Paper Bush Growing! ミツマタは成長してます！

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I knew nothing about paper bush but the name when taking the first photo in January, and needless to say no idea about how it would be like when its flowers blossom. So I was glad to see the flowers (though in another place) again in half bloom late February.

Paper bush in Ueno peony garden in January

In February in neighborhood

People usually prefer flowers in full bloom to buds, but I believe that's not necessarily true to this plant. Paper bush buds are cuter or more kawaii than its blooming flowers, aren't they?

To tell you the truth, I had never been interested in paper bush or any other plants or flowers until a few years ago, but writing posts for this blog has changed me, opening my eyes and enabling me to appreciate something beautiful which is before me but which I wouldn't have noticed...

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一月に上野ぼたん苑で、変わった形をしたつぼみの写真を撮りました（1枚目）。それがミツマタでした。そして一月後、今度は咲いているのを見つけました（2枚目）。つぼみの方が断然可愛いような｡｡｡

ブログを書き始めて、周囲のものをちゃんと見るようになりました。ボーっと生きてました（チコちゃんに叱られる！）｡｡｡

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Evolution of Chinese Celadon 中国青磁の色進化

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These pictures show a change in the color of Chinese celadon from the third to twelfth century. It was greenish brown (first photo) in the third to seventh century but evolving to opaque bluish green (second photo) through to the eleventh to twelfth century. I wondered how many potters had been involved in this color changing process...

Lotus flower dish, 5th-6th century
Southern dynasties 青磁蓮弁文盤 

Rue ware dish, 11th-12th century, donated by
Nobel laureate Yasunari Kawabata 青磁盤

Let's go back to the third century....

Box with partitions, 3rd century
Three Kingdoms to Western Jin dynasty 青磁槅

Jar with two handles, 3rd century
Three Kingdoms to Western Jin dynasty 青磁双耳瓶

Lamp, 5th-6th century
Southern dynasties 青磁灯火器

Round jar, 7th century
Sui or Tang dynasty 青磁円盤

They are all on show at Tokyo National Museum. For other celadon, read "Celadon in 16 Forms."

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全て青磁。でも時代で色が違います。2枚目の薄青緑の皿を除き、後は全て3世紀から7世紀に焼かれたもの。別の焼物のようです。

2枚目の薄青緑の皿は汝窯青磁（11～12世紀）。今でもその色を目指す陶芸家がいるほどの美しさです。汝窯の「青」に到達するまで何人の陶工が関わったのかと思うと気が遠くなります。東京国立博物館に展示されています。

「Celadon in 16 Forms いろんな青磁」もご覧ください！

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Square Lanterns in Ginza Tokyo 宝珠稲荷神社

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is Hoju Inari Jinja shrine in Ginza Tokyo. It's usually hard to notice because the shrine is so small (whose entrance is 3 or 4 meters wide) and surrounded by buildings.

Shrine lanterns
Hoju Inari Jinja shrine, Ginza Tokyo
宝珠稲荷神社

Shrine lanterns from another angle

However, that day (February 18) was different. It was bright with many lanterns on the street in front of it. I wanted to ask someone what was going on, but nobody was there but banners with the shrine's name in the photo below.

Shrine banner

Japan has many Inari Jinja shrines, such as this shrine and Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine in Kyoto, which is very famous for thousands of vermilion torii gates. These Inari Taisha/Jinja shrines all enshrine Inari or the fox god, i.e., a god of fertility, rice, tea, sake, agriculture and industry, general prosperity, and worldly success. Wow! That explains why so many Japanese go to these fox gods shrines every year. The inside of Hoju Inari Jinja shrine is like the pictures below.

Inside the shrine
宝珠稲荷神社

Offering box inside the shrine

Hoju Inari Jinja shrine is in Ginza Tokyo and:

- 5 minute walk from Higashi Ginza station on Hibiya line and Toei Asakusa line

- 8 minute walk from Tsukiji station on Hibiya line and 

- 9 minute walk from Shintomicho station on Yurakucho line. 

It has no official website in either Japanese or English....

