12/29/2009

Bath (furo) . . . mirror (kagami)

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[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
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Bath (furo)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Humanity


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Explanation

Japanese people are fond to take a hot bath (furo 風呂),
even to sit outside in the many hot springs of Japan.

Hot Spring, Hot Springs (onsen) 温泉

CLICK for more photos
A rich person had his own private bathhouse (yudono 湯殿) and many bathing facilities in hotels are now called like this.

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CLICK for more fuji photos In the town of Edo, sento public bath houses were common (sentoo 銭湯) and some are still used to our day. Some had great tile paintings with mount Fuji on the side, so the bathers could relax in the
"outside atmosphere".
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !
Sentō and Sento Etiquette



source : 江戸の湯屋

yuya 湯屋 public bath house in Edo
The second floor was an open space to cool down, enjoy a drink and play games or just chat.

江戸拾遺書くなら湯屋の二階番
Edo shui kaku nara yuya no nikai ban

writing about
famous things in Edo, best is the second floor guardian
of a public bath


. senryuu, senryū 川柳 Senryu in Edo .

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You wash outside the tub and then sit in it leisurely to heat the body. The bathtub is used by all family members. The water is let in cold and heated up by a special system, to keep it warm at all times.

There are some seasons that call for a special bath to celebrate!
These kigo are listed below.


CLICK for more photos


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kigo for the New Year

hatsuyu, hatsu-yu 初湯 (はつゆ) first bath
(of the new year)
..... wakayu 若湯(わかゆ) "young bath"
..... hatsuburo (hatsu furo) 初風呂(はつぶろ)
hatsu yudono 初湯殿(はつゆどの)first (use of the) bathhouse
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

do not mix with the ichibanburo, see below.

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kigo for mid-spring

CLICK For more photos

ganburo 雁風呂 がんぶろ "bath for the wild geese"
..... kari kuyoo 雁供養(かりくよう) memorial service for wild geese

A special bath prepared in the Tsugaru area of Aomori prefecture.
The wild geese which come to Tsugaru in Autumn bring a branch of wood in their mouth or carry one with their legs, as legend knows. They do this to rest on the branch when flowing over the ocean. When they reach the shores of the Nihonkai Sea in Tsugaru, they let the branch fall on the beach, and pick it up next spring, when they take off again to fly over the open sea.

When all wild geese have taken off, the people from Tsugaru collect the left-over branches from geese that did not make it during the winter and use them to heat a bath and offer it to travelers as a memorial service for the geese which have perished.

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乾びたる藻を焚き付けに雁供養 
karabitaru mo o takitsuke ni kari kuyoo

adding dried seaweed
for kindling the fire -
remembering the wild geese  


Tanayama Haro (Haroo) 棚山波朗


. WKD : Goose, geese (kari, gan) .


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kigo for mid-summer

CLICK for more photos
shoobuyu, shoobu-yu 菖蒲湯 (しょうぶゆ) "iris bath"
..... shoobuburo 菖蒲風呂(しょうぶぶろ)
rantoo 蘭湯(らんとう) bath with orchid leaves
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

The long leaves of the iris reminded the samurai of their swords. The word SHOOBU 勝負 also means a fight, usually to the death.
To wish for a boy to grow up strong, they put some iris leaves in the bathwater and hung them up around the eaves of the home on the day before the Boy's festival on May 5.


. WKD : Iris (shoobu, ayame, kakitsubata, airisu)  

. WKD : Boy's Festival 端午の節句 Tango no sekku  


. WASHOKU
Shoobuzake 菖蒲酒 (しょうぶざけ) Iris rice wine

for the Boy's Festival


shoobu Daruma 菖蒲だるま Daruma with Iris Decoration


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kigo for all winter

hoshinayu, hoshina-yu 干菜湯 (ほしなゆ)
bath with dried leafy vegetables
..... hoshinaburo 干菜風呂(ほしなぶろ)
..... hibayu, hiba-yu 干葉湯(ひばゆ)
The leaves are said to have medical properties to keep the body healthy. In former times, the cut-off leaves of daikon radish or turnips were dried and put into the bathwater. It is said to help when the body feels cool (hieshoo) and for old people.
Things to keep you warm in winter ... KIGO


. WASHOKU
Hoshinajiru 干菜汁 (ほしなじる)
miso soup with dried leafy vegetables




kigo for mid-winter

CLICK for more photos

yuzuyu, yuzu-yu 柚子湯 (ゆずゆ) yuzu-citron bath
..... yuzuburo 仲冬 柚子風呂(ゆずぶろ)
toojiyu 冬至湯(とうじゆ)bath on the winter solstice day
..... toojiburo 冬至風呂(とうじぶろ)
It is the custom to swim a few yuzu fruit in your hot bathwater to make use of its medical properties, mostly to heat the body and keep it warm for a long time in the cold winter night.

. WKD . Yuzu citron, Citrus medica



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observance kigo for mid-winter

toshi no yu 年の湯 としのゆ last bath of the year
..... toshiyu 年湯(としゆ)
joya no yu 除夜の湯(じょやのゆ)bath on the last night


. Oomisoka, the last day of the year  




BATHING BEAUTIES - Utagawa Toyokuni

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The following words are NOT kigo


bara no ofuro バラのお風呂 bath with roses
Quite popular to relax in the evening, with the faint smell of roses.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



ichibanburo 一番風呂 "first (use of the) bathtub"
Since families wash outside the tub and then share the hot water in the tub, it is hottest and most enjoyable when the first person sits in the tub. This was traditionally the right of the father of the home, next the boys, then the daughters and last the mother.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



iwaburo 岩風呂 "stone bath"
usually at a hot spring, when the "bathtub" is made of local stones. This is said to heat the body even better, making use of the infared emission of the stones.
We have a stone bathtub in our garden, which is filled with fresh water from our mountain and can be heated with a wood stove.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



kazokuburo 家族風呂 "bath for the whole family"
In Hotels the bath facilities are usually divided for male and female guests. Some offer special small rooms where the whole family can bath together. Most need a reservation to use them.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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sentoo 銭湯 Sento, public bath

- quote -
Sentō (銭湯) is a type of Japanese communal bath house where customers pay for entrance.
At the beginning of the Edo period (1603–1867), there were two types of baths common to the eastern and western regions of Japan respectively. In Edo (present day Tokyo), bath houses contained sizable pools, and were called yuya (湯屋, lit. hot water shop). In Osaka, however, bathing establishments were primarily steam baths called mushiburo (蒸し風呂, lit. steam bath) that had only shallow pools.

At the end of the Edo period,
the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868) at different times required baths to segregate by sex in order to ensure public moral standards. However, many bath house owners merely partitioned their baths with a small board, allowing some voyeurism to persist. Other baths avoided this problem by having men and women bathe at different times of day, or by catering to one gender exclusively. In spite of this, laws regarding mixed-sex bathing were soon relaxed again.

Contributing to the popularity of public baths in the Edo period were female bathing attendants known as yuna (湯女, lit. hot water women). These attendants helped cleanse customers by scrubbing their backs. After official closing hours, however, a number of these women would perform additional services by selling sex to male customers. Similarly, some brothels in contemporary Japan have women who specialize in bathing with and cleansing male clientele. Such establishments are often called sōpu rando (ソープランド, soapland).

