Kadomatsu (門松)
One of the decorations that can be seen frequently in Japan during the New Year's celebrations is kadomatsu (門松, lit. "gate pine"). It is an object created to beckon the gods of harvest and one’s ancestors. Kadomatsu are frequently positioned in pairs in front of homes and other buildings.
The typical kadomatsu consists of three bamboos in the middle, encircled by pine branches. Since the pine tree is an evergreen, it represents wealth, vitality, and longevity. Because "worship" in Japanese is pronounced "matsuru" and the pine tree is pronounced "matsu," the two words are connected. In the cool New Year's air, the lovely green of the kadomatsu pine and the exquisite lines of the bamboo that stretches vertically really stands out. As we embrace the new year, it truly has a freshness that makes us feel renewed.
There are actually two different kinds of kadomatsu: "sogi," which is created by cutting the bamboo diagonally, and "zundo," which is made by cutting the bamboo horizontally. Initially, it appears that the zundo was the only version that existed, but lately, sogi shapes have become more prevalent. The various forms have a connection to a story involving Tokugawa Ieyasu and Takeda Shingen:
In 1572, Ieyasu, who was defeated by Takeda Shingen at the Battle of Mikatagahara, received the following poem as a New Year's greeting from the Takeda side, along with a kadomatsu.
"Matsu karete take tagu-inaki ashita kana”
“As Matsu (pine) withers away, only Take (bamboo) will shine on tomorrow.”
The poem is in fact a pun, where “Matsu" represents Tokugawa Ieyasu's original family name, Matsudaira, and "Take" represents Takeda Shingen. In other words, the Tokugawa clan will soon fall, and the Takeda clan will come to power tomorrow.
Ieyasu's retainers were furious at the slur, but one of them, Sakai Tadatsugu, altered the poem by cleverly adding diacritical marks (accentuations) on some characters, thus changing the reading and reversing the pun:
"Matsu kareDE takeDA KUBI-naki ashita kana”
“As Matsu DOES NOT withers away, Takeda will lose his neck tomorrow.”
Pleased with this clever pun, Ieyasu had the kadomatsu sent back with the new poem. The Kadomatsu had its bamboo cut off diagonally to represent Shingen's head. Symbolically, the kadomatsu was turned into a chopped bamboo (Takeda) surrounded by pine (Tokugawa).
And indeed, Takeda Shingen died a year later during the siege of Noda Castle, and the Takeda clan was eventually obliterated in 1575 during the Battle of Nagashino.
This lucky kadomatsu continued to be displayed even after Ieyasu became shogun, and the “sogi” style spread mainly among samurai families.
Kadomatsu are generally displayed for about a week after the new year day, so you will have plenty of occasions to spot them in the streets.
Happy New Year!
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