Iga festival

Revisiting Iga-ueno city, we looked around the museum named 'Danjiri Kaikan'. We learned an amazing festival in which a hundred and more ogres and demons walked around streets of Iga-ueno city. In more detail, we'll explain below.

The festival is held in every second half of October. We can confirm the date when the festival is held by website. And it continues 3 days. Its feature is a parade of 'Mikoshi', 'Oni-gyoretsu', and 'Danjiri'. 'Mikoshi' is a portable shrine, and we already met at Hiyoshi-taisha shrine (refer to an article 'Armed priest'). 'Danjiri' is a float, please remember 'Inuyama festival', we saw many floats there (refer to an article 'Inuyama festival'). Maybe it's not so important, floats of Japanese festivals have several names, so 'Dashi' in Inuyama festival is same as 'Danjiri' in Iga festival. These 2 items are regular members in a lot of Japanese festivals.

at 'Danjiri Kaikan'

at 'Danjiri Kaikan'

However, 'Oni-gyoretsu' is not usual. 'Oni' is an ogre, and 'gyoretsu' means 'parade'. Why ogres parade in a festival? They put masks of numerous types of ogres, and wear a variety of traditional costumes. They look like 'zombie' people. 'Danjiri' was developed affected by the Gion festival in Kyoto, but the origin of 'Oni-gyoretsu' is in a sealed book. 
 

from HP of this festival

 

from HP of this festival

This festival is officially called 'Ueno tenjin festival'. Its origin is around 12 centuries, so quite long history it has. When Oda Nobunaga invaded Iga district, temples were destroyed, and this festival also ceased. In 1611, Todo Takatora, one of famous Sengoku lords became a lord of Iga district. He decided to reflourish the 'Ueno tenmangu' shrine. Then this festival was revived around 1660 in the early Edo period.

You can find what is 'Omikoshi' or a portable shrine from an article 'Armed priests'

You can find what is 'Yama' or a float from an article 'Inuyama festival'

Yamato-koriyama castle

Yamato-koriyama castle is located in Nara prefecture where is relatively near Osaka city. So, this place was swayed by politics at the central Japan during the Sengoku period. One of the ancient capitals, Nara city was a famous hiding place where opponents of the central government in Kyoto at that time. This circumstance had been continued from 3 hundreds years before at the beginning of the Sengoku period.

At the later part of the Sengoku period, Oda Nobunaga began to control Kyoto city. Then, rural lords in Nara city resisted him, and he had to spend much time to control them. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi became the next ruler after Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi's younger brother, Hidenaga became a new lord of the Yamato-koriyama castle. Hidenaga governed this area and owned a million "Koku" of rice products. (A lord owning million "Koku" of rice products was the strongest except the ruler.)  

He controlled opponent groups in Nara city strictly. Speaking about the Yamato-koriyama castle, the years when Toyotomi Hidenaga governed there were the highest stage of it. After that time, the story of this castle is not so famous and still in a sealed mysterious situation.

Main castle was ruined

According to a study of a local historian, the first lord of this castle, Tsutsui Junkei was loved by dominated people. However, next lord, Toyotomi Hidenaga was not loved. Because, when he renovated this castle widely, he fiercely ordered farmers and priests to deliver a lot of materials for it. To make matters worse, he borrowed authority, or the back-up of the ruler, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. So he seemed to be not accepted by his people.

Birds-eye veiw

After the famous war named the Osaka-no-jin, the Toyotomi family ruined, and this castle was also discontinued. Wooden superstructures of it was relocated to other places, and only stone structures were remained. A little long after the incident, during the Edo period, other lords came to govern this area, and this castle was partly repaired. However, they had only 60 thousands to 150 thousands "Koku"of rice products. Remember the heyday, Toyotomi Hidenaga had owned a million "Koku" of rice products. The new lords couldn't repair enough, for example, they couldn't reconstruct the main tower, that was demolished after the Osaka-nojin war.


Toyotomi Hidenaga's time

Castles of Sengoku lords were made mainly on tall mountains in the middle of their controlling areas. This theory was the mainstream almost during the Sengoku period. Imaging cases battle occured, castles on tall mountains were considered advantageous. Because the invaders couldn't siege the whole area of the castle mountain. Typical examples of these castles are the Odani castle and the Gifu castle which were belonged Azai clan and Oda clan respectively.     

