A YEAR OF FESTIVALS
Most important and most generally observed of all Japanese festivals is
the New Year, the holiday season lasting for about two weeks. The most
striking feature to us was the varied decorations of the gates, which
were adorned with a collection of emblems of one kind and another,
producing an effect unique in the extreme, even if their significance
was unknown. These decorations are put up before Christmas in the case
of the foreigners, but those in front of the native houses are not
completed until New Year, and remain in place throughout the holidays.
A large number of apparently incongruous articles are used in
ornamenting Japanese homes for the New Year, and not until we learn the
symbolic meaning of each one of these can we understand their use. They
range from bamboo, ferns, oranges, pine-trees and branches of
_yusuri_-tree to paper bags, straw ropes, bits of charcoal, seaweed and
even lobsters, incomprehensible as it may seem to the Western mind that
some of these objects should have any significance whatever.
As you enter a house you discover, stretched from post to post of the
gateway above your head, a thick, twisted rope--the _nawa_--with the
following emblems suspended from it: first, the _yebi_--lobster--whose
bent back is the symbol of long life, suggesting the hope that he who
passes beneath may not die until time has bowed his back in like manner.
Surrounding the lobster, as a frame to its brilliant scarlet, are the
_yusuri_ branches, on which the young leaves are budding while the old
have not as yet fallen, significant of the several generations of the
family within. Almost hidden by the lobster and directly in the centre
of the _nawa_, are perhaps the prettiest of all the emblems, two dainty
fern-fronds, symbolical of the happiness and unity of wedded life, and
carefully placed between the two, a budding leaflet emblematic of
fruitfulness.
From Japanese mythology we learn the significance of the _nawa_--the
rope of rice straw. Ama-terasu, the Sun-Goddess, in terror of her
brother, Susa-no-o, fled to a cave, from which she refused to come
forth. Then the Eighty Myriads of Gods took counsel as to how they might
induce her to bestow upon them the light of her face once more. They
decided to give a wonderful entertainment, introduced by the songs of
thousands of birds. Ama-terasu came out, curious to know the meaning of
these sounds, daylight returned, and the gods stretched a barrier across
the mouth of the cavern in order that she might never retreat to it
again. The _nawa_ represents this obstacle, and wherever it hangs, the
sweetness of spring is supposed to enter.
But one may ask, what is the connection between the New Year and the
coming of spring? According to the old Japanese calendar, the year began
at any time between January sixteenth and February nineteenth, so it
came, as a rule, at least a month later than with us, and the idea of
spring was always associated with the New Year. Although spring arrives
in Tokyo about the time it does in Washington, January first is far
enough from any suggestion of buds and flowers: but the Japanese keep
the old associations and call the first fortnight of the year
"spring-advent" and the second fortnight "the rains."
The mention of spring suggests a charming stanza by an anonymous
Japanese poet, which I give in Professor Chamberlain's translation:
"Spring, spring has come, while yet the landscape bears
Its fleecy burden of unmelted snow!
Now may the zephyr gently 'gin to blow,
To melt the nightingale's sweet frozen tears."
That the gods may not be forgotten, propitiatory offerings in the shape
of twisted pieces of paper cut diagonally--_gohei_, meaning
purification--are attached at intervals along the _nawa_, looking for
all the world like the horns stuck in the hair in the children's game of
"Horned Lady." Setting off the scarlet hue of the lobster, on either
side is placed a _daidai_,--a kind of orange--expressing the hope that
the family pedigree may flourish. The rather incongruous piece of
charcoal--_sumi_, meaning homestead--comes next, and gently waving to
and fro beneath the oranges may be seen strips of
seaweed--_konbu_--signifying rejoicing.
On either side of the gateway stands the guardian pine-tree, indicative
of long life, supporting the _nawa_, which is about six feet in
length--on the right the _me-matsu_ (the red pine), and on the left the
_O-matsu_ (the honourable black pine). Behind, giving grace and dainty
freshness to the whole, nod and sway the exquisite feathery branches of
the bamboo, typical of health and strength. The full list of symbols is
not always seen, as the task and the purse of the individual are both
consulted before deciding upon his gateway decorations. But even among
the poorest there is never a doorway wholly unadorned; the omission
would be sure to bring harm to the householder and misfortune to his
friends, and the gods unpropitiated would look frowningly down during
the year. Although two diminutive pine-trees before a house may be all
that can be afforded, the dweller within feels as securely guarded
against harm in the coming year as if the whole panoply of emblems were
waving over his humble doorway.
