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7/31/2011

Fuku Nezumi Lucky Mouse

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fuku nezumi 福鼠 lucky mouse / rat
fukunezumi

This is a white mouse 白鼠, which brings good luck to a home.
It is the messenger of the Deity of Good Luck, Daikoku.


. Daikoku Ten 大黒天 .



source : upp.so-net.ne.jp

The Lucky Mouse from Shimane


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quote
A legend about the white mouse

Once upon a time, a very long time, there lived a grandfather in the village who worked all day long.
Yet despite all his hard work, he was very poor.
Then one day on the second day of January, grandfather had a remarkable first dream in the new year.

Within the sparkling rays of the sun, an old man with a long stick appeared and said:
"I am a messenger of the God. You are really working very hard, but if this continues, you will still not become rich.
If you cut vegetables in the kitchen, you wash the leftovers down the sink and it gets clogged and smells and becomes really dirty.
Go clean the drain and the sewer and see what happens. I am sure, something good will come of it!"
and thus the old man vanished.

When grandfather woke up, he went out and cleaned the gutters.
And whow, a mouse appeared. It was black and very fat.
The mouse came into the house, jumped here and there and even on the Shelf of the Gods in the back room.



It hid behind the white rice cakes that were offered to the gods and after a while the mouse became all white itself, even the face was now white.

From that day on, when grandfather went to work in his fields, the white mouse followed him. With its small paws it dug up and turned the soil and helped the best it could.

Grandfather could work more and little by little, sold his vegetables and made a little money. After a while, his life became quite comfortable.

Well, as with all things, there was an old neighbour who observed all this with great envy.

The neighbour went to borrow the white mouse, set up some rice cakes in his home and tried to lure the mouse. In the evening, he tugged it into his bed and watched what happened from behind the sliding door.

The white mouse nibbled at the rice cakes - kari kari - and at night it produced a good pile of shit. But whow, even the shit seemed to shimmer white.

"Now I see", mumbled the neighbour.

"This mouse eats rice cakes and shits at night, but the shit is all made of silver.
Now I know why Grandpa has become so rich!"


When he looked at the room next morning, there were quite a lot of white mice running around.

"Well, you brought all your friends, my dear!
Thank you so much. That means a lot more shit tonight!"

he grinned all over his face and patted the white mouse on its head.

But whow again, the mouse sneezed a loud "chuuuuz" and suddenly became black again.
Suddenly all the other mise also sneezes "chuuuz" and turned black to real mice.
And even the shining silver shit on his floor turned black ... whow and thus his house was now full of the shit of the black mice.

Or so they told me.
source : hukumusume.com


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Lucky Mouse for the Year of the Mouse

. The Asian Lunar Calendar .


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. . . CLICK here for Photos !

. Reference .


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Lucky Mouse, Cat and Daruma
招き猫とだるまと福ねずみ



source : www.upsold.com

. Cats and Daruma, Manekineko 招き猫とだるま .



a lucky mouse
for the New Year -
legends of Old







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. Regional Folk Toys from Japan .

. Regional Folk Toys from Shimane .

. Ne 子 / nezumi 鼠  Rat, Mouse Amulets .


. Tohoku after the BIG earthquake March 11, 2011

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7/30/2011

Kirinjishi Tottori Hyogo

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Kirinjishi 麒麟獅子 Kirin Lion Head


CLICK for more photos

kirin jishi 麒麟獅子(きりんじし)kirin lion head
for the lion dance in spring and autumn.

This kind of mask is also made in Tajima 但馬, Northern Hyogo prefecture.

In 1650, the lord of Tottori, Ikeda Mitsunaka 池田光仲 ordered the construction of a Toshogu shrine to honor Tokugawa Ieyasu in Tottori.
This mask was used for the lion dance to honor the founder of the Edo Bakufu government.

shrine Ouchidani Jinja 樗谿神社
former Inaba Tooshoogu 因幡東照宮

giraffe lion dance, Kirin lion dance

Tottori is often called
Land of the Kirin 麒麟の王国.


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quote
The Kirin Dance of Inaba - Inaba no Kirin Shishi-mai
is performed by a group of about ten people. Two of them constitute the kirin, one playing the part of the forelegs and wearing a golden head-mask, the other being hind legs, both dressed in a bright mantle-like garment. The kirin dances to the tune of flutes, drums and bells. The group is led by a shojo character 猩猩, 猩々 (see below). The movement is elegant and slow, unlike many other lion dances in Japan, and is reminiscent of the traditional Japanese theatrical art of No.

