Ise Monogatari (Tales of Ise),

Ise Monogatari is a collection of Japanese poems written in the early Heian period (794-1185) but the writing lasted for more than 50 years. In the beginning, the hero, believed to be an aristocrat, Ariwara Narihira (825-880), was a romantic poet and the tales were  written as a form of biography. But this theory was overturned by the fact that many of the poems were written by some other unknown persons later after Ariwara’s death.  The tales include love, travel, game and friendship, etc. and the tales were increased during the period and it is composed of 125 short episodes today.  The tales were highly valued by the people and greatly influenced “The Tales of Genji” in later years.

 

The Tales of Ise were so popular in Edo period (1615-1868) that there were more than 100 different “Ise Monogatari” with illustrations. Our “Four Seasons” Maki-e collection was selected from those hundreds of pictures by Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter with the episodes, and the Maki-e artist is Mr. Masanori Omote, a master from Ishikawa prefecture

Summer “Kakitsubata”, an iris.   Episode #9
 

A man with a few companions, feeling helpless in Kyoto decided to go to the east for better living. When they arrived at Hatsuhashi, sat down in the shade of a tree and ate lunch, one of them looking at beautiful flowers of KAKITSUBATA (irides) said “ let’s compose a song”  started with KA KI TSU BA TA of five lines.” Then, someone of them composed
KAragoromo       Dress in Chinese design
KItsutsunareshini         already accustomed to wear it
TSUmashiareba     he left his wife in Kyoto
BArubarukinuru      all the way from home
TAwoshizoomou      sad to think of the traveling
It is sad to think of his wife in Chinese dress left at home and he had to travel all way from her. Because every one of them left his wife home, they all heard the song and tears dropped on the rice.