Joli mois de Mai / Prairial

C’est un mois qui débute avec une suite de jours fériés, la Golden Week.
Les bus arborent un petit drapeau Japonais, certains particuliers mettent aussi un drapeau devant leur porte.
On range les couvertures et les manteaux, on sort les cotonnades.
Iris, muguet ou azalées , les fleurs odorantes prennent possession de l’air. Les pivoines, une des fleurs préférées de ma mère fleurissent.

Au Japon, selon l’ancien calendrier, Mai est Satsuki .
Mai viendrait du latin Maius “grandir”, dans la mythologie Romaine la déesse Maia.

Mai Florentin : arbre vert enrubanné que l’on plantait le premier jour du mois de Mai devant la porte d’une personne qu’on voulait honorer.

2003/05/01 Fête du travail
Férié depuis 1937, c’est la journée des travailleurs.
L’origine en serait des heurts violents un 1er Mai de la fin du XIXème siècle entre policiers et manifestants.
Il est de coutume d’offrir du muguet porte-bonheur qui, ce jour là, peut être vendu par tous dans la rue. Le muguet ou lis des vallées est une fleur du Japon.

2003/05/03 Jour de la Constitution / Japon

2003/05/04 Jour des citoyens / Japon

2003/05/05 Jour des enfants / Japon
Une des fêtes saisonnières importées de l’ancien calendrier et de Chine, elle fût fixée au 5 aprés la Guerre.
C’est la fête des petits garçons. Les maisons dans lesquelles un fils est né arborent fièrement des étendards en forme de poisson, les Koi-Nobori. La carpe (Koi) remonte les rivières pour devenir un dragon et monter aux cieux, c’est un symbole de force, courage, persévérance et vitalité. Les Nobori étaient les étendards de guerre des Samouraï marqués à leurs armoiries. Les commercants et autres classes sociales n’étaient pas autorisées à les utiliser et les transformèrent en poisson pour détourner l’interdit.
On offre des décorations en forme d’ancien casque de guerre Kabuto  et d’armures.
On utilise des Iris fraîchement éclos pour décorer la maison ou dans le bain. On mange des Tchimaki ( boulettes de riz gluant enroulées en cône dans une feuille de bambou ), Yomogi Motchi  ( boulettes de pate de haricots rouges sucrée enrobée de riz gluant mélé de feuilles d’armoise commune pilées )et des Kashiwa Motchi ( boulettes de pâte de haricots rouges sucrée enrobées de riz gluant et enroulées dans une feuille de chêne ).

2003/05/08 Fête de la Libération 1945 / France

Œuvre de Tatsuya Oka de son calendrier.

The 700 years history SOJIJI temple will be hosting a ceremonial day Heisei Guze Kannon in collaboration with the KIGAN-no-KAI, a group of 108 volunteers engaged in non-religious praying performance.

March 11 2012, Sunday, starting at 11:30
Free entrance
At the DAISODO hall of the SOJIJI temple, headquarters of Soto Zen Buddhism
2-1-1 tsurumi, tsurumi-ku, yokohama     MAP
7 minutes’ walk from JR Tsurumi Station / 10 minutes’ walk from Keikyu Tsurumi Station

11:30  Memorial Service by His Grace Dai Zenji of Sojiji Temple

12:00 Ceremonial Performance with Taiko drums, 108 Tsuzumi drums players and flower
It is the first time that as many Tsuzumi drums players will be gathered to play together

12:30  ― the REPOSE of the SOUL ―
SHOMYO ritual chanting priests’ 50 chorus and Shonosuke OKura’s OTSUZUMI drum,
Echoed with the primitive sound of Zen master Bokusho Maekawa and Shonosuke Okura’s OTSUZUMI drum

12:45 ― REBIRTH ―
Traditional part of the Nô play SHAKYO, SHISHI no MAI - Lion Dance
An energetic dance with, exceptionally for this occasion, three lions actors
12 participating performers from the Nô Theater (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage) , Japanese National Intangible Cultural Asset as Michishige UDAKA, Shonosuke OKURA.

