Sight words: Okazaki city

In the previous article, we wrote about "Ieyasu-Gyoretsu" or the festival of Okazaki city. We wrote incident which happened in the festival only.

So, we would like to describe stories about "Iga-Hachimangu" shrine where the parade started and "Okazaki-jo park" where the parade finally arrived. And we also talk about several of sight words of Okazaki city.



Iga Hachimangu's entrance 

"Iga-Hachimangu" is the shrine where Tokugawa Ieyasu's ancestor of his five generations before established about 550 years ago. So, this shrine has a long and honorable history. It was chosen as the place that "Ieyasu-Gyoretsu" started.  

Ema

In this shrine, we can dedicate a "Ema" or a formal wooden block in which we write something we dream. For example, when we have very difficult problems, we ask the shrine for favors of the divine grace. And in a new year's week, we dedicate our gratitude by visiting and worshipping.

By the way, we found this diagram at this shrine. This diagram is a result of a event named "Mushateki-sinji" or "divine event by a selected warrior".

According to the home page, this event has been continuing long time from the date Tokugawa Ieyasu lived. But, its origin isn't clear. And in this event, several concerns which are done kind of horoscopes, which are agriculture, commerce and industry. More specifically, for example, rice for staple food would be abundant or not, weather throughout the year would be nice or not. These problems are especially conclusive for the people at the date. And also they couldn't overcome these problems more than now.

As a result of a horoscope using bows and arrows, they asked these problems for the deity. We suppose this is like the oracles of Apollo in ancient Greece. 

They told the fortune

In the Iga-hachimangu shrine, people divine the fortune using bows and arrows at the beginning of every year. In this event, selected warriors shoot arrows toward targets. How each arrow hits the target is important. Comparing with predetermined shapes, they do horoscopes this year's fortune of several concerns.

This year's results were shown by Chinese characters in this diagram. We suppose this event is far-fetched for our sight-words. Thus, we introduce only its outline.

Okazaki-jo park

Then, we headed to "Okazaki-jo park" next. This park was the Okazaki castle once. However, its compound was completely changed at some stage in the past.

Original Okazaki castle was rebuilt on a large scale at the period of after the Battle of Sekigahara. It was made like a hira-jiro or a castle on a plain, and it was surrounded by many moats at that time. 

However, most of moats were disappeared now. Furthermore, it was located at a connecting point of two big rivers at that time, but the point was moved and the size of the rivers was changed in the past. So, we can't find the original compounds, ramparts, walls, and turrets now. Almost all were renovated not referring to the originals. There are a building like the main castle tower and several stone walls, however, this Okazaki-jo park isn't a castle any more.

After a short time at the beginning of the Meiji era, "Han" or the regional feudal government was denied. After "Han", "Ken" or the prefectural government was made. This new prefectural government was controlled by the central government. And the central government disliked existence of the fortresses. And ordered the destruction of all castles.

Most of castles were destroyed at this time. However, a few castles survived in several reason. And, during WW2, survived castles were destroyed by the damage from bombings and so on. But most of destruction of the castles were caused by the Meiji central government.

In the case of the Okazaki castle, new prefectural government dutifully obeyed the central government, then the area of the Okazaki castle changed into a park of citizens.

Reconstructed main tower

The building like the main tower was made in 1959. At that time, there was a boom of reconstruction of Japanese castles. People began to consider that they wanted to travel somewhere for their leisure. Many traveled around Japan. And they were fond of visiting castles. Many cities ausorities hoped to reconstruct their castle's main tower because most of them had been destroyed by the order of the Meiji central government.

The Okazaki castle main tower is exactly what every regional cities made. Its surface was designed after the original main tower, because the Okazaki city had a few old photos of it. But, inside is completely different from the original. Because they had no information of the inside and used their imagination. 

By the way, there are so many cherry trees inside the Okazaki-castle park. And there are so many viewing spots of cherry blossoms. In addition, there are a shrine, many refreshment shops, a playground, and so on.


Sight words of Okazaki city 

Now, we found these sight words, when we walked around Okazaki city.

fig.1; O-ha-ra-i

fig.2; Cha-ya

fig.3; Cha-shi-tsu

fig.4; Ta-ke-chi-yo

"O-ha-ra-i"
What is "Oharai"? We found this sign in front of a parking space of Iga-hachimangu shrine. To say precisely, "Kuruma no okiyome, oharai" is the correct writing of the sign.

Most of Japanese people believe both Deities and the Buddha. "Oharai" is related with Deities. When we pray to a deity of Japan, "Guuji" or the chief priest of the shrine help us how to behave in front of the deities. And, he chants "Norito" or the words of prayer of a Shinto shrine.
　
By the teachings of Shinto, we pile up "Kegare" or uncleanness bit by bit. If you live with a lot of uncleanness everyday, you may meet an unfortunate event suddenly. Therefore we should visit shrines and be refreshed our uncleanness many times.

When we finish prayer, we can feel refreshed. If one of the destinations of the travel is a shrine, we are sure to pray there. For Japanese people, visiting shrines and praying is one of musts.  

Generally speaking, "Kuruma no okiyome, oharai" is in the same frame of the Shinto teachings. New cars are also suffered "Kegare" as long as they are driving. For the drivers and new cars, "Okiyome" or refreshment ceremony is important. And also "Oharai" or cleaning ceremony is good for the driver and the new car.

If you happen to have a traffic accident, you can escape a serious situation. It may depend on the number of "Kegare".
Do you have such kind of cleansing ceremony in your custom?


"Cha-ya" and "Cha-shi-tsu"
Next, we think what are "Chaya" and "chashitsu" together. These are facilities of Okazaki-castle park too.

Chaya in Okazaki-castle park

We took some pictures of Chaya. These are like souvenir shops. By contrast, we didn't take a picture of Chashitsu, because it was surrounded by hedges. We have some pictures of Chashitsu located in other places. From these pictures, we can get the feeling of the profound ambience. Consequently, you might taste formal Japanese tea. 

Cyashitsu

In literal meaning, "Chaya" is a little shop offer tea. We have a feeling of this word that it's for ordinary people. Travelers of citizen class visited and ate Dango or rice puddings and drank a cup of tea in front of these shops, if they were in the Edo era.



Another chaya in okazaki-castle park

On the other hand, "Chashitsu" is a formal space where some high class people taste tea and play kind of tea ceremony. We suppose that these facilities were in a corner of handsome houses, if they were in the Edo era. In these facilities, people taste "Omatcha".
Do you remember these words?


"Ta-ke-chi-yo"
"Takechiyo" is a boy's name. Usually, the name "Takechiyo" was associated with the childhood name of Tokugawa Ieyasu. However, that isn't the only thing we want to explain. 

A son who succeed feudal lord was same as a prince of a country. His followers hanged hope on him. People knew the name "Takechiyo" was same as childhood name of Tokugawa Ieyasu who had become the ruler of Japan. So, many feudal lords named his son "Takechiyo" hoping his son's glory.

The reason this name was loved was not only it meant a ruler's  childhood name but also words used in it were considered lucky. "Take" means bamboo. And, bamboo grows straight rapidly. So, it's a good sign for boys, especially successor's boys. "Chiyo" means millenary. So, people imagined longtime prosperity from this word.

To think of girl's name of feudal lords, there comes "Tsuru-hime". "Tsuru" means a crane. Japanese people have a very good impression for a crane, because a crane is a symbol of long life. "Hime" means princess. So, she will be a very lucky girl because of her lucky name.