Attire for Kemari (Noblemen's Foot Ball)
Have you ever heard of a term Kemari (蹴鞠)? It is a foot ball game played by noblemen and courtiers in the Heian (平安) period. The Kemari...
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Okame-san, a Statue of a Carpenter's Wife at Senbon Shakado Temple
At Senbon Shakado temple in the Nishiijn district of Kyoto, there is a statue called "Okame Tuka". Okame is the name of the wife of a...
KESOBUMI URI
Did you attend any Setsubun (the day before the New Year's Day on the luna calender) ceremonies? As for me, I enjoyed Mamemaki (bean...
Cows at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine
Every time the date of my exams got close, my mother used to tell me, "We have to pay a visit to Tenjin-san*", and if I look at myself as...
A God of Wealth, Kyoto Ebisu Shrine
In order to start a new year with a lot of good luck, we Japanese visit shrines or temples and pray for a prosperous year. Kyoto...
KEMARI* in Shimogamo Shrine
January 4th is the KEMARI day in Shimogamo jinja. The origin of KEMARI could be traced back to the period when Buddhism was introduced to...
Zodiac EMA* in Shimogamo Shrine
"Kamo Mioya Jinja", aka Shimogamo shrine is the oldest shrine in Kyoto, I believe. The shrine surrounded by the sacred forest called...
Visiting Eikando Temple in KIMONO
I was born in Kyoto and have never left. Even so, I have never gotten tired of it. Kyoto is called the place of "San shi, sui mei...
OFUDA (Paper Talisman) and Kyoto People
I bet you might have seen many OFUDA (paper talisman) attached around entrances of houses in Kyoto. Generally speaking, people from Kyoto...
Heian Shrine, the Tranquil
In 1895, Heian Shrine was constructed in celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the transfer of the national capital to Kyoto. The...
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