Since the end of the Heian period, the Yamashina family has inherited the "Yamashina School of Emondo," a family profession in Kyoto that is responsible for the tailoring and wearing of court attire for the nobility. Tokichika Yamashina, the young head of the family, who is in his 30th generation since the founder, will unravel the occasional events that have taken place at the Imperial Court and in the society of the nobility, as well as the culture that has been handed down through the ages, along with costumes and ancient documents remaining in the Yamashina family.
In June (the fifth month of the lunar calendar), fireflies can be seen around Shirakawa and the canal.
June (May in the lunar calendar) is when the rainy season begins. When walking along the roads at night near Shirakawa and the canal, you may encounter fireflies flying around, and stop to quietly gaze at them. The Tale of Genji has a chapter about fireflies, but since there are only a few places in Kyoto where fireflies can live these days, it makes you wonder how many fireflies there were in the environment of the Heian period.
This is a waka poem written by Irie Tamemori entitled "Fireflies after the Rain." It reads, "Amesugi shikata yama hayashikure somete tobu ya fireflies no hikari nagaru." The mounting is made of gold brocade that resembles fireflies. Tamemori was adopted into the Irie family, a branch of the Reizei family, and served in various positions including Grand Chamberlain of the Crown Prince and Director of the Poetry Department. As he was the sister of Lady Tokimasa, the 26th head of the Yamashina family, many waka poems remain. ©Yamashina
As the days get gradually hotter, confectionery stores start stocking up with beautiful confections shaped like seasonal flowers such as "Minazuki," a confectionery that originated in Kyoto and represents the ice of a broken icehouse, and hydrangeas. At this time of year, the flavor associated with the Imperial Court that springs to mind is Michiyoshi Kawabata's "Chimaki."
Nowadays, many different types of shops are often lumped together as Japanese confectionery shops, but Michiyoshi is a mochi shop that supplies various types of mochi to the Imperial Court, and is particularly known for its chimaki, or rice dumplings, which have been referred to as "mizokuji" since the Edo period.
Craftsmen and merchants who had been frequenting the Imperial Palace for generations were bestowed with the title of "Ryōmei" by the Imperial Court.
One of the characteristics of the merchants and craftsmen who had patronage over the generations was that they were given the name of a court official by the Imperial Court and continued to use that name for generations. Some long-established stores in Kyoto, such as Kameya Mutsu in front of Nishi Honganji Temple, still bear the name of a court official, but these days such a history of patronage is rarely spoken of openly and is known only to those in the know.
For example, the Kawabata Michiyoshi clan has been called "Dewa Daijo" for generations, while the Kurokawa family of Toraya has been called "Omi Daijo" and both had their stores near the Imperial Palace. It is said that this culture of naming was what added prestige to each family business. It makes you realize the special feelings and trust that go along with business with the Imperial Palace.
A wooden Gomonkagami (a type of card shaped like a horse) used by merchants who supplied the Imperial Palace. It was a pass to enter the palace, with "Kinri Gosho" written in ink on the front and the name of the merchant on the back. A similar document has been passed down at Toraya, and it tells us about the state of affairs of merchants at the time.
During the Sengoku period, Michiyoshi Kawabata and the Yamashina family were neighbors.
A few years ago, when I bought some chimaki from Michiyoshi, it came with a detailed history note. This history note included my ancestor's diary, "Gotokyo-ki," which I often introduce in this series, and it gave me the opportunity to research the relationship between Michiyoshi and my family.
During the Sengoku period, a town where nobles and merchants and industrialists lived in the area northwest of the current location of the Imperial Palace was formed, and it seems that the store where Michiyoshi's first generation ran and the family mansion were neighbors. Due to the close relationship between the neighbors, the diary occasionally features images of Michiyoshi's life in the early days.
Article dated June 21, Tenbun 21 (1552) from Kotsugikyoki
"As it was reported that Mochiya Shirozaemon had run out of medicine, he sent seven packets of the same medicine and twenty doses of the same medicine to Aisu."
The rice cake shop owner who appears in this story is said to be Kawabata Michiyoshi, and on this occasion his ancestors prescribed medicine and sent it to Michiyoshi. Tokitsugu, the 13th head of the family, was an expert in medicinal medicine and compounded medicines himself to help support the livelihood of people in times of war. He would prescribe medicines and provide medical examinations for people in the neighborhood when they requested them.
This kind of casual neighborhood relationship shows how the nobles and townspeople helped each other to overcome the rough seas of the times. It can be said that the culture that was nurtured by the close relationships between the towns of Kyoto had a variety of influences on later court society.
Dokimon Gate is quietly located to the right of the Kenreimon Gate of the Imperial Palace. Successive generations of Kawabata Michiyoshi entered through here and delivered rice cakes called "Ochomono" to the Emperor every morning until the early Meiji period. If you just walk by, you might pass it by, but it has a history dating back to the Sengoku period and quietly speaks of the connection between the Imperial Palace and the town. ©Yamashina
How did our ancestors celebrate Tango no Sekku during the Muromachi period?
Now, the most well-known Imperial Court event at this time of year is the Boys' Festival on May 5th. Nowadays, all we do at home is take iris baths, but I remember my mother decorating helmets for us when I was a child.
