'Yurei Kosodate Ame'(Ghost upbringing Candy) 500 yen.
Rokudou-mairi and Earthenware Fair
(& Gozan-no-Okuribi)
i7.31. 1997j
In the most part of Japan, except Tokyo, August is the month when spirits of ancestors come back from the world of the dead. And In Kyoto, there are events to welcome them and send them off.
The latter is famous Gozan-no-Okuribi that is held on the night of August 16, the former is Rokudou-mairi of Rokudou-Chinnou-ji Temple that is held from August 8 to 10.
Rokudou-Chinnou-ji Temple is on the border of an old crematory Toribeno (around today's Otani-Sobyo) and an old town of Kyoto. So the street in front of the temple was believed to be a boundary between our world and the world of the dead.
There is a famous ghost story ...
In 1599, a dead woman in a grave gave birth to a baby.
She became a ghost and came to a candy shop every night and bought candies for her baby, until he was found and rescued from the grave.
(Rendai-ji Temple in Senbon area also has the story of same type.)
5 minutes walk from Rokudou-Chinnou-ji Temple. There is Saihuku-ji Temple. During Rokudou-mairi, the temple opens public an old picture, 'Kusou-kan-no-Zu'. It shows what happen to a human body after death, and teaches us how transient life is. Though I'm afraid that the picture is too shocking for children, I hope they can realize the preciousness of life from it.
Near Rokudou-Chinnou-ji, there are Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Rokuharamitsu-ji Temple, and an Earthenware Fair is held from August 8 to 10.
(Near from a bus stop of Kiyomizu-zaka.)
Ancestors of Izumis' Family
'I'm afraid what kind of ancestor will come back this August,'
Generally, ancestors whose spirits come back in August are human who died in these hundreds years. But, it's different for Izumis.
'Last year, the ancestors that came back were Australopithecines of 2 million years ago. 2 years ago, the ancestors were Adapises of 40 million years ago!'
said Nastuo Izumi(A fictitious name. 49 years old.), a resident of Shimo-gyo District.
'The spirits of Adapises ran throughout our my house, ate fruits and insects. All the rooms were cluttered up with leavings of their meal.
But, more troublesome were the spirits of Australopithecines. There were unfortunately two rival Australopithecines who had a serious conflict about territories when they were alive, which started fighting in my house!!'
The fight destroyed his house, and a repair work was finished just last month.
Natsuo asked me,
'What will happen to us this summer?'
I could say nothing to him.