４月８日（月曜日）２０２４
祇園さんで親しまれている八坂神社にお参りする機会がありました。祇園・舞妓・八坂神社で思い描くイメージとそこが八岐大蛇（やまたのおろち）を退治した素戔嗚尊（すさのおのみこと）がお祀りしてある神社とはちょっとギャップがあったので、説明を読んで正直驚きました。丸山公園の桜も満開。人出は思ったほどでなくゆっくり花見をしながら、奥にある料理やまで楽しく歩きました。桜の花びらが時折散るのが見える和室で、京都らしい細やかな設えとサービスを受けながら、目にも舌にも流石と納得できるお料理で贅沢な時間を過ごしました。
料亭の玄関には椿の花で飾られた水盤に小さなお釈迦様。4月8日は花祭りだと友人に教えてもらい甘茶をかけてお釈迦様のお誕生日をお祝いしました。
I had a chance to visit Yasaka Shrine which is very popular in Kyoto. The image I had about Gion (a district of Kyoto which is one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan), Maiko (a woman who keeps the traditional culture of Kyoto) and Yasaka Shrine was something gorgeous. The other one, Susanoo-no-Mikoto who is a deity appears in Japanese mythology and he killed a great snake called Yamata-no-Orochi which was a rough and violent image. I was surprised to learn that Yasaka shrine enshrined this Susanoo-no Mikoto. Cherry trees were in full blossom in Maruyama Park. We enjoyed walking to the Japanese restaurant where we expected to have lunch.
We had a pleasant lunch time in the beautiful Japanese room with a nice view of a garden where sometimes cherry blossoms were falling by spring winds. We enjoyed the lunch which looked and tasted so good.
There was a little Buddha on the dish which was full of camellia flowers on the water in the entrance area. One of my friends told me that April 8th is the birthday of Buddha and people celebrate the day by pouring water on his head. We followed the old custom. It was an enjoyable day.