However, theory of constructing castles was changed in the later part of the Sengoku period. One of a turning point was considered the Nagahama castle (in Shiga prefecture)  made by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Because it was constructed beside the Lake Biwa, and the location was mainly chosen for the traffic convenience. And there was no tall mountain in the area of this castle, so, it was quite rare as promises of castles. 
 (When he constructed it, he was a retainer of Oda Nobunaga, and the completion of the castle was during Oda's heyday.)  

He thought that he couldn't start immediate military actions, if he hid in a tall mountain castle. Furthermore, he felt the circumstance changed. Battles against his enemies extended into a wide range district, so he had to move as quickly as possible. And if he chose hiding inside defensive bastions, he would be in disadvantageous situations soon. We think Toyotomi Hideyoshi was the first Sengoku lords who noticed a change of circumstance among the Sengoku lords. Then, he made many cutting edge castles during his life.  

The era when he ruled whole Japan, his main bastion was the Osaka castle. As to the Yamato-koriyama castle, the reason Toyotomi Hidenaga chose this castle was mainly because its location. We mean in fact, the original yamato-kouriyama castle made by Tsutsui Junkei was at only 25 kilometers east of the Osaka castle. So, this castle had a function of an outer fortress of the wide range of the Osaka castle at that time.

Another function of this castle was for an authority against forces of resistance such as armed priests in the Koufuku-ji temple. Because this castle was located in 6 kilometers from the Koufuku-ji temple. Forces of resistance must be afraid of the opponent forces in the castle. The location was quite near.    

t played an active role when the Toyotomi family governed Japan. However, in the next era when Tokugawa Ieyasu governed Japan, its importance was lost. 
At this moment, the Toyotomi family had perished by the Osaka-no-jin war, and the next ruler, Tokugawa Ieyasu didn't use this castle. Because this castle was too close to the Osaka castle. In the situation that the Osaka castle was decided to reconstruct after the war, for the Tokugawa family, there wasn't any importance to reuse this castle. 

In our opinion, defense facilities on the Osaka side were relatively poor against the opposite. Toyotomi Hidenaga planned to make only defense of Nara basin side. Because if the enemy forces of the Tokugawa family attacked this castle, (he believed) his brother's army would come behind this castle immediately. 
So, it's not important to protect Osaka side of the castle. He strongly believed they fought against their enemy together. In the reality, the war happened at the Osaka castle and this castle was not used for the war. It's an only our fancy story, but if it was happened, our fancy story would become true.

Farmer's House in the Edo period

We are going to pay a visit to an old farmer's house of Japan. These houses are not so long-lasting because of less-than-wealthy situation in their lifetime. So, it's quite difficult to find them aged hundreds years.  

We find the old farmer's house which owned by a village headman named Suwa family. It's still existing in Moriyama city in the east of Kyoto city. This was supposed to be built during the latter half of the Edo period. But there is no secure information when it was made, so, it's difficult to upstream the building age. If we can look around all over Japan, remained houses of village headman's would be very few now. And, even if they remained, their condition were very bad. So, this old farmer's house is quite rare exception. To tell the truth, it was renovated because of tourism boom nowadays. Its thatch roof was replaced brand new one and shining brightly.

 Japanese feudal class system was completed at the beginning of the Edo era (soon after the chaotic time called the Sengoku era). Farmer class became the second highest class in the class system. However, they were the exploiteds and half of their agricultural products were got mugged by the exploiting classes. So, they lived a hard time in their time and their houses were made with cheap materials.

Looking inside of the hierarchy of Japanese farmers, they were also separated by several classes. The upper class farmers gained almost products of their villagers produced. So, they amassed enough wealth to build imposing their mansions. Remained farmer's houses now we can visit are owned by such successors of these families or donated from them. 


Where is the Suwa-family mansion?

Moriyama city is located in the east of Kyoto city. Once this city was the first station town with many inns belonged in the Tokaido road (from Kyoto to Edo). Suwa-family mansion was in a village several kilometers apart from the station town. In the Edo period, people didn't have freedom of choosing their living place. Farmers should live in farmers villages, and townspeople should stay in the town. And also they were prohibited to exchange each other.

First of all, let's confirm the way to visit there. There is a JR line from Osaka to Moriyama city. Rapid train takes you to the Moriyama city station in only 1 hour. Nearby downtown of this city, you can walk to a tasteful street where was a station town in the Edo period, and it's a tourist spot in this city.

