Fukui Prefecture

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Fukui 福井県 / Echizen 越前

under construction
*****************************
Explanation



Fukui originally consisted of the old provinces of Wakasa and Echizen, before the prefecture was formed in 1871.
During the Edo period, the daimyō of the region was surnamed Matsudaira, and was a descendant of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


One of the few grand harp makers in the world is in Fukui.
Aoyama Haapu 青山ハープ, Fukui harp 福井ハープ


Tsuruga 敦賀, a traditional harbour where the ships from Hokkaido (Kitamaebune 北前船) used to stop over and unload things, mostly marine products, that were transported to Kyoto by land via the Shiotsu Kaido 塩津街道 along the lake Biwako, linking to Kohoku Shiotsu in Omi. (Kohoku is Northern Shiga region.)
Tsuruga was also the endpoint of the road Tango Kaidoo 丹後街道 Tango Kaido.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Lately, the monstrous jellyfish 越前クラゲ
Echizen Kurage 越前くらげ is a plague for the local fishermen because of their sheer numbers and huge size, they destroy the nets and prevent other fish from being caught.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


But to turn it into riches, it is now eaten with a special miso mixed with umeboshi sour plum paste.

越前くらげ美食倶楽部 with PHOTO !


Their number has greatly fallen this year !
WASHOKU : November News


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Gomadoofu, ごま豆腐
Sesame tofu from the Temple Eiheiji


Daruma Museum:
Eihei-Ji Temple 永平寺
Eiheiji ... the cold Zen Temple

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Other specialities from Fukui prefecture

Ayu 鮎　あゆ sweetfish
Adult fish are about 20 cm. Best fished at the rivers Kuzuryu, Asuwa and Hino.
Ayu is a kind of sweet fish, and the size of an adult fish is about 15-25cm. Recently the number of wild Ayu is very small and therefore a large number of baby fish is released into the river every year. The embargo for Ayu fishing is removed in mid June.



Echizen Kani Crabs
Echizengani no nabe 越前がにの鍋 / 越前蟹
Hodgepodge with Echizen crabs,
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

Echizengani sashimi ... with a rather sweet taste of the meat.

The name Echizengani has been "invented" by a local fisherman after the war, to sell his catch in Tokyo.


Echizen Soba, oroshisoba 越前そば（おろしそば）
Buckwheat noodles with grated radish
From 福井県嶺北地方
This is one of the representative health foods of Fukui. They are dark buckwheat noodles served with grated radish and leek and katsuobushi in dashi broth. To add grated daikon with its sharpness directly to the soup is special and had started about the year 1600. The buckwheat is grated in stone basins. There are many soba shops in the prefecture and housewifes have their own recipes.
The name was maybe given by Emperor SHowa, when he visited the area and talked about this "Echizen Soba".
Best eaten in October and November with freshly harvested buckwheat.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


fugu ふぐ　blowfish from Wakasa
They are rased in aquafarming. Best in winter, November to February.


gasaebi, gasa-ebi がさえび Echizen Gasa Shrimp
shrimp from Echizen, especially at the Tojnbo rocks (toojinboo) 東尋坊(とうじんぼう Toshinbo Cliffs.
The Tojinbo Cliffs stretch for about 1 km near Mikuni village in the Ando region.
Tōjinbō is also a well-known place in Japan to commit suicide.
Close to the shako shrimps (garage).
A kind of amaebi (ama-ebi), also called gamaebi (gama-ebi) がまえび. There are more than 8 different kinds of these small shrimp, which can only be eaten fresh at the coast, since they do not keep well.
CLICK here for PHOTOS !



guji ぐじ　tilefish
Wakasa guji,specialty of the Wakasa peninsula and one of the finest ingredients in Japanese cooking. Salted Wakasa Guji used to be sent to Kyoto via the Mackerel-Road (saba kaido) along with salted mackerels and Wakasa flatfish, as they are important ingredients for Kyoto cuisine.
Wakasa Guji live in the rough Wakasa peninsula, which is the converging point of warm and cold currents, and are fed by high-quality foods. Therefore they grow large and their meat is fatty. The taste is light but sophisticated.



Habutae mochi 羽二重餅（はぶたえもち） Habutae rice cakes
Habutae was a specialy soft silk fabric produced in the area. These cakes are especially silken.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



hotaruika ほたるいか　Firefly Squid
The main season to enjoy the Hotaruika is between March and June in their breeding period. Fishermen with dragnets catch them when these squid gather in the centre of the Wakasa bay. Eaten squid is to dress with a vinegar and miso (soy bean paste) mixture after dipping them in the boiling water.



imo abekawa 芋あべかわ / abekawamochi 安倍川餅（あべかわもち）
satoimo potato mochi
sweetened and eaten with kinako soybean flower and syrup.
Abekawa is a place in Shizuoka prefecture.
Triangular shape.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



kaki かき　牡蠣　oysters
Once they become stuck to a reef, oysters remain there by nature, making them very suitable for farming. In Fukui Prefecture, the calm waves of the bay of Wakasa /Obama are ideal for raising oysters. Oysters grown in the bitter cold weather conditions of the Sea of Japan have a great fragrance.



kinoko きのこ　white mushrooms
Mushrooms are one of the local products in the Wakasa region. The whole root attached mushrooms are popular for a wide range of cooking, from homemade meals to exclusive cuisine. and a new kind of pearl white mushroom sets itself apart from normal mushrooms.
maitake
the rare ‘Kuro Maitake Mushroom’ (black Maitake mushroom), which grows wild in the natural forest deep in the mountains. Shoryu Maitake Mushrooms are grown in a favourable natural environment. They taste delicious.


kodai sasazuke こだいささづけ perserved sea bream
Kodai Sasazuke is a preserved renko sea bream, salted and pickled with rice vinegar in a wooden barrel. It is a specialty product of the Obama area.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


kome 米　 rice from Fukui
koshihikari, from September on as new rice, since 1956. Originated in Fukui. Another brand is "hana Echizen", flower of Echizen, since 1991. This is the earliest rice of Hokuriku, August to October.



mizuyookan 水ようかん sweetened jellied bean paste
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Usually this is a delicacy for the hot summer months, abut in Fukui it is eaten in winter, the slices are thinner. and the mikan, standard fair in winter at the kotatsu, is NOT eaten here.

also called "dechi yookan, detchi yookan 丁稚ようかん (でっちようかん)" "jelly for servants"

Gelee-Paste aus Azuki-Bohnen.



oobira おおびら
a kind of noppejiru （のっぺい汁）
Served for celebrations. Usually prepared in a huge pot. With chicken meat, chikuwa, radish, carrots, burdock, shiitake, konnnyaku and aburaage tofu. All ingredients are chopped in suitable size and thrown into the boiling water. Soysauce for extra flavor.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



. oboro konbu おぼろ昆布 shredded konbu kelp seaweed
from Tsuruga 敦賀


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. saba kaido 鯖街道 makerel highway .
- Wakasa Kaido 若狭街道

SABA 鯖　さば　MAKEREL
Fukui is famous for the
makerel road (saba kaidoo　鯖街道、さばかいどう- saba kaido) transporting fish to Kyoto. Therefore many simple makerel dishes have been prepared in busy fishing times.
The road leads from the port of Obama at the Bay of Wakasa to Kyoto, about 75 kilometers. The fish was salted and packed in Obama and then carried over night to the city. It was then just righly marinated and folks waited in line to buy it.
Other routes for transporting saba are also known. Many farmers exchanged their newly harvested rice to get some fish for the autumnal autumn festival and their Saba Sushi.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

Obama was also the endpoint of many ships from Asia trying to reach Japan during its long history. So embassies and their presents for the emperor and aristocrats in Kyoto also travelled along this road, the final step of any "Silk Road" through Asia or via the ocean.


