Camellia Tea Ceremony Profile picture
Jul 28, 2021 18 tweets 25 min read Read on X
🍶VALLEY OF THE TANUKI✨

at the end of autumn
this badger poses
as a Buddha...
秋のくれ仏に化る狸かな
-与謝蕪村 1716-84.

Tanuki (狸 'Raccoon Dogs') are real, if somewhat elusive, animals, that have featured prominently in folktales throughout the centuries.
#folklore #Japan
Just like kitsune (狐) and bakeneko (化け猫), tanuki have the ability to shape-shift. One of the first passages to mention tanuki describes them transforming into humans and singing songs during the reign of Empress Suiko (推古天皇 554-628).
#Kyoto #狐 #化け猫 #Japan #folklore
Tanuki (狸) have 8 special traits that bring good fortune🎱🙌🍀

(1) 笠 straw hat = prepared against bad weather & trouble
(2) 大腹 big belly = level-headedness
(3) 尾 tail = perseverance
(4) 通 promissory note = honesty
(5) 丸い目 big eyes = discernment & good decisions
(6) 顔 smiling face = welcoming nature
(7) 徳利 saké flask = gratitude & honourable lifestyle
(8) 金袋 giant scrotum👀 = expanding wealth

Of a jolly disposition, tanuki have a love of alcohol, which might go some way to explaining their absentmindedness and foolish nature.
Tanuki (狸) is the name for the 'Japanese Raccoon Dog', a very much real animal. Bake-danuki (化け狸) more specifically refers to the shape-shifting creature of folklore.
Nowadays most people use 'tanuki' to describe both🤔

#tanuki #bakedanuki #folklore #狸 #化け狸 #Japan
A famous children's song goes -
たんたん狸の金玉は
風もないのに
ぶーらぶら

tan-tan-tanuki's balls,
even without wind,
they swiiiiing-swing!

Tanukis are often depicted with larger than life scrotums. These too have supernatural qualities👀
#Japan #folklore #tanuki #狸
It was said that a tanuki's scrotum could be stretched to the size of 8 tatami mats (about 12.24 sq. meters)😲
And thus it could be used for all manner of things, such as a fishing net, sail, umbrella, blanket, and even as a water catcher.
#Japan #tanuki #folklore #狸 #たぬき
But why the large scrotum?
Well, it is thought that the idea emerged in Kamakura times. Goldsmiths would use the stretchy skin of Tanuki testicles when hammering gold nuggets into gold leaf.

'Kintama' (金玉 'golden balls') is used as slang for testicles even today.
#Japan #金玉
There was a time when tanuki scrotums were sewn into purses, sold as wallets and used as lucky charms.

As it was said the tanuki could stretch their scrotums, so it was believed your money could stretch further in a tanuki-ballbag-purse😖

#tanuki #kintama #folklore #京都 #Japan
One of the most famous tanuki in Kyōto could be found at Tatsumi Bridge (巽橋) in Gion Shinbashi (祇園新橋).

The mischievous creature would spend his days lurking beneath the bridge, delighting in frightening the passing maiko and geisha.
#CamelliaKyoto #Kyoto #folklore #Japan
The shape-shifting tanuki (狸) would spend his days waiting to scare the unwary, craftily pickpocketing those that looked wealthy, and jumping out at young women, hoping they might tumble into the Shirakawa River (白川) below.
#Kyoto #Japan #TatsumiBridge #GionShinbashi
The locals eventually tired of the troublesome tanuki and in a bid to calm his chaotic nature enshrined him in the nearby Tatsumi Daimyōjin (辰巳大明神), also known as Tatsumi-jinja (辰巳神社), Tatsumi Inari (辰巳稲荷) and Gion-no-Oinari-san (祇園のお稲荷さん).
#Gion #Kyoto #祇園
Tatsumi Daimyōjin (辰巳大明神) was built originally to protect the south east corner of the imperial palace. Tatsumi is another word for south east (辰巳/南東-the direction of the dragon/snake in the Chinese Zodiac) & so the shrine became known simply as Tatsumi-jinja (辰巳神社).
It is unclear when Tatsumi-jinja was first founded, but originally it stood to the south of Tatsumi Bridge (it moved after WWII).
Because of its position in the heart of Gion Shinbashi, it is common for Maiko and Geiko to pray here for improvement in their performance skills.
One of the best places to see tanuki (not real ones!) is Tanukidani Fudō-in (狸谷山不動院), a temple in the mountains above the famed Shisen-dō hermitage (詩仙堂).

