TEMPLE Festivals Ceremonies

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Temple and Shrine Festivals and Food

Some Japanese temples and shrines have special festivals, where food is in the center.
The ones listed here are all kigo for haiku, since they are performed on special occasions during the year.

This LIST is part of Ceremonies and Festivals of Japan
SAIJIKI


A temple is a place for Buddhist worship.
Temple, Buddhist Temple (tera, -ji) Japan

A shrine is a place for Shinto worship.
Shrine, Shinto Shrine (jinja, miya, guu) Japan

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Cooking soup with big radishes
usually in a temple
kigo for mid-winter


Daikodaki (daikotaki) 大根焚 Cooking large radishes
Temple Sansen-In, Kyoto, Feb. 10 - 13
三千院の初午大根焚き, 年2月10日～13日
..... Daikon, Radish

. Sanzenin 三千院 Sanzen-In .



Joodoo-E Ceremony 成道会 Daikodaki 大根焚
cooking radish soup, Jodoe

At Temple Senbon Shakado　千本釈迦堂, Daihoo-Onji 大報恩寺 Kyoto

5000 radishes are cooked and served in 10.000 portions for two days to the parishers to celebrate the death day of Buddha on December 8, when Shakyamuni Buddha reached the final nirvana.
A bowl of soup costs 1000 Yen.


Since the Kamakura period, monks write special sanskrit letters on the radishes to ward off evil.
On December 8. A ceremony "to bring winter to Kyoto".
「 千本釈迦堂・大根焚きと応仁の乱の痕跡を求めて 」
千本釈迦堂京都市
CLICK here for PHOTOS


demons in distress ...
a bowl of steaming soup
brings good luck

Gabi Greve, December 8, 2008
It was a very cold morning this year in Kyoto and the steam curling out of these many little bowls rising in the air could well frighten away anyone with a bad conscience.


Senbon Shakado 千本釈迦堂（大報恩寺）
上京区七本松通今出川上ル溝前町1034

Clay bells with O-Kame おかめ土鈴




CLICK for ryoomen 両面おかめ土鈴 O-Kame with two faces

. Kyoto no dorei 京都の土鈴 clay bells from Kyoto .

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念仏や兵戈無用の成道会
nenbutsu ya heika muyoo no joodoo e

praying to Amida Buddha !
on the day of nirwana
we need no weapons

Haiku by : Uuu 烏有（ウユウ）


Daikotaki at temple Sanpo-Ji, Nichiren-sect
三寳寺 （さんぽうじ）Kyoto

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Narutaki no daikotaki 鳴滝の大根焚 (なるたきのだいこたき)
cooking radish soup at Narutaki
..... daikotaki 大根焚（だいこたき）

On December 9 and 10, at temple Narutaki Ryootokuji in Kyoto 京都鳴滝了徳寺.
Ryotoku-Ji is situated in an area called Narutaki. Today it also has a Buddhist university.
The ceremony is in memory of Saint Shinran Shonin by the Hoo On Koo 報恩講 prayer group.
People line up since early morning to get a bowl of aokubi daikon soup with a bit of agetofu. If they eat it, they will not get an apoplexy or palsy.



. Saint Shinran 親鸞 .


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Benten, Benzaiten 弁天 / 弁財天 and food

Botamochi Jizo ぼた餅地蔵 Jizo Bosatsu, Botamochi rice cakes

Chinowagayu, chinowa-gayu 茅の輪粥 rice porridge
chi no wa kayu, served on the last day of the sixth month.

Godairiki Mochi at Temple Daigoji 五大力餅 Kyoto


Nikkoo Goohan-Shiki 日光強飯式Gohanshiki.
Ceremony of eating large bowls of rice

Gesai no on kayu 解斎の御粥 End of mourning rice gruel

Hassaku no iwai 八朔の祝 Hassaku Harvest Festival.
hassaku gama　八朔釜. Rice Gruel, O-bana no kayu　尾花の粥

Botamochi Rice Cakes (Botamochi) "Ricecakes in difficult times" Gonan no mochi 御難の餅 (ごなんのもち)

Honen Matsuri (Hoonen Matsuri 豊年祭) and "sex" food


Kayu 粥 Rice Gruel and related ceremonies during the year
for example
gruel at the tenth night, juuya gayu 十夜粥（じゅうやがゆ）
"Gruel for Priest Chi-E", Chie gayu 智慧粥
offering gruel to the poor, kayu segyoo 粥施行（かゆせぎょう）


Azukigayu 小豆粥 (あずきがゆ) Rice gruel with small soybeans *..... rice gruel on the 15th, juugonichi gayu 十五日粥（じゅうごにちがゆ）
and a few more kigo with rice gruel:mochi put in rice gruel, kayu bashira 粥柱 (かゆばしら)"rice gruel stick" kayuzue 粥杖 (かゆづえ)kayu no ki 粥の木（かゆのき）..... kayugi 粥木（かゆき）fukuzue 福杖（ふくづえ）..... iwai boo、祝棒（いわいぼう）divination with rice gruel, kayu ura 粥占 (かゆうら)

Hagatame はがため　Teeth strengthening Ceremony (hagatame) ..... rice cakes for strengthening the teeth


Hochoshiki, hoochooshiki 包丁式 Kitchen Knife Ceremony
God of Cooking, Iwakamutsukari no Mikoto and Knife Rituals.
磐鹿六雁命。April 18

Hooroku Jizo ほうろく地蔵 with an earthen pot on his head and Mibu Kyogen 壬生狂言

Juuhachi Gayu 十八粥 Rice Gruel

Kayutsuri 粥釣, 粥つり かゆつり "Fishing for rice gruel"


Kenpai Shiki 献盃式 Ceremony of drinking Rice wine (sake) sake in memory of Shinran Shoonin
Toso 屠蘇, ritual rice wine


kiganmai 祈願米 "consecrated rice" kigan mai
eingesegneter Reis und andere Speisen

Kyuuri fuuji きゅうり封じ / 胡瓜封じ cucumber service


Mamori, omamori, o-mamori お守り Talismans, amuletts and food


mayudama 繭玉 (まゆだま) "cocoon balls"
Mochi or dango for the New Year celebrations of the Silk protecting deities


Mitarashi dango dumplings and Shimogamo Shrine Kyoto.
御手洗団子（みたらしだんご) 下賀茂神社


. Naorai 直会 (なおらい）ritual Shinto banquets .