Rental bicycle station Map (From the Internet)

From the station, your transportation devices are narrowed down to your own foot or rental bicycles. When you rent them, you have to adduce your identification. So, we think it's a little troublesome for international tourists. If you try to walk there, it will take about an hour, and you have to walk in residential areas and farming land. 'Google map' or other similar devices would be necessary to get the picture where you are. 

Neighborhood of the Suwa-family mansion is surrounded by many newly-made houses and relatively-aged houses. Furthermore, streets to the destination are quite narrow, so, these factors make us nervous. The site has wide vacant front-yard, and we can easily find the mansion. However, entire space is relatively small as a sightseeing spot. In the neighborhood, there are 2 big temples.
 
These were belonging to Honganji sect which was a bellicose group. This sect's followers fought against Oda Nobunaga, famous Sengoku Lord during the Sengoku era. However, these 2 temples didn't fight against the Oda army, and this area didn't become a battle field. This village is surrounded by rice fields in every direction. It's still quiet and relatively unchanged from the Edo period until now.


Inside of the Suwa-family mansion

In front of this mansion, a narrow waterway sticks together, and using it residents gathered rice by reverboats which was collected as a tax. However, there is not enough water in this waterway, so, we have a little difficult to imagine the life of the Edo period. Front space of this site is wide and vacant, but there were earthen walls and accessory buildings which were taken off in uncertain timing. So, the main building couldn't look at from the outside of this site. On the contrary, brand new thatch roof and yellowish earthen wall of gorgeous building are shining now.

Map (From the Internet)

Remains are main mansion accompanied by a store house and a detached tea-house. If this tourist spot becomes popular, lost other buildings would be reconstructed. Then, we could imagine view of the big-picture of it. Unfortunately, we have to fill up a vacancy with imagination.

Facade

Garden side

From the main gate, there is a big entrance in the right-hand of us. Back of the entrance is 'Shoin' or a study room, and this room was used when they met with bureaucrats of the ruler. We can't enter this entrance and go a little deeper. Then, there is a small entrance to a wide earth-floor room where was a kitchen, a stock room and etc. and it was a main entrance for residents. Inside of this room is empty now, and ticket counter and several panels are exhibited. We can enter the inner room from here. There are a dozen of Tatami room and connected to 'Shoin'.

Tea-house

Far side of this mansion is faced with a Japanese style garden which includes pond connected with a waterway. When the water level is enough, riverboat can enter into the pond. We suppose it was a kind of contrivance used a lot of wealth. Furthermore, at a corner of this garden, there is a tea-house replaced from some temple. This whole garden is wide, but if you compare it with residences of Daimyo families, it makes us feel of imagination that it huddles up in a narrow space.

By the way, we examined what is great about this mansion. It looks relatively big, then, if you compare with other mansions of samurai at that time, it's big or not? We find many drawings of samurai's houses. It's a book of research on samurai's houses in the Edo period. The Suwa-family mansion was one second or one third of small size Lords or high class retainers of big size Lords. However, at least double size of middle class samurai's houses it was.

Japanese style gardens were not made among the middle class samurai's residential sitings. And also tea-houses were very special for private mansions, and only high class samurai families could build them. All in all, this family lived in a wide mansion than middle class samurai families and enjoyed more abundant life. According to a paper, their ancestors were supposed to be a samurai, but it was not certain. That's because this mansion is quite luxury to be made by a farmer class family.

If you want to get more about farmer's house, please visit this article. 'Old farmer's house in Gifu Pref.' 

Tea master in early Edo period

Teahouse

It's called Shomoku-ro. And it reproduces the famous teahouse which was made at a corner of the Fushimi magistrate's office in Kyoto in the beginning of the Edo period.    

If you ask what were the typical buildings in the Sengoku period, we will refer to modern castles. However, there were other masterpieces, teahouses. Teahouses were very closely related to the spiritual world of tea-masters. Therefore, tea-masters invented and developed teahouses as their own idea how they believed the tea ceremony.
　

At the beginning, it was a meeting room for a tea-master when he faced with Samurai people. In this period, many teahouses were made as individual houses and adjunct rooms of their residences. But, soon after, Samurai people themselves came to be tea-masters. Thus, they made many teahouses in their residences and in the castles they owned.

