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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 16h

Kameya Yoshinaga's (亀屋良長) 'kobore-hagi' (こぼれ萩) is named after the image of bush clover flowers seemingly 'spilling out' from the main plant.

Nashinoki-jinja (梨木神社), known as the 'Bush Clover Shrine', is one of the best places to see hagi in Kyōto.

#Nashinokijinja #梨木神社 #bushclover #萩

Kameya Yoshinaga's 'kobore-hagi' is a beautiful pink and green kinton inspired by bush clover.

Bush clover in bloom at Nashinoki-jinja.

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 18h

Hibiscus and cotton rosemallow may well conjure up images of languid summer days, but in Japan 'fuyō' (芙蓉) are used to indicate the onset of autumn. In the language of flowers they represent gentleness.

Kameya Shigehisa's (亀屋重久) 'fuyō' have some impressive stamens!
#Kyoto

Kameya Shigehisa's hibiscus inspired sweet.

Woodblock print of hibiscus flowers.

Image thanks - https://ukiyo-e.org/

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 19h

Kanaya Masahiro - Hogarth (ホガース) and Percy (パーシー) say hi, and thank you for creating delicious sweets for us all to enjoy🙇‍♂️🍵🍯😋

#caturday🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

shinseimame.com

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 19h

The new name 'bungaku-monaka' (文学もなか 'literature monaka') comes from Masahiro's enduring love for reading, his sadness he couldn't pursue literature at university, and the wonderful memories he has of going to hunt for books at Shimogamo-jinja's summer book fairs📖👀

#catlife #文学もなか

a black cat is laying on a book on a table

ALT: a black cat is laying on a book on a table

media.tenor.com

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 20h

Kanaya Masahiro tells a rather endearing story behind the sweet's creation.
When a local confectioner fell sick he took over producing the store's traditional monaka, but changed the shape from a chrysanthemum to a cat to finally celebrate the pet he wasn't allowed as a child.

#monaka #モナカ #cat

Kanaya Masahiro's curled up monaka cat.

Website - http://shinseimame.com/

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 20h

Injecting some cute into the day courtesy of Kanaya-Masahiro's (金谷正廣) curled up monaka cat🥹

The sweet is called 'bungaku-monaka' (文学もなか), and was born from Kanaya Masahiro's frustration at not being able to have a pet cat growing up in a sweet shop.

#wagashi #猫 #cat #和菓子

Percy the cat looks unimpressed at being disturbed from his sleep.

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 20h

Nijō Wakasaya's (二條若狭屋) lovable 'jūgoya' (十五夜 'night of the full moon')🌿🐇

clearly I can see-
the sacred rabbit
is pounding tea leaves
-Artist, Tomita Keisen (冨田溪仙 1879-1936).

#お月見 #moonviewing #和菓子 #wagashi

Nijo Wakasaya's sweet 'Night of the Full Moon' depicts a rabbit pounding mochi on the moon.

Artist Tomita Keisen (冨田溪仙 1879-1936) ink drawing of a rabbit pounding mochi on the moon.

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 21h

🐦SWEETS TO MAKE THE WAGTAILS SING🎶

As the famous saying goes, "hana yori dango" (花より団子), "dumplings more than flowers" (substance over style)...but why not combine them?

Flower-inspired sweets dazzle in early autumn, shortly before the swallows depart.
#wagashi #和菓子

'Suimen-no-tsuki', a pale yellow sweet inspired by moonlight reflected on water.

Sonyo-in's spectacularly colourful ceiling, filled with images of butterflies.

A red and blue jellied sweet inspired by artist Kitawaki Noboru's (北脇昇 1901-1951) painting the 'greater henbit' (ホトケノザ).

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 1d

The girl would peer at the moon through the hole in the sweet, and while her attention was diverted the long sleeves of her (childhood) kimono would be cut.
This act of slicing short the kimono sleeves symbolised the transition from girl to women👘✂️
This was mostly a palace ritual.

Tsukimi manju, a sweet created by Itotatsu for moon-viewing.

A hole is made in the tsukimi manju using a bush clover twig.

Under the full moon Nao-san takes the tsukimi manju and holds it up.

Through the hole in the sweet she views the full moon (this was an old tradition...as young girls of court did this the long sleeves of their childhood kimonos were cut).

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 1d

Kashō-no-hi' (嘉祥の日), held on June 16th, was primarily about offering sweets as a prayer for health and prosperity, but on this day girls (from the nobility) turning 16 would celebrate their coming-of-age.
In an unusual custom the girls would make a hole in one of the sweets🤔

#comingofage #祥の日

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 1d

Itotatsu's (いと達) astonishing creation for moon-viewing...🙌😊

'Tsukimi manjū' (月見饅頭), a steamed bun filled with bean jam, is actually themed on an earlier festival in the year known as 'Kashō-no-hi' (嘉祥の日). The moon also played an important role on this day.

