What is Kesaranpasaran? A detailed explanation of the mysterious object that brings good fortune [Yamagata Prefecture]

Kesaranpasaran is said to bring happiness to those who hold it, but there are probably surprisingly many who don't really know whether it is a living thing or a plant.

This article provides detailed information about Kesaranpasan, a dish that has a deep connection to Yamagata

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What is Kesaranpasan

Kesaranpasaran one of the UMA (unidentified mysterious organisms) that fall from the sky to shrines and around trees between February and March and is thought to be similar to what is known in the West as gossamer or angel hair

They are believed to be plants, animals, minerals, or insects, and 38 have been confirmed in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture.

In 2015, it was exhibited at the Yamagata Prefectural Museum for a limited time until August 20th, and is now on permanent display in the freshwater and saltwater fish section of the Tsuruoka City Kamo Aquarium

Kesaranpathan is said to bring the following to its owner:

• No need to worry about what to wear
• Don't get sick
• Get rich

It is placed in a paulownia wood box along with face powder, which is considered edible, and enshrined on a household altar, and it is said that it should only be viewed once a year, as this will cause good fortune to escape

Reference: Yamagata Prefectural Museum "Tensara Basara (Kesaranpasaran) is on display for a limited time"

Reference: Tsuruoka City Kamo Aquarium Official Website

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The origin of the name Kesaranpasaran

Kesaranpasaran is a strange name that doesn't sound very Japanese, but what is the origin of the name?

There are various theories, so here are a few

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• It comes from the Spanish phrase "Que Será, Será," which means "Whatever will be, will be."
• The name comes from "Tensarabasara," which means something that falls from the sky
• The name comes from the Sanskrit words "Kesara/Basara."
• The word comes from a Tohoku dialect phrase meaning "I have no idea what's going on."
• Its name comes from its dry, feather-like appearance

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Each theory has some plausibility, but it's unclear which one is correct

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Research on Kesaranpathan

Perhaps because its true identity and the origin of its name are unclear, Kesaranpasaran has long been a subject of research for folklorists

"Tensara Basara" Sato Mitsutami , published in 1952 in the journal "Folk Traditions," an academic journal of the Japanese Folklore Society , includes three stories that are passed down in Yamagata, which I have compiled into a table.

Where I heard the story	speaker	Summary of the story
Nenjuseki Village, Nishitagawa County, Yamagata Prefecture	Yasobei	・Tensara Basara is a gift from heaven, and keeping it brings happiness to the household - Found flying 1m above the ground in 1903 ・Misfortunes continued to occur when the storehouse was renovated
Nenjuseki Village, Nishitagawa County, Yamagata Prefecture	Taroshichi	・Found in front of my house the day after a big thunderstorm around 1930 - There are two, each measuring approximately 1.8 cm in diameter
Nenjuseki Village, Nishitagawa County, Yamagata Prefecture	Sato	A gift from heaven that fell with thunder - Pure white and round, shaped like the end of a rabbit's tail, the size of an azuki bean, and covered in dense fur - Eat white flour to grow bigger ・There are good things about having more children

Following this report, Kunio Yanagita began a discussion in "Folklore," but the discussion focused mainly on the origins mentioned in the previous section, and not much was learned about what Kesaranpasaran itself was.

Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, it was featured in media such as the Asahi Shimbun, NHK, and TBS, sparking the "Kesaranpasan boom."

However, in the 1990s, the boom died down and the following classification of Kesaranpathan was proposed:

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① Classification by Kazuo Aso

• Type Ⅰ "Kesarampasaramp" plant pappus
• Type II "Tensarabasara" - dried animal skin with hair
• Type III "Heysarabasara" animal stones
• Type IV "Keshi Pearl" - Modified pearls and modified minerals

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② Classification of Kesaranpasaran.com

• Plant Type
• Animal Type
• Mineral Type
• Insect type
• New types (angel wings, etc.)

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Now that we are able to make such scientific classifications, it can be said that the true nature of Kesaranpathan has become somewhat clearer

However, in his paper entitled "The Supernatural Phenomenon of Naming and Knowledge," Yoshiyuki Iikura, an associate professor at Kokugakuin University, explains that the reason people are attracted to Kesaranpasaran is because of their desire to believe in "something that cannot be explained by science."

As long as this feeling persists, Kesaranpasaran will continue to entertain us as an "unidentified creature."

Reference: Yoshiyuki Iikura, "The Supernatural Phenomenon of 'Naming' and 'Knowledge'"

Reference: International Research Center for Japanese Studies, "Tensara Basara" database of strange and monster legends

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summary

It turns out that Kesaranpasaran is one of the unidentified creatures that falls from the sky to shrines and tree bases between February and March, and it is said that holding one will bring good luck

If you want to see the real thing, be sure to visit Tsuruoka City Kamo Aquarium

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