端午の節句 Boys Festival
五月五日は端午の節句です。この日は男の子のお祭りの日とされ、鯉のぼりを立てたり、武者人形などを飾ったり柏餅を食べたりして、男児の健やかな成長を祈ります。
この行事は中国から伝わってきた習わしで、 中国ではこの日に菖蒲酒（しょうぶざけ）を飲むなどして、邪気を払う行事が行われていました。 日本においては、五月という月が「物忌み（ものいみ）月」（田植えを間近に控え、身体を清める月）であったことから、邪気を払うために菖蒲酒を飲んだり菖蒲湯に入ったりしました。 菖蒲の香気は邪気を払うといわれ、魔除（まよけ）の薬草とされていたからです。
そして、この菖捕が「尚武（しょうぶ）」と同音であることから、武家では男の子のお祝いとして、甲冑（かちゅう）や刀などを飾り、勇ましく成長することを祈ったのです。 これがのちに形を変えて、武者人形飾りとなったようです。
また鯉のぽりも、中国に古くから伝わる登竜門の伝説になぞらえ、竜門の滝を登り切ると鯉が竜になるように、我子も健康に育ち、将来は大きく出世して欲しいとの気持を込めたものです｡
今年から澤の屋の武者人形は、去年の６月に産まれた「諒」の新しい人形を飾っています。４月の後半から飾ります。
また、谷中の町を歩いていると鯉のぼりにも出会うことができます。
May 5th is Boys Festival, called "tango no sekku" in Japanese.
To celebrate this festival we put up carp streamers in our gardens and display
warrior dolls with armor, helmets and so forth. During this
festival we also eat "chimaki," cakes wrapped in bamboo leaves,
and "kashiwa-mochi," rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves. It is said
that these customs originally came from China, where they drank liquor made
of sweet flag plants to brush away evil spirits.
May is "votive abstinence" month in Japan. People purify their
bodies before planting the rice crop. They drink a liquor called "shobuzake"
which washes away evil spirits. Cuttings of these plants are also put into
bathtubs for everyone to bathe in.
Carp Streamers
It is said that the custom of putting up carp streamers came from China. Because they swim upstream against the current, carp are regarded as symbols of courage. According to legend, a carp once became a dragon after it climbed up a waterfall. So, we Japanese put up carp streamers to symbolize the wish for our boys to grow strong like carp.
Warrior Dolls
Sweet flag smells good and is a type of herb that is believed to purge evil spirits. This flower is called "shobu" in Japanese and the Japanese word for warrior is also "shobu." Because both pronunciations are the same, most warrior families in the past displayed warrior dolls with armor and helmets, swords and other things. This is the origin of the custom of displaying warrior dolls.
Dolls at the Sawanoya Inn
Mr. Sawa's warrior dolls were new dolls from this year.This warrior
dolls is RYOU'S dolls.This elaborate set of warrior dolls is on display
in the lobby of the Sawanoya Inn from April 25th until the end of our Golden
Week Holidays, through May 6th. Come stay with us, or just drop in and take
a look at our traditional dolls and their armor.
On your way to Yanaka, our old section of Tokyo -- which is situated very
conveniently in central Tokyo -- you will see many colorful carp streamers
blowing in the wind in front of homes and condominiums.
text by Arata Sawa; translation by Yoshihiro Kitagawa