On February 25th, Kitano Tenmangu Shrine held its annual Baika-sai Plum Blossom Viewing. This festival is a "Nodate" or outdoor tea ceremony hosted by geiko and maiko beneath the beautiful plum blossoms at the shrine.
Because of my Japanese class and tutoring schedule, I missed the actual tea ceremony, but I was still able to enter Sugawara Michizane's plum orchard, enjoy some plum blossom sweets and admire the blooms on my own. They say there are about 2000 plum trees in the orchard with most of the blossoms being either pink or white. It was beautiful and very peaceful.
Perhaps you were wondering... Who is Sugawara Michizane? Well, he was a scholar and politician from the Heian-era (9th c.) who is sort of the patron saint of Kitano Tenmangu shrine. In fact, his nickname "Tenjin-san" is the also the name of the monthly flea-market held on the shrine grounds. The Baika-sai festival has evolved from a prayer ceremony held at his death to ask for repose for his soul. It is said that he was crazy about plum (ume) trees!
I can understand his enthusiasm because the plum is associated with the start of spring, being among the first flowers to bloom. For Kyoto residents, the arrival of spring should mean finally being able to turn off our wimpy space heaters (glorified toasters) and to stop wearing fleeces and/or coats inside. I can only assume that winter felt even colder in the 9th c. since heaters and the like were not around. It's no wonder Tenjin-san loved this harbinger of warmer days.
All together now... Welcome Plum Blossoms! Welcome Spring!
2 comments:
Wow Renee, those blossoms are beautiful. I think they put the cherry blossoms in DC to shame!
And happy Pi day!
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