Keeper of Lost Things

kkitsune:

Kitsune are associated with Inari, the Shinto deity of rice. This association has reinforced the fox’s supernatural significance. Originally, kitsune were Inari’s messengers, but the line between the two is now blurred so that Inari itself may be depicted as a fox. Likewise, entire shrines are dedicated to kitsune, where devotees can leave offerings. Fox spirits are said to be particularly fond of a fried sliced tofu called aburage, which is accordingly found in the noodle-based dishes kitsune udon and kitsune soba. Similarly, Inari-zushi is a type of sushi named for Inari that consists of rice-filled pouches of fried tofu.There is speculation among folklorists as to whether another Shinto fox deity existed in the past. Foxes have long been worshipped as kami.

Inari’s kitsune are white, a color of good omen. They possess the power to ward off evil, and they sometimes serve as guardian spirits. In addition to protecting Inari shrines, they are petitioned to intervene on behalf of the locals and particularly to aid against troublesomenogitsune, those spirit foxes who do not serve Inari. Black foxes and nine-tailed foxes are likewise considered good omens.

According to beliefs derived from fusui (feng shui), the fox’s power over evil is such that a mere statue of a fox can dispel the evil kimon, or energy, that flows from the northeast. Many Inari shrines, such as the famous Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto, feature such statues, sometimes large numbers of them.

Kitsune are connected to the Buddhist religion through the Dakiniten, goddesses conflated with Inari’s female aspect. Dakiniten is depicted as a female boddhisattva wielding a sword and riding a flying white fox.

kirielambar:

This is the only major operating Shinto shrine in the U.S. They’re very friendly and informative, and the teachers there update the Facebook account every day with lessons and advice. ^_^ Check it out!

You can also become a member of the shrine and they will do prayers on your behalf!

This post is from last year but it’s still got nifty information in it. I like this blogger.

Ibaraki`s Unique HATSU UMA (初午) Celebrations- this year on the same day as Setsubun ( February 3, 2012) » TsukuBlog

By Avi Landau

Getting ready for Hatsu Uma ( February 3rd this year), by cleaning the precincts of Inari Shrines ( this one in Inari-Mae, Tsukuba)

SUMITSUKARI- a dish served only on Hatsu-Uma which is unique to certain parts of Ibaraki and Tochigi Prefectures. This uncooked type (生) was prepared by Asako Seo of Tsukuba

Sumitsukarei wrapped in straw and left as an offering at a small Inari Shrine in Hojo, Tsukuba. Identical objects are also sometimes thrown on rooftops to prevent fire

This morning as I was get getting ready to leave for work, my front door suddenly slid open. It was my next-door neighbor. She was bringing over some SEKIHAN (glutinous rice cooked with beans- something eaten on special occassions). It all happened so suddenly that I forgot to ask WHICH special event she had cooked it for. You see, as it turns out, this year two traditional events fall on the same day! There is SETSUBUN, the Bean Throwing Festival which is celebrated nationwide- and HATSU UMA, a special day which is quite obscure on a national scale but which has long been important in this part of Japan ( Ibaraki and Tochigi Prefectures).

Since I have already written in detail about SETSUBUN, let me tell about this area`s unique way of celebrating HATSU-UMA- which literally means the FIRST HORSE.

The kitchen-ware section at the Seibu Department Store put up a display explaining how to make the local Hatsu Uma speciality SUMITSU KAREI

If you look at a Japanese calendar, you will notice that every day of the month has been designated as belonging to a different animal of the Japanese zodiac. Today, February 6th on the Gregorian calendar, is the first Day of the Horse of the second month of the year, making it HATSU UMA (初午, the First Horse, a day which has been celebrated for more than 1000 years by devotees of O-INARI-SAMA. There are tens of thousands of Inari shrines around Japan (more numerous than any other type of shrine), ranging from the grand to the tiny (these are called HOKORA, 祠), which are instantly recognizable by their red or vermilion torii gates (sometimes lined up one behind the other forming a tunnel!) and their many fox statues and figurines which lead to the mistaken notion that the foxes are the Gods of these shrines. Even those who have never been to Japan have probably seen them in books or posters as these exotic features make them a very popular subject for photographers. 