The pine-trees remind me of Bashô's epigram on New Year decorations,
beautifully translated by E. W. Clement:
"At every door
The pine-trees stand:
One mile-post more
To the spirit-land;
And as there's gladness,
So there's sadness."
Much brighter colours are worn at the New Year than at other times, and
presents are exchanged. The older people make gifts of dwarf trees,
while the children give one another dolls and kites, and games of
battledore and shuttlecock, which one sees both old and young playing in
the streets. The small, stocky horses that drag the carts with their
picturesque loads are adorned with streamers of mauve and lemon and rose
in honour of the first drive of the year, and many of the carts carry
flags and lanterns on bamboo poles, so that the streets are very gay.
Tokyo is especially gay the last evening of the old year, because a
_matsuri_, or fair, is held in the principal street, with little booths
illuminated by lanterns, where any one who is in debt can sell his
belongings in order to pay all he owes and begin the New Year fairly.
Small groups go from house to house, carrying the strange lion-dog's
head, which they put through various antics, while they dance and sing
in order to drive away evil spirits. (The lion-dog is a mythical animal
borrowed from the Chinese.) They are usually rewarded by the owner with
a few pennies. People go about on New Year's Day, stopping at the
doorways of their friends to say: "May you be as old as the pine and as
strong as the bamboo, may the stork make nests in your chimney and the
turtle crawl over your floor." The turtle and the stork symbolize long
life.
Part of the preparation for the New Year festival consists in the annual
house-cleaning. This custom is kept up to-day, and is carried out even
in foreign houses. Under the old régime, we are told, officials of the
Shogun's Court sent overseers carrying dusters on long poles to
superintend the work and thrust their brooms into cracks and corners
where dust might be left undisturbed by careless servants, at the same
time making mystic passes with their poles to form the Chinese character
for water. The merchants, too, have their "big cleaning," when all their
wares are tossed out into the street. As one of the Japanese poets has
said:
"Lo, house-cleaning is here;
Gods of Buddha and Shinto
Are jumbled together
All on the grass!"
One of the most attractive customs associated with the New Year is that
of placing under the little wooden pillows of the children a picture of
the _Takara-bune_, the Treasure Ship, with the Seven Gods of Good
Fortune on board. This ship is said to come into port on New Year's Eve
and to bring a wonderful cargo, among other rare things being the Lucky
Rain-Coat, the Inexhaustible Purse, the Sacred Key and the Hat of
Invisibility. This is the Japanese interpretation of our expression,
"When my ship comes in."
At the Embassy the observance of New Year's Eve was a mixture of
American and Japanese customs. We invited all the unmarried members of
the Staff, and after visiting the _matsuri_ we returned to the Embassy,
and as the clock struck twelve we passed a loving bowl, and all joined
hands and sang songs. Then, as the passing year was the year of the
cock, and 1913 was the year of the bullock, some one crowed a good-bye
to the rooster of 1912, and some one else mooed like a bullock as a
welcome to the newcomer, and we had a very jolly time.
But New Year's Day itself is not without its religious and ceremonial
observances. Every man is obliged to rise at the hour of the tiger--the
early hour of four o'clock--and put on new clothes. Then he worships the
gods, does homage to the spirits of his ancestors, and offers
congratulations to his parents and the older members of the family. All
this must be done before he can breakfast.
The first repast of the year is in every sense symbolic. The tea is made
with water drawn from the well as the first ray of the sun touches it.
The principal dish is a compound of six ingredients, which are always
the same, although the proportions may be varied. A special kind of
_saké_ is drunk from a red lacquer cup in order to ensure good health
for the coming year. In addition to these things, there is always an
"elysian stand"--a red lacquer tray, covered with evergreen _yusuri_
leaves and bearing a lobster, a rice dumpling, dried sardines, and
herring roe, also oranges, persimmons and chestnuts, much as in a "lucky
bag." All these articles of food are in some way emblematic of long life
and happiness, and the stand itself represents the chief of the three
islands of Chinese mythology, where all the birds and animals are white,
where mountains and palaces are of gold, and where youth is eternal.