- quote
The most actively used saba kaido road is called "Wakasa kaido", this road is the course to Demachiyanagi in Kyoto, gets out from Ohara, and passes Kutsuki in Takashima City, via Kumagawa-juku in Wakasa town, by Obama City at the starting point.
Detailed information :
- source : sabakaidou.jp/english

- - - - -

saba no hamayaki さばの浜焼き saba makerel grilled on the beach
served with soy sauce and grated ginger, shoogajooyu
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

saba no heshiko さばのへしこ
heshiko, heshikomu is a local dialect of Wakasa for fish fermented in nukazuke 糠漬け rice bran. for saba, iwashi and other blue fish. Later eaten as sashimi or grilled.
This is prepared in the Wakasa area in the extreme cold month of February till early spring only and ready to eat during the hottest season of doyoo in summer. Some families let it ferment for more than one year.


yakisaba nikomi 焼きサバの煮込み
grilled makerel is torn to small pieces and boiled in sweetened soy sauce.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

saba kan, sabakanzume　鯖缶詰　makerel in tins
is put on rice, sabakan don サバ缶丼
wasabi and soy sauce and sake on top of it わさび酢醤油で鯖缶


. saba 鯖と伝説 Legends about mackerel, Makrele .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


shooryuu maitake　 しょうりゅうまいたけ / 昇竜まいたけ
"mushroom like a dragon ascending"
black maitake 舞茸
grows in areas of more than 1000 meters hight during the whole year. When people found it, they were so happy they started to dance, hence hte name "dancing mushroom".　Since 1988 people started to grow it in farms. It needs a lot of water.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Maitake, Klapperschwamm, Laubporling. Grifola frondosa



takuannoni, takuan no nimono たくあんの煮物 boiled takuan
nitakuan 煮たくあん, takuan no nita no たくあんの煮たの
Pickled radish, when it is old, is boiled with soy sauce before eating.
CLICK here for PHOTOS !



ume 梅 plums from Fukui
with small stones, good to make umeboshi or plum wine (umeshu). From June to July they are harvested.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


unoka うの華 / 卯の華 okara soybean fibers
slightly fried in sesame oil
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



usoba うそば noodles half udon and half soba
prepared in a special maschine.
CLICK here for PHOTOS !



WAKASA bay and the town of Obama

Wakasa guji 若狭ぐじ Japanese Tilefish
kind of red seabream (aka amadai) 甘鯛 amadai
Salted guji has been carried to Kyoto via the Mackerel Road (saba kaidoo) together with mackerels. In the Bay of Wakasa, cold and warm currents meet and is is a rough terrain for fish, so they are fatty.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

Wakasa Kaki カキ　牡蠣 oysters
They like the cold temperatures in the bay and hang on to the cliffs.


Obama Kodai Sasazuke 小浜 小鯛ささずけ
Renko sea bream is preserved and pickled in vinegar in wooden barrels.




OBAMAまんじゅう / オバマ饅頭
. Obama Manju - for President Obama .
and
Obama Burger made from fish meat


*****************************
Worldwide use


*****************************
Things found on the way




Echizen Takeningyoo 越前竹人形
Bamboo Dolls from Echizen



. Daruma Dolls from Wakasa laquer and agate stone 　


*****************************
HAIKU

Echizen kurage ...
a monster tamed with
miso paste

Gabi Greve, November 10, 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


浮遊する越前くらげニートかな
fuyuu suru Echizen kurage niito kana

floating around
like an Echizen jellyfish ...
poor NEET

Temari Sakura 手毬桜　

NEET : Not in Employment, Education or Training
Many young people of Japan are called NEET these days.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




野菊むら東尋坊に咲き乱れ
nogiku mura Toojinboo ni sakimidare

wild chrysanthemums
blossom in abundance -
Tojinbo cliffs

. Takahama Kyoshi 高浜 虚子 .


Legends about Tojinbo

One legend has it that a corrupt Buddhist priest from Heisen-ji (平泉寺), a local temple, so enraged the populace that they dragged him from the temple to the sea and, at Tōjinbō, threw the priest into the sea. His ghost is still said to haunt the area.

An alternate legend says that the name Tōjinbō comes from a dissolute Buddhist monk. According to the legend, a Buddhist monk named Tōjinbō, who was disliked by everyone, fell in love with a beautiful princess named Aya. Tōjinbō was tricked by another admirer of Princess Aya and was pushed off these cliffs. The legend says that ever after that time Tōjinbō's vengeful ghost would go on a rampage around the same time every year at this place, causing strong winds and rain. Some decades later, an itinerant priest took pity on Tōjinbō and held a memorial service for him. After that, the storms ceased.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


*****************************
Related words

***** WASHOKU : Regional Japanese Dishes

***** .Folk Toys from Fukui .


. Utamakura, place names used in Japanese Poetry .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Hooroku Jizo Mibu

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
- 壬生寺 Mibu-Dera - see below -

Hooroku Jizo ほうろく地蔵
with an earthen pot on his head
焙烙地蔵


First let us look at the hooroku pot.



hooroku 焙烙 / 炮烙 / ホーロク / ほうろく is a special earthen pot.
Sometimes also called "hooraku, horaku".
It is used to roast tea leaves, beans, sesame seeds and other grains and even salt.
The origin of this word seems to be the word for the death penalty on the stake 炮烙. Grains are roasted slowly and the pan is moved constantly. This reminds the Japanese of the slow dance of Shizuka Gozen, which is called Hoorakumai 法楽舞（ほうらくまい）.
In Kyoto, the pan is called irigora いりごら（炒瓦）, in Chiba (Shimofusa) irigara いりがら.
irinabe 炒り鍋（なべ）roasting pan, is another word for this earthen pan.

Since it breaks easily there is an old proverb
A thousend hooro pans but only one hammer.
焙烙千に槌（つち）一つ
you can distroy 1000 pots easily with one hammer.


hooraku 宝楽 is a special flat pot to cook festival food like tai sea bream and lobster.

hooroku 法烙 are flat plates used in temples.

roku ロク（慣）means to warm something (food or your hands for example) over the fire.

WASHOKU : hooroku dishes of various regions




In a kyogen humorous story called Hooraku wari 炮烙割り, it is pronounced hooraku. See below for more.



hooroku 法烙 are flat plates used in temples.