Sen dango matsuri 千団子祭（せんだんごまつり）festival of the one thousand dango dumpings
at temple Mii-dera
and other kigo/ceremonies with DANGO dumplings


Shirumori Jinja 汁守神社 Shrine Shirumori, the protector of soups
Ukemochi no Mikoto 保食命. and
Meshimori jinja 飯守神社 Protector shrine of cooked rice


Shishigatani Kabocha Kuyoo 鹿ヶ谷かぼちゃ供養 Pumpkin memorial service, at Temple Anraku-Ji in Kyoto



Yakimochi Fudoo Son 焼き餅不動尊in Gunma


Zenbonzuki 千本搗 Ceremony of preparing 1000 rice cakes.....
at the temple Mizumadera （大阪府貝塚市水間寺）
In honour of the Venerable Gyooki


Zuiki matsuri ずいきまつり(芋茎祭) Vegetable Decoration Festival
Kitano Tenmangu, Kyoto in October



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Buzen Kagura, at the Shrine Kibune Jinja
貴船神社, 豊前神楽

Iwado Kagura of Buzen, 岩戸神楽 Kyushu
kifune shrine
During the autumn performance of four months every day at the Kibune Shrine, dances are performen on the request of the people.

One dance is BON 盆神楽, the tray.
A priest/dancer/acrobat takes two flat plates filled with rice grains of this harvest and dances around, suddenly lifting the two plates vertically in front of his face and turning so fast that not one grain of rice is spilled on the ground! Turns to the left, to the right ... many times up and down with the rice plates. Even both plates balanced in one hand, lifting it up too and spins round like crazy not to loose one grain.


Three Gods Dance 三神神楽
This dance involves daifuku mochi, rice cakes filled with sweet bean paste anko.
The God of the Mountains is asked by the God of the Sea and the God of the Village (sato no kami 里の神) to share this food with all, so he breaks the bun into many small parts, gives a bite to an onlooker and smears the bean paste on his/her cheek for good luck in the coming season (fuku o tsukeru).

In another dance 立神楽　 not related to food, the performer climbs up a bamboo pole of 10 meters, picks up some prayer flags from there and comes down sliding on a rope, performing acrobatic tricks on the way down.


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my Library

宗教や神話の影響を受けた食文化
and
Basics about Japanese Food


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HAIKU



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Related words

***** Ceremonies and Festivals of Japan
SAIJIKI


***** WKD : Regional Dishes / WASHOKU

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Furikake Ochazuke

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Topping for rice (furikake)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Topic
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

A dried seasoning for sprinkling over rice. Often green tea is added to a bowl of cold rice, to warm it up for a quick meal. This is called o-chazuke.
Some restaurants prepare special ochazuke, for example chopped broiled eel, to make a speciality.
Furikake used to be home-made with chopped-off leftovers from the day and was a simple dish for farmers.

Literally, furikake just means "to sprinkle over". In modern days, you can even sprinkle them over spagetti or mashed potatoes.

There are many Japanese furikake made especially for children, with special cover images of manga characters.


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Furikake (振り掛け or ふりかけ)
is any dry Japanese condiment meant to be sprinkled on top of rice.
It typically consists of a mixture of dried and ground fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. Other flavorful ingredients such as katsuobushi (sometimes indicated on the package as bonito), salmon, shiso, egg, vegetables, etc. are often added to the mix.
Furikake is often brightly coloured and flaky.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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O-chazuke
Chazuke (茶漬け, ちゃづけ) or ochazuke (お茶漬け)
(from o + cha tea + tsuke submerge) is a simple Japanese dish made by pouring green tea, dashi, or hot water over rice roughly in the same proportion as milk over cereal, usually with savoury toppings.

Common toppings include tsukemono, umeboshi (both types of pickles), nori (seaweed), furikake, sesame seeds, tarako and mentaiko (salted and marinated Alaska pollock roe), salted salmon, shiokara (pickled seafood) and wasabi.

The dish is easy to make and provides a way to use leftover rice as a quick snack. It is also known as cha-cha gohan.
This dish first became popular in the Heian period, when water was most commonly poured over rice, but beginning in the Edo period, tea was often used instead. Many warlords gave this dish to their soldiers before a battle, because it keeps the hunger off but gives you stamina.

Since the 1970s, packaged "instant ochazuke", consisting of freeze-dried toppings and seasonings have become popular.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


chacha gohan, cha-cha gohan　ちゃちゃご飯




Kaguyahime chazuke 富士かぐや姫茶漬け bowl of rice with tea
From Fuji Town, Shizuoka


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bubuzuke ぶぶづけ/ ぶぶ漬け bubu is the Kyoto word for tea.
ぶぶ漬け神話 The Kyoto Bubuzuke Legend

In Kyoto, ochazuke is known as bubuzuke. When a native from Kyoto asks if the guest wants to eat bubuzuke (ぶぶづけどうどす？）, it really means that the visitor has overstayed his time and is being politely asked to leave.

On the other hand,
it can be the expression of the host to keep the guest a little longer, so you have to read between the lines, "to read the air" (kuuki o yomu 空気を読む ) in Japanese.
If you decide to take up the offer, the host then has to go prepare some special delicious little bento or get one from a nearby shop to treat you.

Kyoto Bubuzuke is often a large bowl with a set of Kyoto vegetable pickles to choose from. Genmai tea with brown rice sprinkles is often used.
Fine restaurants in Kyoto serve bubuzuke for example with a small sample of fish as the last dish of a sushi dinner.

Or with small filets of especially broiled eel.

. . . CLICK here for Photos !






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manjuu chazuke 饅頭茶づけ (まんじゅうちゃづけ)
chazuke with half a sweet bun with read bean paste on the cooked rice, manju chazuke.

Mori Ogai (Mori Oogai) 森鴎外　used to love this dish as desert.


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monaka manjuu chazuke 最中まんじゅうの茶づけ

with a wafer monaka of Daruma san !

