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Oct 6, 2021 8 tweets 10 min read Read on X
🌊✨🙏AMABIE (アマビエ)🖌️🤒🙌
In Kyōto and many parts of Japan the pandemic revived a half forgotten deity, dusting her down & repackaging her for a new generation.
'Amabie' (アマビエ) has gone from being the savior of small, rural communities, to icon of the COVID-19 age.
#Japan
WHAT IS AMABIE?
Occupying the grey area between 'yōkai' (妖怪) and 'kami' (神), Amabie (アマビエ) was a 3-legged, mermaid-like creature said to protect against disease.

As the pandemic unfolded, her image was once again seized upon and popularized as a protective charm🙏
#Japan
The most famous sighting of Amabie (perhaps the only sighting) was in Higo Province (肥後国 Kumamoto), mid-May 1846.
An official went to investigate a mysterious glowing by the coast and was confronted by a long-haired, beak-mouthed, 3-legged, scaly being from the deep sea.
#妖怪
The creature introduced itself as 'Amabie' (アマビエ) and delivered a prophecy:
"Good harvests will continue for 6 years from the current year...if disease spreads, draw a picture of me and show the picture of me to those who fall ill and they will be cured."
#アマビエ #Amabie
It's thought that Amabie was an 'Amabiko' (アマビコ, 海彦, 尼彦, 天日子, 天彦, あま彦), a group of prophesying creatures that offered protection when their images were drawn and displayed.
There are 9 accounts of Amabiko sightings, all in Kyūshū (九州).
Photo thanks-@snowmottori
For some Amabie, with her power to repel disease, is considered more deity than yōkai.
In Western folktales creatures from the sea were often considered to have the gift of foresight.

Photo thanks- ameblo.jp/sakurazaka128 nehe2.com kokuryo-jinja.jp
#Japan
Amabiko (spelt in various ways) began appearing from around 1843, predominantly in Japan's far south (though an amabiko 海彦 'sea prince' appeared in Echigo province in 1844).
There are only a few physical descriptions of the creatures, and it is unclear if they are related.
Ever since the beginning of the pandemic Nijō Wakasaya (二條若狭屋) have released a different 'amabie' sweet each season.
Their current 'amabie' has a chestnut flavoured centre (アマビエ~マロン~)😋
➡️@616wakasaya
➡️kyogashi.info

#Amabie #アマビエ #wagashi #和菓子 #京都

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More from @camelliakyoto

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".


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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


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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


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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
Mar 6, 2023
😅SPRINGTIME SCHEDULE🌸

The chaos of blossom season is upon us, so I thought I'd share some information for guests who have already booked, or are thinking of booking tea ceremony during the busiest time of the year in Kyōto🙇‍♂️

🍵tea-kyoto.com
#Kyoto #京都 #teaceremony ImageImageImageImage
From mid-March until the end of April, despite opening extra sessions each day, Garden Teahouse is fully booked.

If you would like to be put on our waiting list please email with your name, how many people, and your preference of date(s) and time(s).

📧contact@camelliakyoto.com
Spaces at our Flower Teahouse are now very limited (we are about 95% full) for the end of March and first half of April.

You can check availability on our booking sites...
🫂Shared Tea Ceremony:
tea-kyoto.com/reservation/fl…

😊Private Tea Ceremony:
tea-kyoto.com/private-tea-ce…
#茶道 #抹茶 ImageImageImageImage
Read 9 tweets

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