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いつもは足早に通り過ぎてしまう裏道にたくさんの提灯。不思議に思って行ってみたら「宝珠稲荷神社」というのぼりが立っていました。「こんな銀座の町中に、ビルの狭間に、神社があったのね」と少し感動！夕暮れ色に映える提灯の橙色にしばしうっとりしました。（もちろんその後は急いで帰って夕飯の支度です｡｡｡（苦笑））

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Symbol of Impermanence Buncheong Ware Jar With Sgrafitto Peony Design 粉青沙器

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is Buncheong ware made in the 15th or 16th century in the Joseon dynasty, Korea. This stoneware features designs painted using an iron pigment and a bluish-green tone. It's not celadon, but its green color is very close to celadon and there is a reason for that.

Buncheong ware with sgrafitto peony design

Buncheong ware is the in-between of celadon and white porcelain, rising to prominence during the 15th century in Korea. So it's understandable for its color to be like its predecessor, i.e., celadon, but sadly the stoneware just disappeared, being almost completely replaced by its successor, i.e., white porcelain.

It reminds me of the importance of embracing impermanence, making me look at this tranquil celadon blue green again.

Buncheong ware in 15th to 16th century
Joseon dynasty, Korea

Buncheong ware is known in Japan as "Mishima," "Hakeme" or "Kohiki." You can see this Buncheong ware with peony sgrafitto at Tokyo National Museum.

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東京国立博物館の粉青沙器。搔き落としの技法を使って牡丹が描かれています。粉青沙器とは、灰色の胎に白土を用いて様々な装飾を施したもので、高麗青磁と高麗白磁の中間に位置する磁器。ただ、白磁の出現とともに消滅してしまったとのこと。こんなに美しいのに残念です。

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Chinese Celadon With Kannyu Crazing 青磁琮形花入

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This flower vase in the shape of a cong* ritual vessel was made in the 12th to 13th century in China and used by the Owari Tokugawa family in Japan as a water jug. Its shape and celadon blue green is so beautiful but look at the kannyu cracks on its surface! They make the vase more uniquely beautiful!
* A cong is a form of ancient Chinese jade artifact.

Vase with kannyu crazing in 12th to 13th century in China

Guan ware with kannyu crazing

Some may say that kannyu crazing is just cracks, so should be fixed, but to me, it's more like an intricate pattern which makes the vase more expressive.

A Japanese author, Yoshiko Shibaki, describes in "Seiji kinuta (kinuta celadon)" a father and his daughter intrigued by celadon porcelain and repetitive high-pitched sound produced when such cracks are being made. I want to hear such sound some day.

The celadon vase is on show at Tokyo National Museum.

Seiji kinuta (or kinuta seiji) is the best quality celadon in Zhejiang Province during the Southern Song period. It is named after a celadon flower vase "Kinuta" owned by one of the greatest Japanese tea masters Sen no Rikyu (千利休). For more, read this.

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東京国立博物館の青磁琮形花入。中国の南宋官窯で12～13世紀に作られ、尾張徳川家が水指として使っていました。「琮」は古代中国で祭祀用に使われた玉器のことで英語では「cong」。この花入がその形に似ているので青磁琮形花入の名がついたそうです。

でも何と言ってもこの貫入です！ 英語では cracks とも言い、ひび割れと言ってしまえばそれまでですが、やはり貫入とひび割れは違います。芥川賞作家芝木好子氏の「青磁砧」には貫入が入る時の様子（ぴきーんと音がするそうです。）が活き活きと描かれています。ちなみに「青磁砧」（あるいは世田谷）の「砧」が何かご存知ですか。答えはこちらをどうぞ！

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Nezu Jinja Shrine Three Gates 根津神社の三門

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Nezu Jinja shrine, which is said to have been founded 1,900 years ago (!), is currently known as a place for Shinto wedding ceremonies. I thought of having mine there (although I'm officially a Buddhist and actually an atheist), but gave it up. The shrine is a bit far from where I used to live. The pictures below are of one building and three gates of this famous shrine.

