#Senbon Zakura

[catarinacosplay]

Senbon Zakura Miku & Luka - Vocaloid during VienCon 2019

This is still one of my favourite duo cosplays I've ever done (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ

Hatsune Miku: Diakyura

Megurine Luka: Me

Photographer: Nairyn.cos

And Nairyn also took some solo shots ♥

[areyouafraid]

planning to watch later

[ayumunoya]

I downloaded all the Akira Kurosawa movies I haven’t seen yet, I started watching Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura kabuki, I am going to pick up the Kanji/Czech study book today from a library, I am planning to attend the traditional japanese ink painting classes…

Maybe I am finally getting from the two time rejection depression by the University. Jupiiiiii. I honestly spent everyday thinking about the two times I went there and they acted like I should know everything, made fun of me and so on. Felt like a biggest idiot on the Earth.

I am getting slowly back.

Still thinking abt if the Uni is worth it.

Let’s see.

[tanuki-kimono]

Hello! i saw your kimono drawing guide, and i have some questions. I saw this art and was wondering about a few things: what is the tied knot& tassel things on the sleeves for? and, what hairstyle is the lady wearing? If you know, please tell me! If you don't know, could it be possible to direct me to someone that might? Thank you for taking the time to answer, if you're able! Have a lovely night/day!

Hi and thank you for your question :) The ukiyoe you are sharing is by Utagawa Kunisada and titled Genji rokujo no hana (源氏六條の花), or "Cherry Blossoms at Genji's Rokujô Mansion". It is part of a three prints set:

It depicts an imaginary scenery from The tale of Genji, and the young lady playing with her pet cat is the princess Onna San no Miya.

Characters are not shown wearing period accurate clothes (from Heian era), but luscious Edo period attires. Because of her rank, the young princess is wearing what Edo princesses would, especially the trademark hairstyle named fukiya 吹輪.

You'll find below a translation from a costume photobook I did a while ago. Note the big bridge style front hairpin, and the drum like one in the back. Princesses from the buke (samurai class) would also have dangling locks called aikyôge (I also found the term okurege), but I am not sure kuge princesses (noble class) wore them too.

There is a whole dispute about this hairstyle, as we are not actually sure it was worn as such by actual princesses. This style may have in fact started as a somehow cliché bunraku/kabuki costume used to depict princesses (think a bit like Western Cinderella-types princess gowns). Nowadays, it is found only as a theater style, or worn by Maiko during Setsubun season.

For comparison, here is character Shizuka Gozen from kabuki play Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura:

As for the dangling cords, I covered those in a past ask about kamuro that you can find here (part 1 / part 2). TL:DR: I am still not sure what is the exact name for those decorations (kazari himo? sode no himo?).

But their use is pretty much linked to 3 things:

1) luck + protection (knots have auspicous meanings),

2) reinforcing weak points of garnment (here: sleeves wrist opening)

3) cuteness impact, as much like furisode (long sleeves kimono) those dangling ribbons were mostly seen on girls/young unmarried ladies by the Edo period

All the design elements chosen by Utagawa Kunisada for his Onna San no Miya stress own young and carefree she is still (which considering her narrative arc is in fact a bit sad... like all Genji Monogatari stories). BUT: bonus points for pet cat!

Hope that helps :)

[ruiniel]

Kusuriuri & Kitsune

This was likely noticed before but just thinking about how Kitsune are represented in culture and the likeness to the medicine seller's face markings/traits:

Fox Mask

Morita Kan'ya as Kitsune Tadanobu in Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura

Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Fox-Genkuro and Bando Kamezo as Yokawa Kakuhan

Kitsune:

"fox" or "fox spirit" - belongs to the yōkai family of supernatural Japanese creatures

shapeshifting abilities (usually as a young woman); the Kitsune can become extremely powerful and can take on any appearance, has the power to read & take possession of minds as well as dreams

believed to be the messenger of Inari Ōkami, a Shinto spirit which in ancient times was also the patron of swordsmiths and merchants

the more tails a Kitsune has—they may have as many as nine—the older, wiser, and more powerful it is

There are different types of Kitsune. Inari's Kitsune are covered in white fur, a color of good omen, possess the power to ward off evil, and they sometimes serve as guardian spirits

believed to be integrated in Japanese folklore from other cultures, where similar spirits had powers of illusion

In some legends, the Kitsune wears a necklace of beads around its neck to symbolize the 13 elements of Japanese mythology

masters of cunning

duality: portrayed as either mischievous or faithful in the role of guardian, friend, lover. Sometimes portrayed as playing tricks on overly proud samurai, greedy merchants or boastful commoners

Kitsune do not share human morality (as expected tbh)

Now:

definitely has shapeshifting abilities

"just a medicine seller" (merchant)

the mane of his sword and otherself is silver-white

possesses the power to ward off evil

possesses powers of illusion

necklace (though the pendant addition seems inspired by Ainu traditional wear)

is pretty sly, and surely displays cunning. Very foxy attitude throughout (let me have this)

duality: need not explain this one, linked to the shapeshifting

does not share human morality

Our medicine seller certainly displays some of the above traits but is unlikely to be a Kitsune (which is part of the mystery, love that). It's fun to see some mythological parallels though.

