Japanese Earth Friendly studio by a Certified Kimono Consultant, Kimono Model/Photographer, Edo Tsumami Kanzashi Artisan, and Shinto Priestess.
オンライン祭式 ONLINE CEREMONY
🎋 TANABATA CEREMONY: ONLINE ON-DEMAND 🎋
This offer is specially made for those who cannot make it on-site, like people outside of the area and foreign countries.
PLAN:
* Tanabata ceremony
* Tanzaku wishing card by calligraphy
* Tanzaku burning by sacred flame
* Sasa-bune boat floating of Tanzaku ashes
Rev. Kanawa will prepare your Tanzaku wishing card by Japanese calligraphy on your behalf, to hang them on the sacred bamboo tree to deliver your prayer to Kami.
Please choose ONE important wish based on Tanzaku's guidance below. Tanzaku wishing cards will be later burned by the sacred flame. A small portion of ashes will be released into a sacred river on the Sasa-bune (bamboo leaf) boat.
TRADITIONAL TANABATA CEREMONY DATE: August 4th (July 7th by the older lunar calendar)
(It may move earlier or later in case of inclement weather)
DEADLINE TO APPLY: July 31 at 4:00 PM EST
* Please include 1. Your full legal name 2. Your wish (one significant)
* Please present yourself most politely and formally when approaching Shintō clergy, as a fundamental manner/custom. Shintō clergies are on sacred duty in between the physical world and spiritual/Kami's world as Naka-torimochi medium. Imagine us standing underneath the Torii gate and what is appropriate manner for visitors when approaching to enter the sacred boundary.
CEREMONY SITE: Kamunabi Ban'yu Ko-Shinto Shrine 神奈備万有乃杜 and sacred river
HATSUHO-RYŌ: $36 by PayPal
* To add more own Tanzaku wishing card: $7 per wish
ONLINE-ON-DEMAND VIDEO RELEASE DATE: within 5 days after the ceremony
WISH TO WRITE ON TANZAKU WISHING CARD:
Throughout Japanese history, bamboo trees have been treated as sacred trees, enshrining the mighty power of Kam, as they grow straight to the sky and stay evergreen all year long.
The origin of hanging Tanzaku wishing cards on bamboo trees was done by weaving artisan ladies wishing for their technique improvement according to the ancient Chinese legend.
Based on Tanabata's story, what you can wish in this ceremony is to improve anything that you are dedicated to / seriously learning, performing arts skill, achievement of the academics, inviting precious relationships, dreams or goals which are achievable by your sincere truthful effort.
Besides, you may wish for health, no misfortune, happy family life, something related to Ori-hime or milky way, and Waka poems.
REPORTING METHOD TO WISHERS:
* Ceremony atmosphere pictures will be posted publicly (Your prayer on Tanzaku will be blurred for your privacy)
* Ceremony video will be first exclusively released to attendees only within five days after the ceremony for one full week, before publicly released.
* No live stream, minding the possible inclement weather.
WHAT IS TANABATA?: VARIOUS BACKGROUND
* Traditional Japanese ceremony “Tana-bata” (altar-weaving loom)
Since old times in Japan, weaving textile for ceremonial purpose was called “Tanabata”, as seen in many poems in Manyō-shū. For example, “Tanabata (織女weaving maiden) no Ihohata tatete oru nuno no Akisari-goromo tare ka torimimu“ is recorded in between the various Tanabata related poems.
It is believed that 七夕Shichi-seki, meaning the dusk of July 7th (by old lunar calendar) merged into 棚機・織女(Tanabata), and later七夕 became to be pronounced as Tanabata.
Also, according to one of 神典 (Shinten: Shintō classics) Kogo-shūi, 天棚機姫神 (Ame-no-tanabata-hime-no-kami) wove the divine textile to offer when Amaterasu-Oomikami hid in the cave.
Based on above, there is a folklore of “Tanabata-tu-me” (lady of weaving offering) documented by the folklorists Nobuo Origuchi in his scholar “Mizu-no-me” (lady of water). (no official source)
According to his story, July 7th by the older lunar calendar is around the time of rice flowers and grains begin to fruit, under the weather condition of potential damage by the flooding disaster or disease.
Therefore, the selected “Tana-bata-tu-me” conducted Misogi-harae purification to become spiritually and physically clean, to weave the bolt of textile to offer to ancestors on a Tana altar by the sacred Misogi site to pray for the safety/success of the harvest.
* Tale of Tanabata from ancient China
It is known as a romantic love story of Ori-hime and Hiko-boshi meeting over the milky way only once a year, but there actually was more background behind it.
A young lady Ori-hime who lived by the milky way was very skilled in weaving looms and a very hard worker. Her father Tian-di, the highest Kami of the universe concerned about her future as she was careless about her personal appearance, arranged the marriage with Hiko-boshi who lived on the other side of the river, and was an earnest hard worker.
They happily married, however since then, they overly fell in love toward each other, and stopped working. Tian-di became upset by their degradation, so he separated them to each side of the milky way.
Due to the sadness of losing her husband, Ori-hime kept weeping without working on the weaving loom, Hiko-boshi lost his energy and did not work. As a result, Tian-di approved them to meet once a year, under the promise to sincerely work on their duties.
Ever since, Ori-hime has thought about her loved ones and wove more beautiful textiles than ever before. Hiko-boshi also worked hard on farms and caring for cows.
This story may be a good lesson that “The true relationship of a married couple is to let each other work on one’s duty of their lives and spiritually grow together, polish one another”.
* Kikkou-den ceremony from ancient China
Based on the tale of Tanabata, weaving artisan ladies wished for their improvement of weaving and sewing skills to the stars, as offering their tools on an altar. Later, people also began to pray for the improvement of performing arts and calligraphy in this ceremony.