#月見 #moonviewing #和菓子 #wagashi

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 1d

🌝🎑MOON VIEWING🥮👀

Wadaiko (和太鼓) under the full moon at Matsuno'o Taisha (松尾大社)🎑🥁

#moonviewing #お月見 #Kyoto #京都 #MatsunooTaisha #松尾大社 #taiko #wadaiko #和太鼓 #harvestmoon #fullmoon #Japan

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 5d

Like a cosmos in the wind...🌬️

#Nara #奈良 #Japan #Hannyaji #般若寺 #cosmos #コスモス

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 5d

Hannya-ji is situated to the north of Tōdai-ji's Daibutsu-den and the Shōsō-in 'treasure house' (正倉院), at the top of a slope called Narazaka (奈良阪).
'Kyō-Kaidō' (京街道), a once-pivotal road before the temple, connected Kyōto (Yamashiro Province) and Nara (Yamato Province).

Displays of cosmos flowers at Hannya-ji.

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 5d

A small store behind Hannya-ji, cashing in on Nara's famous daibutsu (大仏), has created a 'Great Buddha soda'. The big ball of hair is cotton candy, which can be eaten or used to sweeten the (already sweet) drink🤪🥤

#般若寺 #Hannyaji #大仏 #Nara #奈良 #東大寺 #daibutsu

The 'Great Buddha soda', a soft drink topped with a big afro made from cotton candy.

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 5d

In 1185 Taira-no-Shigehira (平重衡) was executed by Tōdai-ji and his head nailed to Hannya-ji's torii.
Five years earlier he had led an attack on the powerful temples of Nara. After one of his men accidentally started a fire, he simply stood at Hannya-ji and watched the city burn.

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 5d

It's now estimated that close to 150,000 cosmos plants grow in Hannya-ji's (般若寺) precincts😲
You can spot around 30 varieties🧐

The temple's 12.6m tall, 13-storied stone pagoda is the tallest in Japan. It was created in 1253 by Igyomatsu (a stone mason from Southern Sung).

Hannya-ji's 12.6m tall stone pagoda is the tallest in Japan.

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 5d

Cosmos have helped more than a few Nara temples turn their fortunes around.

Abe Monju-in (安倍文殊院) creates a cosmos maze for guests to enjoy each autumn.
The temple started life as Sūke-ji (崇敬寺) in 645, founded by Abe-no-Kurahashimaro (安倍倉梯麻呂).
#cosmos #コスモス

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 5d

Forty years ago Hannya-ji (般若寺) was rather down on its luck, its grounds gone to seed. The then abbot came across a single cosmos, and so started researching the flowers. Little by little he began to transform the precints, and now 150,000 cosmos plants grow here!
#般若寺

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 5d

Fudō Myōō (不動明王) is the wrathful deity of Buddhist wisdom. With his sword, Acala cuts through deluded and ignorant minds, with his rope he binds those ruled by their violent passions, and with flames he consumes the evil of the world.

His rock symbolizes unshakeable peace.
#不動明王 #FudoMyoo #Acala

Statue of Fudo Myoo, deity of Buddhist wisdom.

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 5d

Nao-san has not quite lost her mind...

Close to the temple's main hall is a large rock known as 'kanman-ishi' (カンマン石), on which stands an image of Fudō Myōō (不動明王). It is said those who place their back and bellies against the rock will be granted good health.
#奈良 #Nara

A small statue of Fudo Myoo stands on top of 'Kanman-ishi', a large rock in the grounds of Hannya-ji.

Visitors to Hannya-ji place their bellies and back against the 'Kanman-ishi'. It is said the rock grants good health.

Fudo Myoo and the main hall of Hannya-ji.

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 5d

It seems that Ekan (慧灌 'Hyegwan'), a monk from the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, first founded a monastic complex here in 629.
Originally known as Hannyadai (般若台), in 735 Emperor Shōmu renamed the temple Hannya-ji (般若寺) after gifting it a copy of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra.

#Nara #奈良 #慧灌

A heart of cosmos frames the stone pagoda at Hannya-ji.

In the grounds of Hannya-ji during autumn there are various 'displays' of cosmos.

The main hall of Hannya-ji, beyond grounds filled with cosmos.

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 5d

cosmos flowers-
old storehouses along with
an old canal
秋ざくら倉庫とともに運河古る
-Akatsuka Gogyō (赤塚五行).

🤔I was going to mute the video, but I think this is a more honest glimpse of how noisy popular sites get😑

#Hannyaji #Nara #cosmos #般若寺 #奈良 #コスモス

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 5d

Always nice to see my boss's picture pop up in my feed🥰

Tea ceremony experts see matcha hype as a big opportunity japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10...

#matcha #抹茶 #teaceremony #茶道 #Kyoto #京都

Tea ceremony experts see matcha hype as a big opportunity

Matcha’s sudden spike in popularity overseas has prompted debate in Japan about whether the global craze risks diluting tea’s cultural meaning.

japantimes.co.jp

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Camellia Tea Ceremony @camelliakyoto.bsky.social · 6d

🙏BIG BUDDHA AMONGST THE COSMOS😇

Nara is one of the best places in Japan to see cosmos, and in recent years Hannya-ji (般若寺) has taken great efforts to make itself one of the best places in Nara to enjoy the flowers...
...that, and a very unusual soda🥤

#Japan #コスモス #奈良

A soda inspired by Nara's Great Buddha (big candy floss hair!).

A display of vibrant pink cosmos at Hannya-ji.

Nao-san pushes against a large rock in the grounds of Hannya-ji.

Cosmos flowers blooming in the grounds of Hannya-ji.

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