[troius]

Shuhei, I love you, but you’re talking about your sword. If it wasn’t shaped like that it wouldn’t be very good at its job!

(I do get what he’s trying to say here though, there’s no classical beauty to Kazeshini like there is to Sode no Shirayuki or Senbon Zakura, no artistic design like Ashizogi Jizo or Tobiume, no specific purpose-function like Wabisuke or Suzumebachi. Kazeshini is just some sharp pieces of metal and a chain, and that’s more brutal-looking than a katana, even though a katana would probably be more effective at actually killing somebody).

[blueberryjam1201]

ATTENTION!

Uncanny counter is back with second season 🔥🔥🔥

I missed this insane team❤️

Moon activating his "senbon zakura kageyoshi" to summon a territory hahahahha

MaeOk, Zaraki Kempachiis older sister🤣🤣🤣

Hana and MoTak unleashing their bankai🤣

Haha it's ON!

First few minutes of ep and I'm crying laughing just after few minutes of hight tension🔥

I'll be dropping some words later, after watching both first episodes.

[midava]

Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi - Byakuya Kuchiki

Painting inspired by Byakuya Kuchiki from bleach. You don´t know how much I love this man, he´s gorgeous.

˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘˘

Hiiii!!! I am back with another painting, this took me about six hours. Hope you like it!

With love ~ Mantao

[sunflowersandcherryblossoms]

【WAGAKU Senbon-Zakura digest】 和楽・千本櫻　ダイジェスト版　full HD

[text-josie-here]

Play Title: Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura  (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees)

Authors: Takeda Izumo II, Miyoshi Shôraku, Namiki Senryû I

History: The play "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" was originally written for the puppet theater (Bunraku) and staged for the first time in the 11th lunar month of 1747 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza. It was adapted for Kabuki the following year and staged for the first time in the 1st lunar month of 1748 in Ise with Kataoka Nizaemon IV (Tokaiya Ginpei, Yokawa no Zenji Kakuhan) and Yamamoto Koheiji (Tadanobu). It was performed for the first time in a city licensed theater in the 5th lunar month of 1748, in Edo at the Nakamuraza [casting]. "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" was performed for the first time in Ôsaka, at the Naka no Shibai, in the 8th lunar month of 1748.

Full story for your eyes: https://www.kabuki21.com/ysz.php

[catarinacosplay]

Senbon Zakura Luka Cosplay 2023

The second cosplay I brought to our lil trip to the Japanese Garden was Megurine Luka's Senbon Zakura outfit~

It felt good to cosplay Luka again! I really like this cosplay on me and it's one of the few cosplays I've owned for over 5 years at this point that I still don't see myself rewearing over and over again (partially because it's incredibly comfy)

Photo's taken by Nairyn.cos

Nairyn also brought one of her Gakupo cosplays so we took some pictures together~ (these photo's were taken by her dad who drove us there :D)

[littlejayneycakes]

WATCH HERE 【♥ VIDEO CREDITS ⇣ 】

➥ Vocals: Jayn ➥ Original Artist: Whiteflame / Kurousa-P ➥ Arrange: Ichinosuke-san ( http://piapro.jp/ichinosukeloid ) ➥ Illustrations: Ittomaru ➥ Video: Mie no Hito ➥ Lyrics: Kran (Her version here!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov5IyW-O6bg )

[good-smile-company]

figma 狐忠信

https://www.goodsmile.info/ja/product/9241/

[mysticdragon3md3]

“Watch a kabuki classic at home: National Theatre uploads Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura for free【Video】“

[meandmyechoes]

Notes on Visions’ costumes

Kara (The Ninth Jedi): cannot for the life of me decide if Kara’s hoodie classify as a kimono. The shortened length puts it in Haori but it doesn’t have a straight collar. Also it’s serving more as a main piece instead of a jacket over the kimono. And the fact that it is properly closed with possibly a Hanhaba Obi if not something even simple with the lack of a visible knot. The sleeve length is common though sleeve hole is not small so I can’t put it in Kosode despite the straight slanted collar. So in the end it’s really more a hoodie jacket with overlapping collars and kimono sleeves? I did consider if I could call her whole ensemble a Jinbei but there’s the Obi and she is wearing it as a formal representation of herself. Yeah, so it’s more a kimono-inspired design but the sleeves, belt and Tasuki cord has all the most recognizable elements.