As a preventive measure against prostitution, the Tokugawa shogunate stipulated that no more than three yuna serve at any given bath house. However, this rule was widely ignored, causing the shogunate to ban female attendants from bath houses altogether and once again prohibit the practice of mixed-sex bathing. Large numbers of unemployed yuna thereafter moved to official red-light districts, where they could continue their services. Up until 1870, there were also male washing assistants called sansuke (三助, lit. three helps) who would wash and massage customers of both genders.
Unlike the yuna, these male attendants were not known to engage in prostitution.


CLICK for more ukiyo-e of Sansuke !

Mixed-sex bathing was prohibited once again after Commodore Perry visited Japan in 1853 and 1854—drawing question to the morality of the practice. ...
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !


銭湯に魚屋入しよ冬の月
sentoo ni uoya irishi yo fuyu no tsuki

to the bathhouse
a fish peddler enters -
winter moon


quote
A fish peddler, who peddled around all day in the cold wind, so tired from his day’s work and the coldness, entered a bath-house under the winter moon to warm himself. Common workers outside used to take a bath after their daily work. The scene is not so rare, nor uncommon. The fish peddler may take a bath in the same bath-house in other seasons.
It is possible enough that the Poet happened to see some peddler with a carrying pole on his shoulder go into a bath-house on the street under the winter cold moon. The pole on the shoulder made the Poet directly suppose the person a fish peddler and I would rather think if he had not carried a pole, the Haiku would not have been produced. And any substitute of the other two real factors would not have made a haiku either.
A fish peddler, a bath-house and winter moon: ━ the real three together make a harmony of poetic sentiments. Here I feel the necessity of the Haiku being written. The three play respective characteristic role in the Haiku. It all depends on us what roles of the three we read in the Haiku.
source : www.hokuoto77.com

. WKD : Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .



CLICK for more ukiyo-e about the Sento in Edo!

On the far left you can see one woman coming out from under a low partition. The actual bath was in a special small room, just big enough for about 3 persons, and made to keep the water as warm as possible.

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だるまバスボール Daruma Bath Ball
Inside is a ball to throw into the bath water, with the flavor of Yuzu.

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Once upon a time in Japan,
men and women shared the same public bath
(konyoku 混浴).


山東京伝 Santoo Kyooden (1761 - 1816)


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yubune, yokusoo 湯船 "bath boat"
small boats with a bath for rent in Edo

With its many canals, it was easy to bring the bathouse to the clients.
This is the origin of the word, now used for the modern bath tub.



. chin shoobai 珍商売 strange business in Edo .


浴槽に熱き波立つ夕桜
yokusoo ni atsuki nami tatsu yuuzakura

in the bathtub
there are hot waves -
cherry blossoms at night


Kushihara Kiiko 櫛原希伊子


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yunitto basu ユニットバス unit bath, unit bathroom
A plastic module room, usually containing bath tub, wash basin and toilet. Not only used in hotels, but also in private homes, where the toilet is often separate, to make sure the "morning rush" is spread in two locations.
Some unit baths even feature bubbles or jet streams.
The whole module is made of one material, thus preventing leakages into the hotel or home.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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. WASHOKU
Udon noodles eaten in the bathtub !
 
a custom in Western Sanuki, Shikoku


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Worldwide use


Hamam, turkish bath

CLICK for more photos

Turkish variant of a steam bath, sauna or Russian Bath, distinguished by a focus on water, as opposed to ambient steam.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Things found on the way



My visit to Yudono San

yudono red sulfur cliff

. Yudono, the Holy Mountain of the Mountain Ascetics  
Dewa sanzan, Haguro, Gassan, Yudono-san


My Photo Album of this trip


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HAIKU and SENRYU



New Year's Bath -
a new cake of soap and
a fresh towel


Gabi Greve, New Year 2007


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tsutsuganaku yuzu-yu ni tsukaru hyakuju ware

in good health
lying in the hot citron bath
me one hundred years


in guter Gesundheit
im heissen Zitronenbad
mit meinen Hundert

Haiku by Ueda san, 99

Haiku with Hundred
Tr. by Gabi Greve



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原子心母ユニットバスで血を流す
genshi shinbo yunitto basu de chi o nagasu

atom heart mother -
in the unit bathroom
she is bleeding

or, to stay in line with English grammar

atom heart mother -
she is bleeding
in the unit bath

or

atom heart mother -
I am bleeding
in the unit bathroom

Tanaka Ami 田中亜美
Tr. Gabi Greve

. Reference

. Reference : Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother


chi o nagasu ... quite a normal way to express "bleeding" in ordinary Japanese language, in fact, the whole structure is quite plain ordinary language, put in 5 7 5 segments.


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Torii Kiyonaga 鳥居清長 (1752 - 1815)



初湯出て青年母の鏡台に
hatsuyu ide seinen haha no kyoodai ni

leaving the first bath
the young mother goes
to her dressing table


Takajo 鷹女
source : HAIKUreikuDB


CLICK for more photos
kyoodai, kagamidai, 鏡台 lit. mirror stand, often a box for the utensils and a mirror. See below.


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春昼や無限を映す三面鏡 
shunchuu ya mugen o utsusu sanmenkyoo

spring afternoon—
a three-mirrored dresser
reflecting infinity


Chichihara Takashi 乳原孝
Tr. Fay Aoyagi


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UKIAH -
the mirror reflects the word
opposite


~ Beryl Ellecy


MORE
. MIRROR - haiku collection from Kenya


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CLICK for more information

Ukiah, California, USA
source : ukiaHaiku festival 2011


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Related words


kigo for the New Year

kagamidai iwai 鏡台祝(きょうだいいわい)
celebrating the mirror stand

..... kyoodai iwai 鏡台祝(きょうだいいわい)
..... kagami no iwai 鏡の祝(かがみのいわい)

hatsukao iwai 初顔祝(はつかおいわい)celebrating the "first face"

In Samurai Families, on the 20 of January, the mirrors were opened for the first time, some kagami mochi offered and then ritually eaten by the womanfolk.


. hatsu kagami 初鏡 (はつかがみ) "first mirror"  
..... hatsugeshoo 初化粧(はつげしょう)first make-up


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Haiku in Hindi

Sanvaarti vah kesh-
aainaa bhi kuchh
khoyaa khayaal men

she combs her hair -
the mirror is somewhat
lost in thought


Sunil Uniyal
India Saijiki April 2010


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sekiten rite --
I see father’s face
in the mirror


Chen-ou Liu
August 2010


. Confucius (Sekiten) and
the mirror in Chinese symbolism
 



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***** . First Things done at the New Year


. NEW YEAR
KIGO for HUMANITY


Hot Spring, Hot Springs (onsen) Japan. Bathhouse



furofuki 風呂吹 (ふろふき) boiled radish in broth
lit. "radish in the bathtub"
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
furofuku daikon 風呂吹大根(ふろふきだいこん)




. "mirror rice" (kagami meshi 鏡飯) .  


. iwakagami, iwa kagami 岩鏡 Schizocodom plant .
lit. "rock mirror"
Schizocodom soldanelloides



. WASHOKU SAIJIKI - kigo for all winter food


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- quote -
Japanese bronze mirrors
Bronze mirrors were introduced into Japan from China and Korea during the Yayoi period (about 300 BC - AD 300). At first they had a religious function and were regarded as symbols of authority. . . .
. . . Mirrors gradually became more robust. Bronze was copper mixed with tin and lead. They mostly have a central boss, often in the shape of a tortoise, which was pierced and a cord passed through for holding. More new designs and the first handled mirrors appeared in the Muromachi period (1333-1568).

During the Edo period (1600-1868), mirrors decorated with lucky symbols or Chinese characters were given at weddings. Mirrors became larger as hairstyles became more ornate; some mirrors in Kabuki theatre dressing-rooms were up to fifty centimeters across and were placed on stands.
The faces of mirrors were highly polished or burnished, with itinerant tinners and polishers specializing in this work.
. . .
Bronze mirrors were replaced by glass mirrors after the Meiji Restoration (1868).
- source : www.britishmuseum.org



ekagami, e-kagami 柄鏡 mirror with a handle

. . . A mirror with one's family crest may signify the self assertion of the family or individual who used such a mirror. A mirror with a scenic motif, such as Mount Fuji and the pine grove of Miho or the eight views of Omi, may express one's desire to see these famous sights or to travel.



By the Edo period handles, often bound in rattan, were added to Japanese brass or bronze mirrors. The mirror discs also became larger to accommodate the increased size of ladies' hair arrangements. These types of mirror were known as e-kagami.
Perhaps it can be said that the motifs on handled mirrors truly reflected the heart of the Edoite!
- source : www.kyohaku.go.jp


Mirror with auspicious symbols of winter
shoochikubai 松 竹 梅 pine, bamboo and plum blossom - and Mount Fuji


source : edo-ekagami.seesaa.net


- quote -
wakyou (wakyoo) 和鏡
- Japanese style mirrors.

Wakyou were developed as part of toilet sets in the Heian period.
Previously large and heavy Chinese-style mirrors were used as ritual objects at temples and shrines and as burial accessories. Wakyou, although based in technique and shape on continental models, are distinguished from Chinese mirrors by such Japanese-style patterns and motifs as pines, cherry blossoms, wistaria, maples, pampas grass, chrysanthemums, cranes, geese and sparrows.
The matsukuizuru mon kyou 松喰鶴文鏡 (mirror with a pattern of pine eating pine) is a typical Japanese style mirror of this period.
In the Kamakura period, wakyou became thicker and often featured patterns of peonies, butterflies and birds, or Houraisan 蓬莱山 in high relief. Sung period handled mirrors, ekagami 柄鏡, with decoration around the reflective surface were introduced by the Muromachi period.
At first they had a long handle and knob (chu 鈕) in the center of the rear side. Later ekagami became larger and the handle shorter and thicker, with the knob disappearing.
In the Momoyama and Edo periods, mirrors were decorated freely with patterns of landscape and birds-and-flowers, often including the signature of mirror maker or the words 'tenka-ichi 天下一' (best in the world).
- source : JAANUS -


- History of mirrors in Japan -
- reference -



. Matsuyama kagami 松山鏡 The Mirror from Matsuyama .
- a legend with many version -

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. Doing Business in Edo - Introduction .

. kagamishi, kagami shi 鏡師 mirror maker .
and Ukiyo-E with mirrors

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kagami migaki 鏡磨き / kagami togi 鏡研ぎ 
mirror polisher in Edo


The bronze mirrors of the ladies of Edo had to be polished at least once a year. A good business time for the wayside craftsmen was in winter, toward the New Year.
They sat by the roadside, putting the mirror in front of them whilst polishing it. So they could see their own face all the time.

They were often the subject of senryu.

わが面で試みをする鏡とぎ
waga men de kokoromi o suru kagamitogi

using my own face
as a trial object
to polish this mirror



磨ぎたての鏡びっくり下女気絶
togitate no kagami bikkuri gejo kizetsu

looking into
the newly polished mirror
the servant faints


Maybe now she realized the great difference in her own "beauty" and that of here lovely lady.


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Torii Kiyonaga 鳥居清長の美人画



化粧の女 - Woman applying powder
Hashiguchi Goyō 橋口五葉 Hashiguchi Goyo (1880-1921)


. - - - Welcome to Edo 江戸 ! .

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. shinkyoo 神鏡 Shinkyo - "mirror of the kami", divine mirror .
- Introduction -

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12/15/2009

Washing (arau)

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Washing something

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Humanity


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Explanation


Washing something, from your hair to the gravestone to vegetables ...
many of these activities are KIGO !

Let us look at some kigo with

arau 洗う (あらう) to wash something




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Kigo for Summer

kami arau 髪洗う (かみあらう) washing the hair
araigami 洗い髪(あらいがみ) washed hair

Hair (kami) kigo in all seasons

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kigo for late summer

mikoshi arai 神輿洗(みこしあらい)washing the portable shrines
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



ushi arau 牛洗う(うしあらう)washing the cows
uma arau 馬洗う(うまあらう) washing the horses

WKD : Cows and Horses


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Kigo for Autumn


azuki arai 小豆洗い(あずきあらい)washing adzuki beans
Washoku
red beans for sweet bean paste



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kigo for early autumn

haka arau 墓洗う(はかあらう) washing the gravestones
Preparations for the Ancestor Festival (O-Bon)




suzuri arau 硯洗う(すずりあらう)washing the inkstone
susuri arai 硯洗 (すずりあらい ) washed inkstone
tsukue arau 机洗う(つくえあらう) washing the table
For the Tanabata Star Festival


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kigo for early autumn

oyama arai 御山洗 (おやまあらい) washing the mountain
Fuji no yama arai 富士の山洗(ふじのやまあらい) washing mount Fuji
by the rain of autumn


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kigo for mid-autumn
shooji arau 障子洗う (しょうじあらう) washing sliding doors
Autumn activities in the home


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Kigo for Winter


na arau 菜洗う(なあらう)washing leafy vegetables
negi arau 葱洗う(ねぎあらう)washing leek
arainegi, arai-negi 洗葱(あらいねぎ) washed leek
Winter Vegetables



tabi arau 足袋洗う(たびあらう)washing the tabi socks
Tabi, socks and toe socks


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kigo for early winter
daikon arau 大根洗う(だいこんあらう)washing radishes
Winter Vegetables



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU




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Related words

***** WKD ... ABC Reference

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12/02/2009

New Year Games Toys

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Games and Toys for the New Year

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: New Year
***** Category: Humanity


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Explanation

New Year is a time for traditional games and traditional toys.

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CLICK for more photos of Hagoita
hagoita battledore

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Ball game (temari 手毬 (てまり)
with a decorative cotton ball
song for the ball game 手毬唄(てまりうた temari uta)

Ball game for kicking (kemari 蹴鞠初め)
a court ritual

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Battledore, Shuttlecock (hagoita 羽子板)


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Card Games (karuta 歌留多) hanafuda, uta karuta.
toranpu トランプ trupm and many more

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coin-throwing game 穴一 (あないち) ana-ichi, anaichi
..... ana ichi 穴市(あないち)
..... ana ichi zeni 穴一銭(あないちぜに)coin for ana-ichi
This game was quite popular in Edo around 1740. Young people played it. A hole the size of a coin was carved in the ground and then from a distance you throw a coin or small ball in it.


coin for the ana-ichi game

. menko 面子・めんこ・メンコ playing cards .
used for anaichi


穴一のあなかしましや花の陰
ana-ichi no ana kashimashi ya hana no kage

an uproar 'round
the penny toss hole...
blossom shade


Shinji Ogawa notes that Issa is punning with the word ana, which can mean "hole" and "indeed." Hence, ana kashimashi denotes "the hole is noisy" and also "indeed noisy."

Buddhists maintain that there are "Six Ways" of possible future life reincarnation:
(1) as a sufferer in hell, (2) as a hungry ghost, (3) as an animal, (4) as an angry demon, (5) as a human being, or (6) as a heavenly being.
This haiku is poem 4 of a six-poem series on the Six Ways. Two versions of this series exist; one appears in the 1812 book, Kabuban, while the other was published posthumously by Issa's students in Issa hokku shû in 1829. The present haiku appears only in the original, 1812 version.
Referring to a gambler's game of throwing coins into a hole, Issa suggests that the loud gamblers are like angry demons--oblivious to the beauty of the blossoms above them.
In my essay, "At the Crossroads of Six Ways: A Haiku Buddhist Vision of Life, Death, and Everything," I stated that an unseen animal inside the hole raises the ruckus in the haiku. I now believe that the gamblers themselves are doing this.
David Lanoue

. Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 in Edo .

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青柳や十づつ十の穴一に
aoyagi ya juu-zutsu juu no ana ichi ni

greening willow --
children toss shells
at ten different holes


This hokku is from lunar 2/19 (April 3) in 1809, when Issa was in Edo. It is about a children's game played by both boys and girls that was especially popular at and soon after New Year's. In the middle of the 18th century this traditional game began to be played with copper coins, and soon adults were using the coins for gambling, so coins were outlawed in 1806, three years before this hokku was written. Therefore I take the hokku to be about children playing just for fun. Though Issa doesn't mention the material, the most common objects used in the game in the Edo area were the round shells of sea snails, the hard berries of soapberry trees, small stones, and nuts.

In its simplest form, the object of the game was to toss a shell or similar round or semiround object into a round hole about four inches wide from behind a line drawn on the ground about three feet away. If your shell went into the hole, you got to take it out and keep it, but if it fell on the ground near the hole, you had to leave it there, and the next player had the option of trying to hit it directly with his or her shell. If the hit was successful, this player got to keep both shells, but if it failed, this shell, too, remained on the ground. The person who kept and gained the most shells was the winner. In the hokku ten holes are dug below or near a weeping willow tree, and shouting children run here and there below the low-hanging branches. There seems to be a reverberation between the long, greening branches of the early spring willow that descend like water in a fountain and the overall rhythm of ten tossing games going on at the same time, all filled to overflowing with young, freely flowing sound and motion rushing toward the future.

The most commonly accepted etymology for ana-ichi, 'tossing game' is that it is a variant of another name for the same game, ana-uchi, 'hitting the hole,' with -uchi becoming -ichi. For the pronunciation of the hokku, see the Index volume of Issa's Complete Works, p. 351. For the law against playing tossing games with coins, see Kadokawa Dai-Saijiki (1965) 1.271.

Chris Drake

. Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 in Edo .


. rokudoo 六道 Six Realms of Existence .

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good luck pulling 福引 (ふくびき) fukubiki
..... waraikuji 笑籤(わらいくじ)"laughing lottery"
This started in the Kamakura period. Two people would pull at one mochi and the one who got the larger part would be lucky in the New Year.

Now it has turned into a kind of lottery for the New Year business.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


hoobiki 宝引 (ほうびき) "pulling a treasure"
..... takarabiki 宝引 (たからびき)
..... hoobiki nawa 宝引縄(ほうびきなわ)
tsuji hoobiki 辻宝引(つじほうびき)
ame hoobiki 飴宝引(あめほうびき) pulling for a sweet
doofuguri 胴ふぐり(どうふぐり)
hoobiki zeni 宝引銭(ほうびきぜに)coin

A kind of fukubiki that became popular during the Muromachi period. Many strings with just one of them holding a "treasure" were put out for drawing. The one who got the "treasure" had good luck in the New Year. The treasure was just a small toy or a mochi. It was alos done at the crossroads (tsuji hoobiki) and you had to pay some money (hoobiki zeni) to take your turn.



宝引き pulling your good luck



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CLICK for original LINK ... kakitutei

gichoo 毬打 (ぎちょう ぎっちょう) gicho,
"old-type cricket game"

..... gichoo 毬杖(ぎちょう)
..... tamauchi, tama-uchi )玉打(たまうち) "hitting the ball"
dakyuu 打毬(だきゅう

A toy with a wooden ball and a hammer with eight corners and a long handle to hit the ball. Two teams each on one side of the line play it. The ball is thrown in the air and has to be hit by the other team.
An old game since the Heian period. Since the Edo period, small versions of the tools have been used as decorations only.



buriburi 振振 (ぶりぶり) buriburi game
..... buriburi gichuu 振振毬打(ぶりぶりぎっちょう)buriburi hammer
..... bamaburi 玉振振(たまぶりぶり)buriburi ball
This is similar to gichuu, but only the hammer is now used as a decoration.
During the Edo period, paintings of doves or tortoise were painted on the hammer and children would pull it behind themselves along the ground.


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CLICK for more photos
Fan-throwing competition
投扇興 ( とうせんきょう) toosenkyoo

toosen 投扇(とうせん)oogi nage 扇投(おうぎなげ)
Fan (oogi 扇 uchiwa 団扇)


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poppen, hoppen ぽっぺん / ポッペン glass ball plopping
..... pokon pokon ぽこんぽこん

A glass ball on a pipe with a very thin bottom had to be brought to make a plopping sound. This was heared as "hoppen"or "poppen" in Osaka, "pokon pokon" in Tokyo, "pekon pekon" in Kyushu.
The glass balls are also known as "biidoro ビードロ", from the Portugese vidro.

. . . CLICK here for VIDRO Photos !



Popen o fuku musume ポペンを吹く娘 Girl blowing a "Poppen" glass
喜多川歌麿 Kitagawa Utamaro

. garasu ku 硝子工 glass blowers in Edo .

. Toys, Art and Craft from Nagasaki .

. Kobe poppen 神戸ポッペン popping glass .

. Edo no bijin 江戸の美人 the beauties of Edo .


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Laughing, Lucky Laugh, fuku warai 福笑い (ふくわらい)
okametsuke おかめつけ


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"sixteen soldiers"
十六むさし (じゅうろくむさし)juuroku musashi

十六目石(じゅうろくむさし)
juuroku sasukari 十六さすかり(じゅうろくさすかり)
musashi sasukari むさしさすかり
Sixteen Musashi , Juroku Musashi

CLICK for more photos A board game with 16 pieces (warriors) and a central figure called Benkei (the Strong Monk).
Benkei must be pushed into a corner, where he can not move any more. But he has the power to topple the warrior stones as his defence.
This game was rather popular in the 17th century.
There are some famous woodblock prints with this theme.
Click the image to see some.



http://www.kabuki-za.co.jp/info/tosyo/no8.html

Kimono for a Kabuki play for the heroine Tachibana Princess
橘姫 / 妹背山婦女庭訓 Imoseyama onna teikin
When she meets her younger sister, they are not supposed to know each other and just can play a game of Juroku Musashi.

WKD
Musashibo Benkei 武蔵坊弁慶
Benkei, the Warrior-Monk from Musashi


Reference


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Spinning top, tops (koma 独楽(コマ)) Kreisel


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Sugoroku board with the IROHA alphabet


sugoroku 双六 (すごろく) Sugoroku board game
e sugoroku 絵双六(えすごろく)with pictures
kami sugoroku 紙双六(かみすごろく)
doochuu sugoroku 道中双六(どううちゅうすごろく)with pictures from the 53 stations of the Tokaido Road

CLICK for more sugoroku boards

. sugoroku 双六 The Board Game Sugoroku .
- Introduction -


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU



ばらばらに花散る里や投扇興
barabara ni hana chiru sato ya toosenkyoo

scattered they fall,
the flowers of my hometown -
throwing fans competition

Ooshita Hideko 大下秀子


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そのむかし十六むさし争ひし
sono mukashi juuroku musashi arasoishi

in olden times
the sixteen soldiers
fought bravely


Takizawa Iyoji 瀧澤伊代次

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碁に弱く十六むさし強きかな
go ni yowaku juuroku musashi tsuyoki kana

bad at the Go game -
Sixteen Soldiers is
my strong game


Ikenouchi Takeshi 池内たけし


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Related words

. Games and Toys in SPRING  

. Games and Toys in SUMMER  

. Games and Toys in AUTUMN  
. Games and Toys in WINTER  

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***** . NEW YEAR - KIGO for HUMANITY


. SAIJIKI - THE NEW YEAR

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[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]

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11/25/2009

Snow enjoyment

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Enjoying snow (yukimi)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Late Winter
***** Category: Humanity


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Explanation

Enjoying snow is one way to cope with it.
There are quite a few related kigo on the enjoyment, in times with no central heating ... !


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yukimi in Edo 江戸の雪見


礫川雪


墨田堤や 各所の高台

source : tukitodora.exblog.jp
002-96

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yukimi 雪見 (ゆきみ) snow viewing
to enjyoy the beautiful snowy scenery

yukimi no en 雪見の宴(ゆきみのえん)snow-viewing party
yukimibune 雪見船(ゆきみぶね)boat for snow-viewing
yukimikoo 雪見行(ゆきみこう)to go and enjyoy the beautiful snowy scenery

yukimizake 雪見酒(ゆきみざけ)ricewine while enjoying snow
yukimigasa 雪見笠(ゆきみがさ)straw hat for enjoying snow viewing

yuki no tomo 雪の友(ゆきのとも)a friend to enjoy the snow with
... yuki no hito 雪の人(ゆきのひと)



kan mimai 寒見舞 (かんみまい) visiting a friend in the cold season
... kanchuu mimai 寒中見舞(かんちゅうみまい)
yuki mimai 雪見舞 (ゆきみまい) visiting a friend during the snow season
This is done in person or by sending a letter or postcard.

yukikeshi 雪消し(ゆきけし)"make the snow forget" by bringing sweets or fruit to a friend in January
yukikeshi in late spring



hikan 避寒 (ひかん) wintering
pass the winter (the extreme cold) in a warmer region
hikanchi 避寒地 winter resort
hikan yado 避寒宿(ひかんやど)place to spend the cold, wintering hotel


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



CLICK for more photos

Snowman (yuki Daruma) Japan (yuki-botoke)


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HAIKU


低くすぎる避寒の宿の机かな
hikusugiru hikan no yado no tsukue kana

it is too low -
the table in this
winter hotel


Furuya Nobuko 吉屋信子 (1896 - 1973)


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消ゴムの滓みな長き避寒かな
keshigomu no kasu mina nagaki hikan kana

the crumbs of the eraser
are all so long -
wintering at home


Yotsuya Ryuu 四ツ谷 龍


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Related words

***** Winter (fuyu, Japan) the season

***** Snow (yuki) Japan . Many kigo related to snow.



***** Check the WKD LIST of
. HUMANITY and All Winter Kigo


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11/17/2009

Pond, lake (ike)

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Pond, small lake (ike)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Earth and see below


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Explanation


The word POND / LAKE (ike 池) just like that are not kigo, not even the "old pond".

mizuumi, mizu-umi 湖 (みずうみ) lake


But
there are some compound kigo about the irrigation ponds and rivulets important for farming in olden times.


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All Winter




ikebushin, ike-bushin 池普請 (いけぶしん) cleaning the pond
kawabushin, kawa-bushin 川普請(かわぶしん)cleaning the river

In winter, when the water level was low, the bottom of watering ponds and rivers was cleaned from mud and other things than had gathered during the year. The shallower river beds were made deeper in this way for transporting goods and the mud was used as fertilizer for the nearby fields.
Dams and dikes along rivers were also repaired at this time of year.




ike karu 池涸る(いけかる)pond drying up
... kareike, kare-ike 涸池(かれいけ)
not enough water in the pond/lake



saihyoochi 採氷池(さいひょうち)pond for cutting ice
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Ice was cut from clear ponds, stored in huts in the valleyes and later transported to the feudal lords in summer to cool them down.
. Ice cutting (koori kiru)  
and related kigo


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kigo for late winter

hyooko 氷湖 (ひょうこ) frozen lake
..... tooketsuko 凍結湖(とうけつこ)
..... tooko 凍湖(とうこ)
..... keppyooko 結氷湖(けっぴょうこ)
..... hyooban 氷盤(ひょうばん)
mizuumi kooru 湖凍る(みずうみこおる)lake is frozen




CLICK for more photos

omiwatari 御神渡 (おみわたり) gods crossing the frozen lake
miwatari, mi-watari 御渡(みわたり)
At Lake Suwako 諏訪湖 in winter, when it is frozen and has special patterns like a path on the ice.