Fox figurines at a small Inari Shrine in Hojo, Tsukuba. Foxes are the messengers of the deity, not the deity itself, as some assume

The first Day of the Horse of the second month of the 4th year of WADO (711 AD) was the day on which the God UKANOMITAMA NO KAMI was called down to HIS/HER new home, Mt Inari (in modern day Kyoto), upon which later the Fushimi Inari Shrine would be built, as the Titular God (ujigami) of the great Hata Family, which had come to Japan from China. Ukanomitama No Mikoto was originally a god of food and rice. The alternate name INARI is actually a variation of INE NARI, which means to become rice (INE: 稲, rice; NARU: 成, to become, to grow).

The fox, the messenger or servant of this god, has become so strongly associated with Inari shrines that these animals are often confused with the god him/herself.

Over the years, as Inari shrines sprang up throughout the country, they became associated with other things besides agriculture, all in accordance with various stages of Japanese economic development: industry, business, sales, household safety, the arts, etc. Inari is even considered the patron of mahjong parlors and tobacconists. Truly an all-purpose deity. In fact, the Fushimi Inari Shrine actually enshrined four other Gods besides Ukanomitama No Kami, which have become incorporated into the Inari of that shrine, though not necessarily all of the Inari shrines, especially the small ones, around Japan.

Inari-Mae’s Inari Shrine、across from YU-WORLD in Tsukuba

To celebrate the Inari’s original descent to Japan, devotees begin by cleaning the grounds around the Inari Shrines, as well as the shrine structures themselves. Today I chatted with the men who were getting ready for Hatsu Uma ceremonies at the Inari Shrine in Inarimae in Tsukuba, just across from Yu World and Cineplex. They were burning fallen leaves, cleaning the shrine building and preparing new sacred ornaments of straw, rope and paper, all in preparation for the ceremony which will be held at 10am on Tuesday ( February 8th).

At homes, many families throughout Japan will be eating SEKI HAN (celebratory rice with red beans), and offering rice wine (o-miki), mochi, and seki han to the shrines along with plenty of ABURA AGE (fried tofu) which is supposedly a favorite food of foxes. Doing this is said to bring good harvests in the coming year and prevent disasters and sickness as well. Others believe that in this entrance examination period, PASSING THROUGH THE TORII GATE TUNNELS will help students PASS exams.

 Morie Nakano Sensei`s Hatsu Uma decorations on display in Tsukuba

An important belief associated with HATSU UMA is that it is a dangerous day on which to make a fire. Because of this superstition a very interesting and extremely localized custom has developed in parts of Ibaraki and Tochigi Prefectures. In order to avoid cooking with fire on this day, a special COLD DISH is made, which utilizes leftover beans from the setsubun bean throwing ceremony, the salted salmon which was eaten during New Year’s and the vegetables of the season- daikon radish and carrots, which is roughly grated with a bamboo grate called ONI OROSHI.

Abura-age ( fried bean curd) is also added as an hommage to the fox messengers. This special dish is known either as SUMITSUKARI, SUMITSUKARE or SHIMOTSUKARE, depending on the area.

Sumitsukari and Celebration rice (sekihan) are also often wrapped in straw (separately) and offered to Inari Shrines and to the Household Gods ( Ujigami- Sama, 氏神様). Since this dish does not spoil easily, it is usually eaten by the family- for a few days anyway, until it is all finished.

Offerings to an Inari Shrine in Hojo, Tsukuba for Hatsu Uma 2012- fried tofu,sekihan,soy beans, and sumitsukrei

SUMITSUKARE- the cooked type

Also, in the belief that that it can help prevent fire, the sumitsukari and the rice, wrapped in their straw , are sometimes thrown over the roofs of houses.