During the ancestor festival O-Bon in August temples provide hooroku that you can place on the graves and make a little fire in them to welcome the ancestors.


kawarake-nage かはらけなげ throwing dishes
at Mount Atago, Atago Shrine, Kyoto. かわらけ投げ
. The Atago shrines of Japan .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Thanks to Mark, who got me started on this subject!

Hōroku Jizō ほうろく地蔵

Devotees offer earthenware plates to images of this Jizō when they suffer from headaches or other head ailments. They write their prayers on the earthenware, and present the plates to Jizō, or place it atop the statue's head.
Hōroku Jizō
Mark Schumacher and the Jizo Pages


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


at Temple Dai-en-ji , Daienji 大円寺
東京都文京区, Tokyo, Bunkyo


. . . CLICK here for Photos !

This temple reminds us of the love story of Yaoya O-Shichi 八百屋お七 and the great fire of 1682 in Edo. She was later sentenced to death for causing this great fire.
To appease her soul, this Jizo statue was errected. Hot earthen plates (hooroo) were placed on the head of Jizo, to lighten the heat of hell fires for O-Shichi. The statue was offered by one Watanabe Kyuubei 渡辺九兵衛 in 1719.

Later this Jizo came to be healing headaches, eye and ear and nose diseases and other diseases of the head too.


source : c-kitamura.cocolog-nifty.com



Hooroku plates with wishes


Daruma Museum
O-Shichi Kannon お七観音

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Saitama, Kurihashi 栗橋
焙烙地蔵 (ほうろくじぞう)

This statue is at a site of executions by burning during the Edo period, for people who tried to get out of Edo without permission. This Jizo statue is to appease the souls.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

at a site of a former shrine
上知我麻神社
near Tenmacho in Tokyo 伝馬町


この石地蔵は、もと三河国重原村(現在知立市)にあったが、野原の中に倒れ、捨石のようになっていた。ところが、三河より焙烙(ほうろく)を売りに尾張へ来るものが、荷物の片方の重しとしてこの石仏を運んできて、ここで焙烙を売りつくした後、石仏を海辺のあし原に捨てて帰った。地元の人がこの石仏を発見し、安置しようとしたが、動かないので怪しんでその下を掘ってみると、土中にこの仏の台座と思われる角石が深く埋もれていたので、皆が不思議なことだと思い、その台石を掘り出し、この石仏を置いたのが、すなわちこの地蔵である。・・・
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


kigo for late summer




hooroku plates for moxibustion ほうろく灸
hooroku kyuu
at the temple Myosho-ji (Myooshooji 妙昌寺) in Yamanashi prefecture
People place hooroku plates with burning moxibustion weeds on ailing parts of their body, mostly head and shoulders.


They are said to be best on the hottest days in summer, especially doyoo 土用.
. . . CLICK here for more Photos !


moxabustion on the doyoo day
doyoo kyuu, doyookyuu 土用灸 (どようきゅう)
doyoo mogusa 土用艾（どようもぐさ）

. Moxibustion and Kigo


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


hooraku wari 炮烙割り smashing pots

This Mibu Kyogen 壬生狂言 piece is performed every year. They are Buddhist morality plays performed at Mibu-dera Temple three times annually, just as they were in Kyoto's early medieval period.

source : www.kyoto.zaq.ne.jp

Characters:
Plate Merchant
Drum Merchant
Mokudai ( Official)

Pilgrims coming to Mibu-dera Temple to view the Spring Equinox plays purchase bisque plates which are presented to the temple as votive offerings. During this kyogen these platters are broken thereby ridding the believers of evil and bringing them good luck.

A new marketplace opens and an official puts up a sigh reading, "The first to open a stall is exempt from taxation." Before dawn a leather drum seller sees the sign and sets up shop. While waiting for his first customer he tires and naps.
A plate merchant sees the sign and while she is setting up, she sees the drum merchant asleep. Thinking to gain the tax break she switches goods with the drum merchant. When the drum merchant awakens and notices the ruse, he starts fighting with the plate salesman. The official returns and declares that the winner of a talent competition will be considered the first to arrive.
The plate seller wins and sets up his shop. The drum seller returns and with dramatic flare destroys the plates, pushing the many stacks of fragile clay disks off the front of the stage, where they fall many feet the ground with a great crash. Now, the official gives the tax break to the drum seller.

This is THE Mibu kyogen which everyone interested in it knows about, because of its spectacular action, the crashing of hundreds of bisque fired plates. And thus a lot evil karma is destroyed, even for the visitors.
source : www.kyoto.zaq.ne.jp



kigo for spring

Mibu Nenbutsu 壬生念仏
Invoction of Amida at Mibu Temple
Amida Prayer (Namu Amida Butsu)

Mibu Kyoogen 壬生狂言（みぶきょうげん）、
Mibusai 壬生祭（みぶさい）temple Mibudera festival
Mibu odori 壬生踊（みぶおどり）Mibu dance
Mibu no kane 壬生の鉦（みぶのかね）Prayer gongs at Mibu
Mibu no men 壬生の面（みぶのめん）masks of Mibudera temple

. SAIJIKI : Festivals and Ceremonies 　


. WKD : Kyogen, kyoogen　狂言 and Haiku . 　

.......................................................................


Mibudera 壬生寺 Mibu-Dera


31 Mibunaginomiyacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto

According to tradition Mibu-dera Temple was established by the order of Emperor SHOMU (r. 724-749) for the Chinese monk known in Japan as GANJIN (JIANZHEN in Chinese; 688-763). Monk GANJIN introduced the Ritsu Sect of Buddhism from China into Japan. He is most famous for persisting in his attempts to reach Japan, despite many disastrous failures by ship, finally making it when he was already 66 years old and blind. The most famous temple of the Ritsu Sect is Toshodaiji in Nara, founded by GANJIN.

The actual founder of Mibu-dera Temple was KAIKEN, a monk of another temple in Mibu district, who erected a chapel for the Bodhisattva Jizo at the site of GANJIN'S former residence in 991. This chapel, just east of the present location, was completed in 1005. The enshrined statue was carved by JOCHO (?-1057), the best sculptor of Buddhist images in Kyoto during the Heian Period. The only surviving work of JOCHO is housed in Byodo'in Temple in Uji.



In 1077 the Emperor SHIRAKAWA (r.1073-87) awarded Mibu-dera Temple the status of Chokuganji (a temple where prayers were offered for the well-being of the Imperial Family and the tranquility of the country).

At the beginning of the Kamakura Period (1185 - 1392), TAIRA no MUNEHIRA , reestablished Mibu-dera Temple at its present location after it and JOCHO's Jizo were destroyed by fire in 1257.

DOGYO, also known as Engaku-juman Shonin, collected funds to rebuild Mibu-dera Temple. DOGYO sponsored the yuzu-dainenbutsu-e ceremonial gatherings at Mibu-dera Temple, as well as at Hokongo'in and Seiryo-ji Temples. At these meetings, worshipers would chant the name of the Amida Buddha in a loud voice. Mibu-dera Kyogen Pantomime evolved from DOGYO's yuzu-dainenbutsu-e ceremonial gatherings.

