Author Archives: Da✿

Abura-tenjin-yama 油天神山 This float enshrines Michizane Sugawara deified as Tenjin (Deity of thunder), a renowned scholar statesman who lived about 1,100 years ago. A small Tenjin shrine dedicated to Michizane, the patron of scholastic achievements, exist in the neighborhood of Abura-no-koji St., after which this float is named. This float has a vermilion torii gateContinue reading “2019jul16 • Gion Matsuri • Abura-tenjin-yama 油天神山”

Kakkyo-yama 郭巨山 (かっきょやま) This float, also known as Kama-hori-yama (literally “Pot-digging float”), is named after “Kakkyo”, the central character of one of the stories of “The Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars,” a classic text of Confucian filial piety from China. The character Kakkyo, who lived during the later Han dynasty (China) in the 1st – 3rd century,Continue reading “2019jul16 • Gion Matsuri • Kakkyo-yama 郭巨山”

Tsuki-hoko 月鉾 This float derives its name from a crescent moon on the top of its pole. Halfway up the pole the deity of the moon known as Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto, is enshrined. The gorgeous pictures of flowers and grasses on the lower side of the eaves of this float were rendered in 1784 by Maruyama Okyo,Continue reading “2019jul16 • Gion Matsuri • Tsuki-hoko 月鉾”