MORE
wafers with Daruma だるまもなか Daruma monaka


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das Furikake, Streugewürz, das über den Reis gestreut wird.

ochazuke, mit grünem Tee übergossene Schale Reis

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Things found on the way


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HAIKU


夏の宵ぶぶ漬でもとすゝめらる
natsu no yoi bubuzuke demo to susumerare

summer evening -
how about some bubuzuke?
that is the question

Tahata Masuhiro 田畑益弘
http://www.kyoto.zaq.ne.jp/masuhiro/sinsaku103.html

(Free English version by Gabi Greve)


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Related words

***** Manga, Anime and Japanese Food Culture
料理漫画. 料理アニメ. グルメ漫画


***** WASHOKU : INGREDIENTS


WASHOKU : General Information

WASHOKU : Regional Japanese Dishes

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Shishigatani pumpkin

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Shishigatani pumpkin (Shishigatani kabocha)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All Autumn
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Shishigatani, the Shishi Valley (Shishigatani 鹿ケ谷) in the Higashiyama area in the North of Kyoto.
Lit. "deer path valley”
Once a priest got lost in the large forest and was rescued by a deer that showed him the way back to his temple.

Shishigatani kabocha 鹿ヶ谷南瓜（カボチャ）pumpkins from Shishigatani
鹿ヶ谷かぼちゃ/ 「鹿ケ谷カボチャ

Curcurbita moschata, Toonas Makino

Hyootan Nankin, Hyoutan-nankin
Shishigatani nankin. Hyootan 瓢箪 is a gourd.

Kabocha is called OKABO オカボ in Kyoto dialect.


PHOTO : http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/preview/53.html


This pumpkin is grown in the Sakyo area.
About 200 years ago, two farmers, Shohei and Matabei 庄兵衛 ,又兵衛, got some seeds from Tohoku from one Tamaya Tooshiroo 玉屋藤四郎, who visited Tsugaru, from a normal kikuza kabocha 菊座かぼちゃ pumpkin and planted it in the valley village of their home valley Shishigatani. For some reason, it formed into the gourd-shape it is now. With the advent of modern vegetables, it is now not grown in the area any more. Some farmers for traditional vegetables in Kyoto still grow it around Kyoto, mostly in Ayabe 綾部.


When it grows older, the color changes from green to orange-brown. The outside is full of bumps.




It is also used as a decoration, because of its shape and many painters use it as a model. Some say it is a medicine to prevent polio in mid-summer. It contains a lot of linolen acid.
If you cut it in half, you can use both the indents to fill with two different kinds of gratin and use the whole as a pot for your food.

It tasts not so sweet and has the texture of a sweet potato.


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Shishigatani Kabocha Kuyoo 鹿ヶ谷かぼちゃ供養

Memorial ritual for the pumpkin



At the temple Anraku-Ji 安楽寺 there is a "memorial service" for the Shishigatani Pumpkin, which is cooked there and then eaten by the visitors to stay healthy for the rest of the Year. (July 25). This ritual began about 200 years ago, when the priest Ekizui Shonin 真空益随（えきずい）上人 heared that this pumpkin will help to prevent palsy and strenghten the health of the poor.

The temple is most beautiful in autumn with many red leaves.

. . . CLICK here for Photos !

Temple Anrakuji
京都市左京区鹿ケ谷御所ノ段町２１



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Plate from the kiln 松斎窯作, Kyoto
Kiyomizu Pottery 清水焼



. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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Now we make a time slip in the valley,
to an old story told forever in a Noh performance.


quote
The Shishigatani Incident (鹿ケ谷事件, Shishigatani jiken) of June 1177 was a failed uprising against the rule of regent Taira no Kiyomori 平清盛 in Japan. The conspiracy was discovered, and its perpetrators arrested and punished before any part of their plan was put into action.

The incident is also known in Japanese as Shishigatani no Inbō (鹿ケ谷の陰謀), the Shishigatani Conspiracy or Plot. The name comes from the location where the conspirators met, a mountain villa belonging to Jōken Hōin, in the Shishi Valley (Shishigatani) in the Higashiyama area of Kyoto.

This is the most famous of a number of conspiracies and uprisings against Kiyomori. He rose quickly to power in the 1160s and dominated rather than guided the Imperial Court, taking advantage of his position to install members of his own family into high court positions, and marrying them into the Imperial family. In a number of ways, and on a number of occasions, he offended and opposed the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa and the Fujiwara family of court nobles and regents.

Thus, Fujiwara no Narichika, his son Fujiwara no Naritsune, Saikō (religious name of Fujiwara no Moromitsu), Taira no Yasuyori (Hei-Hogan, or Taira police lieutenant), Tada no Kurando Yukitsuna (a Genji from Settsu province), and the monk Shunkan 俊寛 gathered, along with others, in a small country villa in Shishigatani, to conspire against Kiyomori and the Taira clan as a whole.

Tada Yukitsuna, however, was in fact a spy for Kiyomori, and reported the conspiracy to his lord. Saikō, a monk, was tortured and then executed, angering monastic groups already opposed to his considerable secular authority. Shunkan, Yasuyori, and Naritsune were exiled to a remote island south of Kyūshū called "Kikai Island", which has been identified with at least three different islands. Kiyomori then rebuked Emperor Go-Shirakawa, who had been aware of the plot, seized a number of mansions belonging to the Fujiwara, and dismissed a number of officials from office, including Regent Fujiwara no Motofusa. He then filled the vacated Court positions with members of his own family.

The events, and their consequences, are related in the classical epic Heike monogatari, and in a number of derivative works such as the Noh play Shunkan and the jōruri (puppet theater) production Heike Nyogo-ga-Shima which concern themselves with the exiles on Kikai-ga-shima.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Shishigatani Daruma Kabocha
だるまかぼちゃ


source : boumama735


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


Daruma Pumpkins かぼちゃ達磨 Kabocha Daruma


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HAIKU and SENRYU

灰撒いてある鹿ヶ谷南瓜かな
hai maite aru Shishigatani nankin kana

ashes sprinkled
around the pumpkins from
Shishigatani

Nakajima Yooka 中島陽華


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鹿ヶ谷のよしある荘の初句会
Shishigatani no yoshi aru soo no hatsu kukai

in a fine villa
in the Shishigatani valley -
first haiku meeting of the year

Oohashi Etsu-ooshi 大橋越央子


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he looks just
like my dear friend Daruma -
Shishigatani pumpkin

Gabi Greve, September 2009



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Related words

***** MORE
Traditional vegetables of Kyoto 京野菜 Kyoo yasai


***** Kabocha 南瓜 (かぼちゃ) pumpkin, squash


***** . WASHOKU
Vegetable SAIJIKI

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Shokado Bento Kyoto

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Shokado Bento (Shookadoo bentoo)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Topic
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

松花堂弁当（しょうかどうべんとう）
Pine Flower Pavillion


Shokado bento, Shokado-style box lunch, is a famous bento that originated in Kyoto.
It is served in a square box, separaded into four compartments like the Chinese character for FIELD 田 and covered by a lid with long edges.
Ingredients fresh of the season are packed in small containers in each square, and even hot rice can be put in there. It is a very sophisticated bento and is a bit similar to Makunouchi Bento 幕の内弁当 eaten between the acts of long Kabuki performances.