The dance is performed at annual festivals of local shrines in the Inaba area of eastern Tottori Prefecture, altogether close to 150 in number. Two-thirds of the festivals are in spring in prayer for wishing a good autumn rice harvest, and most of the rest are in autumn as a mode of thanksgiving. The kirin head-masks are stored in each shrine and taken out for festivals.

The dancers are young men who belong to the ujiko of each shrine. An ujiko is a group of community people who are followers/worshipers at the community shrine, and who also help in many ways in the administrative chores of the shrine.

The lion dance is found in abundance in Japan. Characteristic of this Kirin Dance of Inaba is the head-mask which is in the shape of kirin - a mythical creature of high virtue, born out of Chinese mythology more than 2500 years ago, which looks part lion-dragon and part unicorn. The slow and elegant movement of the kirin is also very unique.

History
The history of the Kirin Dance of Inaba goes back about 350 years. In 1650, the beginning of the Edo period (1603-1868), the first generation lord of the feudal Tottori clan, the Ikeda family, Ikeda Mitsunaka, constructed in Tottori a large shrine, a sort of branch shrine of the famous Nikko Toshogu Shrine, wherein was enshrined Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo Shogunate.

Ikeda also introduced a new form of lion dance to dedicate this newly constructed Tottori Toshogu Shrine. Before, the head-mask for the lion dance in this area was a normal lion. He introduced the kirin, whose figure is famous in the wood-carved decoration of Nikko Toshogu, and the tengu, long-nosed goblin, which led the lion dance troupe, was replaced by shojo, a mythical creature of Chinese origin with red hair like an orangutan, almost as old as the kirin.

Thus the kirin image, born in China probably more than 2500 years ago, and conveyed to Japan in the seventh to eighth century AD, was introduced into the Lion Dance of Inaba.

At first, the Kirin dance was confined to the Tottori Toshogu Shrine, which was also a family shrine to lord Ikeda, but later, spread to neighbouring shrines of smaller scale, all over Inaba area and some neighbouring areas. Today this number is up to 148 shrines.
The dance has been treasured by local people, but in recent years there is a lack of young performers in some of the troupes.

There are 148 kirin headdresses in Inaba area (eastern Tottori Prefecture)and there are 14 in Tajima area (northern part of Hyogo Prefecture). In addition, there are two kirin heads found in Tottori town, Kushiro city in Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan, where some people from Tottori immigrated about a hundred years ago.

MORE
source : www.accu.or.jp

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Kirin 麒麟 Kirin, Kilin, Kylin - not the giraffe



Legendary animal from China.
Body like a deer, tail like an ox, hoofs like a horse, forehead like a wolf, with wings to take off to the clouds. Appears when a king was crowned in ancient China. Today a good beer!

. Engimono 縁起物 little things for good luck.



Surimono, artist unknown, 19th c.


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. . . CLICK here for Photos !

. Reference .

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麒麟から獅子まで雪の降り止まず
kirin kara shishi made yuki no furiyamazu

from the Kirin
to the lion head
snow does not stop falling


Shimada Kajoo 島田牙城

source : www.kanshin.com


from the Kirin
to the Chinese lion, snow
does not stop falling






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. Kirin Beer キリンビール .


. Shishigashira 獅子頭 lion head mask .


. Folk Toys from Tottori .


. kirinsoo 麒麟草 "giraffe plant" .
Sedum aizoon. Fetthenne



. Tohoku after the BIG earthquake March 11, 2011

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7/28/2011

Anesama dolls

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Anesama ningyoo 姉様人形 "elder sister" dolls
"big sister" doll. anesan doll

A paper doll in the form of a kimono-clad woman.



quote
There is a long history to these paper dolls.
In the Japanese feudal society, the common people were stuck within the social class in which they were born. These dolls were a way for young girls of the lower social classes to be a part of those other classes even if only through child's play. Most times, these anesama ningyoo were made by the elder sisters or women of the families.

That is where the name originates. These dolls originally were made of various materials ranging from wood to rags. Eventually paper was used and chiyogami (Japanese paper covered with colorful patterns) allowed girls to have a wider array of kimonos for their dolls. I have never seen faces put onto these dolls and personally think that it would detract from the elegant simplicity of these dolls.
How to make them yourself:
source : ilive





. Chiyogami 千代紙 printed paper .