By the Muromachi period (1338-1573) the Jizo, known as one of the Roku (six) Jizo was an object of worship and drew many followers. By the Edo Period (1615-1865) Mibu-dera Temple was known as the "Temple of Plays" and can be found in guide books of the period, making it popular all over Japan.

The entire temple was again destroyed by fire in 1788. When rebuilt, the Main Hall faced east as it does today and the Kyogen-do (stage) was built as a separate structure just north of the main hall. The next restoration was in 1825. Fire struck again in 1962 burning down the Main Hall. It was rebuilt in 1967 with contributions from devotees. The present Jizo (Important Cultural Property) came from Toshodaiji Temple.

The Crest of Mibu-dera Temple is the cherry flower.

Masks in the temple treasury:


Sumiyoshi and Sanno, O-Tafuku and other female masks, Benkei, Hosho and some fools.

- - - - - HP of the temple
- source : www.mibudera.com/eng-


Figures and masks from papermachee are sold as souvenirs.




CLICK for more masks !

The dancers pronounce the words only in their mouth
(詞（ことば）のない口中念仏) - no sound with this pantomime dance.

On the left is tsuchigumo 土蜘蛛, the Ground Spider
. Tsuchigumo zooshi 土蜘蛛草紙　tale of the ground spider .


- further reference -

.......................................................................


source :　blogs.yahoo.co.jp/yunitake2000

- quote -
mibu kouhai　壬生光背 halo of the Mibu type
A type of halo kouhai 光背 found on Buddhist images.
A square backdrop is placed behind the body of the figure, and above this a round head halo *zukou 頭光. The border of the zukou is decorated with Chinese style plant motifs *karakusamon 唐草 in openwork *sukashibori 透彫. Five groups of three fine metal spokes emerge from the centre of the zukou.
The term mibu kouhai derives from the halo on the Jizou Bosatsuzou 地蔵菩薩像 (10-11c) in Mibudera 壬生寺, Kyoto, which was destroyed by fire in 1962. The best surviving example can be seen on the Miroku Bosatsuzou 弥勒菩薩像 (1208) in Koufukuji Hokuendou 興福寺北円堂, Nara.

- source : JAANUS -



. karakusa 唐草　/ からくさ　Karakusa art motives .
karakusa moyoo　唐草模様 Karakusa pattern. Karakusa arabesque
Chinesischen Arabesken und Rankenornamente

*****************************
Worldwide use


*****************************
Things found on the way

kawarake　土器 clay dishes
for throwing away after use



土器に浸みゆく神酒や初詣
kawarake ni shimiyuku miki ya hatsumoode

ritual sake
soaks into the clay dish -
first shrine visit

Takahama Toshio 高浜年尾



. Kawarake throwing at Mount Atago .


*****************************
HAIKU and SENRYU

古寺やほうろく捨つる芹の中
furudera ya hooroku sutsuru seri no naka

this old temple -
horoku dished are thrown out
into the dropwort fields

. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .
at Mibu Temple 壬生寺


*****************************
Related words

***** WASHOKU : General Information

***** WASHOKU ... Tableware and Tools

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Miso culture

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Miso paste and soup

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: See below
***** Category: Humanity

*****************************
Explanation




. temae miso 手前味噌 home-made miso paste .


Miso (みそ or 味噌) is a traditional Japanese food produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus kōjikin (麹菌, koojikin) (the most typical miso is made with soy). The typical result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso soup called Misoshiru (味噌汁), a Japanese culinary staple.

High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, miso played an important nutritional role in feudal Japan. Miso is still very widely used in Japan, both in traditional and modern cooking, and has been gaining world-wide interest. Miso is typically salty, but its flavor and aroma depend on various factors in the ingredients and fermentation process. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savoury, and there is an extremely wide variety of miso available.

mugi (麦): barley, mugi-miso, Gerste-Miso
tsubu (粒): whole wheat/barley
aka (赤): red, medium flavor, most commonly used
hatchō, hatchoo (八丁): aged (or smoked), strongest flavor
shiro (白): rice, sweet white, fresh
shinshu: rice, brown color
genmai (玄米): brown rice
awase (合わせ): layered, typically in supermarket
moromi (醪): chunky, healthy (kōji is unblended)
nanban (南蛮): chunky, sweet, for dipping sauce
inaka (田舎): farmstyle
taima (大麻): hemp seed
sobamugi (蕎麦): buckwheat
hadakamugi (裸麦): rye
meri (蘇鉄): made from cycad pulp, Buddhist temple diet
gokoku (五穀): "5 grain": soy, wheat, barley, proso millet, and foxtail millet

Many regions have their own specific variation on the miso standard. For example, the soybeans used in Sendai miso are much more coarsely mashed than in normal soy miso.
Saikyoo さいきょうみそ (西京味噌) white sweet miso from Western Kyoto

Miso made with rice (including shinshu and shiro miso) is called kome miso.

Soya miso is used to make a type of pickle called "misozuke".
These pickles are typically made from cucumber, daikon, hakusai, or eggplant, and are sweeter and less salty than the standard Japanese salt pickle. Barley miso, or nukamiso (糠味噌, nukamiso), is used to make another type of pickle. Nukamiso is a fermented product, and considered a type of miso in Japanese culture and linguistics, but does not contain soya, and so is functionally quite different. Like soya miso, nukamiso is fermented using kōji mold.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


akamiso, red miso, about 70% soybeans and 30% rice or barley

amamiso あまみそ ／　甘みそ　sweet miso　
Usually made from kome kooji and less salt added. For example the white miso from Kyoto and Hiroshima. Edo Amamiso. Used often for nerimiso to mix with other foods.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
shiso-iri amamiso しそ入りあまみそ with perilla leaves


Kinzanji miso, 径山寺味噌/ 金山寺味噌 with fermented vegetables and ginger
(originates in China at the mountain temple, brought back by monk Kakushin during the Kamakura period and started producing it at Yuasa, Kishuu province.


kuro-miso, 黒味噌 black miso. not very common
Kyozakura miso, red miso from Kyoto
namemiso, "finger licking" miso
nerimiso, sweet simmered miso
nukamiso, Reiskleien-Miso
nukamiso zuke, in Reiskleien-Miso Eingelegtes

koji, kooji 麹 fermentation starter for miso
Kooji-Pilzkultur


different tasts with miso
goma-miso mit geriebenem Sesam
karashi-miso mit scharfem japanischem Senf
kurumi-miso mit Walnusspaste
negi-miso mit Lauch
neri-miso, „gerührte Miso“. Miso-Paste wird mit Reiswein, Zucker und Wasser aufgerührt.
su-miso mit Essig
yuzu-miso mit Yuzu-Zitronen



ninniku miso くにんにく味噌 / miso ninniku 味噌ニンニク
miso paste mixed with garlic
genki miso 元気みそ "healthy miso" with a lot of garlic
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



sannenmiso さんねんみそ【三年味噌】three year old miso paste
drei Jahre alte Miso-Paste
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



Shoodai miso 招提味噌 Shodai Miso from the temple Toshodaiji 唐招提寺.
It has been introduced by the Chinese priest Ganjin.
also gyoohoo miso 行法味噌 from the temple Nigatsu-Do at Todaiji.
Some vegetables are pickled with this miso and it can be eaten on rice just like that to make a meal for the monks.



tamamiso, tama miso 玉味噌 white Kyoto miso mixed with egg yolk
can be used as sauce on tofu or other dishes, even on Ramen soup.
For special flavor, the egg yolks of quail eggs are used.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



.................................................................................


