Japanese Cotton Tenugui (Towel) With 8 Shrine/Temple Seals “SOLD”

This Japanese Cotton Tenugui (Towel) is age darkened and slightly stained, but it is in very good condition with no rips, holes or tears. A bright red sun is silk screened in the center of the cloth. Surrounding it are two large black kanji characters for the slogan Hissho or “Certain Victory!”  Unfolded, the towel measures approximately 14.” high X 34.” long.

Across the top of the tenugui, running horizontally are 8 large red temple/shrine seals.  They measure on average about 2.25″ square to nearly 2.75″ square.  The second seal on the left is from the Inari Taisha (Inari Shinto Shrine), while the fifth one is from the Heian Jingu.

The Fushimi Inari-taisha is the head shrine of the kami Inari, and is located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.  The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari which is 764 ft. above sea level, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines which span 2.5 miles, and take approximately 2 hours to walk up. The shrine became the object of imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami decreed that messengers carry written accounts of important events to the guardian kami of Japan. These heihaku were initially presented to 16 shrines, including the Inari Shrine. From 1871 through 1946, Fushimi Inari-taisha was officially designated one of the Kanpei-taisha, meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines.

The Heian-jingu (Heian Shinto Shrine), is located in Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The Shrine, established on March 15, 1895, is ranked as a Beppyō Jinja, the top rank for shrines by the Association of Shinto Shrines. In 1895, a partial reproduction of the Heian Palace from Heian-kyo (the former name of Kyoto), was planned for construction for the 1100th anniversary of the establishment of Heian-kyō. The Industrial Exposition Fair, an exhibition of development of Japanese and foreign cultures, was held in Kyoto that year, where the replica was to be the main monument. However, failure to buy enough land where the Heian Palace used to stand led to the building being built in Okazaki at 5/8 scale of the original. The Heian-jingu was built according to the designs by Ito Chuta. Once the Exhibition ended, the building was kept as a shrine in memory of the 50th Emperor, Emperor Kanmu, who was the Emperor when Heian-kyō became the capital. In 1940, Emperor Komei was added to the list of dedication.

In the lower left-hand corner are two thin vertical boxes that provide the name of the owner Osada Kiyoshi (left side) and the Kyoto Kaichi Physical Fitness Promotion Association (right side).

This is a colorful item with great association to Kyoto and some of its most important and iconic shrines.