Flying Plum Tree of Michizane 「大宰府天満宮の飛び梅」

"Flying Plum Tree" in Dasaifu Tenmangu Shrine (photo by Shingo Yonezawa)

大宰府天満宮神社にある飛梅　（写真米澤慎吾氏より）

Friend of mine in Hokkaido Japan, Shingo Yonezawa, upon seeing my post on Michizane exhibition at Blackfish Gallery, sent me a photo of Michizane shrine at Dasaifu with plum tree.
This plum tree is believed to be the famous "flying plum tree" that appears in one of legends that surrounds Michizane. A historical buff, Mr. Yonezawa enjoys travelling to historical places, and one of these happened to be Dasaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Dasaifu where Michizane was supposed to have resided during the exile. According to the legend, Michizane with deep longing wrote poem about how he missed seeing the plum trees in Kyoto. In his poem, Michizane asked East wind to blow in the plum tree that might forget the spring without the owner's (Michizane) presence. Upon reading the poem, it is said the plum tree flew overnight to his yard from Kyoto.

Michizane stories, it seems show story- loving as well as supersticious aspect of Japanese.

I thank Mr. Yonezawa for photos and interesting stories of Sugawarano Michizane.

ブッラクフィシュの菅原道真展についての記事を北海道の友人、米澤慎吾氏が読み、太宰府天満宮神社にある飛び梅の写真を送ってくれた。歴史に興味深い米澤氏は歴史の場所をたどってよく旅にでるが、その一つの旅に大宰府を訪れたらしい。

伝説によると、都がこいしい道真は「東風こち吹かば　思い梅の花　あるじ無きとて春忘れそ」と詠んだ時一晩で京都から大宰府に飛んできたらしい。

菅原道真についての話や写真、米澤氏に感謝します。