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Shiori Dolls しおり人形 bookmark dolls


Anesama ningyo and shiori ningyo
(literally "big sister dolls" and "bookmark dolls," ) are made of washi paper. Anesama ningyo tend to be three-dimensional, whereas shiori ningyo are flat. Anesama ningyo often have elaborate hairstyles and costumes made of high-quality washi paper. They often lack facial features.
Those from Shimane prefecture are especially famous.

. Anesama dolls from Shimane 島根 .


A hybrid of anesama ningyo and shiori nyngyo, called shikishi ningyo, has become popular in recent years. Shikishi ningyo are a type of Japanese paper dolls made with figures and scenes and are mounted on shikishi, a rectangular fancy cardboad about a square foot (about a tenth of a square meter) in size.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !



shikishi ningyoo 色紙人形 paper dolls on a cardboard

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Ehime, Matsuyama 愛媛松山姉様

Their refined face is made like the princess Daruma dolls from clay, adorned with decorated hair made from washi paper.
Her robe is usually from red paper.



The one in the middle is from Matsuyama.
Left one from Aizu, right one from Kumamoto


Kochi Tosa 土佐姉様



First made by for sale by 山本香泉 Yamamoto Kosen, a painter from Osaka. The doll maker family in the second generation - Her daughter moved to Shiga and made
Koosen ningyoo 香泉人形 Kosen Dolls.
But now extinct.

Made again here
岡内秀一「土佐民芸社」:高知市南はりまや町1
source : asahi-net.or.jp/~SA9S-HND

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Anesama dolls are quite popular in Tohoku. They have been made in all the castle towns since the end of the Edo period. Some low-ranking samurai made them for sale during the seasonal temple festivals, to gain some money.

. Fukushima - Aizu Anesama 会津姉様 Elder Sister Doll .
from Aizu Wakamatsu, Fukushima





Sendai anesama ningyoo 仙台姉様人形 - Miyagi
Sendai oiran 仙台花魁 Sendai Geisha dolls with elaborate hair decorations

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Ishikawa  石川県

Kanazawa no tachikosan 金沢の姉様(たちこさん)



The face is covered with silk cloth, but not painted. The hair decoration is usually red, hair made from black paper.


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Nagano 長野県 




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Wakayama 和歌山県



Only a head with hair decoration. The strong Washi paper is pressed around a stick to imitate the different hairstyles of the time.
They were made even in private homes until the middle of the Showa period.


source : s.webry.info/sp/ikuiku-1919


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Yamagata 山形県

- quote -
Shonai Anesama
The wives of the feudal retainers in the Shonai Domain started to make this paper doll to amuse themselves in the late Edo period.



The Shonai Anesama includes both female and male dolls, and children would dress it up, play house and use it during the Girl’s Festival.
- source : loveartlab.me -


. Tsuruoka mingei 鶴岡民芸 folk art from Tsuruoka - Shonai 庄内 .

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- - - 姉さま人形 - Exhibition - - -
紙を細筆の軸やお箸で巻いて縮めて髪型をつくり、千代紙の着物を着せた江戸姉様、松本姉様などの紙人形や、庄内姉様のような髪を結った頭が中心で簡単な胴だけの着せ替え姉様、布製の姉様がある。


In the middle are Sendai Geisha dolls.

Hyogo - Kobe 兵庫県 神戸市

Kobe Okatasama 神戸姉さま- Okatasan おかたさん



Further dolls from this exhibition
金沢の姉様(たちこさん) Kanazawa no Tachikosan

- source : ikuiku-1919.at -


- source : japan-toy-museum -
Nakanino Kodera-cho, Himeji-shi Hyogo

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Shimane - Anesama dolls from Matsue town,
姉様人形 松江
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

- quote -
Matsue Anesama
is believed to have originated as a way of amusement among the daughters of samurai families and the women in the harem of the feudal lord in the Matsue Domain. She is one of the paper dolls that date back to the Edo period. Although her kimono is only a simple red and green, her beauty is bewitching. Matsue Anesama comes in a set of three sisters that represent a woman’s journey from a child into a young girl into a bride.
- source : loveartlab.me -

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Shizuoka anesama 静岡姉様 "elder sister" dolls from Shizuoka



- quote -
Shizuoka Anesama originated near the castle in the Sunpu Domain and was also affectionately known as Hiinakko (‘dollie’). The Shizuoka Anesama is believed to be based on a courtesan, although she wears her hair in an unusual manner. Her kimono is made from Edo chiyogami and Echizen chiyogami paper, and her charm lies in her tall posture and refined backside.
- source : loveartlab.me -

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Edo anesama 江戸姉様 "elder sister" dolls from Edo

The laidies in waiting at Edo castle seem to be the first to spend their time making these paper dolls.
The face is often made with white washi paper.