The original was planned by Kobori Ensyu. He was belonged Samurai class and one of famous tea-masters in the beginning of the Edo period. So, this teahouse is belonging to the latter according to the explanation above. Kobori was a Fushimi magistrate from his late 40th to his closing years, so this office building was also his residence. As a tea-master, he made many teahouses in it. The original residence was ruined some time ago. To reconstruct this teahouse, planning was duplicated in reference to old drawings of the original.


Going to the Shomoku-ro

The Shomoku-ro is in a corner of a museum at Shimada city Shizuoka Prefecture. This museum exhibits several displays connected with tea, including tea ceremony room all over the world. The Shomoku-ro is not only a display of a Japanese tea ceremony room but also the special feature of this museum.

When this museum was made, it was called 'Ocha-no-sato museum' or 'museum at a home of Japanese tea'. And it was renovated dramatically, and changed its name to 'Fuji-no-kuni cha-no-miyako museum' recently. 'Fuji' means Mt. Fuji, and because you can see Mt. Fuji from this museum, they add an appealing point in its name.

There are 3 buildings which are a museum tower, a commercial facility, and a teahouse 'Shomoku-ro'. And around the teahouse, wide and beautiful Japanese landscape garden is surrounded. We can look at a senary of the Edo period from the tea ceremony room in it. 
　

When you go to Shimada city, you go to the Kakegawa station using a super express 'Kodama', and move to the Kanaya station by JR line. From this station, you can use a taxi because local buses are not convenient and the museum is located long distance to walk from it. We will mention one example below.

When we start Shin-osaka at 8, we can arrive at Kakegawa station at past 10. Then move to Kanaya station, and this time zone we can find local buses (community buses). We can enter the museum at past 11. However, this example is one of the best cases. We think you need more time usually. Furthermore, transferring is very complicated in this case. You need to prepare carefully.


Inside the teahouse

To tell the truth, the Shomoku-ro is a jointed building of 2 famous room which was made by Kobori Enshu. From the entrance of this building is reproduced study room called 'Takimoto-bo'. And an adjunctive tearoom called 'Kouhou-kyo' is on a pond. Across a hallway, a reproduced guest room of the Fushimi magistrate's office and an adjunctive small tearoom. Accordingly, outside view of this building is a little strange because of hybridity of 2 types of teahouses.

On the other hand, inside of this building is strictly reconstructed in traditional way. We need to pay 500 yen (1 adult) for an admission fee in front of the entrance. We can visit 'Takimoto-bo' study room and 'Kouhou-kyo' tearoom with no extra fee. But if you want to enter the deeper area, you need to pay additional fee for attending an entry-level tea ceremony.

The 'Takinoto-bo' study room

The 'Kouhou-kyo' tearoom

Considering for a while, we decided to attend the tea ceremony. Because we studied the guest room of the Fushimi magistrate's office which had named 'Kusari-no-ma'. According to our study, this room was one of masterpiece tearoom by Kobori Enshu. Furthermore, if we add an extra reason, we can taste Matcha and Japanese confectionery in this traditional tearoom.

The 'Kusari-no-ma' tearoom

We have tried to taste Matcha in many historical facilities, but this place is really awesome. Tea-master woman wearing Kimono is preparing Matcha in front of us. An iron teakettle filled up with hot water and other traditional tea ceremony tools is arranged. In our front, there is a wide window with paper sliding screens. We can look at Mt. Fuji in the midst of an opened window. What luxury moment we spend!

Next to the Kusari-no-ma, there is another small tearoom named 'Yuken-an'. This room has beautifully arranged many windows here and there in it. There came a tea-master woman who doubled as the guide of this building, she explained interesting topics concerned with it. According to her explanation, Kobori Enshu invited his guests to this small tearoom first, and after that, he made them move into the Kusari-no-ma.

The 'Yuken-an' tearoom

Inside the 'Yuken-an'

The original Fushimi magistrate's office was ruined many time ago, and there are no remains. Kobori Enshu who held many tea ceremonys there was also one of the successors of the tea ceremony. After former successor named Furuta Oribe, Kobori Enshu played many active roles as well as his master. He connected with planning of gardens in the early Edo period and made many teahouses which were said masterpieces. There are his gardens (original) and teahouses (reconstructed) in Kyoto. We hope we can visit these places in the future.