We are not sure exactly when cats started to invade Japan. Rumor has it that they were imported as guardians of hand scrolls of sutras. The oldest document about a cat as a companion animal is Kanpyo Gyoki (『寛平御記』), the long lost diary of Emperor Uda/ Uda Tenno.

Fortunately, Kakai Sho (『河海抄』), the commentary of The Tales of Genji cited the diary:

寛平元年二月六日。朕閑時述猫消息曰。驪猫一隻。大宰少貳源精秩満来朝所献於先帝。愛其毛色之不類。餘猫猫皆淺黑色也。此獨深黑如墨。爲其形容惡似韓盧。長尺有五寸高六寸許。其屈也。小如秬粒。其伸也。長如張弓。眼精晶熒如針芒之亂眩。耳鋒直竪如匙上之不搖。其伏臥時。團圓不見足尾。宛如堀中之玄璧。其行歩時。寂寞不聞音聲。恰如雲上黑龍。性好道引暗合五禽。常低頭尾著地。而曲聳背脊高二尺許。毛色悅澤盖由是乎。亦能捕夜鼠捷於他猫。先帝愛翫數日之後賜之于朕。朕撫養五年于今。毎旦給之以乳粥。豈啻取材能翹捷。誠因先帝所賜。雖微物殊有情於懐育耳。仍曰。汝含陰陽之氣備支竅之形。心有必寧知我乎。猫乃歎息舉首仰睨吾顔。似咽心盈臆口不能言。

Kanpyo Gyoki 『寛平御記』

寛平元年二月六日。朕閑時述猫消息曰。驪猫一隻。大宰少貳源精秩満来朝所献於先帝。

3/11/899 I have a time to spare and try to write about my cat. Having served the term,  Minamoto no Kuwashi came back to the capital. And he offered this black cat to Emperor Koko.

愛其毛色之不類。餘猫猫皆淺黑色也。此獨深黑如墨。爲其形容惡似韓盧。

The color of his coat is unique. It is dark black and beautiful as charcoal as though she was a Kanro (the fine breed dog in ancient China). Other black cats look like gray cats.

長尺有五寸高六寸許。其屈也。小如秬粒。其伸也。長如張弓。

She is 7″ in height and 18″ in length. When crouching, she looks like a tiny black pea. When stretching, she is as long as a bow.

眼精晶熒如針芒之亂眩。耳鋒直竪如匙上之不搖。

Her eyes glitter like needles. Ears stand straight as spoons.

其伏臥時。團圓不見足尾。宛如堀中之玄璧。其行歩時。寂寞不聞音聲。恰如雲上黑龍。

When she loafs, I can’t see her paws and tail. She seems like a black jewel in a cave. And she sneaks as though a dragon flied through the clouds.

She seems to love Gokingi (The old Chinese practice for health) . I suppose she has a beautiful coat because she is a master of Qigong.

She usually crouches down. When she stands up and stretches, she is 24″ in height.  Besides, she catches mice quicker than any other cats in the night.

先帝愛翫數日之後賜之于朕。朕撫養五年于今。毎旦給之以乳粥。

Emperor Koko (His father) took care of her for a few days and gave her to me. I’ve taken care of her for five long years, I give her Niunokayu (A food like yogurt. It was uncommon even in the Imperial court ) every morning.

豈啻取材能翹捷。誠因先帝所賜。雖微物殊有情於懐育耳。

I love her not because she is extraordinary but she is a gift from the former Emperor. I take a good care of anything, even the tiniest thing.

たけちよ

He is so tsundere he lies.

七里ヶ浜親方

Tsundere is an mixed attitude with coldness and affection.

仍曰。汝含陰陽之氣備支竅之形。心有必寧知我乎。猫乃歎息舉首仰睨吾顔。似咽心盈臆口不能言。

I asked her, “You have a body and soul. So, you understand me, don’t you?” She sighed and gaze at me without a word. (I remembered) She can’t speak.

Goat Gyoki　『山羊御記』

When I visit a shrine, a black cat come up to me to say hello sometimes. Occasionally, she rubs against me.  I guess Gozu Tenno, a deity enshrined there, sends her to me. I’m sure she is a dragon lives in a dragon hole under the main hall. She is the best cat I’ve ever seen.合掌

Dragon hole is a place where Ki (Qi) stays temporary. Qi is a source of power and energy. Taking advantage of it, Fen shui find a balance between individuals and nature.

たけちよ

Kamehameha in Dragon Ball is an energy attack and the source of it is Ki.

Fen sui is based on Inyo Gogyo. In Inyo (Yin-Yang), everything comprises Yin and Yan, the half-complement, half-opposing forces.

Gogyo explains what the universe is with five elements (wood, sun, earth, gold, and water) .

Inyo and Gogyo are harmonized in a place where Ki stays, i.e., a Dragon hall.

Heian Kyo is a good example. Heian Kyo is a name of former Kyoto and emperor Kanmu moved the capital there in 794.

The city is a basin surrounded by mountains. Ki flows like water and its stream is called “Ki-myaku (気脈)” and a place it stays is called “Myo-do (明堂).” Ki-myaku stream to the basin, i.e., Myogo, by way of the mountains. Thanks to this, Inyo and Gogyo are harmonized to make Heian Kyo (Kyoto) an ideal place to live in.

七里ヶ浜親方

I guess Dragon hole means small Myo-do where Ryujin lives in.

Ryujin is a dragon as deity of water, river, and sea. Shenron in dragon ball is a Ryujin. Shenron is written as “神龍” in Kanji and “神” is deity and “龍” is dragon.

The Dragon Hole of Yasaka shrine　八坂神社の龍穴伝説

Under the Nai-nai Jin, the most important place of Shinto Shrine and Buddhist temple, there is a hall covered with a lid. This is the Ryuketsu of Yasaka shrine. It is filled with water and believed that a Dragon lives in there.

Shoku Koji Dan (『続故事談』), the compilation of stories about Buddhistm in the 13th century, describes: In 1070, Gion Sha (the former name of Yasaka shrine in Shinbutsu Shugo) caught fire. And the hole was too deep to measure the depth. (At least over 500 ft.)

And a carpenter said that he saw the hole filled with water in 1905 when the main hall was renovated.

シカさん

Gion sha was established in the 10th century at the latest. Check the website of Yasaka shrine. You’ll find a picture painted in 1331. It was a copy and authentic one was painted in 986. The main hall is located in the same place. I guess the main hall was constructed over the hall originally.

In Japan, we believe water get rid of evilness. This belief is based on a story in Japanese mythology. According to it, one of the three Mikoshis of Gion Matusri used to stay over a well during the Matsuri. Check out the post below.

What is Misogi and Harae? 禊と祓を英語で説明

Misogi and Harae is the ways to get rid of evilness in order to prepare for something sacred.  In this post, I'll show you what they are. 合掌

kyotokankoyagi.com

2023.12.31

Special visit 2024　御本殿特別拝観

The main hall of Yasaka shrine is not open to public except special occasion.

8/9～8/25, a bamboo dragon is exhibited.

How to get to Yasaka shrine?

Buses are usually crowded. It would be better to take Trains. Keihan Shijo sta. and Hakyu Kyoto Kawaramachi sta. are convenient.

About Yasaka shrine 八坂神社基本情報