Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No. 493

We think we already wrote about the birth of our granddaughter ‘Ichino’.

She was born on Feb 24th, and named by her mother (our elder daughter Shoko) and father.  I ( ICHIRO) don’t know the meaning of the name, but  I was surprised to know that only a letter is different as mine.

Shoko and our family didn’t mind, but her father and his family asked their tutelary god about the name.
They live near the Mt. Fuji(Yamanashi Pref.) and it is unlikely to us city people but they seem to ask their tutelary god about everything important.
So the date of the Yuino(betrothal) and marriage were determined with the locked-in advice of the tutelary god.
And about the name, ‘Ichino’ seemed to be said as the best, but they seemed to compromise by changing the kanji(Chinese) character.  
Shoko was here for the childbirth and stayed with us for a month. Ususally mothers stay with their parents to get help - not always so, but most people seem to do so. Masanori, Shoko's husband is from Yamanashi and he was brought up in a big family living together with his grand parents.  His relatives live close also, so they get together very often and share everything. They sadi according to their tradition, babies can go outside and meet people after fifty days from the birth, so they recommended Shoko to stay longer in Osaka, at our house. Yesterday, she went back to Yamanashi.

It was a lot of fun having Shoko and Ichino. 
Yuka went with them, and today, they went Miyamairi(first shirne visit) to tutelary god shrine with Shoko’s husband's family.

Babies are dressed with Miyamairi kimono. Miyamairi kimono is a small kimono and actually it is not worn but used to cover the baby as the photos show.  Babies are held in grandmother’s arms, and kimono only covers the baby and grandmother’s arms, and the belts are tied at the back of the grandmother.
Usually it is the role of paternal grandmother, and mother is thought to be inappropriate to hold baby, but the tradition seems a bit different according to the area.

It is the remnant habitude, which is from the thought that mother is still in the impure condition. However, at a time, it is thought to for caring the health of the mother.

Ichino's miyamairi was held in Sengen jinja, very close to Masanori's parent's house.

 http://www.fuji-hongu.or.jp/sengen/english/index.html

http://www.fuji-hongu.or.jp/sengen/

Sengen jinja(shirne) is quite big and when we arrived, there were already other babies also for gokitou- it could be translated as `chiristening' but actually the shinto priest does the purification and give prayers for the health and happiness of the babies. 

Other babies were also covered with Miyamairi kimono, and surrounded by happy family members. There was a wedding also in the shrine on the same day.

Ichino was a sleep all the way-she was awake only when the priest rang the bell during the ceremony. 

We hope you enjoy the photos!

Masanori, Shoko, Ichinro and Masanori's parents-Ichiro chose this antique kimono and hat for Ichino. The red paper lei was given by the priest.

Shoko, Yuka and Ichino-three generations, Ichino was a sleep

 Ichino did not like her hat.

She is Masanori's grandmother and this kimono was from her own Miyamairi(75 years ago!)

After going to the Big Sengen shirine, we went to a smaller local shirine where  Masanori used to play with his friends when they were little.