / 711 Murai, Hino-chō, Gamou-gun, Shiga

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Umamioka Watamuki Shrine at the foot of Mt. Watamuki in Hino Town, Shiga Prefecture, is a historic shrine founded in 545. The enshrined deities are Amenohonohi no Mikoto, Amenohinadori no Mikoto and Takemikumaushi no Mikoto.
It was originally founded at the top of Mt. Watamuki and was transferred to the present place in 796.
The spring festival of the shrine
"Hino Festival" held on May 2 to 4 every year is the most gorgeous festival on the eastern side of Lake Biwa. The festival dates back to 1170, since when ancient rituals and customs have been passed down to the present time.
On the main festival day on May 3,
a lot of Shinto rites are performed in traditional ways. The highlight is the parade with the 3 holy children and the guarding attendants in samurai costumes in the lead, who are followed by a sacred horse, shrine priests and the 3 mikoshi from the attached shrines and sumptuous 16 festival floats, which were donated by wealthy Omi merchants about 130 to 200 years ago. The festival is prefecturally designated as an intangible cultural property.
- source : nipponkichi -

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伊香郡 Ika district 西浅井町 Nishiazai

kimon 鬼門，忌門 the Demon gate
When building a new home, people have to take great care in the Northern direction .

. kimon 鬼門 the Demon Gate .
The north is considered an un-auspicious region and needs protection from real and imagined enemies, fiends and demons. 　

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甲賀市 Koga town 甲南町 Konan

oniban 鬼 / オニバン
Ganzan Daishi was explaining the sutras. To drive out the akuma 悪魔 devil he transformed himself into an Oni.
Amulets with this figure are now used for healing purposes (病気平癒・虫除け).

. Ganzan Daishi, Gansan Daishi 元三大師 .
Ryōgen 良源 Priest Ryogen (912 – 985)

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大津市 Otsu

At the temple 明王院 Myo-O-In in the village of 葛川 Kuzugawa there is an ema 絵馬 votive tablet showing an aka-oni 赤鬼 red demon with a white fundoshi ふんどし underpants and a waist wrapper made from 豹の毛皮 panther skin. His opponent is a huge man with strong muscles, all naked. They have a rope around the neck 首引き and pull in a contest of strength.

waka no toku 和歌の徳 - kishin 鬼神 "Demon Deity"
At Karasaki there is a famous 唐崎の松 matsu pine tree.

Once it was about to wither but through the power of Waka poetry the Kishin was moved and helped it to regain its lush green color.

. Matsuo Basho visiting Karasaki .
The pines of Karasaki are another of the famous eight landscapes of Omi (omi hakkei　近江八景） Eight Views of Omi Province.

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高島市 Takashima town

ura kimon 裏鬼門 the back-side kimon deomn gate
The kitchen entry and main pillar of the home are the KIMON.Taking the opposite direction is the ura kimon.
There in the garden you should not plant anything, because that will cause bad luck.

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高島郡 Takashima district マキノ町 Makino

onibaba 鬼婆 demon hag
She invites travellers to stay over night in her home and then kills and eats them.

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- reference : Nichibun Yokai Database -

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. - - - Join the Onipedia friends on facebook ! - - - .

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. Onipedia - 鬼ペディア　- Oni Demons - ABC-List - .

. Tengu 天狗と伝説 Tengu legends "Long-nosed Goblin" .

. - yookai, yōkai 妖怪 Yokai monsters - .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

. Mingei 民芸　Regional Folk Art from Japan .

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Posted By Gabi Greve to Kappa - The Kappapedia on 3/26/2017 09:45:00 am

24 Mar 2017

EDO - Ushigome district

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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Ushigome 牛込
- former - Ushigome-Ku 牛込区 Ushigome ward

The area used to be an extensive pasture land for cattle already in the Asuka period around 700, hence the name, "herds of cattle".

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In an edict during the reign of Monmu Tennō 文武天皇 Emperor Monmu (701-704) a place variously referred to as Kanzaki no Gyūmaki 神崎牛牧 Kanzaki Cattle Ranch and Gyūnyūin 乳牛院"The Milk Institute" was established in the area in the vicinity of Moto-Akagi Jinja 元赤城神社 Old Akagi Shrine.
A branch of the Ōgo Ōgo-shi 大胡氏 Ogo clan from Kōzuke no Kuni 上野国 Kōzuke Province had been living in the Ushigome area since the 1300's.
- source : japanthis.com/2013 -

- reference source : Akagi Shrine Homepage -

On March 15, 1947, the three wards of Yotsuya, Ushigome, and Yodobashi merged to create Shinjuku City.
. Shinjuku　新宿　 .