But Shokado Bento developed from the Kaiseki Cuisine of Kyoto.
During the Edo period there lived a famous Shinto-Shingon Buddhist priest, calligrapher and tea master, Shokado Shojo 松花堂昭乗 Shookadoo Shoojoo（1584 - 1639）lived in a temple near the mountain Otokoyama, near Iwashimizu Yahata Gu 石清水八幡宮. His real name was Nakanuma Shikibu.

His calligraphy was so famous he was called "one of the three great calligraphers of the Kanei-Period (kanei no sanpitsu 「寛永の三筆)".
(The other calligraphers were Konoe Nobutada 1565 - 1614 近衛信尹 and Honami Koetsu 1558 - 1637 本阿弥光悦.

He used square boxes with compartments which are normally used by local farmers to keep his calligraphy tools and tobacco tools. When he retired from his temple duties, he lived in a hut near Takimoto-bo Temple and often invited his learned friends of the time in his tea house, called Shokado (Pine Flower Temple).


After the Meiji restauration his home was sold and the temples relocated to Ominaeshi in Yahata, where it is now.
The tea house is an important cultural property of the city of Kyoto.
Now you can enjoy the famous bento in the restaurant Kitcho 吉兆松花堂店 in the garden grounds.
. . . CLICK here for Photos of the tea house and park !


But how came this square box of Shokado
to be used for a bento lunchbox?

The story is moved fast-forward to the year 1933 when Yuki Teiichi (tei-ichi) 湯木貞一, a tea conoisseur of his time, was invited to Shokado and saw the box of Shokado on a shelf on his way out after an invitation. He immediately got the hint to use such a kind of divided box for an official meal for kaiseki to be served in a new restaurant called Kicho 吉兆.

Now Mr. Tokuoka is head of the Arashiyama Kitcho. Kyoto Kitcho was founded in 1931.
There are 21 branches of Kitcho in Japan, mostly run by the relatives of Yuki, serving the best of seasonal food dishes.



Since the food is separated its smell does not intermingle and each dish can be enjoyed on its own. Even hot rice is served in one compartment.



Sen no Rikyu 千 利休, another famous tea master at the times of Shokado, used to serve his meals in a box in the form of a half-moon (hangetsu 半月).


. Sen Rikyuu, Sen Rikyū 千利休 Tea Master Sen Rikyu 　 .



Even the bent wooden bento boxes come in four compartments
曲げわっぱ弁当箱 松花堂 magewappa


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Lunch in these boxes is now served in many other restaurants in Japan.

There is even a station lunch, ekiben
Tokyo Station 東京駅 sells a ... 松花堂弁当




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Kichoan Shokado Tea House
43, Yawata Ominaeshi, Yawata, Kyoto 614-8077 JAPAN
In the park of Shokado, in memory of Shokado Shojo. There a special bento is served. Shokado bento, inspired by the partitioned paintboxes that Shokado Shojo, a monk and painter of the early Edo period, used regularly. The food that goes inside these boxes varies according to the season and the occasion, but the food is always beautiful to look at as well as delicious to taste.
source : kansaida/yawata/yawata02-e.html



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU and SENRYU


Memorial mound for ladies, onnazuka

Shokado Park 松花堂庭園 is a famous place for elegant haiku meetings.
There is a memorial mound for ladies 女塚 and one for the menfolk 男塚.

梅しろく薄日こぼれる女塚
ume shiroku usubi koboreru onna zuka

white plum blossoms -
a soft sunshine falls
on the memorial mound


Nishiwaki Kazue 西脇一江
source : nisiura/haiku



The ominaeshi flowers (Patrinia Scabiosaefolia おみなえし【女郎花】) are especially famous in this area.

yellow flowered valerian, ominaeshi : KIGO


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Related words

MORE
KITCHO-AN restaurants and tea houses


***** WASHOKU
Ekiben 駅弁 Station Lunch Box


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Additions 2008

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Additions in 2008


ukiukidango, ukiuki dango うきうきだんご / ウキウキ団子
"dumplings swimming buyoantly"Kuji, Chiba

jamu ジャム jam
maamareedo マーマレード marmalade

omuraisu オムライス omelette with rice filling, omusoba オムソバ omelette with Chinese fried soba noodles

tokoroten 心太, 心天 (ところてん) gelidium jelly

yamanashi、yama-nashi 山梨 (やまなし) "mountain pear" Malus sieboldii

obansai おばんさい / お晩彩 small dishes from Kyoto

Yamato-ni 大和煮 simmering meat of wild animals and whale

Kujria bento くじら弁当 Whale meat bento from Tateyama/Chiba

odorigui 踊り食いeating "dancing"　small life icefish (shirauo)

Kyoto - famous dishes
including Kaiseki Ryori 懐石料理, kappoo ryoori 割烹料理 kappo food, kawadoko ryoori 川床料理, hamo 鱧 (はも) pike conger pike, pike eel and the Gion Festival, hon moroko 本諸子, imoboo 芋棒(いもぼう) , itokojiru いとこ汁, sabazushi 鯖寿司, sasamaki, sasa-maki, chimaki 笹巻き / ちまき; senmaizuke せんまい漬け / 千枚漬 pickled trunips; tochimochi, tochi-mochi 栃もち; yatsuhashi, nama yatsuhashi 生八ｯ橋

