Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
(86)
Go
board:pieceswerekeptintheroundlacquercontainers,andtheyintheirturncould
be stored in the box.
For the children of court aristocrats and superior warriors there was a further ceremony
(
genbuku
)
,
to mark the entrance to full adult life. This was more important for boys, for
whom it took place at some time between the ages of ten and 15. The significant action
was the shaving of the forehead, and the arrangement of the hair to allow the wearing of a
court headdress, which was assumed from this time. For aristocrats' daughters, it was the
time from which they blackened their teeth and shaved their eyebrows, as it was the fash-
ion to have them painted in an unnaturally high position on the forehead. Young women in
warrior families also had their hair arranged in adult style from the time of this ceremony.
Merchant families, too, initiated their sons into adulthood at the age of 18 or 19; for them
it was not a ritual of great importance, but consisted in having the forehead shaved and in
donning ceremonial costume for the first time. Women of the lower classes practiced teeth
blacking, but only started it either on marriage or on first becoming pregnant.
Throughout the year there were events that the children could look forward to and take
partin,eventhoughtheywereoftennotrestrictedtoyoungfolk,beingpartofthelifeofthe
whole population. As far as the townsmen were concerned, these mainly derived from an-
cient practices of the aristocrats, taken up by the warriors, and finally assumed by the mer-
chants. Then, as now, the New Year was a time of much festivity and of several days' holi-
day. Visits had to be paid to relatives, patrons and all others to whom one owed obligation.
In the
toko-no-ma
rice-cakes were placed, and pine trees were attached to the gateposts.
Each visitor was entertained with rice-cakes, or rare delicacies, and spiced wine. Children
but this was not a special New Year activity.