The 7 wonders of
Lower Shrine of Great Shrines of Suwa
. Lake Suwako, O-Miwatari  


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kigo for all autumm


aki no ike 秋の池(あきのいけ)pond in autumn
aki no mizuumi 秋の湖 (あきのみずうみ) lake in autumn

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early autumn
ceremony

nanako no ike 七箇の池 ななこのいけ "seven ponds"
one ceremony during the Tanabata star festival. Seven bowls for washing your hands (tarai) were interpreted as ponds and a mirror put in each. The stars would then reflect in these seven mirrors.

also
nanashu no otamuke 七種の御手向(しちしゅのおたむけ)
tanabata no o-asobi 七夕の御遊(たなばたのおあそび) "Tanabata enjoyment"
nana asobi 七遊(ななあそび)"seven enjoyments"
momoko no ike 百子の池(ももこのいけ)

Star Festival (Tanabata, Japan) Milky Way (ama no gawa)




ikegaebon, ikekae bon 池替え盆(いけかえぼん)cleaning the pond "for O-Bon"
Often done in a temple by all paritioners.

part of the preparations on
nanukabon 七日盆(なぬかぼん)
O-Bon ceremonies on the 7th of August
This is a custom of the Kansai region, and not seen in Kanto.

bon hajime 盆始め(ぼんはじめ) beginning of O-Bon
migaki bon 磨き盆(みがきぼん)polishing for O-Bon
haka nagi 墓薙ぎ(はかなぎ) cleaning the graves


Bon Festival (o-bon, obon)


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kigo for all summer

natsu no ike 夏の池(なつのいけ)pond/lake in summer


natsu no mizuumi 夏の湖 (なつのみずうみ) lake in summer
..... natsu no umi 夏の湖(なつのうみ)
natsu no numa 夏の沼(なつのぬま)swamp in summer



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late summer

CLICK for more photos
hasu ike 蓮池(はすいけ) lotus pond



. SAIJIKI ... category EARTH
Kigo for Summer
  


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kigo for late spring

tanaike, tana-ike 種池(たないけ)pond to immerse the rice seeds (momidane 籾種)
before they are sown into the seed beds.

also
tana-i 種井 たない , tana-ido 種井戸(たないど)well to immerse the seeds
tana-oke 種桶(たねおけ)bucket to immerse the seeds


tana-ike sarai 種池浚い (たないけさらい) cleaning the pond (before immersing the rice seeds)
... tane-ike barai 種池ばらい(たないけばらい)
... tane-i barai 種井ばらい(たないばらい)
... tane-i-gae 種井替(たないがえ)



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Worldwide use

India, Punjab

. Sarovar - Sacred Pool .


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Things found on the way



well, ido 井戸
topic for haiku



. Sound of Water (mizu no oto 水の音)
The Old Pond Haiku by Matsuo Basho 



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Daruma Ike だるま池 ponds named Daruma pond

CLICK for more photos

There are quite a few in Japan, click on the image to see more.


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HAIKU






clear autumn day
by the little lake -
Namu Amida Butsu !


Gabi Greve, Autumn 2005


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なかぞらへ鯉投げあぐる池普請
nakazora e koi nage-aguru ikebushin

high into midair
the carp are thrown -
cleaning the pond


Ameyama Minoru 飴山實 (1926 - 2000)
Tr. Gabi Greve


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a hot pond -
and then he jumps in,
the naked human


. Look at the photo ! Gabi

. . . . .


古池や蛙飛び込む水の音
furu ike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto


. Basho and the Sound of Water .


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Related words

***** . Well, cleaning the well (ido zarai)  
kigo for early summer
Brunnen reinigen



***** Check the WKD LIST of
. HUMANITY and All Winter Kigo


. WATER (mizu) in all seasons  


. SAIJIKI ... category EARTH


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11/16/2009

Forest work in all seasons

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]
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Forest work in all seasons

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Winter, others see below
***** Category: Humanity


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Explanation

Winter is a time to tend to the forests, when the trees have less sap and can be cut.
Making charcoal was also mostly done in winter during the agricultural off-season (nookanki 農閑期).


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Kigo for early winter

botan takibi 牡丹焚火 (ぼたんたきび / 焚き火) bonfire from peony branches
botan taku 牡丹焚く(ぼたんたく)burning peony branches
botan kuyoo 牡丹供養(ぼたんくよう) memorial service for peonies

CLICK for original LINK, hiros239.exblog.jp
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
In some parts of Northen Japan, especially in Sugakawa 須賀川, the branches of old peony plants are cut off and burned at night at a temple or peony park. The flames have a violet and greenish color in the cold winter night.



CLICK for more photos
shuro hagu 棕櫚剥ぐ (しゅろはぐ) stripping a hemp-palm
... shuro muku 棕櫚むく(しゅろむく)peeling off a hemp-palm
Trachycarpus fortunei. Hanfpalme
The fibers of the bark were used to make tough cloth or hemp-palm brooms.
This tree grows to a hight of about 5 meters in the forest of the warmer parts of Japan. When the bark is peeled off, it will grow back soon.


ーーーー kigo for early summer

shuro no hana 棕櫚の花 (しゅろのはな)
blossoms of the hemp-palm
..... hana shuro 花棕櫚(はなしゅろ)
..... shuro no hana 椶櫚の花(しゅろのはな)


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Kigo for mid-winter

kuruma shimau 車蔵う (くるましまう) packing the cart away
... kuruma sutsu 車棄つ(くるますつ)
In former times, the wooden carriages and carts could not be used in the snowy areas of Japan. They were taken apart, the wheels put up high on the wall, the side panels sometimes used to enforce the northern wall of the home. Or the carts and carriages were just put into a special barn.


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preparations for the end of the year
. ono jimai 斧仕舞 (おのじまい ) packing away the axes  

toshikikori, toshiki kori, toshi kikori 年木樵 (としきこり)
cutting firewood for the new year
toshiki tsumu 年木積む(としきつむ)collecting firewood for the new year
toshiki uri 年木売(としきうり)vendor of firewood for the new year


firewood kigo for the New Year

toshigi としぎ【年木/歳木】 "firewood for the New Year"
..... wakagi 若木(わかぎ)"young firewood"
..... sechigi 節木(せちぎ)firewood for the changing season
..... iwaigi 祝木(いわいぎ)firewood for the celebration
..... hogi 穂木(ほぎ)
..... tawaragi 俵木(たわらぎ)

oniuchigi, oni uchigi 鬼打木 (おにうちぎ)
firewood to ward off the demons
It was used during the first 15 days of the New Year.
onigi 鬼木(おにぎ) "demon's firewood"
oniyokegi 鬼除木(おによけぎ)
firewood to keep the demons away
..... onisaegi, oni saegi 鬼障木(おにさえぎ)
onioshigi 鬼押木(おにおしぎ)
oniuchiboo, oni uchiboo 鬼打棒(おにうちぼう)

juunigaki 十二書き(じゅうにがき)"writing 12"
a piece of cut firewood with the letters "二月”used as a decoration and burend on January 15.
..... nyuugi (にゅうぎ, 新木) "new wood"
oogatama no ki 大賀玉の木(おおがたまのき)



kadonyuudoo, kado nyuudoo 門入道(かどにゅうどう)
"tonsured goblin the gate"

Two simple dolls, male and female, with simple eyes, nose and mouth painted in ink. They are put up at the entrance to the home to ward off evil. This is a custom of the Tohoku region.

. Nyuudoo 入道 priests and goblins .



. NEW YEAR
KIGO for HUMANITY



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Kigo for late winter


maruta hiki 丸太曳 (まるたひき) transporting logs (timber)
... maruta dashi 丸太出(まるただし)
... yabudashi 藪出(やぶだし)
In times without maschinery, that was hard labor. One or two large stems were bound together and transported out of the forest by horses or cows on special paths for that purpose.


