The connection of the Aoi Tenka
The name of the world's sake comes from the Tokugawa family's amberjack crest. Here we will introduce stories about Kamo Shrine and the Tokugawa family, which have a deep connection to Aoi, and Aoi from Enshu Yamanaka Sake Brewery.
Aoi, that is a plant that meets God
The Aoi Festival is one of Kyoto's three major festivals. Officially, the Kamo Festival is the festival of Kamigamo Shrine and Shimogamo Shrine, which are among the oldest shrines in Kyoto. In the Heian period, when you say "festival" you refer to the Kamo Festival, and it has been an important festival for the capital since ancient times. The plant that will become a symbol of this festival is the aoi. The divine crest of both shrines is Futaba Aoi, and during the festival, those involved wear monks and display them in houses, and this tradition is handed down to the present day.
So, why did Aoi come to be viewed as sacred in the first place? History goes back to about 2600 years. It is said that Kamobetsu Rai Ookami, the deity enshrined at Kamigamo Shrine, came to visit after displaying monks on the shrine near the shrine. This made Aoi a sacred grass that greets the appearance of God.
In the life of Emperor Kinmei, the country was greatly disrupted due to the terrible harvest and epidemics, and we ask God for the path to resolve the matter through divination. The announcement at that time was, "Award the Aoi, run the horse and have the festival run." In other words, we should do the same thing as when the god of Kamigamo Shrine descended. The rush and polite picking process was carried out, and the crops were harvested and the country was reportedly regaining its calmness. This is the origin of the Aoi Festival.
Now, Aoi often appears in Heian literature such as The Tale of Genji and Pillow Books. For example, a passage from the "Grass" section of the Pillow Book says, "Aoi, I'm so daring to see you. It's so wonderful that you can turn your heart into a roaring robe from the days of the gods." In modern terms, it means "Aoi is very good. It is truly wonderful that it has been a sash of the Kamo Festival since the time of the Shinto era," and this shows that it was a plant loved by people at the time. Also, Aoi wrote "Afuhi" in her pseudonym and was interpreted as "meeting" God. Furthermore, interpretations have expanded to meet people, and Aoi has been frequently featured as a waka poetry.
Aoi connects God and man. Aoi connects people. With the introduction of "Aoi" indeed, Enshu Yamanaka Sake Brewery, which is "Aoi Tenka", has been connected to Kamigamo Shrine. Thankfully, we were able to offer special prayers and divide Futaba Aoi into stock, and we are grateful for the greatest gratitude to Aoi Tenka.
The Tokugawa family's family crest is Mitsuha Aoi, a familiar face for its Mito Komon inro. Enshu, where our sake brewery is located, is a place with a deep connection to the 300-year history of Tokugawa, and this is named Aoi as its representative brand Ayakari.
By the way, why did the Tokugawa family choose monkey as their family crest? Here again, the aforementioned Kamigamo Shrine is deeply involved. The Matsudaira and Honda families in Mikawa Province worshiped Kamosha, and the family crest was the divine crest, aoi roe. The Tokugawa family, which follows the Matsudaira family, changed the design of the Futaba Aoi (Futaba Aoi), and used the family crest of the "Round and Three Aoi." In order to enhance dignity, Ieyasu strictly prohibited the use of roe crests in other households, not just Mitsuhawaii. Incidentally, there are rarely any actual Futaba aquariums with Mitsuba aquariums, and it is said that Mitsuba aquariums are fictional.
Kamigamo Shrine and the Tokugawa family, where Aoi connects
Have you heard of the ritual called "Aoi Tsukai"? In 1610, Kamigamo Shrine presented Aoi to Tokugawa Ieyasu, a village in Sunpu Castle. This began as a way to get to Edo Castle every year, envoys of Aoi Envoys began offering a variety of aoi, which grows wild in the grounds, to the Tokugawa Shogun family and other places. As a shrine, it seems that by maintaining its relationship with the Tokugawa family, it would have been a good idea to support the construction of the shrine, which costs a large amount of money. On the other hand, the Tokugawa family's aim was to make their authority unshakable by showing a special ties with the venerable Kamigamo Shrine.
The Aoi Tsukasa's rituals had been stopped for a long time with the reinstatement of the Great Regulation, but in 2007 it was revived for the first time in 140 years. To coincide with the anniversary of Tokugawa Ieyasu's death, Aoi was presented from Kamigamo Shrine to Kunoyama Toshogu Shrine in Shizuoka City, where Ieyasu is enshrined. This ritual is incorporated into the Shizuoka Festival, which is held in April every year, and conveys its culture to the present day.
Supporting the Aoi Project
The number of Aoi, which is indispensable for the Aoi Festival, has been decreasing in recent years. The citizens who were worried about this raised their own aoi and dedicated it to the shrine. The Aoi Project started with this kind of initiative. In 2010, the Aoi Project NPO was established within the office of Kamigamo Shrine, and has been active since 2020 as the Aoi Project General Incorporated Foundation.
This project originally began with students raising them at Kyoto City Kamigamo Elementary School. Then, the following year, Aoi increased three times. Due to its reputation, it gradually spread to nearby elementary schools and elementary schools in other prefectures, and now it has spread to junior and senior high schools, as well as companies that are interested in the environment.
By raising Aoi, we will protect ancient cultures and pass on precious nature to the next generation. Enshu Yamanaka Sake Brewery also supports this initiative and cherishes the aoi that was divided into pieces from Kamigamo Shrine. We will report on our website from time to time a record of this growth, so we hope you will take a closer look.
