Religion and season words in Japan

[Gabi Greve]

The Japanese saijiki contains a special category, usualy translated as observances, where the yearly festivals and ceremonies of Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines , Chinese and Christian communities etc. are listed.

Very little of these examples have been translated, I am working on it since this year ... and it might take another few lifetimes.

I will try and introduce some more as I find the time.

Here is a link to the online saijiki for now
http://wkdfestivalsaijiki.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html



Names of temples and shrines and names of famous Buddha statues are often part of a Japanese haiku.




ichmai no shooji akari ni Gigeiten

in the light
of one sliding door . . .
this Gigeiten

Inahate Teiko

http://darumamuseumgallery.blogspot.com/2008/06/gigeiten.html

If you look at the link, there are quite a few haiku waiting for translation, and this applies to all the others of the rich Buddhist and Shinto Panteon.


Gabi