- quote
Ushigome moat, a moat that exists between Iidabashi Station and Ichigaya Station. It forms part of the boundary between Shinjuku and Chiyoda wards.
Ushigome Mitsuke, one of the 36 mitsuke of the Edo Castle, existed on the Chiyoda side of Ushigome bridge.
Ushigome Haraikatamachi 牛込払方町 (p63)
Ushigome Yanagichō 柳町　- "Cow-Packed Willow Town"
- source : wikipedia

牛込馬場下横町 Ushigome Babashita Yokocho (present 喜久井町 Kikuicho)
Ushigome Go-Tansucho 牛込御箪笥町 "Village of Tansu makers" (see below)

牛込神楽坂 Ushigome Kagurazaka
Utagawa Hiroshige, 1840.

Ushigomebashi 牛込橋 Ushigome Bridge
This bridge led from Kagurazaka to Edo Castle. If you crossed the bridge you would arrive at Ushigome-mitsuke 牛込見附 Ushigome Approach and there you would see the Ushigome go-mon 牛込御門 Ushigome Gate. The bridge spanned Ushigomebori 牛込濠 Ushigome Moat. Today the moat is dammed up under the bridge and the Chūō Line runs under it.

The Weir of the River Kandagawa at Kagurazaka
Edo Meisho Zue 江戸名所図会「目白下大洗堰」

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Bentenchoo 牛込弁天町 Ushigome Bentencho
. 多聞院 Tamon-In .
（新宿区弁天町100） Bentencho, Shinjuku

. Ushigome Kagurazaka 牛込神楽坂 "Slope of the Music of the Gods" .
軽子坂 Karukozaka　Slope of the light workers"

. Ushigome Yaraicho 矢来町 "Palisade quarter" .

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牛込城　remains of Ushigome Castle

In 1553 a member of the Ōgo-shi 大胡氏 Ōgo clan switched allegiance from the Uesugi to the Hōjō and in return was granted dominion over the area stretching from present day Ushigome to Hibiya (ie; Edo Bay). The lord built a castle (fortified residence) somewhere in that area and took the place name to establish his own branch of the family and thus the Ushigome clan was born, 牛込氏 Ushigome-shi. The area is elevated so it would have been defensible. It also had a view of Edo Bay and so they could keep an eye on who was coming in and out of Edo-wan E江戸湾 do Bay.
... It's not clear where the castle was located, but there is a tradition at Kōshō-ji 光照寺 Kōshō Temple that says the temple was built on the site of 牛込城 Ushigome Castle.
- source : japanthis.com/2013 -

- CLICK for more photos of the area !

. Ushigome Katsushige 牛込勝重 .
lord of 牛込城　Ushigome Castle.
and more about Tansumachi 箪笥町 / Koishikawa Gotansu Machi 小石川御箪笥町
In 1713, this area was entrusted to a local magistracy and a town was developed. The original name of the town was 牛込御箪笥町 Ushigome go-tansu machi.

Ushigome Go-Tansucho 牛込御箪笥町 "Village of Tansu makers"

春立つやぶらり牛込箪笥町
haru tatsu ya burari Ushigome Tansumachi

spring begins -
I take a leisurely walk in Ushigome
Tansumachi town

赤瀬川昌彦 Akasegawa Masahiko

. tansu 箪笥 / 簞笥 / たんす chest of drawers, Kommode .
箪笥町 Tansumachi, Tansucho

Tansumachi 箪笥町 / Koishikawa Gotansu Machi 小石川御箪笥町

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Kōitsu, 土屋光逸　Tsuchiya Koitsu (1870 – 1949)

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Asakusa 浅草

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Tanaka 田中幸右衛門 Tanaka Koemon

Tanaka Koemon lived in Ushigome Yamabushicho. One day he went to Asakusa and on his way back bought
金龍山の餅 special rice cakes from the famous shop Kinryuzan.
When he passed the gate 田安門 Tayasumon, he heard a strange voice call his name. He became afraid and threw the rice cakes in the direction of the voice, coming home empty-handed.

