The tenth-century poet Ōtomo-no-Kuronushi was considered one of the six poetic geniuses of the early Heian period. It’s said that his poetry was so great that he became a deity, enshrined in the neighboring province of Shiga. Kuronushi enjoying the beauty of cherry blossoms – a favorite Japanese pastime – forms the central image for a famous yōkyoku or noh song called “Shiga.”
A senior festival patron who grew up in the Kuronushi Yama chōnai told me that before the 15th-century Ōnin War the Yama was called Saigyō Yama. According to this elder, Saigyō Hōshi was a 12th-century samurai who gave up battle and became a monk and prolific poet, authoring many famous poems related to cherry blossoms, a common metaphor for the glory of youthful warriors whose lives come to a sudden end. Saigyō’s most famous poem related to an old man enjoying cherry blossoms.
Read More: https://www.gionfestival.org/kuronushi-yama/
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