Echigo-miso, Miso aus der Gegend Echigo.
sanshuu miso 三州味噌 eine Hatchoo-miso

Sendai-Miso
Handgemachte Miso aus Sendai
In alten Fässern, die mehr als 200 Jahre alt sind, haften an der Innenseite die Hefepilze. Die Miso wird mindestens sechs mal von einem Fass in ein anderes umgeschöpft, eine schwere Kraftarbeit, bei der der Schaufler in einem kleinen „Holzschiff“ mitten im Fass steht.



Miso sommelier Toyoko Miyoko 　
Miso in Kameido, Tokyo.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The Book of Miso:
Savory High protein Seasoning
by William Shurtleff



::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Miso Dengaku Dengaku ... 田楽 (でんがく) and tsukemono pickles
gebratener Tofu oder Fisch mit Miso

dengaku sashi, Aufspießen wie Schaschlik
dengaku tofu, mit Miso bedeckter und auf Spießen gebackener Tofu

Dengaku, a food and a dance



Miso Dengaku dishes from Edo
100 Favorite Dishes of Edo


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The most famous dish with miso is of course the
MISO SOUP, misojiru 味噌汁　。　みそじる
misoshiru, o-misoshiru おみそしる, misoshiro
Miso Suppe

The most common miso soup preparations

Asarijiru with asari clams, short-neck clam; baby-necked clam; littleneck clam
Gobojiru, goboo burdock
Gojiru 呉汁 with soy beans from Hokkaido
Hakusaijiru with Chinese cabbage, napa
Hoorenso to kakitamago, spinach and egg
Hotatejiru with scallop. Miso from Tsugaru
Junsaijiru with water shield
Kanijiru with crab meat. miso from Kaga
Komatsunajiru with komatsuna vegetables
Kuzushidofu with tofu and vegetables
Kyoofuu, Kyofu style of Kyoto
Mugimiso with barley
Naganegi to abura-age, leek and deep-fried tofu
Namekojiru with nameko mushrooms, akadashi miso
Nasujiru with eggplant
Nattojiru with natto fermented beans
Shijimijiru 蜆汁 with shijimi clams, akadashi
Shiromisojiro, white miso paste
Tonjiru with pork meat

and many many more

WASHOKU : Soups
shijimijiru 蜆汁, しじみ汁 miso with corbicula clams


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


preparing homemade miso paste,
boiling beans for miso
miso mame niru 味噌豆煮る (みそまめにる)
kigo for early spring
ball of miso paste 味噌玉（みそだま）
miso fumitsumago 味噌踏みつまご（みそふみつまご）
boots for stamping on miso paste

In olden times, many rural homes made their own miso paste. In our modern day with maschinery to do the job, this is not so common any more.

I remember well helping my neighbour with this each year in February. We made balls of the paste and put it in an earthen jar. It then had to be pressed strongly to get the air out of the pot.
Another form of doing this is to put the paste on a wooden floor, wear straw boots and stamp on it with your feet.
In some areas the paste was then formed into balls and hung from the eaves to dry. When it became autumn, these balls were taken down, split into small pieces and added with salt and yeast (kooji) to prepare the final miso paste.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Hooba miso 朴葉（ほおば）みそ, 朴葉みそ
miso with hooba leaves
from Gifu
often served with Hida beef




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


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


hatchoo miso 八丁味噌 "eighth street miso"
from Ozaki
hatcho-miso

quote
Hatcho Miso has a unique flavour which is made from high-quality soybeans, salt and water. Cooked and mashed soybeans are shaped into small balls and mixed with salty water. Then the Miso ferments for 3 winters. Hatcho Miso is made by the Hatcho Miso Company in Hatcho (Eighth street), to the west of Okazaki castle. The name Hatcho is taken from this location. In the Meiji era, Hatcho Miso became the daily choice of the Emperor of Japan.

Hatcho Miso is less in water and salt content. It is easy to digest due to the aminolysis of the soy protein and is high in vitamins and minerals. Hatcho Miso is a natural food since neither food additives nor pasteurisation is used. Miso has yeast fungi which need carbohydrates, the right temperature and enzymes. Summer in the Tokai area(the middle part of Japan) is hot and the hot weather accelerates yeast fungi fermentation very quickly in kome (rice)-miso or mugi (barley)-miso. Thus Hatcho Miso developed mame (beans)-miso which contains less carbohydrates and tolerates the hot weather much better. Hatcho Miso was Tokugawa Ieyasu's favourite and his armies were supplied with the miso because it can be stored for quite a while and can be portable due to its reduced water content. It also has been taken on Japanese expeditions to the South Pole.

History
Hatcho is the place where Hatcho Miso originated and it is "hatcho= eight cho"(cho is an old unit of length used in Japan to measure distance: one cho is equal to 108 metres) away from Okazaki castle where Tokugawa Ieyasu, who founded the Edo feudal government, lived. The Hatcho is located on the banks of the Yahagi River, as it was easy to transport soybeans and sea salt there. Also Hatcho is the best place where high-quality springwater is easily accessible from the granitoid ground in Okazaki and is endowed with the right temperature and suitable humidity in order to make Hatcho Miso. Yahagi soybeans or Nanbu soybeans (Touhoku) and Aiba salt (Kira at the mouth of Yahagi River) were mainly used back then, however currently the ingredients are from all over the nation such as soybeans from Hokkaido and sea salt from Okinawa.

Salt, lumber for miso vats (considered to be Yoshino cedar) and river stones for piling on miso were transported by ship. Half a shipful of salt was unloaded at this place and the rest was carried to Asuke at the upper reaches of the Yahagi River. The salt was transported on foot or by horse from there to Shiojiri along a road called "shio no michi (The road of salt)". Then the empty ship was loaded with a lot of river stones and brought them back to Hatcho. Thus the river stones used currently are from Asuke. It was paid for by miso as a replacement for money and the ship owner left acertain amount of miso for himself and sold the rest in Osaka or Edo.

We come back to the Hatcho Miso.
Savory Hatcho Miso was well appreciated by Tokugawa's armies due to its mobility and long storage resulted from less salt content. Hatcho Miso spread throughout Edo (now Tokyo) as Tokugawa moved the capital to Edo. It also spread throughout the country due to feudal lords' Mandatory Alternate Residence System in Edo. Nevertheless Hatcho Miso currently holds only a10% share whereas kome-miso (rice miso) takes about 80%. The first biggest damage to Hatcho Miso was because of the Tokyo Earthquake in 1923. White kome-miso was brought from Nagano prefecture in relief supplies to help out victims. Furthermore, the Second World War made Hatcho Miso almost completely disappear by bringing kome-miso into the Kanto area as relief supplies. Although Hatcho Miso disappeared, it got the right to supply the Japanese royal family in 1892 and became the daily choice of the Emperor. Even though the system was abolished in 1954, Hatcho Miso is still the Emperor's favorite miso.