New Year calls are as much a part of the celebration in Japan as in the
Western world. Originally, these were genuine visits, and the "elysian
stand" was set before the guests for their refreshment, but among the
higher classes the calls are now the most conventional of affairs, in
which the visitor simply writes his name in a book or leaves a card in a
basket, often without being received by the householder at all. The
caller leaves also a little gift of some sort--such as a basket of
oranges, a bunch of dried seaweed, or a box of sweetmeats--wrapped in a
neat package and tied with a red and gold cord in a butterfly knot. A
finishing touch is given to the parcel by a sprig of green in a
quiver-shaped envelope tucked under the knot.
The seventh of January was the proper time to go out into the fields and
gather seven common plants, among which were dandelion, chickweed and
shepherd's purse. These were boiled with rice and eaten for health,
strength and good luck.
Originally, the Japanese had no weekly day of rest and recreation, but
in recent years the Sabbath has been made an official rest-day, to be
observed by all in government employ. The mass of the people, however,
bring up their average of holidays by other occasions. There are during
the year ten or twelve special feasts which are always observed--the
Emperor's birthday, or when he eats first of the season's rice crop, or
makes a pilgrimage to the shrines of his mythological ancestors, and
other similar events, are all made the occasion of a national holiday
and popular rejoicing. Besides, every section of a city or district in
the country has a little _matsuri_ every day or two, and these, of
course, are held holiday, but it must be remembered that many of the
festivals mentioned in this chapter belonged to Old Japan, and are dying
out to-day.
Some festivals take the names of animals, such as the Horse Day, and the
years are also named after animals, 1914 being the year of the tiger.
The Fox Temple Festival is well known, when the people pray for good
crops. Among other holidays are the Lucky Day, the seventh day of the
seventh month, when two planets are in conjunction, and the first day of
the eighth month. Certain prescribed flowers and plants are used on each
of these occasions. Any important date, such as that on which a young
man comes of age, or an official is promoted in rank, is also made a
festal day.
The twenty-eighth day of every month is observed by the Japanese, but
more generally in the first month than in any other, in order to begin
the New Year properly. We went to a Buddhist temple in Uyeno Park, where
they beg the god of luck to protect them and keep them from misfortune
throughout the year. Before entering the temple, as is always done, they
purify themselves by washing their hands and scattering little offerings
of money done up in paper. On account of some ancient custom, money is
much more valued in Japan if wrapped in paper. Candles are lighted, and
priests sitting cross-legged with their backs to the audience read from
sacred books. A holy fire is kindled, and each worshipper buys a hundred
tapers and walks from the fire to the shrine, praying, I suppose, for
they seem to be saying something. As they reach the fire again, they
throw a taper into it, and repeat the ceremony till all are gone.
Surrounding the temple are little booths, where toys are for sale and
gay lanterns and good things to eat and drink are displayed, so that
when the prayers have been offered, the people can enjoy themselves in
feasting, watching the jugglers at their tricks, or making small
purchases at the booths.
On the night of February third, distant shouts were heard at the
Embassy. Upon inquiring what the noise was about, I was told that this
was called "Bean Night," when the servants in most houses throw beans
out into the garden, crying, "Demons go out, luck come in." As I passed
a temple that evening, I saw crowds of people, and noticed some Shinto
or Buddhist priests doing a religious dance.
[Illustration: DISPLAY OF DOLLS, DOLLS' FESTIVAL.]