Tenzo 典座 the Zen Cook Tenzo kyokun by Dogen Eihei Zenji

funaryoori 船料理 (ふなりょうり) food served on board a ship or boat

tonsho mochi 屯所餅（とんしょもち）"garrison mochi" in memory of the Shinsengumi 新選組 in Kyoto

minazuki 水無月 (みなずき) Kyoto sweets for June

Sea bream (tai 鯛) sakuradai, ma-dai and many more

Gangu 郷土玩具 Folk Toys
manjuu kui ningyo 饅頭食い人形 doll eating a manju bun

うるしコーヒー urushi koohii, "laquer coffee" from the laquer tree fruit

Ubatama 鳥羽玉 /老玉 "Black Lily Seed"

JULY NEWSPAPER

Food and Games 野菜かるた Karuta games and other card games

Amanatto (amanattoo) 甘納豆 sugar-glazed beans and Hamanattoo 浜納豆

Fujisan 富士山 and food specialities

Ichigo bentoo いちご弁当 Lunchbox with uni and awabi, sea urchin eggs and abalone

Hoorensoo ほうれん草 / 菠薐草 spinach

Sweets from the KANTO region

haabu 　ハーブ herbs, Gewürzkräuter

Togarashi,toogarashi 唐辛子 red hot pepper Shichimi Togarashi and more

Western vegetables used in Japan

Robots for Sushi and Okonomiyaki FOOMA (International Food Machinery & Technology Exhibition)

Ningyooyaki, ningyoyaki 人形焼 figure waffles

Daruma Daikon だるま大根　a radish named Daruma

Chokoreeto チョコレート chocolate with many tasts

Oyatsu お八つ . o-cha-uke 御茶請け afternoon snack

moyashi 萌やし、糵, もやし bean sprouts Bohnensprossen
moyashi udo もやし独活（もやしうど）sprouts of spikenard

Kobiru, cobiru, kobilu （こびる） 小昼　 "small lunch", rural lunch
Takachiho, Miyazaki

. 葷酒山門（くんしゅさんもん）kunshu sanmon
Temple Gate, no garlic or liquor beyond this point!

Shookadoo Bentoo 松花堂弁当 Shokado Bento

karee raisu カレーライス curry rice Curryreis

Botamochi Jizo ぼた餅地蔵 Jizo Bosatsu, Botamochi rice cakes

Itoin Senbei, ito-in senbei いといんせんべい. 絲印煎餅 Senbei with a "stamp like a thread" . From Ise, Mie prefecture

gooya ゴーヤ bitter gourd Momordica charantia. Okinawa. karela in Hindi, India.

Cookies だるまクッキー
Daruma cookies sweets

satoimo, sato imo 里芋 taro roots Taro-Kartoffel

. . . . Zuiki matsuri ずいきまつり Taro and Vegetable Festival
and more about the Zen priest Muso Kokushi 夢窓国師 !

JUNE NEWSPAPER

Jagaimo 馬鈴薯 (じゃがいも) potato, potatoes
Kartoffeln

Red Beans, "small beans" , adzuki (azuki 小豆 )

udo 独活 (うど) udo Aralia cordata

Goheimochi 五平餅 and other food from Nagano

Dengaku 田楽 dance and food

Gyuuniku 牛肉 beef wagyuu, wagyu 和牛 Japanese beef

Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum
(インスタントラーメン発明記念館)

Ika Daruma Ika Surume だるまいか / いかだるま Daruma Cuttlefish

Tosa Nikki, Tosa Diary by Kin no Tsurayuki ... and some manju sweets

Vegetables from SPRING ... List

Myoga Ginger (myooga) 茗荷 (みょうが). Zingi-Ingwer

Miyajima Ekiben 宮島駅弁 Miyajima Stationlunch Anagomeshi あなごめし

Miso みそ or 味噌 Miso paste and miso soup and miso culture

Shimonoseki 下関駅 。gansoo fukumeshi 元祖ふくめしthe original puffer fish with rice EKIBEN

hamo 鱧 (はも) pike conger pike, pike eel Muraenesox cinereus. dragontooth

Horegusuri ほれぐすり(惚れ薬, 惚薬) love potion Liebestrunk

Hanakae Matsuri 花換祭 / 花換祭り Flower-exchanging festival at shrine Kanesaki-gu, Fukui prefecture, and the sakura cherry blossom cookies 桜クッキー

Fu, Wheat gluten (fu 麩) and FU products

Soba ryoori そば料理 dishes with soba Buckwheat noodles

Wagashi Sweets from Kanazawa 金沢に和菓子

Salty Sweets (shioaji suiitsu 塩味スイーツ)
sweets with a flavor of salt, Süßigkeiten mit Salz

Hanabatake Bokujoo 花畑牧場 in Hokkaido nama kyarameru ”生キャラメル”fresh caramels, weiche Karamellen

Kaki 柿 Persimmon Persimone. Sharon fruit.

Uiroo 外郎 ( ういろう) jelly sweet Aichi and Odawara

hooba miso, Hoba Miso ほうばみそ miso paste served on a hoba leaf hooba 朴葉 ... Magnolia obovata

Ebisu sama 恵比寿様. Deity of the Fishermen

"Frost Shrine" 霜神社 Shimo Jinja, Shimomiya at Mount Aso, KyushuThe legend of Kihachi 鬼八

Konnyaku plant and food (Amorphophallus konjac) . Elephant jam

Mandala Food Arrangements (hoshamori, hooshamori 放射盛り)

Gotoochi Gurume ご当地グルメ Cheap local specialities
kankoo gurume 観光グルメ, tourism gourmet
bii kyuu gurume B級グルメ B-class gourmet food

mamushi まむし (蝮 ) poisonous snake 日本蝮 (ニホンマムシ)

Morning Market (asa ichi, asa-ichi) Morgenmarkt

Wasabi 山葵 green horseradish . yamawasabi 山わさび white horseradish

Hirome seaweed (hirome (ひろめ) 広布 / ヒロメ) Oita prefecture

Sushi decorations and vocabulary 寿司の盛り方

corbicula from Seta (Seta shijimi) and the Big Bridge at Seta 瀬田の唐橋

Tenmusu 天むす rice balls with tempura

Roadside stations (michi no eki 道の駅) Highway Service Areas

Mottainai もったいない　モッタイナイ Do not waste food !