. Asakusa 浅草 district in Edo .
Now 市谷山伏町 Ichigaya Yamabushicho, Shinjuku

金竜山浅草餅本舗 Kinryuzan Mochi Shop in Asakusa, Nakamise
2 Chome-3-1 Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo
The Seikannon Sect of the Asakusa Temple carries the official name of Kinryuzan.

Tayasu-mon, Entrance to 北の丸公園 Kitanomaru Park
Two gated entrances survive from time of Edo Castle the Shimizu-mon and further north the Tayasu-mon.
The Tayasu-mom was the northern most gate of Edo Castle and consists of both a Korai-mon style outer gate and a Yagura-mon style fortified inner gatehouse with highly stacked stone walls forming a narrow defensive courtyard between the two.
An inscription on the outer side of the Tayasu-mon states the gate was constructed in 1685, making it one of the oldest surviving structures of the original castle.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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daihooshi 大法師 The Great Priest

In 牛込山伏町 Yamabushicho, a man named 朝倉八十五郎 Asakura Yasogoro wanted to put up residence. When he came to the Gate, there stood a very large priest. Yasogoro was not afraid and greeted him properly. Suddenly he felt something trying to sneek into his sleeve. When he looked back to the road, the priest had suddenly disapeared.

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dainaru hi 大なる燈 The Great Lantern

Around 1720 there was a Kannon temple called 伝通院 Dentsu-In. On the 25th day of the first lunar there appeared a strange light like a lantern above the temple, slowly moving from North to South. It then moved up to the sky and became a star which glowed and sparkled every night. On the 8th day of the third lunar month there was a large fire, covering the area from Ushigome to 千住 Senju. Later they found the bodies of many people who had died in the garden of this temple.

. 江戸三十三観音霊場 Pilgrimage to 33 Kannon Temples of Edo .
12 伝通院（文京区小石川3-14-6）　Nr. 12 - Dentsu-In

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hikarimono 光り物 great light

At night on the 8th day of the 10th lunar month, a huge stone fell from the sky in Ushigome.
The year before, a similar stone had fallen down in 八王子 Hachioji.
There was thunder in the night and a light like a lightning.

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koku-un 黒雲 black cloud

In the year 1668, on the 6th day of the second lunar month, it suddenly begun to hail with a great thunderstorm.
Someone had died at Ushigome. When the body was brought to the burial ground for burning, a black cloud came down from the sky and covered the bones. From the could the bones of legs were danglilng down. Yes, many people have seen this.

寛文７年閏２月６日、急に雹が降り雷が鳴った時に牛込で人が死んだ。火葬場に送ったところ黒雲が舞い下り死骸を覆った。雲から死骸の足が垂れ下がり多くの人がそれを見た。

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kuruiji 狂い死 a mad death

In Ushigome there was a female doctor, who suddenly fell down with great pain and begun to cry and shout in the voice of a child in pain. Then the pain was like splitting the skull and tearing her heart and stomach open. She even tried to murder some children in her hospital and after three days of mad behavior she finally died. This doctor had often given medicine and help for abortions, and this was the revenge for her cruel deeds.

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neko Jizo 猫地蔵 Jizo and the Cat
Once in Edo there lived a man in Ushigome. He had a beloved cat, but the animal died and he was very sad.
Jizo Bosatsu appeared in his dream and advised him to go to the temple Jishoo-In 自性院 Jisho-In to see the high priest 鑑秀上人. He told him to have the statue of a cat erected.
This is now the Migawari Jizo, which takes on our illness and problems.
. neko Jizoo 猫地蔵 Neko Jizo. "Jizo with Cat" .

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Sarayashiki 皿屋敷 The Dish Mansion

Banchō Sarayashiki 番町皿屋敷 The Dish Mansion at Banchō
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

The story of the Sarayashiki is located in three places of Edo, one of them is 江戸牛込御門 Ushigome Gomon Gate.
The other is the Mansion of the lord of the domain of 雲州松江 Unshu Matsue and even 播州 Harima.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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- - - - - H A I K U and S E N R Y U - - - - -

牛込に古き弓師や軒しやうぶ
Ushigome ni furuki yumishi ya noki shoobu

this old bow maker
at Ushigome -
iris under the eaves
Tr. Gabi Greve

中村吉右衛門 Nakamura Kichiemon

. WKD : noki shoobu 軒菖蒲 iris under the eaves" .
noki ayame 軒あやめ "iris under the eaves"
- - kigo for mid-summer - -

In 1689 Matsuo Basho (松尾芭蕉) crossed the Natori River and entered Sendai, Miyagi on The Narrow Road to Oku.'
It was the day they celebrate by converting their roofs with 'Sweet flags', or Calami' (あやめ). He visited there around the time of the Sweet Flags Festival (あやめの節句) (5th day of Fifth Month, also called the Boy's Festival), when sweet flags were displayed on the eaves of houses to drive away evil spirits, or they took "Shobuyu, or 菖蒲湯 (bath with floating sweet flag leaves)" baths. The leaves keep mosquitoes and snakes away with strong fragrance.