Kikkou-den was introduced to Japan in the Nara period, as known by the Kouken emperor (female) conducting it.
🎋七夕祭：オンライン・オンデマンド祭式🎋
神事内容：
・七夕祭
・願い事の短冊
・短冊お焚き上げ
・灰の笹船流し
コロナ禍ということと、遠方にお住まいで祭場にいらっしゃれない方々のため、オンラインのオンデマンドにて御参列頂ける方法を御用意いたします。
七夕を祝い、願い主さまの七夕の願いを神々にお聞き願います。申し込み時に、短冊の願い事をひとつお知らせ下さい。杜司が短冊に代筆いたします。斎行後日、短冊をお焚き上げし、その灰を少し笹舟に乗せ、清らかなせせらぎに御流しいたします。
斎行日時：８月４日木曜日
伝統にのっとり旧暦の7月7日（伝統的七夕）
* 悪天候の場合はその前後
申し込み期日： ７月３１日 アメリカ東海岸時間の１６時
* 本名と、最も叶えたいお願い事をひとつお知らせ下さい。
祭場：神奈備万有乃杜・夕霧降る龗神川
初穂料：$36
* PayPal
* お願い事の短冊を増やされたい場合は、一枚に付き別途$7でお預かり致します。
オンライン・オンデマンド開始日時：斎行から５日以内
笹飾り短冊の願い事：
竹や笹は通年を通して緑を保ち、天に向かって真っ直ぐ成長することから、御神威が宿るものと昔から捉えられてきました。
笹の葉に短冊を吊るすようになったのは、中国の伝説のなかで「機織りが巧くなりますように」と女性が願ったことが由来しているといわれます。
七夕の由来から、このお祭りの願い事は、習い事や勉強している稽古事の上達、諸芸上達、努力で成し遂げられる夢や目標、縁結びなどを願う機会となっています。また「無病息災」、「家内安全」、「織姫」や「天の川」といった七夕にちなんだこと、和歌なども相応しいです。
祭式報告の方法：
祭式の様子は後日写真の一般公開、また斎行後５日以内に映像にてオンライン・オンデマンドで御参列頂けますよう、１週間限定公開させて頂きます。
祭式は磐座斎場の屋外になりますので、悪天候やWi-Fiの繋がり具合を考慮し、生配信は致しておりません。予めご了承下さい。
七夕とは：様々な背景を経て、現在の七夕祭りに
* 日本古来の神事「棚機（たなばた）」
万葉集の歌に見られるように、祭祀に関わる衣を織ることを「たなばた」と古来より呼んできました。例えば七夕に関する歌の数々に挟まれたこの歌：「織女(たなばた)の 五百機(いほはた)立てて 織る布の 秋さり衣(ごろも) 誰(た)れか取り見む」
「七月七日の夕方」を意味する"七夕（しちせき）”が、棚機・織女（たなばた）により"七夕（たなばた）”に変わっていったようです。
神典では古語拾遺において、天照大御神が天岩戸に御隠れの際、天棚機姫神（あめのたなばたひめのかみ）が、神衣（かむそ）・和衣（にぎたへ）を織り、献上しています。
上記とは別に、民俗学者である折口信夫の著書「水の女」に、棚機津女（たなばたつめ）という（史料不明の）民間伝承があります。旧暦の七月七日は稲の出穂と開花期にあたり、水害や病害などが心配な時期。そこで収穫の無事を祈り、選ばれた織女が禊をし心身を清め、その清い水辺に建てた機小屋で神前に捧げる衣を織り、それを棚に祀り御神徳を賜る神事と伝えられています。
* 織姫と彦星の「七夕伝説」
織姫と彦星が年に一度会うことのできるロマンチックなお話ですが、実際には奥深い背景があったようです。
天の川のほとりに住む織姫は其の名の如く、美しい機織りに長けた働き者の娘でした。ですが自分のことには無頓着で、父親である天帝は娘の結婚を心配し、川向いに住む彦星に白羽の矢を立てました。真面目で働き者の青年です。
めでたく夫婦となった二人でしたが、お互いに夢中になりすぎ、各々の仕事を全くしなくなりました。このありさまに腹を立てた天帝が、二人を川の両岸に引き離します。悲しみに暮れた織姫は泣いてばかりで機を織らず、彦星は気力を失い働きません。見兼ねた天帝は、二人がかつての様に真面目に働くことを条件に、年に一度再会することを許しました。
その後、織姫は愛する人を想いながら以前よりも美しい機を織り、彦星も畑仕事や牛の世話に励むようになったそうです。「誠の恋人・夫婦というものは、各々御役目に勤しみ、互いを高め合う関係を築き上げる」という教訓とも言えますね。
* 中国伝来の「乞巧奠（きっこうでん）」
七夕伝説にあやかり、針仕事を担う織女が裁縫や機織りなどの技巧上達を願う祈願祭に。（乞巧：技巧を授かるよう願う、上達を願う。奠：神仏にお供えし奉る）
庭先の祭壇に針などの裁縫道具をお供えし、星に祈りを捧げます。やがては芸事や書道などの上達も願うようになりました。乞巧奠は後に日本に伝わり、奈良時代には孝謙天皇（史上６人目の女性天皇）が斎行されたようです。
七夕は織姫と彦星の再会を祝うお祭りと捉えられがちですが、様々な背景の上で、現在の七夕になったのですね。
*************************************************************************************************************************************************************
【斎行済み PAST CEREMONIES】
* These ceremony videos are publicly shared after being exclusively released to official attendees for set time frame. It is prohibited to copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, display, or in any way exploit any such content, nor share the URL over media network without prior written permission of the Kamunabi Ban'yū Ko-Shintō Shrine. Thank you.