I was a little curious about how my ancestors celebrated the Boys' Festival, so I decided to look back at diaries from different eras. Let's take a look at the diary of the seventh head of the family, Noritoki, from the early Muromachi period, called "Kyogenkyoki."
Entry for May 5, XNUMX (Oei XNUMX)
``One Kawachi Mikuchu-zou, 5000, Mede ゝゝ.''
Here, 25 pieces of chimaki were sent from the territory that was under his control in Kawachi Province, and he was delighted by the happy news. On the same day, his fellow nobleman, Hanazono Tadasada, sent 100 pieces, and it seems that chimaki had already become an indispensable gift exchanged between nobles, samurai, temples and shrines during the Boys' Festival. Furthermore, on the same day,
"First, today Kitayama-dono's iris bath, his lodgings, Ise Nyudo's bath, etc. (omitted)"
It is written down through hearsay that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (Kitayamadono) had taken an iris bath at the residence of his close aide, Ise Sadayuki (Ise Nyudo). It is interesting that even bathing was a topic of conversation when it came to the activities of the Shogun of the time, but it also shows that people at that time valued iris baths.
Furthermore, in the diaries of successive generations, there are also entries about items associated with the Boys' Festival, such as "iris swords" and "medicinal balls," which were sometimes sent to boys by relatives and servants. These convey the warm feelings of those close to the child, praying for and watching over the child's growth.
The irises at Hekiunso are something I look forward to seeing every year when they bloom. Although they are not easily seen by the public, they grow in beautiful clusters, making them ideal subjects for paintings and crafts. ©Yamashina
This tea caddy with a lacquer design of Yatsuhashi is used to treat French guests to thin tea at Konkai-Komyoji Temple, where the grave of the koto performer Yatsuhashi Kengyo is located. A Yatsuhashi covered with a wisteria trellis is also hung over the south pond of the Sento Imperial Palace, the residence of the retired emperors. ©Yamashina
What is the "Shobu Palace" that is unfamiliar to modern people?
When we look at the Boys' Festival in the Edo period annual event book, we learn that there were customs in the Imperial Court and among the nobility that are unfamiliar to us today, called "Iris Pillow" and "Iris Palace." Here, we will give you a brief introduction to the Iris Palace.
The Shobu Palace, also known as the "Iris Palanquin," was a small temporary palace built under the eaves of the east side of the Seiryoden and the west side of the Naishidokoro of the Imperial Palace. A roofed palace was built on cedar pillars with the bark still attached, and was decorated with bundles of mugwort and irises on top. Looking at pictures, it seems there were various specifications, but the building was decorated with fragrant and medicinal plants to ward off evil spirits.
It is clear that people in the past carefully observed the appearance, scent and effects of seasonal plants, incorporating the power of nature into every aspect of their lives and entrusting their feelings to it.
This painting was done by Kiyofumi Kojima (Zoroku), a painter from the Meiji period. It is hard to imagine what the "Iris Palace" would have been like, but even the simple depiction of the palace gives us a sense of what it must have been like. ©Yamashina
Written by Iwakura Tomoyasu, the foster father of Iwakura Tomomi. The poem is about the Iris Palace and reads, "The iris grass has been rooted for a long time in the era of Kimigayo, and even the irises have not yet taken root." The long roots were considered a symbol of good fortune. ©Yamashina
"In the past, even in towns, people would cover their roofs with irises, a practice known as 'eaves iris'.
Experience the Edo period noble town in VR.
This time, we have introduced a map of the Imperial Palace in the Edo period where these annual events were held, but now, much of the area where the aristocratic town was located has been turned into a pine forest and is managed as Kyoto Gyoen by the Ministry of the Environment. At the site of the former Kan'innomiya residence in the southwest corner of Kyoto Gyoen, there is the Ministry of the Environment Kyoto Gyoen Management Office, and next to it is the Kan'innomiya Residence Storage and Exhibition Hall, which is open to the public.
This exhibition hall was renovated and reopened three years ago, and I was involved in supervising the exhibits. In particular, "VR Noble Town" is an attempt to recreate the noble town of the Edo period in VR, allowing you to enjoy a visual journey through time and space. If you visit Kyoto Gyoen, I recommend that you watch this video and then stroll around the Imperial Palace.
Yamashina Tokichika / Young head of the Yamashina school of kimono. Born in Kyoto in 1995, he completed his master's course at the Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies at Kyoto University. He is the 30th successor to the Yamashina family (former nobles) who have passed down the tradition of preparing and wearing "shozoku", the attire worn at the Imperial Court for generations. He performs kimono at the three imperial festivals "Kasuga Festival", "Kamo Festival", and "Iwashimizu Festival", as well as the "Reiwa Grand Ceremony". He also appears in various media, gives lectures to companies, government agencies, and cultural organizations, plans exhibitions, and conducts customs research for history programs. He is involved in a wide range of activities to spread the tradition of Imperial Palace culture, serving as the representative director of the Yamashina Yusoku Research Institute and a researcher at the Doshisha University Imperial Court Culture Research Center.
Photos by Azusa Todoroki (bowpluskyoto)
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The 30th young head of the Yamashina School of Imondo, Yamashina Genchika…
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