katsura tree legends

- BACK to the Daruma Museum -
. Japanese legends and tales 伝説 民話 昔話 - Introduction .
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katsura 桂と伝説 Legends about the Katsura tree
katsura 桂 / カツラ Japanese Judas tree, Cercidiphyllum japonicum

Kuchenbaum; Lebkuchenbaum (der deutsche Name kommt daher, dass der Baum bei Herbstfärbung nach Kuchen riecht). Katsurabaum.

. Statue of Fudo Myo-o made from Katsura wood .

- List of 241 large Katsura trees in Japan -

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- - - - - Thomas McAuley writes:
Katsura 桂. The katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)
is a flowering tree native to Japan and China and popular for its appearance and the distinctive caramel scent emitted by its leaves when they turn in the autumn.
East Asian legends have it that mystical trees grew upon the moon, and these were conventionally identified with katsura trees, hence in the poems below, the poets sometimes use ‘katsura’ to refer to these lunar plants, and sometimes to the earthbound variety.
There’s some debate about whether the lunar trees were actually thought to be katsura – they are frequently referred to as ‘unchanging’, which usually suggests evergreens – or if the character 桂 was simply applied to them for convenience, so I’ve adopted two different translations in the poems: ‘silver trees’ when it is clear that it is the ones on the moon that are being mentioned, and ‘katsura’ when it is the others.
あまの原いつ時雨れして秋の夜の月のかつらもあかくなるらん / Akinaka
ama no hara
itsu shigureshite
aki no yo no
tsuki no katsura mo
akakunaruran

Upon the plain of Heaven
When will drizzle fall? For
On an autumn night
The silver trees upon the moon
Do seem to shine more bright!


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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :


......................................................................................... Akita 秋田県
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雄勝郡 Ogachi district 東成瀬村 Higashi-Naruse village

sara kazoe 皿数え counting dishes
West of the Hera hamlet there was 桂の木 a Katsura tree.
At night one could hear the voice of someone counting dishes.
Children were not allowed to pass there alone at night.




......................................................................................... Aomori 青森県
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三戸郡 Sannohe 新郷村 Shingo village

Myoojin sama 明神様 the Myojin Deity
The 横田家 Yokota family had a large katsura no ki カツラの大木 Japanese Judas tree in their garden, where they venerated Myojin Sama. Near its roots was a small Shrine for 明神様 Myojin Sama. Inside was a piece of pottery with shirohebi 白蛇 a white serpent coiled around it.
In former times a relative had built this with the wish to become a learned man, and others came to pray here too.




......................................................................................... Gifu 岐阜県
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神岡町 Kamioka town

. kumo katsura 蛛蜘桂 Katsura tree and spider monster .




......................................................................................... Nagano 長野県
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上田市 Ueda city

Aizen katsura 愛染かつら　Katsura Japanese Judas tree for Aizen
and . Senju Kannon 千手観音 Kannon with 1000 Arms .

Aizen Katsura is also the title of a famous movie.

......................................................................................... Nagano 長野県

. fuufu katsura 夫婦カツラ the "Husband-and-Wife" Katsura tree

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北安曇郡 Kita-Azumi district 白馬村 Hakuba village

. 雨降宮嶺方諏訪神社 Amefurimiya Minekata Suwa Shrine .


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- reference : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -
桂 collecting

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. Legends about trees - - 木と伝説 .

. Kaido highway legends 街道と伝説 - - ABC list .

. animals and their legends 動物と伝説 - - ABC list .

. plants and their legends 　植物と伝説 - - ABC list .

. Persons, People, Personen and their legends - - ABC list .

. Legends about Kobo Daishi Kukai - 弘法大師　空海 - 伝説 .

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -

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