The "Miokuri(見送）" Kakkyo-Yama

It is an expensive goods produced by the technique of the handwoven fabric in a silk tapestry to give glory to our float　Kakkyo-Yama （郭巨山）. The tapestry to introduce is called a ”Miokuri” to give glory to the rear with the flow first. It was woven by the sketch of Oushin Maruyama in 1816.

Oushin Maruyama becomes a grandchild of Oukyo Maruyama with a famous painter to (the Edo era) in this time.

The Ema of Kakkyo-Yama

The ema of Kakkyo-yama in Yasaka shrine

Ema (絵馬, Ema) are small wooden plaques on which Shinto worshipers write their prayers or wishes. The ema are then left hanging up at the shrine, where the kami (spirits or gods) can read them. They tend to be fairly uniform in size and shape, but many have different pictures painted on them, of animals or other Shinto imagery, and they often have the word negai (願意) or 'Wish' written along the side. Stereotypically, the image on the plaque would be of a horse, uma or ma in Japanese (馬); ema means, literally, "horse picture".　This name originates from the fact that real horses were once offered by the wealthy in exchange for blessings at shrines.
Beginning in the Edo period, during the peak of the popularity of the kabuk theatre, it became quite common for temples and shrines to be given ema by the Torii school of painters. The Torii held a near-monopoly on the production of signboards and other promotional materials for the kabuki theatres, and would donate large paintings, on wooden boards, of kabuki actors to the shrines. Despite depicting what might be seen as an unusual subject for the religious context, these paintings were well-received, and incorporated with the shrine's other religious icons.
Unlike in most Western traditions, where one prays to revere, praise, and bless God, in Shinto, people tend to ask the kami for a wide variety of things, ranging from world peace down to good scores on the next exam. At some of the more central and popular shrines, such as Yasak Shrine in Kyoto, one can find ema in many languages, as tourists leave their own wishes and prayers.

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=VBewTiblmOg

"The Kakkyo-Yama" Gion Festival

"Kakkyo-yama Gionmaturi at kyoto Japan" On this floot there is a figure of "kakkyo", a poor Chinese who lived in the third centhury. He was about to burry his son alive so his son's share of food could be given to Kakkyo's very old mother. When he was digging in the ground, he found a potful of gold coins which saved his son's life and mode his whole family rich. The two figures on this floot are Kakkyo and his son who stand happily with a pot of gold coins between then.

The Gion Festival(Gion Maturi)

Introduction and History of the Gion Festival (Gion Maturi) no.2

In the year 970, the Gion festival became an annual event. By the end of the tenth century, it had assumed the pomp and splendor apparent today in the floots in the procession. Already by this date, two types of lage floots,musicians, danceres, comic plays, and artistic treasures were part of the festival. The floots which portray both Buddist and Shinto legends, had become representatives of different guilds and sections of the city. The epidemic which had been the origin of festival had long ago been fargotten, and the Gion Festival had already to develop into festival of merchants and common people.

During the Muromachi period of japanese history (1333-1568), japan was wracked by civil unrest. Because of dissension in Kyoto, the goverment ordered all lage gatherings, especially festivals, stopped. Imperial festivals did end for period, but the common people disregarded the government's rescript and continued to celebrate the Gion Festival. Even after fires which nealy destroyed the city, the people contributed their energy and funds to rebuild the floots in the opulent manner of previous ages. As the prosperity of merchants increased, art masterpieces form as far away as China and Europe were added.

From a beginning related to death and disease, the Gion Festival has become an expression of the joy and fervor of the people of japan. Whereas imperial festivals have waned in popularity, the Gion Festival, the supreme example of peopls' festival, has constantly maintained popularity and interst among the people of Kyoto and the citizens of all of japan. It is today considered the most important of the three Ground Festival of Japan.

The Gion Festival encompasses the whole month of Juuly . On july 1, peopole who are in charge of performing the festival gather in each block of floots to settle the procedure of the festival, people flock to Yasaka Shrine and Kyoto City officials meet to determine the order of the floots in the procession which marks the secular climax of the festival. Only eight floots are not incuded in this drawing for position, for their location is detemined by tradition. On july 10, the protable shrines in which the deities are carried through the city are taken to the Kamo River for purification ceremonies. The most festival period begins the evening of july 16, and continues through the next day. People who live in the downtown area of Kyoto open their homes and exhibit their family treaures to passersby who are touring the city, inspecting the floots which have been placed in whichever part of the city they represent. Then, the next morning, the grand procession winds through the city, completely halting the nomal activity of Kyoto for a day. Finally,on july 24 the portable shrines, which have been standing in an especially bustling part of the city for one week, are returned to Yasaka Yhrine until the next year.

The Gion Maturi(Gion Festival)

Intoroduction and History Gion Maturi(Gion Festival)no.1

Shinto, the indigenous faith of japan, is worshipped of shrines throughout the country. The coception of deity in Shinto is quite obscre; deities can be natural phenomena, natural objects, famous men both alive and dead. these deities are invoked for aid and thanksgiving in all aspects of life; for crops, weather, health, family welfare, peace for the nation. Despite the intoroduction of Buddhism into japan in the sixth century, Shinto belifes remained widesread among the common pepole of japan. Rather than one religon supplanting the other, they have influenced each other and interacted throughout japanese history.

According to japanese mythology, the heavenry deities enjoined two amangst their midst to create the land and peopole of japan. Of their approximately three hundred and fifty children, the two most importat were Amaterasu-o-mi-kami (the Sun Goddes) and Susano-o-no-mikoto (the Sea God) . Susano-o-no-mikoto constantly invaded his sister's territory in order to quarrel with her. After his most destrucfive intrusion , Amateras-o-mi-kami closed herself into a mountain cave, thereby depriving the world of light and warmth. To lure her out of her hiding, the other deities performed the first Shinto festival.

The history of the Gion festival is almost as long as the history of the City of Kyoto itself. in the year 869, national disaster struk japan. Every summer, disease and sickness would infect the population, but in 869 the epidemic reahed national proportions. In order to check this epidemic, the Emperor Seiwa requested the chief priset of the Yasak Shrin to hold festival. So, on the seventh day of sixth month of the lunar calendar in 869, the first Gion Festival took place. The townspeople built sixty-six floots which they carried through the streets of the old capital. One week later, the deities of Yasaka Shrine, which include Susano-o-no-mikoto, were placed in protable shrine and carried post homes to purify streets and protect the inhabitants form the evil spirits which had caused the epidemic. The Yasaka Shrine's status among the shrine of Kyoto and its prestige steadily increased from this date.