- quote -
These dolls date back to at least the eighteenth century. Simple anesama ningyou were made by creating a doll’s head, hair (often designed to emulate a Shimada hairstyle) and neck out of washi paper and then covering the neck with a folded chiyogami washi kimono and obi. While they were once playthings for children, they are now purely for display.



The doll’s hair is made of bamboo and decorated with paper mizuhiki cords and red threads.
- source : nihon no ningyou -


. Tokyo and Edo Folk Art .


More anesama paper dolls on pinterest
- source : www.pinterest.com/ -

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- A legend from Kumagaya 熊谷市, Saitama

okinosan おきのさん Okino San
okiyosan おきよさん Okiyo San / okinusan おきぬさん Okinu san

A kind of kitchen deity お勝手の神様.
The woman who work in the kitchen pray to her every day, offering water and rice.

The face is made from old paper of used paper sliding doors wrapped around old wooden chopsticks. The robes are made of old cloth. The old ones did not have a face with eyes, nose or mouth.
They are made every year toward the end of the year, and the old doll is floated down the local river with prayers.
If by bad luck there are two of these dolls in one room, there will be misfortune in the home.


source : Kumagaya digital museum

In the whole region of Kumayaga the tradition of Anesams Dolls is strong,
These dolls are quite helpful and are venerated in a special House Altar in the kitchen, they help supervise the silk worms. If the bride of the house is lazy, Okino san comes to scold and push her to work more.
If a woman prays to her in the evening, she will come at night to help.
Sometimes she looks like a snake, the alter-ego of Benten san 弁天様.


. Legends from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .

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. gonin anesama 五人姉様 five Anesama dolls .
from Sakamoto Katsu 坂本カツ, Kumamoto, Uto 宇土

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. Chiyogami 千代紙 printed paper .


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source : facebook

by Ishidera Yoshiko 石寺好子

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. . . CLICK here for Photos !

. Reference .



. Chiyogami 千代紙 printed paper .



. Hanayome ningyoo 花嫁人形  bride dolls .






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- #anesama #eldersisterdolls -

. Anesama dolls - this BLOG .


. Regional Folk Toys from Japan .


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7/25/2011

Koi carp and fish

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Carp 鯉 koi

Dolls and figures with a carps and other fish.

The carp is an old Chinese symbol of endurance, perseverance and fortitude, also success in a good career and people in Japan began to fly carp streamers to wish their child future success.

When the fish carp flow upstream, they use all their physical power to jump over obstacles, even waterfalls.

Dolls with a carp are given to boys to wish for their healthy growth.

There are dolls with figures of children, especially Kintaro, the Strong Boy.
Also Ebisu, deity of the fishermen.


Some toys feature the sea bream, another auspicious fish.

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Photo : Gabi Greve

. Carp Streamers (koinobori鯉幟) .
Gogatsu koi 五月鯉 carps of the fifth lunar month

kigo for early summer

The most important item for the Boy's Festival

tango no sekku 端午の節句(たんごのせっく)

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koi daki ningyoo 鯉抱き 人形 doll hugging a carp



. . . CLICK here for Photos !





Tsutsumi dolls from Sendai 宮城・仙台堤人形

Look at more
Folk Toys with FISH :
source : kyoudogangu.xii

- - - - -

. Kuramadera no koi ningyoo 鞍馬寺 鯉の人形 Kurama carp dolls .
Kyoto


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Ebisu with a carp えびすと鯉
Ebisu, one of the Seven Gods of Good Luck




. Ebisu with Daruma .
Nakano clay doll 中野の土人形

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Kintaro, the Strong Boy with a Carp
金太郎と鯉





. Kintaroo embracing Daruma だるま抱き金太郎


鯉抱き金太郎
. Tsuyasaki Kintaro with Carp .



- CLICK for more photos -
koi nori dooji 鯉乗り童子 child riding a carp
琉球張子 Ryukru hariko from Okinawa

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quote
sakana no omocha 魚のおもちゃ toys with fish


Tsuyasaki clay doll 津屋崎人形

帖佐人形の鯛乗り恵比寿 Ebisu riding a sea bream
鯛持ち招き猫 manekineko cat with sea bream
鯛乗り童子 child riding a sea bream
鴻巣の鯛車 "sea bream car" from Konosu town
鯛の土笛 clay whistle with a sea bream

Look at many more samples :
source : koharu

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. . . CLICK here for Photos !