Garlic (ninniku 蒜 (にんにく（ニンニク）) ) Knoblauch

Gyooza, gyoza 　ギョーザ　/ 餃子 Jiaozi Chinese dumplings

Pan パン bread
toosuto トースト toast

Shark 鮫 (さめ) same Haifisch

Ninaibako 荷担箱 Box to carry sweets to the Shogun Kameyama sweets

Yakuzen, yaku-zen 薬膳 ( やくぜん) "Eating Medicine" medicinal food dishes and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Edo Yasai, Edo dentoo yasai 江戸伝統野菜 Traditional vegetables of Edo

Umeboshi 梅干 dried pickled plums Salzpflaumen

Iwashi 鰯 (いわし) sardine Sardinen, Anchovy.
urume small herring

Regional Sashimi ... LIST

Regional and local sushi types ... a LIST only

Yamamori Goboo Festival 山盛りのゴボウ / ごぼう講 at Kuninaka in Echizen, Fukui. Eating lots of Burdock.

TEN GU jiru, tengujiru 十具汁 TENGU soup

Oomi Beef in the Edo period Ii Naosuke and Mito no Nariaki

Osaka Fugu Hakubutsukan ふぐ博物館 Osaka Blowfish Museum Pufferfisch, Kugelfisch

warabimochi 笑来美餅 mochi with bracken powder
Adlerfarn-Mochi

momiji tenpura もみじ天ぷら/ 紅葉の天ぷら sweet tempura from maple leaves from Mino town, Osaka
Tempura von roten Ahornblättern

"Tokyo Taste — the World Summit of Gastronomy 2009"

Ishimatsu manjuu 石松まんじゅう Manju in memory of Ishimatsu From Konpira-San, Kotohira Shrine in Kagawa, Shikoku

iburi いぶり, ibusu　燻す to smoke, smoking, smoked food kunsei 薫製
iburi gakko いぶりがっこ smoked radish pickles from Akita

Day of Meat (niku no hi) Febraruy 9, NI KU

Ehomaki Sushi Roll (ehoomaki) for February 3, Setsubun

Quail and quail eggs (uzura no tamago うずらの卵) Wachteleier

wasanbon 和三盆 Japanese sugar and other sweets from Shikoku

wasanbon 和三盆 Japanischer Zucker . All kinds of brown and black sugar. kurosato 黒砂糖

onimanjuu, oni manjuu 鬼饅頭　おにまんじゅう "devil's cakes" for Setsubun, February 03.

Kanbutsu 乾物 kambutsu dried food items Getrocknete Lebensmittel

Yakumi やくみ (薬味) spices and condiments Gewürze

warigo bentoo わりご弁当 lunchbox for the village kabuki ... Shodoshima, Kagawa

Juken fuuzu　受験フーズ　 Juken Food for the Examination Hell

Shikoku Sweets 四国スイーツ　Sweets from Shikoku

Gifu Prefecture ... Regional Dishes

katsuo no ipponzuri 鰹の一本釣り fishing for skipjack tuna in Kochi, Tosa, Shikoku
and related dishes

Museums, Food Museums and Food Theme Parks

Kyuushoku 給食 School Lunch Schulspeisung, Schulessen

Kyooyasai, kyoyasai, kyosai 京野菜 / 京菜 Vegetables from Kyoto.
Gemüse aus Kyoto, Kyoto-Gemüse

Rural Culture Association 農山漁村文化協会 農文協 The BEST online resources !

Shokuyoo no hana 食用の花 Edible blossoms, edible flowers

kushigaki 串柿 ( くしがき) dried persimmons on a stick
town of Shigo, Katsuragi, Wakayama

Collagen Nabe コラーゲン鍋 Hodgepodge with collagen ... for beautiful skin ?

anpanman アンパンマン Mister Anpan 　

toshikoshi udon 年越しうどん udon noodles, eaten to "pass over into the new year"

Minamoto Kitchoan 源 吉兆庵 Seasonal Sweets and Daruma sweets, Kamakura

Daruma Senbei for the New Year 干支せんべい 2009

Daruma Manju だるま饅頭 (Daruma Manjuu)

Natural Ice for drinks ... declining
December 09, 2008

Samurai Cooking

Tsubaki abura 椿油) camellia oil

cha no hana 茶の花 (ちゃのはな) tea blossoms

Joodoo-E Ceremony 成道会 Daikodaki Cooking Radish Soup to ward off evil
December 8 at Shakado Temple in Kyoto

Yomogi よもぎ　蓬 mugwort Beifuss, Beifuß

Shigure no Matsu 時雨の松 Pine in icy rain, a Haiku Sweet

Ecotarian Food エコタリアン

Waseda Kankyo Juku 早稲田環境塾 Waseda School of Environment

Hachimitsu 蜂蜜　はちみつ Honey, Honig

Red Beans, "small beans" (azuki 小豆 ) and DARUMA

Tanada no Udonya 棚田のうどん屋 . まーちゃんうどん Ohaga no Tanada 大垪和の棚田


nonbee 呑兵衛 (のんべえ) Nonbei, nombei, drinker, alcoholic Trinker, Alkoholiker

yukishio, yuki shio, yukijio 雪塩　snow-salt from Miyakojima Island. Salt (shio)

McDonald's and Mr. James Mr.ジェームスのブログ

Takuan, takuanzuke 沢庵漬 (たくあんづけ) Takuan radish pickles and Priest Takuan Soho

Shiitake, maitake, matsutake, nameko and many other mushrooms Mushroom (ki no ko, kinoko), dobin mushi

Chuukanabe, wok 中華なべ 囲炉裏鍋, irori nabe, donabe earthen pot and more pots and pans

Mogura daikon もぐら大根 "mole radish" and other dishes from Gunma prefecture

Teppanyaki 鉄板焼き fried (or grilled) on an iron plate or pan and other fried or grilled food, yakiniku 焼き肉

oyaki, o-yaki おやき , お焼き, 御焼（き）grilled dumplings with vegetables
mit Gemüse gefüllte Reisküchlein