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Kigo for all winter


edauchi, eda-uchi 枝打 (えだうち) cutting off branches
kareki oroshi 枯木卸し(かれきおろし)cutting off dried wood
(see below)



fuyusoma, fuyu soma 冬杣 (ふゆそま)forest worker, woodcutter
Some work in the forest during the daytime (higaeri soma) and to home in the evening, others wander around and stay in a small hut for a few days (nagare soma) and then move on to the next job.
Waldarbeiter, Holzäfller (somabito そまびと)

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. sumi 炭 (すみ) charcoal  
binchootan 備長炭 special charcoal from Wakayama
a kigo list about charcoal types

sumigama 炭竈 (すみがま) kiln for charcoal
... sumiyakigama 炭焼竈(すみやきがま)

sumiyaki 炭焼 (すみやき)making charcoal
hut used for making charcoal 炭焼小屋(すみやきごや)
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

sumiyakifu 炭焼夫(すみやきふ)worker making charcoal
... yakigo 焼子(やきご)
... sumioi me 炭負女(すみおいめ)woman carrying charcoal
sumiuma, sumi-uma 炭馬(すみうま)horse carrying charcoal
sumiguruma 炭車(すみぐるま)cart transporting charcoal
sumizori 炭橇(すみぞり)sled transporting charcoal

Making charcoal was not a specialized work, but most farmers did it in the back woods of their home to use as heating. It was also done during other seasons, when they could sell their charcoal well. It takes about a week to cut the necessary wood and fire it in a special kiln.

. sumigama 炭竈 と伝説 Legends about charcoal kilns .

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quote
Forestry
In the Edo period, forests were important for the flood control and to prevent soil erosion. Many mountains were declared "closed mountains" of a domaine to protect the trees. Tree felling by private people was not allowed and regulated by the domaine officials for forestry.
Modern Japan
The nation's forest resources, although abundant, have not been well developed to sustain a large lumber industry. Of the 245,000 km² of forests, 198.000 km² are classified as active forests. Most often forestry is a part-time activity for farmers or small companies. About a third of all forests are owned by the government.
Production is highest in Hokkaido and in Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Fukushima, Gifu, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima prefectures. Nearly 33.5 million cubic meters of roundwood were produced in 1986, of which 98 % was destined for industrial uses.
The Japanese forest industry has been defeated by cheap wood shipped from abroad.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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edauchi, eda-uchi 枝打 (えだうち)
cutting off branches


This care for the forest trees is especially important for a kind of cedar, the Daisugi of Kitayama, in Northern Kyoto 北山台杉.
Kitayama cedars (Cryptomeria japonica). "Migaki Maruta"
The forest is owned by the same family for many generations, especially in Nakagawa village.
To cut the branches, each forest worker has his own sickle and a whetstone (toishi 砥石(といし), which he finds in the river up the forest and keeps as a precious personal tool. There is a saying in the area:
"Never lend these two things:
your wife and your whetstone!"


The tree is usually cut when it has about 20 year rings, which are very narrow to show the strength of the material when used for building.

CLICK for more photos

quote
When a cedar becomes 5 to 6 year-old, we cut most branches, just leaving some branches on the top protion of the tree, designated "Hosaki"and the bottom protion, which is designated "Tori-ki" and will serve as a basis for young newly growing branches, in the future. The main trunk is now called "Tachi-ki".

After this process, we cut branches of newly growing branches on the "Tori-ki" in addition to the main trunk, "Tachi-ki" every other year until the main trunk grows big enough as building materials. Once we cut the main trunk "Tachi-ki", we select some of the best newly growing branches on "Toriki" for future "Tachi-ki" and cut other branches. Among many young branches, ones growing straight to the sky are considered to be the best.

Fore more than 600 years, we have been repeating these processes in order to produce as many logs as possible, and there are some "Daisugi" threes which are more than several hundred years old.
We has been growing "Daisugi" cedars to collect logs for more than 600 years. Collected logs had been used to build "Sukiya"-styled tea houses. However, the large demand of logs due to the wide spread of the modern "Sukiya"-style after the World War II exceeded our supply. In addition, some of young logs from "Daisugi" cedars are called "Taru-ki", and they are no longer used to build houses due to a change in the law. Because of these events, the way we produce cedar log changed dramatically and demand of "Daisugi" decreased. .

However, the excellent figure of "Daisugi" is now loved by many peope and "Daisugi" cedars are used in Japanse gardens as well as golf yards.
source : http://www12.ocn.ne.jp/~ydaisuke/page035.html


Since the tradition has been revived, there are now also some young forest workers who learn the tradition from their peers. Whith small ladders they climb the trees and whack away the branches. It must be done in a way as not to make too large a wound on the tree, in one sharp cut, so that the ast hole will become a beautiful pattern for the log as the tree keeps growing and ageing.

The Daisugi trees are also used for bonsai nowadays.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



CLICK for more photos
枝打ちの伝統ありて今もなお
eda-uchi no dentoo arite ima mo nao

keeping the tradition
of cutting cedar branches ...
even now


Gabi Greve, November 2009




杉木立朝日を浴びて蒸す如く

sugikodachi asahi o abite musu gotoku

lanes of cedar trees
shine with the sun rise
and grow in mist

Terry Ishii
Seattle WA USA , November 2009


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Forest kigo, category PLANTS

kigo for all spring

shunrin 春林 (しゅんりん) forest in spring
..... haru no mori 春の森(はるのもり)
haru no ki 春の樹(はるのき)tree in spring



sugikafun 杉花粉 pollen from cedars
matsukafun  松花粉 pollen from pines

sugi kafun / matsu kafun


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


yamagatsu 山賤(やまがつ) / 山賎 woodcutters
kikori きこり【樵/木樵】 people who cut and transport wood out of the forest
somabito 杣人 (そまびと), yamashizu やましず / 山賤(やましづ)
They were usually poor folk who spent the winter months in the forest, making a small living cutting wood for the owners of the forest.
karyuudo かりゅうど【狩人/猟人】 hunter, huntsman are something different and have a different purpose for going into a forest.


山賤(やまがつ) のおとがひ閉る葎かな
yamagatsu no otogai tozuru mugura kana

the poor loggers
have to keep their mouths shut
(because of) so many cleaver weeds

Tr. Gabi Greve

Written in 貞亨2年, Basho age 43.
Basho was on his way in Nozarashi Kiko and stayed at Yamura in Koshu 甲州谷村 (Yamanashi).
The cut marker KANA is at the end of line 3.

. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


Discussion of various translations
. mugura 葎 (むぐら) cleavers  


Larry Bole coments:
'Yamagatsu' have been written about as far back as the era of Heian Court poetry. One can find various translations of the word on the internet, such as "woodsman," "mountaineer," even "hillbilly."

Heian Court poets apparently wrote about 'yamagatsu' from the standpont of peasant exoticness , or from finding unexpected beauty among them.