"Akadashi Hatcho Miso" is a combination of Hatcho Miso and shiro-miso.
"Tamari" is a fallout of Hatcho Miso. Tamari is the liquid piled up on top of Hatcho Miso during fermentation. It is preferred in the place where mame-miso is eaten.

Much more is here
source : www.yamasa.org


Hatcho Miso Kyarameru 八丁味噌キャラメル Caramels
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Hatchoo Miso Aisu 八丁味噌アイス icecream, Miso ice cream
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




mukashimiso, mukashi miso 昔みそ "Miso like in olden times"
prepared by a family in Nerima, Tokyo
in the old style, whith Japanese ingredients and all made by hand.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

tekkamiso, tekka miso てっかみそ【鉄火味噌】 "red hot miso"
red Hatcho miso, mixed with roasted soy beans and chopped burdock or carrots, fried in oil, with sugar, mirin and chili peppers added.
Yamanashi prefecture
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
it is often prepared to eat on top of a bowl of rice or sold in glas bottles.
Reference : Tekka Miso Condiment


*****************************
Worldwide use

das Miso
Paste aus vergorenen Sojabohnen
Misosuppe
in Miso Eingelegtes (misozuke)
Miso-Seiher (misokoshi)


Mamemiso, das nur aus Sojabohnen,
Komemiso, das aus Sojabohnen und Reis und
Mugimiso, das aus Sojabohnen und Gerste besteht.

wikipedia : Soyabohnenpaste

miso mo fun mo issho ni suru
miso mo kuso mo issho de aru
Gutes und Schlechtes durcheinander mischen.
lit. Miso und Kacke durcheinander mischen.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Miso Minzokugaku 民俗学研究 Volkskunde

（卯・辰の日に味噌を作ること）

Shiga ken, Takashima town 滋賀県高島市

Am Tag des Hasen (u no hi) und des Drachen (tatsu no hi) darf man keine Miso machen.
昔、カツという人が味噌を作ってはいけないといわれている卯・辰の日に味噌をつき、弁当のおかずにしてカツ山で仕事をしていた。すると岩が落ちてきて、下敷きになって死んでしまったという。
http://www.nichibun.ac.jp/YoukaiCard/2363314.shtml
http://www.nichibun.ac.jp/cgi-bin/YoukaiDB2/namazu.cgi?query=%cc%a3%c1%b9

味噌長者
貧しい夫婦のところに、痩せ細ったみずぼらしい旅の坊さんが一夜の宿を求めてきた。夫婦は食事すら差し上げることができないからと断ったが、坊さんがそれでもいいと言ったので、夫婦は快く泊めてあげた。翌日、坊さんは家を去るときに何かを念じながら庭にあった古い瓶の周りを廻った。瓶の中には味噌が入っており、それはいくら使ってもなくならなかった。夫婦はそれを売って味噌長者と呼ばれるほど富裕な暮らしができるようになった。
Hyogo prefecture

巳の日 Tag der Schlange im Juni
6月の巳の日が3つあるときに味噌を煮ると、死んでしまってその味噌を食べないものが出るといわれている。
Miyagi prefecture


異僧，麹味噌
ある夫婦者は常に普門品を読むほど信心篤かったが、家貧しく草鞋をつくって生計を立てていた。ある時異僧が家に来て一夜を乞うた。夫婦は貧しさ故断ったが、僧は主人と寝食を共にしたいと、結局宿泊する事になった。翌朝僧は草履を請い、これを履いてぬかみそ桶の周りを、慈願視衆生福聚無量と唱えて出て行った。その桶を開けると麹味噌になっていた。近所の者にあげても尽きなかった。
Hyogo prefecture


山の婆 The old mountain witch and one grain of miso
和尚さんに言われて、小僧が山へ薪をとりに行った昼に味噌の入った握り飯を食べるとき、味噌を一粒落としてしまった。帰りに小僧は山の婆に襲われた。小僧は和尚さんからもらったお札の力で寺まで逃げ戻った。寺まできた鬼婆を和尚は一粒の味噌に化けさせ、小僧に食べさせた。婆は味噌が化けたものだった。
Iwate prefecture


Shamoji rock 杓子岩
箱神社の近くにある杓子岩は、夜に人が通ると「味噌をくれ」と言って杓子を突き出したので、この名をつけられたという。味噌を持って歩く人もそうはいないだろうから、元々味噌を供えて祭った石かと思われる。
Okayama prefecture


*****************************
Things found on the way

Miso paste called DARUMA
大だるまみそ


from Fukui, Onoya 平成大野屋
福井県大野市元町１番２号






. "Lucky Ears" (fukumimi 福耳) Miso .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


soba miso そば味噌
with a Daruma Label !


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Miso Jizoo, the Bean Paste Jizo
みそ地蔵, ミソ地蔵, 味噌地蔵



*****************************
HAIKU

寒菊や粉糠のかかる臼の端　
kangiku ya ko nuka no kakaru usu no hata - (konuka)

chrysanthemums in the cold -
from the edge of a millstone
rice bran spills over
Tr. Gabi Greve

- Further discussion of this hokku :
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


. fuyugiku 冬菊 winter chrysanthemum .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. WKD : Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 in Edo .

おのが味噌のみそ臭さをしらず
your own soybean paste is the only one that doesn't stink like soybean paste --

そば国のたんを切つつ月見哉
蕎麦国のたんを切りつつ月見哉
soba-guni no tan wo kiritsutsu tsukimi kana

flying high praising
local buckwheat noodles
they view the moon
Tr. Chris Drake

The proverb given in the headnote refers to the strong smell or mild stink given off by the fermented soybeans used to make miso beanpaste. Most people I know do not like this stink, which these days is reduced by various styles of processing. Thus the proverb is saying that people only smell the stink of others' bean paste and think the stink of their own bean paste is pleasingly fragrant. This proverb is of course used to refer to self-centeredness, egoism, following self-interest, and so on
. Chris Drake - comments on this Issa Haiku .


. WKD : Buckwheat noodles (soba 蕎麦) .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


フウフする　夫婦仲良く　お味噌汁
fuufu suru fuufu nakayoku o-misoshiru

blowing it cool -
the old couple slurping
miso soup

Gabi Greve 2005
Couple's Day, Februaray 2


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


a haiku blog basically, by ALISON
miso soup

haiku talk -
the orange juice comes with
or without bits

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Daruma Miso from Kochi
だるま味噌株式会社


source :　kochilove.blog95


. Daruma from Kochi .