The third of March is the Dolls' Festival, the great day of the year for
little girls. At all times of the year the Japanese have miniature
belongings for children which are very attractive, but just before this
festival the shops are even prettier than at Christmas in America, and
the windows are always arranged either to show the _No_ dance--two
figures in curious dress in front of a gold screen with pine-tree
decorations--or the Emperor and Empress. These dolls are placed on the
top shelf with a screen behind and a canopy overhead to suggest a
palace. Although for twenty years or more the Emperor has generally
appeared in uniform on State occasions, and the Empress has been gowned
in the latest Parisian style, these Imperial dolls wear flowing robes
and have strange crowns upon their heads, the Emperor, too, having his
hair curiously arranged; and they sit in Japanese fashion on a raised
platform. On the shelf below are ladies-in-waiting, then follow
musicians, lanterns and articles of food down the steps in order, all
very tiny and perfectly made.
For a picture of this festival as it is kept even to-day I borrow from
Miss Alice M. Bacon's "Japanese Girls and Women," only adding that I was
so delighted with the toys myself that I bought many of them, and with
the aid of Watanabe set them up in proper order at the Embassy:
"It was my privilege," says Miss Bacon, "to be present at the Feast of
Dolls in the house of one of the Tokugawa _daimyos_, a house in which
the old forms and ceremonies were strictly observed, and over which the
wave of foreign innovation had passed so slightly that even the calendar
still remained unchanged, and the feast took place upon the third day of
the third month of the old Japanese year, instead of on the third day of
March, which is the usual time for it now. At this house, where the
dolls had been accumulating for hundreds of years, five or six broad,
red-covered shelves, perhaps twenty feet long or more, were completely
filled with them and with their belongings. The Emperor and Empress
appeared again and again, as well as the five Court musicians, and the
tiny furnishings and utensils were wonderfully costly and beautiful.
Before each Emperor and Empress was set an elegant lacquered table
service--tray, bowls, cups, _saké_ pots, rice baskets, etc., all
complete--and in each utensil was placed the appropriate variety of
food. The _saké_ used on this occasion is a sweet, white liquor, brewed
especially for this feast, as different from the ordinary _saké_ as
sweet cider is from the hard cider upon which a man may drink himself
into a state of intoxication. Besides the table service, everything that
an Imperial doll can be expected to need or desire is placed upon the
shelves. Lacquered _norimono_, or palanquins; lacquered bullock carts,
drawn by bow-legged black bulls--these were the conveyances of the great
in Old Japan, and these, in minute reproductions, are placed upon the
red-covered shelves. Tiny silver and brass _hibachi_, or fire-boxes, are
there, with their accompanying tongs and charcoal baskets--whole
kitchens, with everything required for cooking the finest of Japanese
feasts, as finely made as if for actual use; all the necessary toilet
apparatus--combs, mirrors, utensils for blackening the teeth, for
shaving the eyebrows, for reddening the lips and whitening the face--all
these things are there to delight the souls of all the little girls who
may have the opportunity to behold them. For three days the Imperial
effigies are served sumptuously at each meal, and the little girls of
the family take pleasure in serving the Imperial Majesties; but when the
feast ends, the dolls and their belongings are packed away in their
boxes, and lodged in the fireproof warehouse for another year."
As we may well believe from the tenderness with which it is treated, the
Japanese doll is not simply a plaything but a means of teaching a girl
to be a good wife and mother. It is never abused, but is so well cared
for that it may be in use for a hundred years. Certain large dolls,
representing children two or three years old, were formerly believed to
contain human souls, and it was thought that if they were not well
treated they would bring ill luck upon their owners.
A story is told of a maid who was much disturbed by dreams of a
one-armed figure--the ghost of a girl or woman--which haunted her bed at
night. These visitations were repeated so many times that she decided to
leave the place, but her master prevailed upon her to stay until he had
made a thorough search of her room. Sure enough, in the corner of a
cupboard shelf, he came upon an old one-armed doll, left there by a
former servant. The doll's arms were repaired, it was honourably put
away, and the restless little ghost was laid.
Lafcadio Hearn says, "I asked a charming Japanese girl: 'How can a doll
live?' 'Why,' she answered, '_if you love it enough_, it will live.'"
But as all things earthly must have an end, so even a Japanese doll at
last comes to the close of its life. It is lovingly cared for even then,
is not thrown away, is not buried, but is consecrated to Kojin, a god
with many arms. A little shrine and a _torii_ are erected in front of
the _enoki_-tree, in which Kojin is supposed to live, and here the doll
finds its last resting-place.