F (The Village Bride): Naturally all the kimono-wearing ladies has a modern/fantasy twist to it. Out of the bunch F’s ensemble might be closest to tradition, but it was still paired up with high heels instead of ankle boots. This point was particularly noted on during the special programme by director Hitoshi Haga as he mentioned the crew brought in heels to try the look on. Another deviation is that her single-layer collar is open quite wide over a turtle-neck, plus the sleeves are cut much shorter than the usual combo of furisode and the belt area is simplified. So you’d call her look 和洋折衷/Japanese-Western fusion (term applicable not only to fashion).

Haru (The Village Bride): The silhouette of Haru's bridal costume is closer to a 1840-50 evening dress with an off-shoulder neckline and poofy skirt. Though white only became western bridal standard after Queen Victoria's example, it has been a symbol of purity and choice of wear in rites of passage since the 15th century in Japan. The complementing blue recalls the craft of indigo-dyeing, under the spotlight courtesy of Tokyo 2020's designated colour. Despite a classic bridal/princess dress, Haru's horn headdress could be a smart subversion to the traditional Japanese bride's Tsunokakushi hat. 角隠し literally means "hiding the horns", as a metaphor to remind the bride to hide her temper and to become an obedient wife. It is the opposite case with Haru, where her love gave her courage to face the bandits.

Ocho (Lop and Ocho): I was a bit confused at Ocho’s childhood look at first because her ensemble is the standard festive costume for three-year-old girls at Shichi-go-san. I suppose it lends to the character’s innocence? The red-mustard-turquoise palette is a bit garish at first but the components from head-to-toe is actually quite typical: A (tsumami/fabric flower) kanzashi/hairpin, contrast lining or juban, hifu/poncho with the same hinata kamon/three-dots-in-a-circle family crest as her father and a pair of tabi/socks and funegata geta/wooden flip flops. Even the crest placement is faithful. Oh— the white chrysanthemum wouldn't be out of place if it was her mother that just died…

Ocho’s grown-up look is dramatic, over-the-top, perfect. The palette is the same except a darker shade in navy blue replaced turquoise. The gigantic bow reminds me, besides her namesake/kanji ‘butterfly’, of kabuki actors. I found the character Genkuro wearing a similarly exaggerated tasuki and side-slit kimono. While the character doesn’t share much in common, its play Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura, bears a similar backdrop of sakura blossom season and sibling rivalry. In kabuki makeup called kumadori, red is hero and blue is villain. In the mean time, scarlet eye makeup for geisha ‘wards off evil’ (along with the practical effect of making one look more spirited). I am fascinated by the conjecture that while Ocho’s costume is hinting at her antagonistic role, the dramatic blood eyeliner signifies Ocho’s mindset in seeing herself as the hero of the story. Then there’s the usual colour symbolism (or lack thereof) of stripping one’s identity with plain white armour/uniform. The cherry blossom + river motif is fairly normal. Before I noticed the Kabuki connection, I thought the side-high-slits were perhaps inspired by cheongsam and anyway is an act of rebellion against tradition by cutting up the furisode (thank goodness the sleeves are visibly longer than Kara’s). Either way, that’s a really cool look for a crime boss with the thigh-high boots and tattoo sleeves. 

[retribctions]

TOSHIRO HILL AS GENKURO FROM YOSHITSUNE SENBON ZAKURA

The kabuki Yoshitune Senbon Zakura featured a shape-changing kitsune who disguised himself as Satō Tadanobu, a samurai who followed military commander Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Upon rescuing Yoshitune’s lover, Shizuka, Yoshitune rewards “Tadanobu” a suit of armor and the name Genkurō. At a later point in the play, Yoshitune meets with the real Sato Tadanobu. Thus, Genkurō undergoes a costume-change to reveal himself as a kitsune. In the ensuing dance and monologue, the kitsune describes his connection to the drum that Yoshitune has carried with him throughout the play. Shizuka and Yoshitune grant the spirit the drum, and Genkurō exits with the kistune roppo dance along the hanamichi portion of the theater. The fox spirit returns to aide the characters in the final act of the play.

Image Sources: Shizukuya’s Autumn 2021 collection,  Woodblock Print of Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Fox-Genkuro and Bando Kamezo as Yokawa Kakuhan, Kogatana Bonus: Yoshitune and The Thousand Cherry Blossoms (1985)