An example, cited in Awesome Nightfall: The Life, Times, and Poetry of Saigyo, by William R. LaFleur:

ana koishi ima mo miteshi ga yamagatsu no
kakiho ni sakeru yamato nadeshio

oh sweet yearning if
only I could meet here once
more...the delicate
Japanese carnation that bloomed
on the mountain peasant's fence

trans. Laurel Rasplica Rodd

LaFleur says:
Kubota remarks that in such poems, typical of the court, the speaker places himself physically close to the fence or home of the 'yamagatsu' peasant but, entirely caught up in his own affairs, pays absolutely no attention to the life of actual peasants.
By contrast, Saigyo writes of the 'yamagatsu' in the following way:

yamagatsu no suminu to miyuru watari kana
fuyu ni aseyuku shizuhara no sato

What I see when I
look around at the dwellings
of poor mountain people:
colors get fainter in so quiet
a village in mid-winter.


"Even when physically at a distance from them, Saigyo notices the people and their livelihood," writes Kubota.


So, what was so remarkable about this "woodcutter" that caught Basho's attention? Were they notorious chatterboxes, so that Basho noted that the tall grass shut one up, from not wanting to get grass in his mouth as he talked and talked?

Read the full discussion here:
by Larry Bole, Haiku Translation Forum


Are these just woodcutters who are cutting and gathering firewood to use for their own fires and to sell to others as firewood? Or are these loggers or lumberjacks, who are cutting down big trees to provide lumber for various kinds of construction?

If these are more like loggers/lumberjacks, then woodcutter in English would be misleading. And if they are more like loggers/lumberjacks, how did they get the tree trunks out of the forests? Like they used to do here, with teams of horses or mules, and chains?
. . . MORE .. questions from Larry Bole


yamagatsu
seem to have been professionals, so "logger" might be a better translation.

Firewood for the farmers was cut from the "satoyama" behind the village. It was used for cooking and keeping the open hearth fire in the kitchen of a farmhouse.

. Satoyama 里山 (さとやま) forests and mountains  


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. Edo craftsmen 江戸の職人 .


tsukegi  付木startwood for fire, "match"



made from scraps of cedar wood with sulphur painted on one side.
The sulfur part was held close to a hearth fire and when it caught fire, the scrap could then be used to light another fire or candle in a lamp.
The craftsmen who made these pieces were called
tsukegi shi 付木師 Tsukegi makers
or
tsukegi 付木突き tsukegi cutters.


from 『今様職人尽百人一首』

By the end of the Edo period there were more than 500 in Edo.
They used special tools, one of them the shoojiki 正直 Shojiki blade and a shoojikidai 正直台 stand to use the Shojiki. The scraps would fall on the ground.

tsukegiya 付木屋 dealer of Tsukegi



source : 20century.blog2.fc2.com

Kitchen fire in Edo was usually started by the housewife with a flintstone and tinder and needed some skill.
. hiuchi, hi-uchi 火打ち striking a fire .


女房が留守で付木を使いすぎ
nyoobo ga rusu de tsukegi o tsukaisugi

when the wife is not home
he uses
too many matches


Senryu in Edo


tsukegi uri 付木売り selling wood scraps to light a fire



. Doing Business in Edo .


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Charcoal Setting (sumi temae 炭点前)
for the tea ceremony


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The woodcutter
works in all seasons.
Splitting wood is both
Action and inaction.


Tao Te Ching, Verse 64


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HAIKU



source : ajian - msaka


秋風や酒肆に詩うたふ漁者樵者
akikaze ya shushi ni shi utau gyosha shosha

this autumn wind -
in the sake shop reciting poetry
fishermen and woodcutters

Tr. Gabi Greve

. WKD : Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .


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牡丹焚火山河は闇に納まれり
botan takibi sanga wa yami ni osamareri

peony bonfire -
the mountain landscape settles
in the darkness


Kohiyama Shigeko 小檜山繁子
MORE haiku with botan takibi

sanga refers to the mountains and rivers of one's natural sourroundings of ones native place.


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筏士が飯にかけたる蛍かな
ikadashi ga meshi ni kaketaru hotaru kana

the master raftsman
sprinkles them on his rice --
fireflies


Kobayashi Issa 一茶


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年木樵無灯自転車にて帰る
toshiki kori mutoo jitensha nite kaeru

transporting firewood
I drive home on a bicycle
without a light


Tsuji Momoko 辻桃子

MORE haiku with toshikikori


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Winding road at dusk
the logger slows down
for a deer


Darrell Lindsey (USA)
Award
Basho's 360th Anniversary Web Haiku Contest 2004
source : www.mietimes.jp




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Related words

In spring, trees are grafted or planted.
Cut timber and logs used to be transported out of the forest with rafts.


kigo for mid-spring

naegi 苗木市 (なえぎいち) market for tree saplings
naegi uri 苗木売(なえぎうり)vendor of tree saplings




sashiki 挿木 (さしき/ 挿し木) plant a cutting
sashiho 挿穂(さしほ)
sashime 挿芽(さしめ)
sashiba 挿葉(さしば)
sashidoko 挿床(さしどこ)



sentei 剪定 (せんてい) pruning
sentei ki 剪定期(せんていき)time for pruning
senshi 剪枝(せんし)pruning branches



tsugiki, tsugi-ki 接木 (つぎき / 接ぎ木) grafting
..... tsugiho 接穂(つぎほ)
daigi 砧木(だいぎ)stock, rootstock
tsugiki nae 接木苗(つぎきなえ)scion
metsugi 芽接(めつぎ)grafting buds
kiritsugi 切接(きりつぎ)
netsugi 根接(ねつぎ)grafting roots
Grafting in the WIKIPEDIA !


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hatsu ikada 初筏 (はついかだ) first raft
ikada matsuri 筏祭(いかだまつり)raft festival
shobatsushiki 初筏式(しょばつしき) first raft ceremony
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



kinagashi 木流し (きながし )
transporting timber on the river

..... kuda nagashi 管流し(くだながし)floating one log at a time
seki nagashi 堰流し(せきながし)floating a dam (made by logs)
teppoozeki 鉄砲堰(てっぽうぜき)
shura otoshi 修羅落し(しゅらおとし)
aba 網場(あば) place for floating logs

CLICK for more photos ... wood.co.jp
First many logs of timber are collected at one special part in the river, then all are floated when the water is high enough.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



. WASHOKU
sweet mirin to keep the rafters warm

in Kawabe 岐阜県加茂郡川辺町


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kigo for late spring

naegi uu 苗木植う (なえぎうう) planting tree saplings
shokurin 植林(しょくりん)afforestation, planting trees
suginae, sugi-nae 杉苗(すぎなえ)pine saplings


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. Forest work in the NEW YEAR

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five thirty -
the woodcutters chainsaw
sounds deep in the forest


. Gabi Greve, July 9, 2010 - the full story .



***** Ash, ashes (hai) and related kigo
and sumi-temae carcoal layout of the tea ceremony


***** . Bonsai 盆栽 potted trees .


***** Winter (fuyu, Japan) the season


. WASHOKU
Mori no Megumi 森の恵み Food from the Bountiful Woods

and Satoyama Saijiki 里山歳時記


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