The real thrill of the Chrysanthemum Festival

Hello everyone, how are you feeling about the effects of yesterday's typhoon? I am saddened by the unexpected flood damage.
We pray for the earliest possible recovery and please take care of yourself.

Well, today is Chrysanthemum Festival.
Chrysanthemum Festival is one of the five seasonal festivals, and is celebrated on September 9th. Originating from Chinese tradition, odd-numbered days are said to be auspicious, and the day on which the largest odd number, 9, overlaps is considered special.

Gosekku are five seasonal festivals that are celebrated throughout the year. Each festival has its own characteristics, and below we have summarized the five festivals in Japan and their characteristics.

1. Jinji Festival (January 7th)
- Eat Nanakusa porridge and pray for good health throughout the year.

2. Kamishi no Sekku (March 3rd)
- Decorate Hina dolls and wish for the growth of girls.
- Chirashi sushi and clam soup are standard.

3. Boy's Festival (May 5th)
- By displaying May dolls and carp streamers, we wish for the boy's health and success.

4. Tanabata Festival (July 7th)
- Hang a strip of paper with a wish written on it on a bamboo tree and hope for your dreams to come true.

5. Chrysanthemum Festival (September 9th)
- Pray for good health by taking advantage of the medicinal properties of chrysanthemums.
- Display the Hina dolls again as “later Hina dolls”.

These events are meant to celebrate the changing seasons, the growth of children, and strengthen family bonds.

Chrysanthemum Festival is an event centered around chrysanthemums. According to the lunar calendar, this time of year is also called the ``Chrysanthemum Festival'' because the chrysanthemums bloom beautifully. (Enjoy visually)


Chrysanthemums have been known since ancient China to have health and longevity benefits. A book from the 4th century contains a story called ``The Legend of Kikusui,'' in which villagers lived long lives by drinking water from a valley where many chrysanthemums grew. From this legend, the custom of drinking water containing chrysanthemum essence during Chrysanthemum Festival was born. (Enjoy with sense of smell)

This tradition and the idea of the medicinal properties of chrysanthemums reached Japan, where they spread among the aristocrats of the Heian period. The Chrysanthemum Festival came to be established as a seasonal event in Japan.

You can also enjoy chrysanthemum Japanese sweets to your heart's content, as shown in the photo above. (Enjoy with taste)

It is one of the poetry gatherings of the Heian period, and the chanting sessions about chrysanthemum flowers that were held in the dairi during the Kanpei era are called ``Kanpei Dairi Kikugo.'' We would like to introduce the chrysanthemum song that was sung at this poetry gathering.

I will explain ``Masarigusata mahisi seeds will be planted and chrysanthemums will become chrysanthemums by the time of Suberagi no Yorozuyo''.

- "Suberagino": "Suberagi" means "smooth" or "good".
- "Yorozuyo" means "forever" or "for a long time."
- "Masarigusa": means "superior grass", meaning a grass that is superior to other grasses.
- "Tamahishitane": It means "precious seed."
- “Ueshi”: It means “planted”.
- "Kikunari": It means "that's a chrysanthemum."

In other words, this poem means ``Chrysanthemums are the grass planted with the precious chrysanthemum seeds, smooth and beautiful and eternally superior.'' In other words, it can be interpreted as praising the chrysanthemum, saying that it is a flower that has been loved by people for a long time, more so than other plants, for its beauty and excellent qualities. (Enjoy hearing)

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Kasane-irome is a color scheme unique to Japan, and is used to match the inside and outside colors of clothing. Especially during the autumn season, chrysanthemums are often used as a motif. In this case, the delicate expressions and nuances of chrysanthemums are skillfully expressed through color combinations, rather than just the colors of flowers.

I spent the day thinking once again about how wonderful it is to feel the delicate sensibilities of the Japanese people, who have incorporated the changes of nature into the clothes they wear according to the seasons. (Enjoy with the sense of touch)

ニッポンエッセンス

ニッポン エッセンス