Italian food イタリアン料理 Spaghetti, Pizza, Pasta, Doria, Pesto

ramune ラムネ lemonade and other Summer Drinks

biiru ビール
beer : Bier and local beer (jibiiru 地ビール)

budooshu ぶどうしゅ、葡萄酒 wine

shinsen 神饌（しんせん） Shinto - Food offerings

shirasu elvers . しらすの釜揚げ boiled shirasu from Shonan

Rakkasei 落花生 (らっかせい) Peanuts from Chiba

FAGI FOODS ファジフーズ Fagiano Okayama ファジアーノ岡山

Miele Guide of Asian Restaurants ミーレガイド
Miele KITCHEN（ミーレ・キッチン）

gekiyasu bentoo　激安弁当 extremely cheap lunchbox

Osaka no kui-daore くいだおれ kuidaore

hamakonabe, hamako nabe 浜子鍋 hodgepodge for the "beach children" Hiroshima

Shoochuu 焼酎 (しょうちゅう) Shochu
strong distilled liquor, Schnaps

Haneki shibori sake 撥ね木搾り（はねぎしぼり）酒

Yakimochi Fudoo Son 焼き餅不動尊in Gunma

"salt road" 塩の道 shio no michi
from Niigata to Matsumoto, Nagano

Firefly squid (hotaruika, hotaru ika ホタルイカ（蛍烏賊）)

Squid, cuttlefish dishes (ika ryoori イカ料理, 烏賊料理) 　

Chinmi and fish roe dishes

Bean curd (tofu, toofu, dofu 豆腐) and haiku

Mamakari ままかり Fish dishes from Okayama

Koohii 黒だるまコーヒー Black Daruma Coffee

kankoro　かんころ　甘古呂 flower from sweet potatoes
kankoro dango かんころ団子
kankoro soba かんころそば

kinpira キンピラ simmered root vegetables

Uni 海胆 (うに) sea urchin and sea urchin roe (uni 雲丹)

Satsumaimo, satsuma imo 薩摩薯（さつまいも）sweet potatoes

Horse meat, baniku (ばにく/ 馬肉)

Kenchinjiru けんちんじる(巻繊汁) vegetable soup from temple Kenchoji, Kamakura

God of Cooking, Iwakamutsukari no Mikoto 磐鹿六雁命

History of Japanese Food Culture

Issunbooshi bentoo 一寸法師弁当 Issun-Boshi Bento for Tom Thumb

Gokuraku Onkei 極楽温鶏 whole steamed chicken from Oita 極楽温鶏

BUTA ... Pig and Pork (buta, ton 豚　ぶた)

Daietto ダイエット Diet and fasting ... the extreme : Sokushinbutsu 即身仏

Manga, Anime and Japanese Food Culture
料理漫画. 料理アニメ. グルメ漫画

Dishes from Tokyo 東京

Wrapping Paper Art / Food Art

Ramen, raamen　ラーメン　Chinese noodle soup

Hakata no shio 伯方の塩 salt from Hakata island

Sweets from Hokkaido 北海道スィーツ Hokkaido Sweets

Ainu Dishes, Hokkaido アイヌ料理

Tosa no Inaka Sushi 土佐の田舎寿司 sushi from the countryside of Tosa

Kagawa dishes 香川 Shikoku Takamatsu, Shodoshima

World Tasty Museum 世界食文化博物館 Imabari, Ehime. Nihon Shokken

Rokuben, Bento for a kabuki performance ろくべん, 大鹿歌舞伎 Nagano.

Famine and Hunger periods during the Edo period . kikin 飢饉

Sweets from Tohoku 東北の甘いもの

Tottori dishes 鳥取

Recycle, Reuse, Re-use Wiederverwendung von Lebensmitteln

Yam 長芋, Taro 里芋 and sweet potatoes 薩摩芋 Dioscorea japonica. Colocasia esculenta. Ipomoea batatas.

Shooyu purin 小豆島醤油プリン Soy Sauce Pudding from Shodoshima

Kani 蟹料理 CRAB dishes

Oiri, yomeiri おいり　嫁入り　sweets for the bride

Kamaboko (蒲鉾, かまぼこ)　Fish paste, fish cake, ground fish on boards

Cooking methods : yaku and ...yaki

Kitaoji Rosanjin (北大路魯山人)
UTSUWA うつわ【器】, vessel or dish
hassunzara, hassun sara 八寸皿 Hassun-plate for kaiseki
hirazara ひらざら【平皿】 flat dish
kakuzara かくざら【角皿】 plate with four corners
kareezara カレー皿 plate for curry rice
sara, ban さら 【皿・盤】 plate, dish, saucer, platter
kozara 小皿 small plate
torizara 取り皿 small plate
ukezara 受け皿 saucer
hachi はち【鉢】 bowls of all kinds
daibachi 大鉢 big bowl
fukabachi 深鉢 deep bowl
kakubachi 角鉢 square bowl
katakuchi bachi 片口鉢 bowl with a spout on one side
kobachi 小鉢 small bowl
mamebachi 豆鉢 very small bowl
meshiwan めしわん【飯椀／飯碗】 bowl for rice
tonsui とんすい small bowl with a handle
cups : kappu カップ cup
sakazuki 杯/ さかずき small cup for hot sake
yunomi 湯のみ（湯呑み) small tea cups.






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WASHOKU ... SEASONAL DISHES SAIJIKI


WASHOKU : Regional Japanese Dishes



. WASHOKU
NEWSLETTER 2010 　



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JANUARY ... ichigatsu 一月



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Mitarashi dango Kyoto

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Mitarashi Dango .. Dumplings

***** Location: Japan, Kyoto
***** Season: Late Summer
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

mitarashi dango 御手洗団子（みたらしだんご)
rice dumplings

These dumplings are eaten at the Mitarashi festival (Mitarashi-E 御手洗会（みたらしえ）) of Shrine Shimogamo Jinja in Kyoto 京都の下鴨神社.



visiting for the Mitarashi festival, mitarashi moode
御手洗詣 みたらしもうで
Tadasu no suzumi 糺の納涼（ただすのすずみ）
coolness of the Tadasu forest

Shimogamo no misogi 下賀茂の御祓 (しもがものみそぎ)
purification rituals 下鴨の御祓（しもがものみそぎ）

Mitarashi Matsuri, Mitarashi Festival is another name.
On the day before Autumn starts in August.

This is one of the many "harae" purification ceremonies, purifying the body from the ban influences of the past six months and praying for good fortune in the coming six months.

The details of this kind of ceremony are here
Summer Purification Ceremony (nagoshi, harae, misogi and more) .
The shrines of Kamo and Shimogamo Jinja have played a very important role for Kyoto and its water suppy.


