Since the end of the Heian period, the Yamashina family has inherited the "Yamashina School of Emondo," a family profession in Kyoto that is responsible for the tailoring and wearing of court attire for the nobility. Tokichika Yamashina, the young head of the family, who is in his 30th generation since the founder, will unravel the occasional events that have taken place at the Imperial Court and in the society of the nobility, as well as the culture that has been handed down through the ages, along with costumes and ancient documents remaining in the Yamashina family.

At the Imperial Court, the Double Ninth Festival, held on September 9th of the lunar calendar, was a typical late autumn event.

The trees are changing color and the chill is starting to set in. This time, we'll be introducing some of the Imperial Court events that take place from late autumn to early winter. We've touched on seasonal festivals several times in previous articles, and one of them, the "Choyo no Sekku" festival, held on September 9th of the lunar calendar, was a representative late autumn event at the Imperial Court. However, it seems to be less well-known today than the other five seasonal festivals. The word "Choyo" comes from the idea of ​​yin-yang and the five elements, where odd numbers are yang and even numbers are yin, and refers to the day when nine, the largest yang number in the decimal system, overlaps. However, this idea has become unfamiliar, which may be a factor.

Chrysanthemums that bloom during this time are known for their fragrant aroma and medicinal properties, and in fact, they last a long time when arranged in ikebana. Chrysanthemum flowers are a symbolic and familiar plant, as seen in the Imperial Family's chrysanthemum crest. However, speaking with chrysanthemum farmers, I learned that modern people tend to associate chrysanthemums with funeral flowers. Chrysanthemums have traditionally been considered auspicious flowers, representing longevity and prolonged life, as in the stories of the boy named Kikujido, who gained immortality by drinking chrysanthemum dew. Learning about the thoughts and background stories entrusted to chrysanthemums can help us understand the meaning behind the various chrysanthemum-related rituals that take place during the Double Ninth Festival.

The custom of "Kisewata" that was practiced at the Imperial Court during the Choyo period

During the Double Ninth Festival, the Imperial Court had a custom called "Kisewata" that dates back to the Heian period, in which chrysanthemums were covered in cotton and left overnight, and the next morning, the dew from the chrysanthemums was soaked into the cotton, and the person would wipe themselves with it to ward off evil spirits. Many people may think of cotton when they see the word "wata," but the cotton in "Kisewata" is actually silk cotton. In the past, cotton was an essential part of everyday items such as futons and kimonos, and was often given as gifts, but it is becoming less and less common these days.

The Double Ninth Festival, which had a deep connection with the Yamashina family

The Double Ninth Festival was a court event with deep ties to our family. It was customary for chrysanthemum cotton to be presented by the Yamashina family, who for generations served as the head of the Kuranokami (Kuranokami Bureau), the office responsible for preparing costumes and other items for the Imperial Court. This tradition can be seen in the diaries and records of successive heads of the family.

""Gotokyoki" September 7th, 1567 (Eiroku 10)

``Kikunowata advances to the Imperial Palace, as usual, the three colors of yellow, red, and white, Bunnyo this.

　I respectfully submit this to you, and I hope you will take it into consideration and handle it as you wish.To Nakahashi Tono's office."

A few days before Choyo Day, three colors of chrysanthemum cotton (yellow, red, and white) were to be presented to the Imperial Court. When presented through a lady-in-waiting, a message was attached, and as always, there were rules regarding the words used to convey the intention to present the item. This recalls the relationship between the role played by the nobles and Imperial Court events. Furthermore, at the celebration banquet on Choyo Day, the Emperor presented the attendees with an Imperial cup, and they also drank chrysanthemum sake.

Inokomochi, a tea cake associated with the Imperial Court, is a prayer for good health.

October in the lunar calendar (around November in the Gregorian calendar) marks an important time for those hosting tea ceremonies, with the opening of the hearth and the opening of the tea jar. A popular tea snack associated with the Imperial Court at this time is the auspicious Inoko mochi, a rice cake meant to pray for good health. However, during the Edo period, the rice cakes distributed at the Imperial Court were simple, round, three-colored rice cakes. According to rank, nobles received black rice cakes, those of the fourth rank received red, and those of the fifth rank and below received white rice cakes. These were given out on the day of the boar in the Chinese zodiac. On each of the two or three boar days each month, a specific plant was placed underneath the mochi, with the mochi wrapped in shinobushi grass and decorated with chrysanthemums, maple leaves, and ginkgo nuts, creating a seasonal theme.

The Imperial Court also had a tea-drinking culture, and in particular, the ceremony to cut off the tea jar stored on Mount Atago was a lively affair, with tea distributed to the vassals and accompanied by a meal. Unlike traditional formal events, this was also an important event, where people gathered together to enjoy the time. It is known that some noble families had heads who were devoted to the tea ceremony, and in the late Edo period, literary hobbies such as sencha tea became popular. There were ways of enjoying tea that suited the nobles' tastes, such as using open shoin rooms as venues and featuring elegant tea utensils.

Court noble culture has been woven together through a long history and undergone changes

In recent years, progress in excavations at the site of the Noble Town has raised hopes that the true nature of food culture in court society during the Edo period will be shed light on Imari ware tableware (imperial goods) that was used daily at the Imperial Court. As we examine the remaining historical materials, we realize that there is still much we do not know about the daily life and sensibilities of the Edo period, even though it was four or five generations ago. Gradually grasping the cultural ways of the nobles, which have been woven together despite changes over a long history, offers many insights into how we should consider the cultural attitudes we should adopt in today's society, where times are fast-paced and information is often confusing.