The Mount Akiba Fire Protection Festival, a traditional fire dance for prosperity/Odawara

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1212060026/

December 7, 2012

A yamabushi drawing a sanskrit character with a torch=Ryōgaku Temple, Mount Akiba, Itabashi, Odawara City

The Mount Akiba Fire Protection Festival took place on the evening of the 6th, conducted by the Ryōgaku Temple of Itabashi, Odawara City. The annual event features a traditional ceremony to burn off one's sins and impurities accumulated over the past year and welcome a prosperous New Year.

After 7:00PM, 30 fully dressed Buddhist priests gather from all over Japan. In a ceremonial dance, Sanskrit characters are drawn in the air with a torch, which acts as an amulet cut off worldly desires and cleanse the area. As the yamabushi continued, temple visitors walked barefoot over flames placed on the ground, praying for health and wellness.

Original text:
伝統行事「秋葉山火防祭」、繁栄願い火の舞／小田原
2012年12月7日

たいまつで梵字を書く山伏＝小田原市板橋の秋葉山量覚

今年一年の罪やけがれを焼き払い、新年の繁栄を願う伝統行事「秋葉山火防（ひぶせ）祭」が６日夜、小田原市板橋の秋葉山量覚院で行われた。

午後７時すぎ、全国から集まった約３０人の修験者装束の山伏が、魔よけの「法剣作法」で場を清め、たいまつで梵字（ぼんじ）を書く火の舞の儀式を披露。山伏に続き、参拝者がおき火の上を素足で歩く火渡りを行い、無病息災を祈願した。

Shooing away the Hitotsume-kozō; Yōkazō reappears during a tradition of Yamato city/Kanagawa

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1212020010/

December 3, 2012

A bamboo cage placed at the building's entrance and Yōkazō, the Hitotsume-kozō (one-eyed boy) doll=The Yamato Furusato Museum (Japanese site) of Shimotsuruma, Yamato City

At Shimotsuruma, Yamato City's Furusato Museum, "Yōkazō" the one-eyed boy reappears in a traditional evil cleansing ceremony, a custom of the city since the Edo Period.

Yōkazō's name is derived from the words 八日　(Youka, the eighth day) and 小僧 (Kōzō, young boy). Twice a year, on February and December 8, people search their homes for forgotten, stowed away footwear. They place the footwear at the front door and garden areas of their home, where it's said that any evil energy within the house has been transferred. An evil-warding bamboo basket or colander is also placed near the home's door. The (visiting) one-eyed boy becomes startled by all the holes in the basket, which appear to be many eyes. He flees, taking along the house's evil energy contained in the nearby sandals with him.

During the late-Edo period, merchants placed bamboo poles under the eaves of the museum, more recently using baskets. A figure of the one eyed boy is also displayed at the museum.

Admission to the museum is free until December 9th (Closed on December 3-4). For questions, the Shimotsuruma Furusato Museum can be reached at 046(272)6556.


Original text:
一つ目小僧追い払おう、大和に伝わる「ヨーカゾー」再現／神奈川
2012年12月3日

玄関先に置かれた籠と一つ目小僧の人形＝大和市下鶴間ふるさと館

大和市下鶴間の「市下鶴間ふるさと館」で江戸時代から市内に伝わる厄払いの風習「ヨーカゾー」が再現されている。

ヨーカゾーの名は「ようか」と「こぞう」に由来する。毎年、一つ目小僧が１２月と２月の８日、玄関や庭先に履物を片付け忘れた家を探して、その家に災厄をもたらすという伝承がある。編み目の多さで驚かせ追い払おうと、玄関先に厄よけの籠やざるを置いた。

江戸後期の商家を利用した資料館の軒下に竹ざおを置き、その先に籠を掛けた。一つ目小僧の人形も展示している。

入場無料。９日まで（３、４日は休館）。問い合わせは下鶴間ふるさと館電話０４６（２７２）６５５６。

Preparing for spring quite early, the New Years' kadomatsu stand at Ishiwara Temple's torii gate.

Translated from the original article at: http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20121201-00000302-rtn-l26

Distributed by the Sankei Shinbum (http://sankei.jp/) on Saturday, December 1, 2012, 6:36 PM

Kadomatsu alongside the torii gate.

Spring preparations have come even earlier. At the Ippin Temple of Ishiwara, Fukuchiyama City, a set of kadomatsu stand across from each other. Created by a local man of 70 years, people strolling by are reacting with surprise. "There's already some kadomatsu. It's sure early..."

The kadomatsu are each 1.5 meters high. Besides being made with bamboo, plum wood and pine, nandina  and atukan are added as decorations. Additionally, kale sprouted from seeds of this year's summer decorate the gates.

Before, the local man worked a job where he decorated kadomatsu by hand. "Because of how hot it got during the summer, I was worried about the growth of the cabbage, but it turned out quite beautiful. This is a most excellent kadomatsu," he said, appearing full of satisfaction.


Original text:
早くも迎春準備　石原の神社に正月用門松立つ
両丹日日新聞 12月1日(土)18時36分配信

鳥居のそばに立つ門松

早くも迎春準備－。福知山市石原、一品神社に門松１対が立てられた。地元の男性（７０）が作ったもので、散歩の人たちも「もう門松。早いなあ」と驚いている。

門松の高さはそれぞれ約１・５メートル。竹や梅、松のほか、ナンテン、センリョウを配している。今夏に種をまいて育てたハボタンもあしらった。
 　
男性は以前に勤めていた職場に、手作りの門松を飾ってきた。「ハボタンが夏の暑さで育つか心配だったが、きれいになり、門松も上々の出来」と満足そうに話していた。

At the Tsurugaoka-Hachimangū shrine, a scene of the finishing touches being applied to evil-warding arrows/Kamakura

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1212010027/

December 1, 2012

A look at the completion of evil-warding arrows=Tsurugaoka-Hachimangū shrine

At the Tsurugaoka-Hachimangū shrine (Yuki No Shita, Kamakura City), the time has come to apply the finishing touches to many hamaya (evil warding arrows). As the New Year approaches, 24,500 arrows of various sizes are being prepared.

After Minamoto No Yoriyoshi ended the Zenkunen War that took place during the late Heian period, (Tsurugaoka’s) bow and arrows have been offered to Hachiman, the God Of War enshrined at Yuiga Beach.

At the tip, the head of the arrow is wrapped with Japanese style paper, then decorated with a bell. As the miko (shrine maidens) skillfully hammer on the arrowheads, echoes can be heard throughout the shrine during the year’s final month.

Original text:

鶴岡八幡宮で破魔矢仕上げ、佳境を迎える／鎌倉

2012年12月1日

佳境を迎えた破魔矢の仕上げ＝鶴岡八幡宮

鶴岡八幡宮（鎌倉市雪ノ下）で、破魔矢の仕上げが佳境を迎えた。新年に向け、大小２４万５千本を用意する。

源頼義が平安時代後期の前九年の役を平定後、由比ケ浜の八幡神に奉納した弓矢にちなむ。

矢の先端の鏑（かぶら）に和紙を巻き、鈴で飾る。巫女（みこ）が手際よく鏑を打ち付け、師走の境内に「コンコン」と響く。