For New Year 2012 (7)

 

Namahage-Sedo Festival （なまはげ柴灯まつり）takes place in Shinzan shrine （真山神社）in Oga city , Akita prefecture（秋田県）, Northern Honshu, Japan, the second Friday through the second Sunday of February every year.

This festival is carried out as a tourist event that combines the Shinto shrine Sedo festival and the Namahage folk festival.

 Here is a photo of the Namahage-Sedo Festival.

Photo courtesy: as per original copyright at:

http://www.michinokugodai.com/oga01.html

 

 

 

真山やなまはげ降りる柴灯祭り　　　　　   秀法

Shinzan ya  Namahage oriru  sedo matsuri

 

Namahage ogres

descend from Mount Shinzan ―

the Namahage-Sedo festival              Hidenori

 

なまはげの初恋の地や男鹿半島　　　　　   秀法

Namahage no  hatsukoi no chi ya  Oga hanto

 

Namahage ogre

falls in first love ―

the Oga Peninsula                       Hidenori

 

Here is another photo of the Namahage-Sedo Festival.

Photo courtesy: as per original copyright at:

http://do-yo.at.webry.info/201002/article_3.html

 

 

 

なまはげの炎の如き思ひかな               秀法

Namahage no  honoo no gotoki  omoi kana

 

Namahage ogre

falls in love ―

like a flame                             Hidenori

 

 

Manisha Kundu-Nagata in Akita prefecture tells us about Namahage Festival in her blog.

http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2009/04/namahage-museum.html

 

Dr. Gabi Greve in Okayama prefecture also tells us about this festival in her blog.

http://fudosama.blogspot.com/2005/02/oni-japanese-demons.html

Please check them out, and you will know about Namahage Festival better.

 

 

On February 15, Patricia Lidia in Romania contributed Haibun: Love to us.

It’s blizzard, but that does not spoil the joy of the young lovers. Her dress matches the snow freshly sprawled and on her shoulders she is wearing his coat. It’s cold, but the joy of the moment warms his soul and he makes him forget that they are walking on a bridge of ice. They look at each other like in the first day they have met, long and meaningful. Back then it was cold and it was snowing just as now, but that did not count, the alleys parks were their only witnesses.

 

 walk in two-

the frozen snowdrop

in her warm hand

 

二人で歩く ―

凍ったスノードロップ

彼女の暖かな手の中に

 

The snow does not change their plans. It is their special day, only they matter. Only them and the future.

 

stealthily glances –

in the priest’s crown

past and future

 

盗み見る ―

司祭の冠の中に

過去と未来

 

Today the entire nature celebrates with them. It snows with large flakes that become small ice crystals between her eyelids. With his fingers, he wipes the flakes from her face. “I am happy as I haven’t been in a long time”, he says, smiling, “and if it is a dream, well, I do not ever want to wake up to our common reality… “She put down in the snow the bouquet of camellias, and approached him, kissing him in silence.

 

frozen lake –

on the bridal bouquet

a sparrow

 

凍った湖―

花嫁の花束に

一羽の雀

 

 

Lastly, let me post haiku and photos by Kyra Roybal and Scott Ruddell, who studied about haiku and learned to write haiku at the class by Alexander Dolin, PhD, Professor of Japanese Literature and Civilization Studies at Akita International University（国際教養大学）.　

 

Kyra Roybal contributed the works of haiku and photos to us in November, 2011.

 

 

 

降りしきる雪片が舞う

星のかけらのように

果てしない白景色

 

 

 

むきだしの骨の髄まで、冷たい

芽が骸骨のような枝に

いのちが新たに始まる

 

 

 

雲が暑さに身を切られる

よどんだ一日が中断する

雷が鳴りほっと安心

 

 

 

やさしく漂い舞い降りる

風に吹かれる全ての色

着地しながらサラサラ鳴る

 

 

 

絶え間なく時間は変わる

生、死、自然の一部

果てしない循環

 

 

Scott Ruddell also contributed the works of haiku and photos to us in November, 2011.

 

木の下が

清い紅葉で

染められる

 

Underneath the tree, the pure autumn colors paint the ground.

 

曇りの日

雨が木の葉と

ともに降る

 

On a cloudy day, the leaves fall with the rain.

 

 

Past the open lake

The mountains cannot be seen

Hidden by thick fog

 

広々とした湖

山々は見えない

濃い霧に隠れている

 

Last days of autumn

Waiting for the snow to come

To turn the trees white

 

晩秋の日々

雪が降るのを待っている

木々が白く変わるのを

 

As the days get cool

Cicadas no longer sing

Surely fall has come

 

日に日に涼しくなる

セミはもはや鳴かない

きっと秋になったのだ

 

The next posting ‘For New Year 2012 (8)’ appears on February 25.

 

― Hidenori Hiruta