On the eighth of April is celebrated the religious festival known as the
Baptism of Buddha, when crowds assemble at all the temples, and pour
_amacha_, or sweet tea, over the statue of Buddha. In the centre of a
small shrine set up for the occasion is the image, adorned with flowers
and surrounded by small ladles to be used by the worshippers. The right
hand of the image is uplifted toward heaven and the left pointed
downward toward the earth, "in interpretation of the famous utterance
attributed to Buddha at birth: 'Through all the heights of heaven and
all the depths of earth, I alone am worthy of veneration.'"
The ceremony is said to have originated in the effort to
interpret the meaning of the _sutra_--a Buddhist text--called
Wash-Buddha-Virtuous-Action _sutra_. In this we are told that "a
disciple once asked Buddha how best to enjoy the virtue ascribed to the
Master both in heaven and on earth." The answer was in substance that
the worshipper would find peace by pouring a perfumed liquid over
Buddha's statue, and then sprinkling it upon his own head. While
performing the ceremony, the devotee must repeat the golden text, "Now
that we have washed our sacred Lord Buddha clean, we pray that our own
sins, both physical and spiritual, may be cleansed away, and the same we
pray for all men." This festival is an especial favourite with children,
who throng the temples, each one throwing a small copper coin into the
shrine and deluging the god with sweet tea, which is usually a decoction
of liquorice and sugar in water.
[Illustration: DISPLAY OF ARMOUR AND TOYS, BOYS' FESTIVAL.]
At the Boys' Festival, on the fifth of May, over every house where a boy
has been born during the year a bamboo pole is set up, from which flies
a paper carp, the fish moving in the breeze as if ascending a stream.
The carp is the boldest of fish in braving the rapids, so to Japanese
boys he symbolizes ambitious striving. In every household where there
are sons the favourite heroes of olden time are set out in the alcove of
honour of the guest-room. Among them will be seen the figure of an
archer clothed from head to foot in gay armour, with a huge bow in his
hand and a quiver full of arrows on his back. This is Yorimasa, the
famous knight, who was the greatest archer of his time. On this day,
too, pride of family and veneration for ancestors are inculcated by
bringing out the antique dishes, the old armour and the other heirlooms
that during the rest of the year are stored in the _godown_.
The Gion Festival, on the seventh of June, in honour of the mythical
Prince Susa-no-o-no-mikoto and his consort, Princess Inada, and their
son, Prince Yahashira, is famed for its magnificent procession, in which
the car of the god is drawn. In the centre of the car is a figure
attired in rich brocades; in front is a beautiful youth, who is
accompanied by other boys, all wearing crowns; at the back is the
orchestra that furnishes music for the procession. This display is
witnessed by crowds of people, who throng the Shijo Road, in Kyoto,
where it occurs.
In ancient times it was customary to atone for a crime by shaving the
head and cutting the nails of the fingers and toes. This custom has now
been modified to a sort of vicarious atonement, called _harai_. _Gohei_,
which in this case is cut in the shape of a human figure, is rubbed on
the body of the evil-doer in order that it may take his sins, and is
then thrown into the stream and carried away. Repentant sinners obtain
_harai_ from the priests of Shinto temples.
This ceremony, which occurs in June and is called the Festival of the
Misogi, is referred to in the following old song:
"Up Nara's stream
The evening wind is blowing;
Down Nara's stream
The Misogi is going:
So Summer has come, I know!"
A festival of fairy-land is the _Itsukushima_, celebrated at Miyajima,
on the Inland Sea, from the fifteenth to the seventeenth of June.
Brilliant decorations are everywhere--on the long avenue by which the
shrine is approached, and over the water, where bamboo-trees have been
set up, and flags and lanterns are hung from them. Musicians in three
boats furnish music for the assembled crowds. The place is thronged by
thousands on the last day of the festival, when the boats with the
musicians are stationed under the great _torii_, and the sweet sounds
floating over the water and the myriad lights reflected in the sea make
the scene one of indescribable enchantment.