*****************************
Related words

***** Tofu (toofu), bean curd Japan

***** Yumiso 柚味噌 (ゆみそ) miso with yuzu citron


WASHOKU : INGREDIENTS
hachoo
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kaki persimmon Kyorai Arashiyama

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]
. Persimmon legends and art motives .
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Persimmon (kaki)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see WKD
***** Category: Plant

*****************************
Explanation

Kaki, 柿 Persimmon
WKD : Kaki Persimmon (kaki, hoshigaki) as Kigo
WKD... various kigo

Diospyros kaki
Sharon Fruit


Kaki-Plate by Gabi Greve

kakinoki, kaki no ki カキノキ（柿の木）persimmon tree


There are said to be more than 1000 different kinds of KAKI in Japan.
渋柿と甘柿 shibugaki and amagaki, bitter and sweet kaki.

Die Sharonfrucht, die nach der Sharon-Ebene in Israel benannt ist, wird oft durch Chemikalien zur Reifung gebracht.


The most important sweet one is Fuyuugaki (fuyugaki) 富有柿 and Jiroo 次郎.

Bitter ones are Hachiyagaki 蜂屋 , and Hiratanenashi 平核無 （ヒラタネナシガキ）and Hatchingaki 八珍柿（はっちんがき）



anpogaki あんぽ柿（あんぽがき）type of bitter persimmon
from Tottori and and Isazawa, Fukushima
福島県伊達市梁川町五十沢（いさざわ)
They become black and hard when dried.
They can be kept 3 months in the refrigerator.
They are mixed in salads or cut finely and mixed with pickles or in yoghurt.
In Wakayama, they grow a type without kernels.
tanenashi anpogaki たねなしあんぽ柿, hiratanenashi　ひらたねなし



Ichitagaki 市田柿（いちたがき）
The most famous dried persimmon
from Ichita, South Shinshuu, Nagano.
長野県下伊那郡高森町の市田地域
They are eaten for the New Year and other celebrations.
"The more kernels there are in a persimmon eaten on the first of January, the richer you will become during this year".
元旦に食べた干し柿から出てきた種の数が多いほど、
その一年で多くの富を蓄えることができる



One last kaki (or a few) is left on the tree to "watch over it"
(kimori gaki 木守柿) kimamorigaki きまもりがき
kigo for autumn
also called "taking care of the children"
komorigaki こもりがき」
komamorigaki こまもりがき

These fruit are eaten by the birds and badgers and other animals.


momo kuri sannen, kaki hachinen 桃栗３年柿８年..
it takes three years to harvest from a peach or chestnut tree
but it takes eight years to harvest from a persimmon tree.


柿が赤くなると医者が青くなる
When the persimmons get red,
the doctor becomes pale (runs out of business).
Because of its vitamins and minerals it is very healthy.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


kushigaki 串柿 ( くしがき) dried persimmons on a stick

prepared in the town of Shigo, Katsuragi, in Wakayama.
They are used as a decoration for the New Year, placed on the mochi, usually in the Kansai area.
In November, there is a Shigo Persimmon Festival
They are grown in the mountains and harvested each day for two month to prepare the dried fruit on skewers, 10 each, for good luck. This is a play with words:
Soto nikoniko, uchi mutsumajii ...
Outside smiling (two and two),
inside a harmonious couple (six on the inside).
So they are put on the stick in the order of two ... six ... two.
The farmer's wife puts them on skewers from morning to evening, for two months. The son binds them in layers to hang out for drying. They are dried under roofs outside and have to be taken care of when the mountain fog comes up. All are quite exhausted each year when the persimmon harvest is over ... and not even a fruit to eat.
auf Spießen getrocknete Persimonen


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




korogaki 枯露柿 / 古老柿 （ころがき）
bitter persimmons made sweet
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

It is the job of the farmer to get the persimmons down from the tree. The fomenfolk then do the other preparations.
The skin is peeled, they are then dried in the sunshine for a week or longer in special store shelters outside, until they are very dry and show a white powder outside, which is the natural sugar to make them taste sweet.
They were a special winter treet for many villagers in the mountains and used also for the new year decorations, like the kushigaki above.


Housewifes in the area near Uji in Kyoto also use these korogaki, add some yuzu peel and roll them to small sweets



kakiguruma 柿車 "persimmon rolls"


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Monbei-Gaki 紋平柿(もんべいがき)
aus Takamatsu. a bitter variety, about 300 g heavy.



. WASHOKU
Yamato no tsurushigaki 大和のつるし柿 　
dried persimmons from Nara prefecture
and other persimmon dishes from the Yamato area


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Persimmons in local lore

Once Saint Shinran 親鸞聖人 (1173-1262) on his way to exile in Echigo (now Niigata) stayed over night in a farmhouse. He told the eager farmer Tsujihara Saemon 辻源左ェ門 all about his religion, the New Pure Land Buddhism.
Outside an old grandmother 経田屋太兵衛の老婆 heared his sermon. The next morning, when Shinran passed Keitaya 経田屋, she gave him some persimmons on a stick to eat. Shinran was very pleased about this. He took three seeds out of the persimmons, which had been grilled in the hearth and were half-black, and planted them in the garden,saying: "May they bring forth buds and be witness to my beliefs!" 我が末法世に栄えるならば再び芽を生ぜよ (this is a legend, of course). And for sure, over night three young sprouts came out of the earth and grew into three persimmon trees "sanbongaki" 三本柿. The fruit and kernels of these persimmons have black spots (from the hearth fire) to this day.
Thus the whole village took the name of "persimmon village" kakigichoo 柿木町. People who tried to cut them down were severely punished. One still exists today, with replants over the years. In 1956, the town build a fence around it.
There is now one tree at the tempel Tsujitokuhoo-Ji 辻徳法寺 and its fruit have black spots as if they had been burned down. The abbot knows this: "The three trees in front of Keitaya 経田屋 became old and dry over the years, but one of them was planted to the temple and survived there, and the two others are now lost."
Niigata (Toyama) prefecture, Kurobe Town,Shimoniikawa 新川（にいかわ）/ 黒部市三島


And a sweet with white beans and dried persimmons sold in Kurobe Town in honor of this legend.


黒部市三日市 Kurobe Town , Mikkaichi Town


There is even a haiku about these trees.

佛恩の柿の茂りと見上げたり
butsuon no kaki no shigeri to miagetari

I look up to it -
this leafy persimmon tree
with a Buddha legend

Igarashi Bansui (1899-1920) 五十嵐播水



Shinran had been in exile for five years in Echigo (now Niigata), but was pardoned in1211.
Saint Shinran / More in the WIKIPEDIA !
Shinran lebte 5 Jahre im Exil in Echigo. Neue Joodo Sekte des Reinen Landes. 浄土真宗


. . . . .

Der Heilige Shinran und die drei Persimonenbäume
Shinran (1173-1263) war ein buddhistischer Mönch, bekannt als Begründer der „Neue Sekte vom Reinen Land“. Er studierte zunächst mehr als 20 Jahre lang in Kyoto im Bergkloster auf dem Hiei-Zan, distanzierte sich dann aber von der Lehre des esoterischen Buddhismus und folgte Honen (1133-1212), der die „Sekte vom Reinen Land“ begründet hatte und eine einfache, fromme Anrufung des Buddha Amida propagierte. Nach Streitereien mit den orthodoxen Lehren des Buddhismus wurde Honen und bald auch Shinran in die Verbannung geschickt. Auf seinem Weg in die Verbannung nach Echigo (heute die Präfektur Niigata) ereignete sich die folgende Episode.