After a lecture by Tetsuo Yamaori, Religion Scholar,
14:46 silent minute at the time of the 2011 earthquake
15:00 end of the ceremonial

Thank you to help pass the word around you.
Information about the plays will be available at the theater free of charge in English, French, German, and Italian.

March 10th, Saturday 14:00-16:45, National Nô Theater ( Sendagaya )
(doors open at 13:00)

Tickets:
Reserved (stage front): 7,000 yen
Reserved (waki-shomen–facing the chorus):  6,000 yen
General admission (naka-shomen–facing the sighting pillar):  5,000 yen
Student (naka-shomen–facing the sighting pillar):  2,000 yen

For tickets or further information contact in english (INI) : ogamo-tr@mbox.kyoto-inet.or.jp
or the Udaka Kai Office  TEL: +81 (075) 701-1055

Message:
Let me first offer my thanks for your continuing support of my Sanrinshojo: Kennoh-kai Noh performance series.
As it is already almost a year since the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, causing me to postpone last year’s Sanrinsho performance that had been scheduled for June, this performance is dedicated to the support of efforts to rebuild the areas struck by the multiple disasters.
While many events were cancelled directly after the disasters, I was able, with the cooperation of Shinonome Shrine in my hometown of Matsuyama, to perform Noh there on April 4th as a prayer for the speedy recovery of the stricken areas.
There are many on-going programs now to assist in the recovery following the Great East Japan Earthquake and I would like to do my small part by making a contribution of a portion of the proceeds of this performance to those efforts.
I have chosen to perform ‘SANEMORI’, a Noh telling the story of a warrior over sixty years of age who chose to dye his white hair black before going into battle, demonstrating his indomitable spirit. Now that I am over sixty myself, and an ‘old warrior’, it is my hope to portray the resolution and determination of the Japanese.
Although this is a busy season and you all have many commitments, I hope many of you will be able to attend the performance.
UDAKA Michishige

A brief summary of ‘SANEMORI’:
Over 200 years have passed since warrior Saitoh-Bettoh-Sanemori was killed in battle at Shinowara during the epic war between the Heike and Genji clans, recorded in the Tale of the Heike. Priest Ta-Ami Shonin, traveling the country preaching sermons on the path to enlightenment provided by the Amida Nembutsu, repetition of the invocation of the buddha of infinite light, Amida, of the Ji Sect of Pureland Buddhism and offering prayers for the dead, comes to preach at Shinowara, in present-day Ishikawa prefecture. An Old Man attends these meetings each day but can be seen only by the Ta’ami. On being questioned, the Old Man admits that he is the Ghost of Sanemori, who died in battle at Shinowara at the age of seventy-two. Explaining that his attachment to the past has prevented him from gaining enlightenment, he disappears near the lake there.
Ta’ami Shonin offers prayers for the soul of Sanemori and is rewarded by the appearance of the ghost, dressed for battle. The Ghost of Sanemori rejoices in the prayers and in the promise of enlightenment through the nembutsu. He then narrates and en-acts his final days: how he asked to be allowed to wear red, a color reserved for generals, on the battlefield; how he chose to dye his white hair black so that everyone would imagine he was a much younger warrior; how, after his death, his head was taken and rinsed in the lake, his identity revealed when the black dye washed out; his memories of his last battle in which he took another warrior’s life just before losing his own. Then, his story told, the Ghost of Sanemori asks again for prayers and disappears.

Œuvre du calendrier de Tatsuya Oka

Œuvre de Tatsuya Oka de son calendrier.

Thank you to help pass the word around you.
English, French, German, Italian booklet available

March 10th, Saturday 14:00-16:45, National Nô Theater ( Sendagaya )
English e-mail to (INI) or TEL / FAX : 075-761-5639

En provenance directe de Nigata
Vendredi 3 au Dimanche 5 Février, 10:30〜18:30, Omotesando NESPAS