Visit Katsuragi City

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Katsuragi-shi, Nara
Visit Katsuragi City

Come experience and explore the beautiful nature and rich history of Katsuragi City (Nara)

19/03/2021

Otauematsuri – 御田植祭

Otauematsuri is a festival held at a shrine or temple in order to pray for a bountiful harvest in the upcoming spring. In the festival they re-enact the planting of rice seeds and tilling the rice fields with an ox as they did in the past. This year is an auspicious year considering that it’s the year of the ox in the Chinese lunar calendar.

1st & 2nd pic – Otauematsuri held on March 4th at Nagao shrine

3rd pic – Otauematsuri held at Tsukudanimasu Hitokotoneko Shrine in a previous year

Photo credits – Nishikawa

19/02/2021

It's been a cold week...

05/02/2021

The Olympic torch and flame passed through Katsuragi’s Kehayaza Sumo museum for viewing on 2 February.

There is still a lot of uncertainty whether the Olympics game will be held in Tokyo this year, nonetheless the flame is a symbol of hope amongst these dark times.

22/01/2021

Last week we received a thin blanket of snow at Taimadera. Looking forward to more snowfall this season ~

Photo credits - Nishikawa

15/01/2021

Tondo (とんど), dondo-yaki(どんど焼き) or Sagichou(左義長) is a fire-burning festival that occurs in Japan usually around the 15th of January. In this festival, people build a tower with harvested straw/reed, bamboo and Japanese cedar. New year decorations, kakizome (the first calligraphy of the year), lucky charms (omikuji, daruma dolls etc..) are then burnt in the roaring fire in order to wish for good health and success in the new year.

It is bad luck to toss auspicious items in the garbage, which is why they are burnt instead to express gratitude for the good luck they brought in the previous year. Furthermore, mochi, daidai (a citrus fruit resembling the mandarin), and other foods such as dango depending on the region are grilled in the fire in a skewer and eaten. By doing so, it is believed one will stay healthy without catching a cold.

Burning festivals are an ubiquitous spiritual tradition. The fire acts as a cleansing agent, to remove evil spirits, bad luck and past sins and usher in new growth. What will you wish for in the new year?

Photo credits – Nishikawa

12/01/2021

Happy new year from Katsuragi city 🎊. Let's hope 2021 is less of a trainwreck than 2020. We received our first snowfall today ❄️

25/12/2020

The winter peony – 寒ボタン

Have you heard of the amazing winter peony which can be seen coloring the winter landscape?

Regular peonies blooms without human intervention when it’s the right season. However, the delicate winter peony is artificially cultivated under a straw roof to protect it against the frost and they bloom against the harshness of the cold. In the world of flowers, it is celebrated as a noble flower which radiates with elegance and force.

Every year, Sekkoji temple in Katsuragi city is decorated with around 200 winter peonies. These winter peonies are preciously protected along with the temple which both have been inherited from generation to generation.

They bloom from every year from early December to early January and many visitors come to see them. Sekkoji temple is famous for it’s flowers, especially their winter peonies but is also proud of the 7000 normal peonies which bloom in spring.

Please visit Sekkoji temple if you have the chance.

Sekkoji temple
Address: 387 Someno, Katsuragi
Phone number: 0745-48-2031
Entrance fee: Adults (Junior high school and above) – 400 yen, Children – 200 yen
Access: ~13 minute walk from Nijojinjaguchi station, Kintetsu Minami Osaka line.

Photo credits - Nishikawa

11/12/2020

Ishikawa Goemon was a Japanese thief/ninja/outlaw born in the 16th century. Similar to Robin Hood, he is famous for stealing from the aristocrats and distributing their riches to the poor. He and his young son was eventually caught
and sentenced to death by being boiled alive in an iron cauldron.

This paper mark placed in the inside of Kehayaza Sumo museum entrance reads “12th of December” which is believed to be the date of Ishikawa Goemon’s death anniversary. It is inverted in order to prevent thieves, whom upon entering the building upside down like a ninja will see the mark and be reminded of Goemon’s gruesome death.

Photo credits - Nishikawa

04/12/2020

Spotted some cosplayers at Okuin, Taimadera

Photo credits - Nishikawa

27/11/2020

Mt Nijo - perfect time to go for a hike to see some autumn colours

20/11/2020

A few ongoing exhibitions at Taimadera temple:

1) Special viewing of the sliding doors at Okuin temple
9am – 4pm, 14 Nov ~ 29 Nov

2) Special viewing of the main hall at Sainanin temple
9am – 5pm, 21 Nov ~ 30 Nov

Also perfect time to see the Autumn leaves and the twin pagodas (national treasures)

Address: 1263 Taima, Katsuragi

Photo credits: Nishikawa

16/11/2020

At Chujodo they sell delicious yomogi mochi topped with red bean paste. Yomogi also known as Japanese mugwort has been used historically in Japan for it’s medicinal properties. It is rich in dietary fiber, chlorophyll, vitamin B1 and B2.

For 300 yen you can try this local delicacy served with hot green tea.

Access: Chujodo(中将堂本舗), Taimadera 55-1.

It’s located next to Taimadera station on the Kintetsu Minami Osaka line.

住所

Katsuragi-shi, Nara

電話番号

+818081052935

ウェブサイト

http://www.instagram.com/visit.katsuragi

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