SUMITSUKARI appears to be experiencing a revival of sorts. I have met several women who have prepared this dish for this weeks celebrations, and there have even been classes in how to make it at community centers in this area. If you make it to the shrine in Inarimae on the morning of the 8th you might get a chance to taste this very unique dish. If you cant and are still interested, tell a local farmer that you`d lke to try some. Im sure they`d be happy to share with you.

If you`d like to try and make it yourself here is the recipe.

This is the type of grater used to roughly grate the daikon radish and carrots for sumitsukari (called an ONI-OROSHI)

Recipes for Sumitsukari (スミツカリ)- which is sometimes pronounced SUMITSUKAREI (スミツカレ), and in Tochigi Prefecture SHIMOTSUKARE (シモツカレ)

These recipes do not include salted salmon which is often used, especially in Tochigi.

Recipe for the Cooked Type of Sumitsukarei

Ingredients : Half a daikon radish, half a carrot, half a cup of setsubun soy beans, a sheet of ABURA-AGE ( fried tofu), a tablespoon of Sake dregs, dashi (Japanese soup stock) to taste, and 2 tablespoons each of sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce.

How to make:

Roughly grate the radish and the carrot. Lightly grill or toast th abura-age, and chop up into thin pieces. Peel the soy beans after roasting a bit. Add to pot with the rest of the ingredients and simmer.Recipe forUncooked (nama) Type

Ingredients- the same as above WITHOUT the sake dregs, soy sauce or dashi

How to make::

Same as the above, except lightly drain the liquid from the grated radish and carrot before adding the vinegar and sugar.

Some delicious SUMITSUKARI (スミツカレ)- prepared by Asako Seo

The most famous Inari Shrines in Japan are the Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, the Kasama Inari in Ibaraki, and the Toyokawa Inari in Aichi. Even more interesting, however, are the small Inari Hokora you can find in Tsukuba’s bamboo groves and forests, or behind shops or restaurants. You can’t miss them with their red wooden gates and little fox figurines.

Sumitsukare and Sekihan wrapped in straw thrown on top of the roof of one of Ryuichi Someya`s sheds – in the hope that it will prevent fires

A special bento lunch box for todays joint SETSUBUN and HATSU UMA celebrations- a sardine for the former and sumitsukare for the latter- prepared by Asako Seo

(via Encyclopedia of Shinto - Home : Rituals in Daily Life)

“First Horse Day Festival.” This term refers to the event that is held on the first day of the horse in February.

It is the custom to worship Inari all over Japan, and beginning with Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyōto and Toyokawa Inari in Aichi Prefecture, shrines in all regions hold First Horse Day Festivals. The event celebrated on the second day of the horse in February is called ni no uma (“second horse”). This festival is held in conjunction with hatsuuma.

In many places groups called Inari ko (confraternities) make offerings of fried bean curd (abura age) and similar items before small Inari shrines (hokora) and share food and drink.

The origin of treating the first day of the horse in February as the ennichi (special festival day) of Inari is found in a legend that states that the deity (saijin) of Fushimi Inari Shrine descended from Mount Inari in 711 on the eleventh (alternatively, ninth) day of the second month, the first day of the horse, but it is not certain if this is true.

On this day, apart from being the festival day of the deity Inari, all over the country horse-related events can be seen, such as taking decorated horses to a shrine or to a horse-headed Kannon (batō kannon) for worship, or offering rice cakes (mochi) on the backs of straw horses to a traveler’s tutelary deity (dōsojin). In places where sericulture is popular, people also make mayudama (festive bamboo twigs hung with cocoon shaped cakes) and rice cakes and offer them to the silkworm deity (oshirasama, kokagesama).

The legend that the tutelary deity of the rice paddy (ta no kami) descended from a mountain on hatsuuma can be found all over the country. The present form of this event for requesting a good harvest corresponds to the beginning of the agricultural year, and is linked to the agricultural deity aspect of Inari belief (inari shinkō).