with a badger
knocking at my door I lament
the passing of autumn
戸をたたく狸と秋をおしみけり
-与謝蕪村.
#Kyoto
Although the slopes leading up to Fudō-in (不動院) are filled with statues of tanuki, the valley name 'Tanuki-dani' (狸谷山) likely comes from 'Ta-nuki' (タヌキ~他抜き~他を抜く), meaning -in this case- 'to draw/pull out' a person's bad luck or sickness.
#Japan #Kyoto #Tanuki
The temple's origins stretch back to the founding of Kyōto, when Emperor Kammu enshrined an image of Fudō Myōō (不動明王) to guard against the 'unlucky' NE direction.
The temple's main hall is constructed in an overhanging style like the more famous Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺).
#京都
Miyamoto Musashi (宮本武蔵 1584-1645) spent a great deal of time at Tanuki-dani & Hachidai-jinja (八大神社), praying, training & bracing himself for battle at nearby Ichijō-ji (一乗寺).
It was at Ichijō-ji that he single-handedly crushed the Yoshioka School (Yoshioka-ryū 吉岡流).

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Camellia Tea Ceremony

Camellia Tea Ceremony Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @camelliakyoto

May 28
🔔🪨😭THE GREAT BUDDHA'S WONDERS🐂💢👂

Kyōto was once home to the greatest statue of Buddha in all Japan.
4m taller than Tōdai-ji's Daibutsu, the statue stood in an immense hall in precincts now taken up by Toyokuni-jinja and Hōkō-ji (remnant of the original Buddha's home).


Image
Image
Image
Image
The great hall and last (vastly smaller) incarnation of Kyōto's Daibutsu are sadly lost, but within the neighbourhood (where once the temple precincts sprawled) are a series of wonders.
They include a great bell that brought down a ruling clan, an exploding cow, & a tomb of ears.


Image
Image
Image
Image
1) THE CHIMES OF DOOM🔔

Having seized control of the country after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu calmly waited for an excuse to destroy the rival Toyotomi clan.
His chance came with the forging of a new bell and an inscription that could be read as a threat.


Image
Image
Image
Image
Read 24 tweets
Aug 21, 2023
🙊THE MONKEY'S SLIDE🛝
At first glance the teahouse garden appears to be made up of mostly moss, pine & camellia...but if you look more closely the borders are packed thick with dozens of varieties of plants.
One of the most beautiful at this time of year is the "Monkey's Slide".


Image
Image
Image
Image
More commonly known as crape myrtle (百日紅), older generations in Japan fondly call the tree 'saru suberi' (サルスベリ the "monkey's slide").
The bark of the tree is so smooth that even monkeys struggle to get a foothold!

#Kyoto #京都 #Japan #百日紅 #サルスベリ #IwataMonkeyPark


Image
Image
Image
Image
Crape (also crepe) myrtle gets its name from the appearance of its flowers, which look very much like crepe paper.
Blooming from mid-summer through to autumn, the flowers (commonly bright pink) are also known in Japan as 'hyakujitsukō' (百日紅 'red for 100 days').