On the seventh of July occurs the _Tanabata Matsuri_, or Festival of the
Stars, which, like so many other Japanese customs, was introduced from
China. A charming nature myth tells us that beside the East River of
Heaven, the Milky Way, lived the fair Princess Tanabata, who was known
to the human race as the star Vega. She was a weaver by profession. As
she was obliged to marry in order to fulfill her destiny, Heaven chose
for her the great male star, Kengyu (Aquila), whose abode was on the
West River. In her happiness the Princess forgot her weaving; whereat
Heaven was so displeased that she was sent back in disgrace to the East
River, and ever after was allowed to see her husband only once a year.
All devout Japanese pray for fine weather on July seventh, as that is
the date on which the unfortunate lovers meet; for, if even a few drops
of rain fall, the East River will rise above its banks and prevent the
Princess from crossing to her waiting spouse.
On the evening of this day, the young maidens of the family lay a straw
matting in the garden, and place on it a table with fruits and cakes as
offerings to the two stars. Then they present their petitions for
themselves and their true loves. Some pray for long life and a large
family; others set up a bamboo pole, on which they hang a piece of
embroidery as an emblem of their desire for skill in needlework; still
others attach to the pole pieces of paper, on which are written the
poems they bring in praise of the heavenly couple. This festival has
scant observance in large cities.
Touched with a peculiar tenderness and pathos is the Festival of the
Dead, observed from the thirteenth to the fifteenth of July. In every
house new mats of rice straw are laid before the little shrines, and a
tiny meal is set out for the spirits of the departed. When evening
comes, the streets are brilliant with flaming torches, and lanterns are
hung in every doorway. Those whose friends have only lately left them
make this night a true memorial to their dead, going out to the
cemeteries, where they offer prayers, burn incense, light lanterns and
fill bamboo vases with the flowers they have brought. On the evening of
the third day the Ghosts of the Circle of Penance are fed, and those who
have no friends living to remember them. Then on every streamlet, every
river, lake and bay of Japan--except in the largest seaports, where it
is now forbidden--appear fleets of tiny boats, bearing gifts of food and
loving farewells. The light of a miniature lantern at its bow and blue
wreaths of smoke from burning incense mark the course of each little
vessel. In these fairy craft the spirits take their departure for the
land of the hereafter.
In September occurs the Moon Festival, which appears to have no
religious significance whatever, but to be simply an occasion for
enjoying the beauty of the moon. It was doubtless borrowed from the
Chinese in the eighth century, and is still celebrated in some places.
The ancient Chinese, however, observed it in solemn fashion, going to
the top of some pagoda and writing poems about the Queen of the Night,
but the Japanese of olden times combined with pure æsthetic enjoyment
the pleasures of actual feasting. They used to gather in the garden of
some restaurant by a lake or river, where a banquet of rice dumplings,
boiled potatoes and beans was set out, and enjoyed at the same time the
good food and the scene before them.
Also in September is the Ayaha Festival, in honour of the two Chinese
women who first taught weaving to the Japanese, many centuries ago.
These teachers died in September, and on the seventeenth of that month
cotton and hempen fabrics are offered to their spirits at the shrines
built in their honour.
At the temple of the goddess Amaterasu-Omikami, near Shiba Park, Tokyo,
the Shinmei Feast is observed from the eleventh to the twenty-first of
September. This is especially the time to offer the petition, "O God,
make clean our hearts within us," hence much ginger is sold, the plant
being supposed to prevent impurity. A sweetmeat called _ame_ is sold in
cypress-wood baskets, curved like the roofs of ancient shrines. Cypress
is held sacred because the roof-trees of old shrines were made of it,
and is supposed to have the power of warding off diseases.
One of the most curious of all Japanese festivals is the Laughing
Festival of Wasa, celebrated in October. A procession is formed of old
men carrying boxes full of oranges and persimmons impaled on sharpened
sticks, followed by children with the same kinds of fruits on bamboo
rods. On reaching the shrine, the leader turns round and makes up a
comical face, which is greeted with shouts of laughter.
