🌊✨🙏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.
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
🌬️HUT OF THE FALLEN PERSIMMONS😮
A straw raincoat hangs beside the door at Rakushisha (落柿舎), indicating that the host is home.
The small cottage was home to Mukai Kyorai (向井去来), chief disciple of Matsuo Bashō. It was here Bashō composed 'Saga Nikki' (嵯峨日記) in 1691.
Mukai named his hermitage 'Hut of the Fallen Persimmons' (落柿舎 'Rakushisha') in the autumn of 1689.
40 persimmon trees stood in the cottage grounds, & he sold the fruit in advance to a merchant. Shortly before harvesting a storm struck, & Mukai awoke to find the trees stripped.
master of persimmons
so close to the tree tops
Stormy Mountain
柿主や梢はちかきあらし山
Mukai Kyorai (向井去来) wrote this haiku to commemorate the fallen persimmons event, something he considered a humorous lesson in the pitfalls of pursuing worldly gain. #Kyoto#Japan#京都
I didn't quite have the temple to myself, but near enough.
A little bit of the magic, mystery and history of Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺) emerges in the absence of people, and I appreciate how lucky I am to experience these moments.
Kinkaku-ji's (金閣寺) 600 year old Rikushū-no-matsu (陸舟之松 lit. 'Ship-shaped Pine on the Shore') is said to have been Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's (足利義満) favourite bonsai (盆栽).
After his death the Japanese white pine (ゴヨウマツ) was planted in the ground. #Kyoto#Kinkakuji
The Rinzai Zen temple Hōrin-ji (法輪寺/臨済宗) is famed for its huge collection of Daruma (達磨) dolls, statues, scrolls and paintings, and because of this it is better known as Daruma-dera (達磨寺).
Daruma (達磨) is the Japanese name for Bodhidharma, a 5th or 6th monk credited with establishing Zen.
Daruma dolls, typically red and made from papier-mâché, are modeled on the story of Bodhidharma wall-gazing in a cave (close to the Shaolin Monastery) for 9 years. #だるま#Japan
In the 7th year it is said Bodhidharma fell asleep. Furious with himself, he cut off his eyelids and tossed them away to prevent it happening again.
Legend has it that the first tea plants sprang from those eye-lids, later helping Zen students stay away during long meditations👀
💸HAPPY SHICHIFUKUJIN DAY✨
Today is 'Shichifukujin-no-hi' (七福神の日), a day dedicated to the '7 Gods of Fortune'. Mostly this is to do with wordplay.
One reading of July 27th could be...7 = 'shichi' シチ / 2 = 'fu' フ / 9 'ku' = ク. Together = 'shichifuku' (七福). #七福神の日
In the Muromachi period the first pilgrimage to the Seven Gods of Fortune began in Kyōto. From here similar pilgrimages popped up all across Japan.
The Kyōto Shichifukujin Mairi (都七福神まいり) is typically undertaken at the New Year, or on the 7th day of the month. #Japan#京都
1) 🎣EBISU-JINJA (えびす神社)🐟
Ebisu (恵比寿) is the god of business prosperity, successful crops and abundance. He is patron of fishermen (he's typically depicted in a fisherman costume, with fishing rod & large fish) and workmen, & is possibly the most popular of the 7 gods.
For 'doyō ushi-no-hi' (土用丑の日 'midsummer day of the ox'), & this day only, @narumi_sekihan sell a very special sweet.
The eel-shaped 'unagi-manju' (うなぎ万寿) offers an adorable alternative to gobbling up real freshwater eel (an endangered species).
Until November 7th contemporary artist Yamaguchi Akira (山口晃) is exhibiting his work at 'ZENBI' Kagizen Art Museum.
To celebrate the event Kagizen Yoshifusa (鍵善良房) have produced 'Tameiki-chan' (ためいきちゃん), a pointy-headed, rather melancholy-looking sweet. #kyoto#京都
Kyōto is hardly crying out for new mascots, but surely there's room for one more😉