. temizuya 手水舎　purification font for hands - mitarashi 御手洗 .


In this article, I will concentrate on the dumplings.

mitarashi "honorable washing of hands" is now also the general name of the water basin at the entrance to a shrine or temple, where you rinse your hands and mouth for purification. The name probably comes from the form of the bubbles produced when washing your hands at this basin.


Mitarashi area at Shimogamo Shrine, Kyoto


The dumplings made as offerings to the gods are in the colors white, red and green. They are the origin of the mitarashi dango which are now sold in many places of Japan. Usually there are three on a stick of dango dumplings, but these ones come as five on a stick.



Various types of other mitarashi dango

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Japanese have been eating dango since the Jomon period, many prepared from nuts of the forest, which they pounded to flower and mixed with gruel to survive in wintertimes. Later the flower of grains was also mixed into dumplings.

Since the Muromachi period, dumplings were put on sticks, in the 16th centure five dumplings on a stick were the rule. Since the Edo period, they became even more popular, hana yori dango, to enjoy the dumplings more than the cherry blossoms, is a common saying. Since 1760, one stick contained only four dumplings.

For the Aoi Festival and the Mitarashi Festival at Shimogamo shrine, people bring these dumplings as an offering for the gods.
Legend knows this:
When Emperor Godaigo (1288-1339)came here to worship and took out some water to purify his hands, one big bubble came up first and then four others followed. He interpreted these bubbles as the human body (go tai　五体) and thus four dumplings and one smaller one on the top became a special offering at this shrine for purification purposes. After offering them to the gods, people would take them home, grill them a bit over fire and add some soy sauce for flavoring and eat them in the hope for good luck.

In the Kanto area there were four small dumplings on a stick, layed out in the form of a fan using 10 sticks on a plate. The present form dates to the Taisho period, when the habit of one tea shop owner from the shrine area became standard, putting soy sauce and some sugar over the dumplings. Now people in Kyoto and Kansai think of these dumplings as a sweet snack, especially eaten in summer. In the Kanto area, the dumplings are usually simply round and of the same size, whereas in Kansai they can be oblong.




There is also a kind of famous mitarashi dango in the town of Takayama in Gifu prefecture. They are grilled with soy sauce only and therefore not sweet at all.
They might have come from the Shimogamo tradition before the Taisho period when sweet dumplings were not favored in this area.

Nowadays the round dumplings are mostly made by maschines and all of the same size. To produce dumplings of different sizes is more exensive, so usually they are all similar nowadays, when you buy them in supermarkets and sweets shops.

Some shops around Shimgamo Shrine still make the five ones by hand.

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Other kinds of DANGO dumplings

kushidango 串だんご / くし団子 dumplings on skewers
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
They are usually served with a sweet sauce.


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Dango 団子 is a Japanese dumpling made from mochiko (rice flour), related to mochi. It is often served with green tea.

Dango are eaten year-round, but the different varieties are traditionally eaten in given seasons. Three to four dango are often served on a skewer. One variety of dango from Hokkaidō is made from potato flour and baked with shoyu (soy sauce).

Types of dango
There are many different varieties of dango which are usually named after the various seasonings served on or with it. [1]

Anko: Commonly known as (sweetened) red bean paste, while ingredients other than azuki are used on rare occasions. An-Dango is the most popular flavor in Japan.
Bocchan dango: Dango that has three colors. One is colored by red beans, the second by eggs, and the third by green tea.
Chichi dango: Slightly-sweet light treats usually eaten as a dessert.
Hanami dango: Also has three colors, Hanami dango is traditionally made during Sakura-viewing season. Hence the name Hanami (Hana meaning flower, and mi meaning to see).
Goma: sesame seeds. It is both sweet and salty.
Kinako: A toasted soy flour.
Kushi dango: Dangos held by a skewer
Mitarashi: A syrup made from shouyu (soy sauce), sugar and starch.
Teppanyaki: Dango on a skewer with a tangy teppanyaki taste.

In 1999, dango experienced a surge of popularity in Japan following the release of a song entitled "Dango san kyōdai" (three dango brothers). The CD single sold over 2.9 million copies, making it the 4th best selling CD single in Japan during 1968-2006.
In the extremely popular Japanese film series Otoko wa Tsurai yo, the family of lead character Kuruma Torajirō (Tora-san) operated a small traditional dango shop in Shibamata, Katsushika, Tokyo.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Worldwide use

Mitarashi Reismehl-Bällchen


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Things found on the way

Shrine Shimogamo Jinja
Gods worshipped here Kamo Taketsu-no-mikoto, father of the princess
Tamayori-hime-no-mikoto, who became pregnant by a mysterious arrow floating down the river and gave birth to Wake-ikazuchi-no-kami.
The Kamigamo Shrine is in his honor, Kamowake-ikazuchi Shrine.
These two gods, grandfather and grandchild, mi-oya, mioya, are the tutelary deities of the Kamo clan.
The shrines were errected to protect the capital, which then moved on to Heiankyo.
It is the protector shrine of the forest Tadasu no mori 糺の森, where two rivers meet, the Kamogawa 賀茂川 and the Takanogawa 高野川. Many kiri zelkova and kusu camphor trees grow here. The god Kamo Taketsu no Mikoto, who came here to pass a judgement (tadasu) for a disput of the local residents.
The Aoi Festival is the most famous of this shrine complex.
More elsewhere.


Shimogamo Shrine Arrow Ceremony, yatori shinji
矢取り神事 　


First Kick-Ball Game (mari hajime)
The first game takes place on January 4 at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto.
kigo for the New Year


fresh clear water !

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The Christian connection of the Mitarashi - a Christian baptism?

. The Hata Clan 秦氏　Hata Uji .
and the Christian connection


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HAIKU

花よりも団子やありて帰る雁
hana yori mo dango ya arite kaeri kari

better eating dumplings
than watching cherry blossoms -
geese flying home

Matsunaga Teitoku 松永貞徳 (1571-1653)
Tr. Gabi Greve


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Related words

***** WAGASHI ... Sweets SAIJIKI

***** WASHOKU : Regional Japanese Dishes


. DANGO as kigo for all seasons


Saijiki of
Japanese Festivals, Events and Ceremonies
Shimokamo shrine - #mitarashidango -
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