Baika-sai at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine / 北野天満宮・梅花祭(ENG/JPN)

The crowded main shrine of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine / 混み合う北野天満宮の本殿

Plum trees finally starting to bloom / ようやく咲き始めた梅

Rest area / 休憩所

Tenjin-san's stall / 天神さんの屋台

Torii gate and stalls / 鳥居と屋台

(ENG)

Yesterday, February 25, was the Baika-sai (Plum Blossom Festival) at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, the anniversary of Sugawara no Michizane's death. It was very crowded because there was also a fair called Tenjin-san. Usually, Kitano Tenmangu Shrine attracts many foreign tourists, but on this day, there were many Japanese.

Usually, the plum blossoms are in full bloom around the time of the Baika-sai Festival, but this year, perhaps because of the many cold days in February, they have finally begun to bloom. However, since it is getting warmer from today, the best time to see the ume blossoms is expected to come soon.

When I was just going around the precincts, there seemed to be a ritual of the Ume blossoms festival going on, and there were many people peeking over the partition, and I tried to look at them with my eyes, but they were too far away. There was a procession of people participating in the Nodachi Tea Ceremony from the entrance of the Ume Garden to the precincts of the temple. I did not go to the tea ceremony because I read that it costs 3,000 yen per person.

By the way, it costs 1,200 yen for an adult just to enter the plum garden and look at the plum blossoms. The price has gone up a lot. It used to cost about 600 yen. It is true that there are many plum trees.

Since the plum trees were still in the beginning of blooming, I looked around at the food stalls. There were food stalls, kimono, retro sundries, old tools, and various other stores. I bought a pair of socks, a scarf, and two accessories. I spent 100 yen each for a total of 400 yen. I really wanted to spend more time at the market, but I would have bought more and more things if I had spent more time there, so I quickly left.

(JPN)

昨日2月25日は北野天満宮の梅花祭でした。2月25日は菅原道真の命日にあたり、北野天満宮では梅花祭が行われます。天神さんという縁日もあるので大変混んでいました。いつもはすっかり外国人観光客が多くなった北野天満宮ですが、この日は日本人も多かったです。

例年なら梅花祭の頃はかなり梅が咲いているのですが、今年は２月に寒い日が多かったからか、ようやく咲き始めたといったところです。しかし今日から暖かくなっているため、見頃を迎えるのは早いと思われます。

ちょうど私が境内を回っていた時に梅花祭の神事が行われていたらしく、仕切りの向こうから覗き見る人が何人もいて、私も目を凝らして見てみましたが遠すぎて見えませんでした。梅苑の入口から境内には野立茶会に参加する人たちの行列がありました。この行事は上七軒歌舞会の芸舞妓がお茶をふるまうのですが、私は行きませんでした。1人3000円とか書いてあったので。

ちなみに梅苑に入って梅を見るだけでも大人1200円もかかります。ずいぶん値上がりしました。昔は600円ぐらいで入れたのですが。確かに梅の木は多いのですがね。

まだ梅は咲き始めだし、ということで屋台を見て回りました。食べ物の屋台や着物、レトロな雑貨、古道具など色々な店が出ていました。私は靴下とスカーフ、アクセサリー２個を買いました。各100円で合計400円使いました。本当はもっとゆっくり回りたかったけれど、ゆっくり見ていたらどんどん買ってしまいますから、さっさと退散しました。

For the best experience view this post on Liketu