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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- - - - - #ushigome - - - -
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Posted By Gabi Greve to Edo - the EDOPEDIA - on 3/08/2017 10:16:00 am

EDO - Keian Uprising

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .
. Persons and People of Edo - Personen .
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Keian jiken 慶安事件 The Keian uprising in 1651
Keian no hen 慶安の変

The Keian period, from April 1, 1649 till 1652

- quote -
.. a failed coup d'état attempt carried out against the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan in 1651, by a number of rōnin. Though it failed, the event is historically significant as an indication of a wider problem of disgruntled ronin throughout the country at the time. Masterminded by Yui Shōsetsu and Marubashi Chūya, the uprising is named after the Keian era in which it took place.

According to strategist Yui's plan, Marubashi would take Edo Castle, the headquarters of the shogunate, using barrels of gunpowder to begin a fire which would rage through Edo, the capital. In the confusion, with the authorities distracted by firefighting efforts, the ronin would storm the castle and kill key high officials.

At the same time, Yui would lead a second group and seize the Tokugawa stronghold in Sunpu (modern-day city of Shizuoka). Further action was planned for Osaka Castle and Kyoto. They timed their rebellion to take advantage of the death of Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, as his successor, Ietsuna, was still a child. The conspirators aimed to force the shogunate to relax its policies of seizing hans and dispossessing daimyōs, which under Iemitsu had deprived tens of thousands of samurai of position and income, adding them to the ranks of ronin.

Ultimately, however, the uprising failed when the conspirators' plan was discovered. Marubashi Chūya fell ill, and, talking through his fever dreams, revealed secrets which made their way to the authorities by the time the rebels were ready to move. Marubashi was arrested and executed in Edo; Yui Shōsetsu escaped that fate by committing seppuku, in Sunpu, upon finding himself surrounded by police. Several of the rebels committed suicide alongside him. The families of the conspirators as well were then tortured and killed by the authorities, as was usual at the time; several were crucified.

In the aftermath of the suppression of the uprising, the Shogunal Elders (Rōjū) met to discuss the origins of the uprising, and how to prevent similar events from occurring in the future. Originally, most of the Elders sought to take severe measures, including expelling all ronin from the city, but they were eventually convinced by Abe Tadaaki to take a more rational tack. He suggested reducing the number of ronin opposed to the shogunate, not through expulsion, but by introducing more favorable policies. In particular, he convinced the council that the shogunate ought to do away with the law of escheatment, and to work to help ronin settle into proper jobs. Forcefully expelling a great number of people from the city, he argued, would only serve to create more opposition to the government.

Far from being an isolated incident, the Keian Uprising was followed by an event the following year involving several hundred ronin, and another soon afterwards in Sado. Granted, these were not directly related, that is, none of the persons involved were the same, nor did they follow a single leader or organized ideology. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, it is significant to note how widespread the distaste for the shogunate was at this time, and the degree of the "problem" of the ronin throughout the country.

The tale was then retold in a novel, Keian Taiheiki (慶安太平記), and in a number of Kabuki plays, the most famous of which, also called Keian Taiheiki, was written by renowned playwright Kawatake Mokuami.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Yui Shoosetsu - Shōsetsu 由井正雪 Yui Shosetsu (1605 - 1651)

- quote -
a military strategist, and leader of the unsuccessful 1651 Keian Uprising. Though a commoner, and thus not officially of the samurai class, Yui was known as one of the "Three Great Ronin" along with Kumazawa Banzan and Yamaga Sokō.

Born in Sunpu to humble origins, Yui is said to have been a talented youth; he was taken in by a number of rōnin from the area, who taught him recent history, and likely swordsmanship and military strategy as well.