#Japan #百日紅


Image
Image
Image
Image
Read 6 tweets
Jun 19, 2023
🎨A MODERN TOUCH🖌️

One of the Shōren-in's (青蓮院) most striking features greets you as you enter the drawing room...a series of bold coloured lotuses, blooming across 60 panels.
Begun in 2005, the work was created by the artist 'Ki-yan' (キーヤン/Kimura Hideki 木村英輝).
#Japan ImageImageImageImage
When visiting Shōren-in, Kimura was suddenly inspired to fill the drawing room's plain fusuma with colour.

It took him two years to complete the 3 sets of lotus paintings (蓮三部作)...
🪷"Blue Illusion" (青の幻想)
🪷"Amitabha's Pure Land" (極楽浄土)
🪷"Hymn of Life" (生命賛歌) ImageImageImageImage
Why all the blue lotuses?🤔

Shōren-in was originally constructed atop Mt Hiei as a lodging facility for monks serving at Enryaku-ji.

Shōren-bō was named after a nearby pond in which blue lotus flowers bloomed ('shōrenge'). Many famous monks, such as Saichō & Ennin, lived here. twitter.com/i/web/status/1… Image
Read 8 tweets
May 11, 2023
🚪😱HAUNTED GATES & DANCING CATS😼👻

It's been a while since I've done a #folklorethursday, so here's some local, rather less well-known tales.

Demizu was once home to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's lavish palace 'Jurakudai' (聚樂第), and the area has many strange wonders.
#Kyoto #京都 ImageImageImageImage
Kannon-ji's 'Gate of 100 Lashings' (観音寺 百叩きの門) belonged originally to the prison at Fushimi Castle (伏見城). When the castle was dismantled the doorway was gifted to the temple🏯🚪🩸😰👋

The gate is just 1 of the '7 Wonders of Demizu' (出水の七不思議).
#Kyoto #京都 #出水 ImageImageImageImage
Before prisoners were set free they underwent a final punishment at the prison gate...a warning to stay on the straight & narrow.
They were lashed 100 times with a piece of split bamboo across the back. It was agonizing, & sometimes deadly!

Image thanks🙇‍♂️-bakumatsuya.com ImageImageImageImage
Read 23 tweets
May 10, 2023
'May Sickness' (五月病 'gogatsu-byō') is a term for a seasonal disorder that strikes just as Golden Week comes to an end.
After the flurry of changes that take place each April, it may seem like May should be smooth sailing, but returning to work/school after the break is tough. ImageImageImageImage
It may seem like a small thing, but sweets absolutely help lift a gloomy mood...

🌫️🌩️☁️😶‍🌫️🌥️🌤️🌞

Kameya Yoshinaga (亀屋良長) has done the impossible and perfectly captured the blue skies & cotton puff clouds of May in sweet form☺️

The wonderful 'hikōki-gumo' (ひこうき雲)✨ ImageImageImageImage
While 'May Blues' doesn't sound particularly serious, in some cases it can lead to depression, anxiety & insomnia.
In April the new school/work year begins, and there's a feeling that Golden Week only helps exacerbate feelings of disorientation, mental exhaustion, & apprehension. twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Read 4 tweets
Apr 20, 2023
Astonishingly the temperature will soar close to 30 degrees today...the hottest day of the year so far😓

As this heat is a little unexpected we swooped on Ishidatami (石畳) for their famous matcha soft serve (抹茶ソフトクリーム). Fresh matcha is kneaded into the ice-cream🍵🍨🙌 ImageImageImageImage
Fresh matcha as an ingredient in cooking and baking tends to lose its flavour quickly, and so Ishidatami doesn't serve ice-cream older than 3 hours, preferring instead to make new batches throughout the day😮

#Kyoto #京都 #matcha #抹茶 #icecream #Ninenzaka #二年坂 ImageImageImageImage
Another favourite (though much pricier) way to cool down is with Oimatsu's (老松) cheerful 'natsukan-tō' (夏柑糖 'sugared Chinese citron')🍊🥰

#Kyoto #京都 #夏柑糖 #老松 #oimatsu #Japan #citron #chinesecitron #orange
Read 4 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(