. Reference .

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tai mochi ningyoo 鯛持人形 doll holding a sea bream


source : koharu



. . . CLICK here for Photos of sea bream dolls !

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taiguruma, tai kuruma 鯛車 sea bream on wheels

This comes as a papermachee doll or made from wood, so children can pull it.

The most famous places for their production are
Hayato village in Kagoshima 鹿児島県隼人(はやと)町

The God of Diseases is invited to sit on this red fish and swim away in the nearest river.
. Koonosu town in Saitama 埼玉県鴻巣市 .

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Shimane, Izumo 島根県 出雲

. taiguruma 鯛車 sea bream on wheels .
taichoochin, tai choochin 鯛堤灯

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taiguruma from Kagoshima 鹿児島の鯛車



amulet to prevent disease
It is made of wood and children can pull it along.

It dates back to the legend of Umi no Sachihiko and Yama no Sachihiko. Yama no Sachihiko came down to the ocean and pulled a fishhook out of the mouth of a sea bream.
The toy is made to look with its head bend as if bowing to the Deity who helped him.

Read the details of the story here :
. Umi no Sachi 海の幸, Yama no Sachi 山の幸 .

Kagoshima shrine is dedicated to these deities.

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Niigata 新潟県
Made from bamboo and washi paper.
A candle could be placed inside and children played with it on summer evenings.


from Makicho village 巻町



Sanjooshi 新潟県三条市 from Sanjo

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kingyo daiwa 金魚台輪 goldfish on wheels
Some where quite large and could be pulled around during festivals and during the O-Bon festival for the ancestors.

- quote -
There are various theories as to whether the Kingyo Daiwa was created in the Edo period or the Meiji, but what we do know is that the Kingyo Daiwa, a traditional toy made of a goldfish lamp attached to a small cart, exists only in Shibata, Niigata.
It’s believed that during the Obon period children would light a candle in the lamp and then pull the cart around to play. Kingyo Daiwa started getting much bigger in the Taisho period, and they are now well known for being paraded around by children during festivals in more than 50 towns. There are a number of monuments based on the Kingyo Daiwa around Shibata and it has become a symbol of the city. Miniature Kingyo Daiwa are also popular as souvenirs.
- source : enjoyniigata.com -


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ganman no tai (gamman) 願満の鯛 
sea bream after the fulfillment of a wish


Usually the word is mangan 満願.


from Kamogawa town, Chiba

The legend takes us back to saint Nichiren.

. Saint Nichiren 日蓮 .
He was born in Awa Kominato 安房小湊, now celebrated at temple Tanjo-Ji  誕生寺 (Birth Temple)。This is one of the most revered temples by the Nichiren sect.

Near the temple is the inlet Tae no Ura 妙の浦(たえのうら), taken from "tai no ura".

The fish amulet has one eye painted in black, the other eye is white.
People pray to the amulet morning and evening, and when the wish is fulfilled, they paint the other eye with black ink and bring the amulet back to the temple.

At Tae no Ura, they believe the tai sea bream is a messenger of Saint Nichiren, or even an incarnation of the Saint himself.
Sea bream is never eaten in this inlet.

It is seldom for sea bream to spawn in such shallow waters, and the fish is under protection there now as a national speciality.

. . . CLICK here for Photos of Taenoura !

Kominato-Zan Tanjoji Temple
source : nichiren-shu.org


By the way, painting the other eye after a wish or vow is fulfilled, reminds us of

. mangan Daruma 満願だるま .


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iwaidai 祝鯛 sea bream for celebrations



A papermachee toy from Shizuoka.
The two fish sticking together are an amulet for strong ties in the family.
It has been made in Shizuoka for more than 150 years by the Zawaya 沢屋 family

other versions are

kakedai 掛鯛 sea bream together
as a New Year decoration with real fish.




. WKD : kakedai 懸鯛(かけだい)"hanging sea bream" .
observance kigo for the New Year

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. WKD : tai 鯛 sea bream, the fish .





kumade  くまで  to rake in good luck

Shared by Kyoko Shibata
Joys of Japan, February 2012


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medetai 目出鯛 auspicious carp
papermachee doll from 三春 Miharu

. Fukushima Folk Art - 福島県 .


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. Daruma on a namazu catfish fish .


