Changes

Under the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], ''[[daimyo|daimyô]]'', ''[[hatamoto]]'', other retainers, and others in service to the shogunate<ref>Including [[court painters]], [[Noh]] performers, priests and monks of certain temples and shrines, and artisans & merchants who were official providers of goods to the shogunate.</ref> were obliged to appear at [[Edo castle]] to pay obeisances, and/or to offer gifts, on certain occasions of every year.

Under the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], ''[[daimyo|daimyô]]'', ''[[hatamoto]]'', other retainers, and others in service to the shogunate<ref>Including [[court painters]], [[Noh]] performers, priests and monks of certain temples and shrines, and artisans & merchants who were official providers of goods to the shogunate.</ref> were obliged to appear at [[Edo castle]] to pay obeisances, and/or to offer gifts, on certain occasions of every year.

These included the New Year, five occasions marking the turn of seasons, and a number of days marking events related to [[Tokugawa clan]] history; among these was 6/1, an auspicious day in the East Asian tradition generally, but also said to mark the date of the Tokugawa entry into the [[Kanto|Kantô]]. The shogun also held audiences with certain categories or individuals on the 1st, 15th, and 28th days of each month.<ref>At some point in the early 19th century, this third monthly audience, held on the 28th, was reduced from taking place every month, to instead taking place only in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 12th months of the year. Asao Naohiro (ed.), ''Fudai daimyô Ii ke no girei'', Hikone Castle Museum (2004), 57.</ref>

These included the New Year, five occasions (''[[gosekku]]'') marking the turn of seasons, and a number of days marking events related to [[Tokugawa clan]] history. The shogun also held audiences with certain categories of individuals on the 1st, 15th, and 28th days of each month.<ref>At some point in the early 19th century, this third monthly audience, held on the 28th, was reduced from taking place every month, to instead taking place only in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 12th months of the year. Asao Naohiro (ed.), ''Fudai daimyô Ii ke no girei'', Hikone Castle Museum (2004), 57.</ref>

Annual ritual events in which the shogun himself participated also included visits to the shogunal mausolea at [[Zojo-ji|Zôjô-ji]], [[Kan'ei-ji]], and [[Momijiyama]], on the anniversaries of the deaths of his predecessors.<ref name=asao59>Asao, 59.</ref>

Annual ritual events in which the shogun himself participated also included visits to the shogunal mausolea at [[Zojo-ji|Zôjô-ji]], [[Kan'ei-ji]], and [[Momijiyama]], on the anniversaries of the deaths of his predecessors.<ref name=asao59>Asao, 59. In the late Edo period, shoguns visited such sites quite frequently; as many as ten days every month might involved trips to one of these mortuary sites. And each trip required considerable purification practices, including periods of sexual abstinence. Walthall, 334.</ref>

==New Year==

==New Year==

New Year's observances at [[Edo castle]] included the [[shogun]]'s reception of ''daimyô'' and other retainers, among others, on the first three days of the new year. All ''daimyô'' resident in [[Edo]] at the time were obliged to appear at the castle on each of these first three days. These practices were first put into place by [[Tokugawa Hidetada]], and were continued by his successor, becoming standard practice by the time of Shogun [[Tokugawa Yoshimune]] (r. [[1716]]-[[1751]]).<ref>Walthall, 353n13.</ref>

New Year's observances at [[Edo castle]] included the [[shogun]]'s reception of ''daimyô'' and other retainers, among others, on the first three days of the new year. All ''daimyô'' resident in [[Edo]] at the time were obliged to appear at the castle on each of these first three days. These practices were first put into place by [[Tokugawa Hidetada]], and were continued by his successor, becoming standard practice by the time of Shogun [[Tokugawa Yoshimune]] (r. [[1716]]-[[1751]]).<ref>Walthall, 353n13.</ref>

On the first day of the new year, the shogun would first grant audiences to his direct relatives, the lords of the [[Maeda clan]], and the chief ''fudai daimyô'', who were received in the castle's ''shiroshoin'', the middle-ranking of the castle's three chief audience halls. They presented swords as gifts to the shogun and bowed in designated ways, at designated places within (or just outside of) the room, in accordance with their rank, shared a cup of [[sake|saké]] with the shogun, and received gifts from him.<ref name=asao59/>