As an adult, he found employment as an instructor at a samurai academy, teaching swordsmanship and related disciplines. But these academies, which could be found throughout the country, served not only the pure function of schools of martial arts; certainly, discipline, ethics, and related arts were taught as well. But the schools also served as social and intellectual spaces, in which political ideas were discussed, and grievances aired in a familiar environment where comrades and friends met. Students were almost exclusively members of the samurai class, but running the full gamut of rankings, from daimyo to ronin. As regulations were made stricter at this time, and many ronin expelled from their domains, the number of students grew dramatically.

He later opened a school of military strategy and martial arts in the Renjaku-chō neighborhood of Kanda in Edo, as well as an armorer's shop and ironworks. Here he continued to gain contacts, friends, and prestige among the ronin and others; one of them was Marubashi Chūya, a samurai and fellow instructor of martial disciplines and strategy, with whom he would plan the Keian Uprising some years later.

Beginning in 1645, Yui plotted a coup against the Tokugawa shogunate along with Marubashi, a small group of rōnin, and a number of their students. It was to take place in 1651, shortly after the death of Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, and would later come to be known as the Keian Uprising. Unfortunately for Yui and his comrades, the plot was discovered before it truly began. Yui was in Sunpu, preparing to execute a secondary series of attacks when Marubashi was arrested in Edo; surrounded by shogunate officials, he committed seppuku rather than be captured.

由井正雪の乱 Yui Shosetsu no ran

Following his death, the officials performed a variety of obscenities upon his body, and then proceeded to subject his parents and other close relatives to crucifixion. Yui Shōsetsu, though ultimately unsuccessful in his political plots, is a notable figure as representative of the growing political unrest in the early Edo period, as a result of strict laws put forth, and enforced, by the shogunate. He and his conspirators were only one of many groups throughout the country meeting in samurai academies and other venues, discussing politics and current events. Most, of course, did not act upon their beliefs as Yui and Marubashi did, but that discussion existed among a great number of people, despite, or perhaps because of the shogunate's strict enforcement of its laws, is significant.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

There is even a line of Sake rice wine named after Yui Shosetsu.

正雪無量寿（むりょうじゅ）大吟醸 Shosetsu Muryoju brand

- 由比正雪にちなんだ酒銘 -
- reference source : tajima-ya.com/shousetsu. -

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Shizuoka 静岡県

Shoosetsu mushi 正雪虫 / Shoosetsu tonbo 正雪トンボ The Shosetsu Dragonfly
This animal begun to appear in Shizuoka after the violent death of Yui Shosetsu. They say his soul reincarnated to haunt the place of his birth and death.
It is also called カトンボ Chikara tonbo and begins to fly in early summer. It is only seen in Shizuoka!
This animal, a kind of kawatonbo 川とんぼ river dragonfly, is now extinct.

source : okab.exblog.jp/9934655

. tonbo (tombo, tonboo) 蜻蛉 dragonfly .
and
蜉蝣 kagero 正雪蜻蛉紋蜉蝣 /白腹蜻蛉 /斑蜻蛉
Ephemeroptera
- kigo for early autumn -

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Marubashi Chuuya - Chūya 丸橋忠弥 Marubashi Chuya (？ - 1651)
Yari no Chuya 槍の忠弥 Chuya with the long spear

(Ichikawa Sadanji as Chuya) 初代市川左團次の丸橋忠弥

- quote -
Chūya was a ronin (masterless samurai) from Yamagata, and instructor in martial arts and military strategy, most famous for his involvement in the 1651 Keian Uprising which sought to overthrow Japan's Tokugawa shogunate. He is said to have been a man of great strength and good birth whose distaste for the shogunate stemmed primarily from a desire for revenge for the death of his father, killed by the shogunal army at the 1615 siege of Osaka. The identity of his father is not clear, but may have been Chōsokabe Motochika.
... his weapon of choice became the Jūmonji Yari 十文字槍 a cross-shaped spear. The martial art of wielding the yari is called sōjutsu. ,
... Marubashi met Yui Shōsetsu, ...
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

(Ichikawa Sadanji) 初代市川左團次の丸橋忠弥

Chuya's grave at the temple
. 神霊山 Shinreizan 　金乗院 Konjo-In 　慈眼寺 Jigen-Ji .
豊島区高田2-12-39 / 2 Chome-12-39 Takada, Toshima ward

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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Posted By Gabi Greve to Edo - the EDOPEDIA - on 3/20/2017 09:54:00 am