桑原 政則の「合 縁 奇 縁」

 Ito Jakuchu.  伊藤若冲（じゃくちゅう）。群鶏図で有名な絵師。10月27日没 伊藤若冲 ・1716年3月1日。京都～1800年10月27日没。84歳 ★　★　★　★　★　★　★　★ Ito Jakuchu was a very famous Japanese painter during the Edo period. He was born in Kyoto in 1716 as the oldest son of a wholesale grocer. At the age of 40, he left the family business to focus completely on his art. He loved nature and painted many animals, flowers, and insects. He is especially well known for his colorful and detailed paintings of roosters and chickens. He kept chickens in his garden and watched them carefully to understand how they moved. He used bright, high-quality colors and unique drawing styles that were ahead of his time. One of his greatest masterworks is a set of thirty paintings called the Doshokusaie (Colorful Realm of Living Beings). Today, people all over the world love his lively and modern-looking art. 伊藤若冲は、江戸時代に活躍したとても有名な日本の画家です。 1716年に京都の青物問屋（野菜などを卸す店）の長男として生まれました。 40歳のときに家業を弟に譲り、絵を描くことに専念しました。 自然を愛し、動物や花、昆虫などを数多く描きました。 とりわけ、色あざやかで細密に描かれたニワトリ...

Kawagoe Festival。  川越まつり   ★　★　★　★　★　★　★　★ The Kawagoe Festival is a famous and traditional festival held in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, every October. The festival has a long history of  370 years, starting back in the early Edo period. It began when Matsudaira Nobutsuna, the lord of Kawagoe Castle, donated religious items to Hikawa Shrine. The biggest highlight is the parade of tall, beautifully decorated festival floats called dashi . These dashi are two stories high, carrying large dolls of historical heroes or gods on top. When floats meet at intersections, they perform Hikkawase , facing each other to compete with lively music and traditional dancing. Musicians play traditional festival music called hayashi with flutes, drums, and bells, accompanied by dancers wearing fox and lion masks. At night, the floats are lit up with bright paper lanterns, making the old town look magical and exciting. The festival is registered on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural ...