Koshien Final

The final of the annual HS baseball tournament was this morning. Scoreless after nine, the game went to a tiebreak in the 10th, with Kyoto International HS prevailing 2-1. This article about the captain and ace pitcher of the losing side, Kanto Daiichi, is characteristic. Translation to follow. Pitcher Sakai Ryo's remarks: "I had the best teammates, coach, and ballpark to pitch in. I wanted to finish in the happiest way, but...The tears. Everyone played their hardest. There's nothing to regret."

Koshien HS Baseball Cheering Section: Shiga Gakuen HS

Unique style of cheering at Koshien from Shiga Prefecture's representative, Shiga Gakuen. Here, too. The leaders of the cheering section are the two boys at the left. Earlier this evening an interview with the two was aired, in which they were asked about not being selected to play in the tournament. They had no regrets or resentment, saying that success was a collective effort, with cheering playing a vital role.

The Hossu

This Buddhist monk is holding a hossu （払子), defined by my dictionary as a "priest's bushy flapper", one of the implements used in Buddhist ceremonies.

The Onusa

Ever wonder what this is called? 









It's the onusa (幣), the sacred staff used in Shinto ceremonies.








 

The Naruko (鳴子)

The naruko is a wooden clapper formerly used by farmers to scare birds away from crops. Suspended from string or wire, the naruko produces a loud noise when agitated by wind.  Today the instrument is used as a noisemaker at dance festivals.

                                                          

* Some readers of this blog may remember a photo of 'Narukoman', a festival participant dressed in naruko costume; unfortunately, I experienced technical problems with the uploaded photo and cannot show it at present. 

The Hanging Scroll- More Bits and Pieces of Japan

The hanging scroll (kakejiku- 掛け軸) is one of the most characteristic of Japanese arts.

Scrolls are placed in alcoves (called tokonoma).

 

The Sumo Match-fixing Scandal

The Japan Sumo Association is embroiled in the worst scandal in the history of the national sport. Evidence obtained from wrestlers' cell phones during an unrelated investigation into illegal gambling revealed the not-illegal, but certainly unsportsmanlike, practice of match-fixing among a number of wreslers just below sumo's upper division.  The term yaocho refers to this practice, and the word has an interesting derivation. It seems there was a greengrocer, one Chobe, who lived during the Meiji Era. Now the Japanese for "greengrocer" is yaoya, and as Chobe was the tencho, or manager, of his shop, he went by the appellation yaocho.  Chobe was an avid and accomplished player of the Japanese game of go, and a frequent visitor to his shop was a former sumo wrestler who fancied the game himself.  Rather than risk offending this customer and losing the man's custom, Chobe, the superior player of the two, would allow his opponent to win.  And this is how throwing a sumo bout came to be called yaocho. 

The Matoi, or Fireman's Standard

The fireman's standard, or matoi , is not just for firemen or the fully clothed.

The "Thrice" Sedge Hat

Sando means "three times," "thrice". So why is this mushroom-shaped hat called the sando kasa?  In the Edo Era (1603-1868), Osaka merchants established a courier service connecting Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Letters and parcels were sent three times a month, on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd, and were delivered by "postmen" wearing hats like the one above. In this way the hat came to be known as the "thrice sedge hat".  The sando kasa became widely adopted for the protection it offered against rain and sun, shielding the heads of travelers and farm laborers as well as the postmens' pates.       

Japanese Clogs # 2: Nomeri Geta

These shoes incline forward, towards the toe, and are named accordingly.  What is the merit of this arrangement?  I confess that I haven't the slightest, as they say. I shall ask my mother-in-law, an expert on such matters, about these geta.  But in the meantime, let's enjoy the clogs' nice curves.

The "Koma" Geta for Women

What a lovely shoe for women.  As for the price, 7,000 yen (about $75), a quite reasonable figure. 

More Bits and Pieces: The Jizaikage

The jizaikage is the pot hanger from which a kettle or cooking pot is suspended above the brazier (irori) in traditional Japanese homes.    

The Bura Lantern

I confess to being more than a little unsure where one lantern leaves off and the next commences, but so be it.  Lanterns are an integral part of Japanese festivals and culture, and whether or not you remember their names,  it is easy to appreciate their charm.

The Gifu Lantern

The Yumibari Lantern

Hako Chouchin (箱提灯), or the Box Lantern

the box lantern, or hako chouchin

The Odawara Lantern

- another Japanese lantern, the Odawara.

The Koubari Lantern

- the koubari lantern at a summer festival. The lantern derives its name from the long pole to which it is attached.

The "Chouchin", or Japanese Lantern

For me there is just something about the Japanese paper lantern, or chouchin. Hung beside the entrance to eating and drinking establishments, it is simply inviting, promising all manner of gustatory and bibulous pleasures. Depending from the gateway to a temple or shrine, it is awesomely impressive. And carried by Japanese children for the festival of the dead, the chouchin is unutterably touching. But enough of the purple prose. Did you know that there were no fewer than six types of paper lantern? No, you say?  Then let's illuminate.

More Bits and Pieces: The "Chasen"

The chasen is the bamboo whisk used to stir the powdered green tea in the tea ceremony. Not all chasen are equal: this baby will set you back 74,000円, or nearly $800. Must be something in the bamboo.