On the first day of the new year, the shogun would first receive the lord of the [[Tayasu Tokugawa clan]] and other close relatives in the ''goza-no-ma'', where they formally presented swords (actually, just a document indicating the presentation of a sword)<ref>This was standard practice in samurai audience ritual; gifts were rarely if ever presented directly, but rather were presented merely as a formal document listing the gifts. The actual objects were sometimes displayed on the veranda or garden adjoining the audience hall, but were transported by castle staff, and were not directly handled during the ceremony by either the figures formally giving or receiving the gifts.</ref> to the shogun, and bowed at the threshold at the entrance of the room. They then shared with the shogun a ceremonial cup of saké, and some small plates of food. The shogun then granted audiences to the remainder of his direct relatives, the lords of the [[Maeda clan]], and the chief ''fudai daimyô'' (including the ''[[roju|rôjû]]''), who were received in the castle's ''kuroshoin'' and ''shiroshoin'', respectively the innermost (and thus most private/elite) and middle-ranking of the castle's three chief audience halls. These ''daimyô'' presented swords as gifts to the shogun and bowed in designated ways, at designated places within (or just outside of) the room, in accordance with their rank, shared a cup of [[sake|saké]] with the shogun, and received gifts from him, including "seasonal clothing" (''jifuku''.<ref name=asao59/> The shogun was often accompanied by his heir in most or all ceremonial audiences over the course of these three days.<ref name=edojo>''Edojô'' 江戸城, Tokyo: Gakushu Kenkyusha (1995), 120-123.</ref>

Following a banquet, these ''daimyô'' would then arrange themselves on the lowest of the three ''dan'' (platforms/daises) in the ''Ôhiroma'', the most formal of the audience halls, and that used for receptions of those lower in rank, or with less strong relationships with the shogunate; the remaining ''daimyô'', both ''fudai'' and ''tozama'', were arranged outside of the ''dan'', in the first anteroom (''ni-no-ma''), along with a multitude of ''[[hatamoto]]'', priests, doctors, court painters, and the like. They all lay prostrate as the doors separating the anteroom and the ''dan'' were opened, and the shogun silently surveyed the gathering. A member of the ''[[roju|rôjû]]'' then declared, on behalf of the shogun, an expression of good wishes for the new year; the doors were closed, and the shogun took his place at the upper dais, or ''dan'', of the ''Ôhiroma''. After a reception in which [[sake|saké]] was drunk, the shogun returned to the ''shiroshoin'', where he received New Year's greetings from staff members of his court, including [[Noh]] performers, painters, and pages.

Following a banquet, these ''daimyô'' would then arrange themselves on the lowest of the three levels (''dan'') in the ''Ôhiroma'', the outermost, least private/elite, but largest and most formal of the audience halls, which was used for receptions of those lower in rank, or with less strong relationships with the shogunate; the remaining ''daimyô'', both ''fudai'' and ''tozama'', were arranged in the "second" and "third" rooms attached to the audience hall (''ni-no-ma'' and ''san-no-ma''), along with a multitude of ''[[hatamoto]]'', priests and doctors (bearing the honorary monastic rank of ''hôin'' or ''hôgan''), court painters, and the like. They all lay prostrate as the sliding screens (''fusuma'') separating these secondary rooms from the main audience hall were opened, and the shogun silently surveyed the gathering. A member of the ''[[roju|rôjû]]'' then declared, on behalf of the shogun, an expression of good wishes for the new year; the screens were closed, and the shogun took his place in the upper level (''jôdan'') of the ''Ôhiroma''. After a reception in which [[sake|saké]] was drunk, the shogun returned to the ''shiroshoin'', where he received New Year's greetings from staff members of his court, including [[Noh]] performers, painters, and pages. Meanwhile, those who had received audience in the ''ni-'' and ''san-no-ma'' were now given seasonal clothing and other "bestowals" from the shogunate. ''[[Soshaban|Sôshaban]]'' (castle officials overseeing ceremonial matters) received an audience in the Great Hall (''Ôrôka''), presenting swords to the shogun and bowing before him.<ref name=edojo/>

The first Noh performance of the year generally took place on the third day of the year, after which the performers received new robes, as formal gifts, on behalf of the shogun. The third day of the month also included audiences with prominent merchant officials from Edo, [[Kyoto]], [[Nara]], [[Fushimi]] and [[Osaka]], as well as elders from some of the chief cities and ''fudai'' [[han|domains]].

 

 

 

 

The first Noh performance of the year generally took place on the third day of the year. The shogun and his heir sat in the center of the middle level of the ''Ôhiroma'', alongside roughly eight ''daimyô'', facing south. The Noh stage was visible through the lower level of the ''Ôhiroma'', directly to the south across the garden. After the performance, there was a ceremonial sharing of cups of saké, and then the performers received new robes, as formal gifts, on behalf of the shogun. The third day of the month also included audiences with prominent merchant officials from Edo, [[Kyoto]], [[Nara]], [[Fushimi]] and [[Osaka]], as well as elders from some of the chief cities and ''fudai'' [[han|domains]].

Lower-ranking samurai retainers who would not normally be entitled to a shogunal audience were permitted to prostrate themselves and offer New Year's greetings on the sixth day of the new year; the abbot of [[Rinno-ji|Rinnô-ji]] in [[Nikko|Nikkô]] enjoyed a private face-to-face meeting with the shogun on the first day of the second month each year.

Lower-ranking samurai retainers who would not normally be entitled to a shogunal audience were permitted to prostrate themselves and offer New Year's greetings on the sixth day of the new year; the abbot of [[Rinno-ji|Rinnô-ji]] in [[Nikko|Nikkô]] enjoyed a private face-to-face meeting with the shogun on the first day of the second month each year.

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