Honden main building

Karamon Chinese gate

Roden tower gate

Torii main gate

The shrine has at least five gates and inside it is very quiet and serene, a good place to take a walk. (Click here for a map of the shrine although it's only available in Japanese.) 

Nezu Jinja shrine is about 20 minute walk from Yushima Tenmangu shrine, which currently is holding its annual plum festival (from February 8 to March 8 this year). About 20 minute walk between the two shrines is also enjoyable!

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根津神社です。昔「結婚式をここで」と思って来たことは覚えていたのですが、記憶より広くてきれいでした。湯島神社からは1.8km。お散歩に丁度いいです。ちなみにこの日、調子に乗って２万歩歩き、翌日大変でした🤣｡｡｡

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Yushima Tenmangu Shrine Plum Festival 湯島天神梅まつり

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Yushima Tenmangu shrine is currently holding its annual plum festival. The festival is held every February and this year from February 8 to March 8.

Plum flowers in Yushima Tenmangu shrine

Plum flower in Yushima Tenjin shrine

Yushima Tenmangu shrine or Yushima Tenjin shrine, established in 458, is known for enshrining Michizane Sugawara (845-903), a famous scholar, poet and politician of the Heian period. Japan has more than ten thousand tenmangu or tenjin shrines, but they all are intended to calm the spirit of this aristocrat who is said to have caused plagues, droughts, rainstorms, flooding and lightning across the nation after dying in exile in Dazaifu (in Fukuoka prefecture) following the defeat in a political battle.

Ema or votive picture tablets
Yushima Tenjin shrine

He was so talented not only politically but literally that now many students all around Japan come to the shrine and donate "ema" or wooden tablets to pray for success in their entrance exams. Luckily with no plan to take an exam in the foreseeable future, I just enjoyed white and pink plum flowers.

Yushima Tenjin shrine is

- 2 minute walk from Yushima station on Chiyoda line
- 5 minute walk from Ueno-Hirokoji station on Ginza line
- 8 minute walk from Okachimachi station on JR line
- 10 minute walk from Hongo-sanchome station on Marunouchi line

It's also very near the Ueno Park and Tokyo National Museum. You can enjoy the shrine, the park and several museums within the park in one day.  

Plum buds in Yushima Tenjin shrine

Yushima Tenjin shrine gate

湯島天神の梅まつりで見かけた梅の花。人込みもそれほどではなく、梅と膨大な絵馬（笑）を楽しみました。受験シーズンだったんですね。ちなみに湯島天神の正式名称は湯島天満宮。それも知りませんでした。

実はこの天神様、ビルやマンションに囲まれているので、周囲を見渡すと風情がそがれます。なので目線は梅と屋台に集中しました。お昼ご飯の後でなければ屋台を楽しめたのに｡｡｡と少し悔しかったです。まだ満開とはいきませんでしたが、とても可憐でした！

Primula Juliae - Do You Want "Love From Sympathy"? 花簪の花言葉は「同情からの愛」

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Primula juliae

"Hana kanzashi" meaning flower ornamental hairpin

I have been writing about flowers recently and each time I have to look up their English names. These pink flowers I found at the peony garden within the Ueno Park, Tokyo are primula juliae or in Japanese "hana kanzashi (meaning 'flower ornamental hairpin')" because its bud looks like a Japanese hairpin or kanzashi.

Primula juliae's language of flowers in Japan are; compassion, meekness, cheerful heart, radiance, everlasting love and love from sympathy...???? I don't want "love from sympathy.".... Do you?

The language of flowers of peonies (see below) is bravery.

上野のぼたん苑で見つけた花簪。ころっとしたつぼみが簪に見えるのでこの名が付いたそうです。最近花についてよく書いており、そのたびに英語名を調べるのですが、花簪は primula juliae。英語だと分かりやすい一方、風情がなくなるように思うのは気のせいでしょうか。花簪の花言葉は、思いやり、温順、明るい性格、光輝、変わらぬ思い、同情からの愛｡｡｡？ 同情からの愛ってどうでしょう？？

ちなみに牡丹の花言葉は「勇気」だそうです。

Peony
Language of flowers is "bravery"