Shinran übernachtete im Haus des Bauern Tsujihara Sa-emon in einem Dorf in der Nähe der heutigen Stadt Kurobe. Die beiden Herren verstanden sich auf Anhieb und Shinran verbrachte die ganze Nacht damit, dem Bauern seine Lehre zu predigen. Eine alte Nachbarin hörte ebenfalls interessiert zu. Als Shinran am nächsten morgen weiterziehen wollte, kam die Alte und brachte ihm ein paar Persimonen als Wegzehrung. Er verpeiste sie sofort, nahm die drei Kerne, die von der Herdasche schon fast schwarz waren, und pflanzte sie im Vorgarten der alten Frau mit dem Spruch: „Mögen sie sprießen und Frucht bringen, so wie meine neue Lehre!“ Und siehe da, bereits am nächsten Morgen begannen sie zu sprießen und drei stattliche Persimonenbäume wuchsen heran. Die Früchte und die Kerne haben bis heute schwarze Stellen.

Diese drei Bäume wurden liebevoll gepflegt und immer wieder durch Aufpfropfen erhalten, aber zwei davon gingen im Laufe der Zeit doch ein, während der dritte nach dem Umpflanzen in das Gelände des Tempels Tsujitokuhoo-Ji bis heute überlebt hat und hinter einem stattlichen Steinzaun hoch aufragt. (foto erwünscht)
In der Stadt Kurobe wird heute in Erinnerung an den Aufenthalt des Heiligen Shinran eine Waffel mit süßem weißem Bohnenmus und kleinen Persimonenstücken verkauft, die den stolzen Namen trägt „Die drei Persimonenbäume“ (sanbongaki).

Als der Haiku-Meister Igarashi Bansui (1899-1920) einmal hier vorbeikam, schrieb er folgendes Kurzgedicht:

butsu-on no kaki no shigeri to miagetari

hoch sehe ich auf –
dieser grünende Persimonenbaum
mit einer Buddhalegende


Die „Sekte des reinen Landes“ nach den Lehren von Honen und Shinran, mit dem Westlichen und Östlichen Tempel Hongan-Ji in Kyoto als Mittelpunkt, ist inzwischen weltweit verbreitet. Auch in Deutschland gibt es Gruppen, die dieser Lehre folgen.


. Honganji 本願寺 Hongan-Ji, Hongwanji . Kyoto


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




Rakushisha 落柿舎（らくししゃ）
"Hermitage of the fallen persimmon"
is the cottage of Genroku poet Mukai Kyorai 向井去来.
Kyorai was one of ten disciples of the haiku poet, Matsuo Basho.

The cottage was listed in the Shui Miyako Meisho Zue, an Edo period travel book that listed famous places to see in Kyoto. The name of the place is derived from a story of how Kyorai achieved enlightenment.
As the story goes, Kyorai had forty persimmon (kaki) trees planted around the hut. One autumn, when they were heavy with fruit, he had arranged to sell the persimmons. But during the night before they were to be picked, a great storm arose. The following morning, not a single persimmon remained on the trees. As a result Kyorai was enlightened and from that point forward called the hut and garden, Rakushisha or 'the cottage of the fallen persimmons'. The poem he wrote for the occasion is inscribed on a stone in the garden:

かきぬしや こずえはちかき あらしやま
柿主や梢はちかきあらし山
kakinushi ya kozue wa chikaki Arashiyama

Master of Persimmons
Treetops are close to
Arashiyama

There's a bit of word play here. Arashiyama is a mountain near Kyoto but it means literally 'Storm Mountain'.

Basho visited here three times, in 1689, 1691 and 1694.
source : jgarden.org : Rakushisa


Main Entry
. Mukai Kyorai 向井去来 (むかい きょらい) .
1651 - 1704



. Mukai Chine 向井千子 . (? - 1688)
his sister, who died very young, age 25 only.



source :　Naokimi Yamada - facebook

yagate chiru . . .


Basho in Saga
Eight Basho haiku, one renku, seven passages of prose and two of his letters,
Translations and Commentary by Jeff Robbins - Assisted by Sakata Shoko
- source : writersinkyoto.com - (Robbins) -


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



Arashiyama 嵐山 "Storm Mountain"
is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto, Japan. It also refers to the mountain across the Ōi River, which forms a backdrop to the district. Arashiyama is a nationally-designated Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty.



Iwatayama Monkey Park
"Moon Crossing Bridge" (渡月橋,Togetsukyō), Togetsukyo
tombstone of the Heike courtesan Kogo of Sagano
hamlet of Kiyotaki and Mt Atago
Kameyama koen
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


六月や峯に雲置あらし山
rokugatsu ya mine ni kumo oku Arashiyama

Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉


the six month -
clouds are laying on the summit
of Mount Arashiyama
Tr. Gabi Greve



the sixth month --
with clouds laid on its summit
Mount-Arashi
Tr. Ueda Makoto


Basho is referring to the sixth lunar month.


. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Dishes with persimmons 柿料理 kaki ryoori



The most representative food of autumn in Japan.
Rich in vitamin C and carotin.

They can be cut finely and mixed with meat and curry dishes.
The stem is dried and made in to a kind of Chinese medicine, shitii 柿蒂（シテイ), good for cough.

The leaves contain Vitamin C, B and K and other minerals. They are also made to a kind of tea-medicine. Their antibacterial properties make them good for wrapping sushi rice.
kaki no ha sushi （柿の葉寿司）
(kakinoha sushi) Sushi-Reis umwickelt mit Persimonen-Blättern
The fresh leaves of spring are made into tempura.



kaki no sunomono 柿の酢の物 prepared with sweet vinegar
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

kaki no aemono 柿の和え物 with tofu dressing
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


kaki no ha sushi （柿の葉寿司）Sushi wrapped in Persimmon leaves
speciality from Nara, Wakayama, Ishikawa prefectures.
In Nara, the leaves are pickled with salt and let ferment. It is sold at the airport and train stations.
Meat from Salmon, tai and anago is put on the sushi rice.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



often used in the temple kitchen
for shoojin ryoori 精進料理.

jamu 柿ジャムpersimmon jam

Wagashi . Japanese Sweets
Persimmon and Sweets

*****************************
Worldwide use

Persimone, Diospyros kaki. Kakipflaume; Sharonfrucht.


*****************************
Things found on the way


*****************************
HAIKU



串柿が障子に残す影三つ　　
kushigaki ga shooji ni nokosu kage mitsu

three shadows
from persimmons on a stick
on the paper door　　

Hayu はゆ

kushigaki, kigo for autumn

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


柿くへば鐘が鳴るなり法隆寺　
kaki kueba / the famous persimmon haiku
Masaoka Shiki
kaki kueba kane ga naru nari Horyuji


*****************************
Related words

***** aogaki 青柿 (あおがき) green persimmon
kigo for late summer


***** WASHOKU : INGREDIENTS

. PLANTS - - - the Complete SAIJIKI . 　

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #kaki #persimmon -
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::