. Kibuna, ki-buna 黄鮒 / 黄ぶな yellow crucian carp amulet .
Tochigi


. Medatai, Mede TAI 目出鯛 auspicious sea bream amulet .
Munakata Taisha 宗像大社, Fukuoka


. Namazu なまず / 鯰 catfish legends and toys .


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toto awase 魚魚あわせ fish card memory game
toto karuta 魚魚かるた



CLICK for more photos !

- quote -
Toto-Awase is a memory game in which the players have to match two cards to create a complete fish illustration and the kanji character that represents the name of the fish. Each card also has a brief description of the fish depicted. These fish are all familiar species in Japan and their illustrations have been beautifully done with colorful paper patterns. The game was created by Toto Kobo in Tango Uocchikan Aquarium, located in Miyazu City, Kyoto.


Since its début on the market in the Spring of 2003, Toto-Awase, with its beautiful illustrations, has gained popularity. The game has the added benefit for children of teaching them the various fish species and their respective kanji characters. The total sale of Toto-Awase games has now exceeded 100,000. The game received a Good Design Award in 2005 and a Good Toy Award in 2006. Currently there are eleven different sets of the memory game according to different regions. The illustrations are elaborate collages with colorful papers of traditional patterns and the box containing the cards is decorated in vermillion and ultramarine - the quintessential colors of Japan.
An English version is also made under the name “Card Game Sushi Bar” and it is popular as a souvenir for people to bring abroad.
- source : nippon-kichi.jp -




- source : toto kobo 魚魚工房 -




. Karuta, Uta Karuta 歌留多 card games .

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売れ残るブリキ金魚と梅雨の夜を
urenokoru buriki kingyo to tsuyu no yo o

unsold
tin goldfish and
a night in the rainy season


. Bojo Toshiki 坊城俊樹 .





. kingyo 金魚 goldfish - kigo and art .



kingyo dorei 金魚土鈴 clay bell with a goldfish

. Nara Folk Art - 奈良県 .


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- quote -
Gyogyōshin (gyogyoshin ) 漁業神 
A general term for tutelaries of fishing invoked by fishermen in hopes of abundant catches and safety on the seas.
A wide variety of kami serve as the centers of cults to fishing deities, including funadama (the guardian spirit of a ship), Ebisu, Ōdama, and Ryūjin (dragon kami).
The funadama is a tutelary of ships which assures safety on the seas. References to the term funadama can be found in the "Register of the Kami (Jinmyōchō) within Engishiki, as well as the Shoku Nihongi. Such early references, however, fail to identify funadama with any specific kami, with the result that commentators have claimed funadama to be identical to Sumiyoshi ōkami, Sarutahiko no kami, and a confusing variety of other kami. In any event, the object of the popular funadama cult is generally believed to be female, and thus to forbid the presence of other females on the boat which she protects. Items serving as the kami's physical representation (shintai) may include women's hair, a pair of dice, a pair of male and female dolls, twelve 1-mon coins, or grains; such items are frequently enshrined by the ship carpenter beneath the central mast before the ship is launched. In the event of an untoward event such as a continuing scarcity of fish or the carrying of a dead body found floating in the sea, the ship's carpenter is usually assigned to replace the funadama, but in earlier times, practitioners of Shugendō or female mediums (miko) were also involved.

Another kami also widely invoked for abundant catches of fish was Ebisu. Today, fishing cults are centered primarily at the shrines Miho Jinja in Izumo, and Nishinomiya Jinja in Hyōgo Prefecture, but in addition to the deities of these specific shrines, the popular world of folk belief viewed as "Ebisu" anything with a mysterious power to produce plentiful catches of fish. As a result, objects of worship could include rocks hauled up in nets, debris washed ashore, drifting corpses, and whales and sharks.

In addition, the cult of Ōdama, a "spirit of the nets" can be found particularly in the Inland Sea region, where a special type of fishing float called ebisu-aba serves as the concrete representation (shintai) of the kami.

In some regions, fishing deities take the form of the "dragon deity" (ryūjin) which originated in beliefs in a deity of water (suijin), while in other areas, fishing boats may affix amulets of such kami as Kotohira, Sumiyoshi, or Inari inside the boat.
- source : Suzuki Kentarō Kokugakuin -







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. WKD : Carp and Kigo .
. . . . .and
goldfish named Daruma


. Regional Folk Toys from Japan .


. Tohoku after the BIG earthquake March 11, 2011

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