Archive for the ‘japanese culture’ Category
The folk stories and Oji Inari Shrine
The unique festival ‘The Fox Parade’ was held on 31, 2015 in Oji.
We joined the annual New Year’s Eve event and celebrated the New Year.
We gave “Kitsune-Girei” to Oji Inari-shrine with children called La-Fox (Byakko-shu). (The “Girei” means a festival rite.)
Inari shrine is dedicated to a god who looks after the grain. Most notable are foxes in Inari shrine.
There are folk stories and beliefs that every new year’s eve, many foxes gathered from the eastern part of Japan and visited to pray Oji Inari shrine which is the head shrine of Inari in Tohoku and Kanto area.
The story was actually drawn by Utagawa Hiroshige in 1857.
(The picture on the left)
We walked in a lantern parade and waited for the foxes from the eastern countries.
The foxes from Togoku 33 countries (the eastern part of Japan) arrived and moved forward slowly.
It was just like the traditions and Hiroshige’s picture.
You can join this lantern parade if you put fox make up or a mask and dress up Kimono.
Everyone, from child to adult, enjoyed this festival.
There are another traditional and famous festival in Oji. It is the first Horse Day Festival at Oji Inari shrine in February.
We, Kimono Dreamers, will also join the festival and dedicate our dance to gods in the shrine.
The festival is coming up this weekend 6th February!
Come to see us if you have a chance!
A “Kitsune-no Yu-suzumi” report
“Kitsune no Yu-suzumi” event took place in Oji, Kita-ku, Tokyo.
“Byakko-syu” invited us to join the event and we participated in that for the first time.
It was rainy unfortunately and the weather turned got worse than weather forecast, but we kept going through the street around the Oji-station: from Asuka-yama to Oji Inari-shrine.
We gave “Kitsune-Girei” to Oji Inari-shrine with the aim of the event. The “Girei” was like a march but not like soldiers’ steps, very quiet, less actions, and slowly. We chose the theme of the “Kitsune-Girei” from an anecdote, “The Fox Marriage”. You might be able to find the bride in the picture.
Besides the solemn procession, “Byakko-syu” never stopped the dance to bounce up and down with light steps. “Byakko-syu” was organized people who have a strong will to take over the belief in “Oinarisan”. Many elementary kids are active in that.
On the Asuka-yama stage, the performance began from “The dance of foxes”
and “kitsune-girei”,
also “The Mother and The Daughter Fox”, Japanese dance, performance introduced with Makoto and Tsuge’s song and play.
We gave the “Kitsune Susumi-Girei” at the Oji Inari-shrine in the rain finally!!!
“The Mother and….” played again in front of the cafe. The pedestrians stopped walking and watched the play in the rain.
~Movie~
We really appreciate to the people involve the event and thank again for the invitation to the festival in Feb 6th, 2016.at Oji Inari-Shrine. We are going to see you again on the day.
