Although there is little information, it is likely that small scale celebrations were held within the palace most years (with offerings and feasts).

On 6th November 1868 the Emperor's Birthday was finally made into a national holiday

#天皇誕生日 #emperorsbirthday #Japan

"Tencho Chikyu" (天長地久 "The Sky and the Earth, the Universe is Eternal") expresses hope that the emperor's reign (and life) will be long.

From November 10th 775, in the reign of Emperor Kōnin (光仁天皇), celebrating the emperor's birthday became an annual event
#天皇誕生日

Renamed after WWII, the celebration was originally known as 'Chiaki-bushi' (千秋節) and then 'Tencho-setsu' (天長節). Together with the empress consort's birthday, 'Chikyū-setsu' (地久節), the names referenced an old Chinese idiom from Lao Tzu's (老子) "Tao Te Ching" (道德经).

TENNŌ TANJŌBI🥳

February's 2nd national holiday (February 23rd) celebrates the birthday of Emperor Naruhito (徳仁 b.1960).
Tennō tanjōbi (天皇誕生日), "The Emperor's Birthday", has been a holiday since 1868, changing with the accession of each new emperor.
#Japan #天皇誕生日

Happy 'Cat Day' from Percy (パーシー) and Hogarth (ホガース)‍‍🥳

#猫の日

One of my oddest feline adventures in Kyōto (and one that I still have mixed feelings about) was at 'Nyan Nyan-ji' (猫猫寺 'Meow Meow Temple')

Located on the way to Ōhara, it's very hard to put into words what this sort-of-shrine, sort-of-café, sort-of-shop, short-of-cats kind of place is like.

Percy admires some dancing yōkai

If you look closely you'll see a 'nekomata' (猫又 - they have multiple tails) amongst the other creatures.
There are 2 main kinds of cat yōkai...the other type, 'bakeneko' (化け猫), usually only have 1 tail

#catday #猫の日 #Japan #Kyoto

The date of National Cat Day is different for each country. In Japan the 'Executive Cat Day Committee' selected February 22nd in 1978‍

#Kyoto #Japan #ねこの日 #catday #nekonohi #京都 #ukiyoe #浮世絵

SUPER CATS & NINJA🥷

Happy 'Cat Day' (ねこの日/ニャンの日 'Neko-no-hi' or 'Nyan-no-hi')!🥳

'Meow' in Japanese is 'nya-' (にゃー)...
...as February 22nd (22.2 'ni ni ni') sounds a little like "nya nya nya", the day is devoted to our feline friends.

#Kyoto #Japan #ねこの日

MONTHLY MARKETS

1st Sunday: "Garakuta-ichi" (がらくた市-antiques) Tō-ji.
15th: "Tezukuri-ichi" (手づくり市-handicrafts) Hyakumanben Chion-ji.
21st: "Kōbō-san" (弘法さん) Tō-ji.
️25th: "Tenjin-san" (天神さん) Kitano Tenmangū.
️4th Sunday: "Tezukuri-ichi" Kamigamo-jinja.

Each month a handful of temples and shrines across the city hold flea/handicraft markets and antique fairs.

Of these Tō-ji's "Kōbō-san" (named after Kōbō Daishi 弘法大師 774-835) and Kitano Tenmangū's "Tenjin-san" (named after Sugawara-no-Michizane 菅原道真 845-903) are the largest.

Amairo Café Taiyaki's round treats

In Japan 'tai' (鯛 'red sea bream') is a symbol of good luck because its name is associated with the word 'medetai' (めでたい), which means 'congratulations'.

These round kind of taiyaki first appeared in Kumamoto (熊本) & Amakusa (天草).

Taiyaki (鯛焼き 'baked sea bream'), as the name suggests, is a fish-shaped cake made from waffle batter. It's traditionally filled with sweet bean paste.

The sweets were created by Kobe Seijirō in 1909 to boost flagging sales at his store 'Naniwaya Sōhonten' (浪花家総本店).

winter solitude-
in a world of one color
the sound of wind
冬枯れや 世は一色に 風の音
-Matsuo Bashō (松尾芭蕉 1644-94).
Trans. Robert Hass.

#Kyoto #京都 #kyotosnow #Japan #初弘法 #hatsukobo #kyotomarket #Toji #東寺 #snowday #marketday

This time last year snow sprinkled a little bit of magic on the market️
It seems far too warm for snow this year

#Kyoto #京都 #kyotosnow #Japan #初弘法 #hatsukobo #kyotomarket #Toji #東寺 #snowday #marketday

FIRST MARKETS

The most important markets of the year fall just before and just after the New Year.
Hatsu Kōbō (初弘法 'the 1st Kōbō market of the year'), held on the 21st of January at Tō-ji, is one of the city's largest.

Nao-san ventured through snow last year to explore.
#Japan