According to the legend, the gods, once upon a time, met in the great
temple at Izumo to consider the love affairs of the kingdom. When all
were seated, one alone, Miwa-Daimyo-jin, was missing, and although
search was made, he could not be found. Now, this god was so deaf that
he had misunderstood the day appointed for the assembly, and he appeared
at Izumo only after all was over. The Laughing Festival commemorates the
laughter of the gods when they heard of poor Miwa-Daimyo-jin's mistake.
Another October celebration is held in memory of Nichiren, called the
Luther of Japan, who endeavoured to purify Buddhism from the
superstitions that had crept into it. He was the founder of the sect
named for him. On October thirteenth great numbers of his disciples
assemble at Ikegami, the place of his death, near Tokyo, carrying
lanterns and banners, and reciting a _sutra_ in concert.
A curious feast is observed by merchants on the twentieth of October in
honour of Ebisu, one of the seven gods of good luck, who is especially
the guardian genius of tradesmen. They invite their friends and
relatives to a banquet, upon which a large picture of the god looks down
from the wall. Fishes, called _tai_, are laid before this picture as
offerings, and are also eaten by the guests. After the feast has
proceeded a little way, sport begins. Perhaps one of the guests starts
an auction of the dishes before him, his companions bidding up to
thousands of _yen_,[6] the joke continuing until it runs itself out.
This little buying and selling episode is to emphasize the fact that it
is a merchants' festival that is being celebrated.
[6] The _yen_ is fifty cents.
The present Emperor's birthday is the thirty-first of August, but
henceforth it is to be celebrated on the thirty-first of October, which
brings it very near to the third of November, the late Emperor's
birthday, so long a holiday all over Japan. Although this is one of the
annual festivities, the celebration is so largely official and
diplomatic that I have described it among Court Functions.
The fall _matsuri_ in Tokyo is held early in November at the Shokonsha,
a temple sacred to the memory of the patriots who have given their lives
for their country. It is especially a soldiers' festival, and is the
occasion when the garrison comes in a body to worship at this shrine.
The troops form by divisions in front of the temple and salute,
presenting arms while the bugles sound a sacred call. Afterward the
soldiers have a race-meeting on a half-mile track, which is made very
amusing by the rivalry between the different divisions and the mad
careerings of the little horses. This is a large _matsuri_, and the
booths of peddlers and mountebanks line the streets for blocks.
November eighth is the day of the _Fuigo Matsuri_, when thanks are
returned to the god of fire, who invented the bellows--_Fuigo_ meaning
bellows. As the centre of the worship of this god is in Kyoto, it is
observed to a greater extent there than elsewhere, beginning in a
curious way, by opening the windows before sunrise and throwing out
quantities of oranges to the children who are always waiting outside.
The Japanese counterpart of our New England Thanksgiving occurs the
twenty-third of November, when the Emperor is the chief celebrant,
making an offering of the new rice of the year before the shrine of his
ancestors, and in behalf of the nation uttering a prayer of thanksgiving
and a plea for protection. After presenting this offering His Majesty
partakes of a sacred feast, consisting of the first fruits of the year,
and the next day he invites the highest officials of the State to a
grand banquet at the palace.
Near the end of December comes the _Kamado-harai_ Feast of the Oven. The
_kamado_ is the fire-box on which the food is cooked, and it has a god
of its own. As the year draws to a close, the god of the _kamado_
carries to heaven a report of the conduct of the household during the
twelve months. So the priests are called in to pray the oven-god that he
will give as favourable an account as possible. As modern stoves are now
taking the place of the old _kamado_ to some extent, this feast is less
observed in the larger cities than in the country districts.
At a shrine in Shimonoseki the festival of _Wakamegari-no Shinji_ is
observed on the thirty-first of December. A flight of stone steps leads
through a stone _torii_ down into the sea far below the lowest
tide-mark. The Shinto priests, in full robes, are obliged to descend
these steps on the feast-day until they reach and cut some of the
seaweed (_wakame_), which they offer at the temple the next day.
Japanese legend relates that the Empress Jingo sailed from this spot to
the conquest of Korea, bearing two jewels that were given her by the god
of this shrine. When off the Korean coast, she threw one jewel into the
water, and a flood tide at once bore her ships high up on the shore;
then she tossed the other gem into the waves, and the swift ebbing of
the tide left the fleet safely stranded.