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Strange festival which tells of the arrival of spring ｜Katsuyama Sagicho Festival

2017.03.06

Festivals and events

I went to Katsuyama City to see the Katsuyama Sagicho Festival.
Katsuyama Sagicho Festival, which has a 300-year history, is held on the last weekend in February every year. During the festival, twelve floats are built, men and women with children wearing a red long undergarment for kimono beat drums cheerfully in a humorous movement to the sound of shamisen, flute and gong.
This style is very unique and only one in Japan, so that is why it is called a strange festival.

 


They are so cheerful in red undergarments for kimono.

 

During the festival, colorful strips of paper flap above the roads and in the wind, which creates a cheerful atmosphere. Many food stalls are lined and local people sell home-prepared food, so you may be tempted to eat too much.

 

On the Sunday, it is a special open-day at nearby famous sake brewery Ippongi.
I think that actually many people come to the festival with the aim of this event.
On the day, you can see inside the brewery and they sell sake manju cake of their own.
Also, they sell sake limited to the festival but when I arrived the brewery around 1 p.m,
it had already sold out. Too bad!

 


There was a big banner in the brewery. It looks vintage.

 

It is my favorite local festival. To go to the Katsuyama Sagicho Festival, Echizen Railway
from JR Fukui Station is convenient. You can enjoy beautiful winter scenery and a relaxing whistle-stop tour to Katsuyama Station. Also, please visit popular Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Musuem in Katsuyama City. There is a bus to the museum in front of the Katsuyama Station. (H.S)

 

Here is a video of the festival two years ago.

Report on “Special viewing of the hidden Buddhist statues associated with Great Priest Taicho” bus tour

2016.11.20

Festivals and events

I accompanied the bus tour “Special viewing of the hidden Buddhist statues associated with Great Priest Taicho” by Echizen Town’s Tourist Federation on November 6th.
Asahi District of Echizen Town, Fukui Prefecture has many temples, shrines and historic sites associated with Great Priest Taicho, where is a treasure house of Buddhist statues in the Heian and Kamakura Periods. On that day, I was able to see the hidden Buddhist statues especially which have survived from the battles in Period of Warring States and anti-Buddhism movement in the Meiji Period, and still enshrined by religious belief of local people.

 

*Great Priest Taicho was born in Fukui City in the Asuka Period(at the end of the seventh century). He was called a child prodigy. When he was eleven years old, he climbed Mt.Ochi, Otanji Temple following the revelation in his dream. After his ascetic practices and mortification, finally he achieved enlightenment of Buddhist teachings.
Afterwards, when he was 36 years old, he opened holy Mt. Hakusan.

 


Asahi Kannon Fukutsuji Temple Standing statue of wooden Senju Kannon Bosatsu
(Kamaura Period) Cultural Property designated by Fukui Prefecture
The Kannon has eleven-faced small Kannon on its head and forty-two hands.

 


I got a “goshuin” (stamp) at the Fukutsuji Temple.

 


Hiyoshi Shrine Seated statue of wooden Dainichi Nyorai(Heian Period)
Tangible Cultural Property
It is rare that there is a statue of Dainichi Nyorai in a shrine. It is said that originally
it was in the Fukutsuji Temple. When the temple opens its hidden Buddhist statues,
more than ten adults carry back the Nyorai to the Fukutsuji Temple.

 


Yasaka Shrine Wooden Juichimen Joshin statue (Heian Period)
Now it is on display at the exhibition “Buddhist statues of Fukui” at Fukui City History Museum.

 


There is a spring named “Life-prolonging water” in the precincts of the Yasaka Shrine
(100 greatest springs in Hokuriku Region) On July 14th, Gion Festival is held at the shrine
in the same manner as Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto.
I have heard that it has a nice old-style atmosphere.
I would like to see the festival.

 


Main hall of Mt. Ochi, Otanji Temple , which is one of the oldest temples in Hokuriku Region with a history of 1,300 years

 


It is said that this nine-story pagoda was the tomb of Great Priest Taicho.
National Cultural Property

 


The stairs to Joshoji Temple
Tanzan Ueno, the 13th Buddhist priest of the Joshoji Temple, was a leading cultural figure
in the late Edo Period.

 


Nagaya Gate in the precincts of the Joshoji Temple

 


As I went out of the Nagaya Gate, beautiful rural view of the village spread.

 

In the bus tour, there were visitors from other prefectures. A woman from Osaka who joined alone talked that she knew the tour on the internet and there were many unknowing Buddhist statues even in Osaka.

 

According to Mr.Fujikawa, curator of Fukui City History Museum, the power of Buddhist statues was too strong, so they close the doors and made the statues to hidden ones so that people would not be exposed to the too much power. It was like my eyes were opened for the first time hearing his talk.

 

The same bus tour is going to be conducted next year again.
How about joining to see hidden Buddhist statues in Fukui and to enjoy a day late in autumn? (H.S)

Unique Festival of Miyako Island, Okinawa “Pantou”

2016.10.20

Festivals and events

There is an unique festival called “Pantou” in Miyako Island.
In Shimajiri district, the festival is held in early September of the old lunar calendar
but its formal dates are not announced until just before the festival.
In the festival, three masked “gods” appear and visit each house.
What is shocking about it is that the “gods” are entirely covered in mud and
they daub the mud to anybody.

 


（From a travel reservation website "Tabirai Okinawa")

 

They show a policeman and tourists no mercy.
What’s worse, the mud has strong smell.
There is no wonder, the mud has cultured in its very own bog,
and the smell is poignant, so even if you wash the clothes, the smell does not wash off.
My guess is that the mud is like compost.

 

Still it seems like the gods drive away evil spirits so the people of the district are looking forward to appearing the gods around the time of the festival.
Also, this festival “Pantou” was designated an important intangible cultural heritage in 1993.
By the way, this year’s “Pantou” was held the other day on October 6th and 7th,
without any trouble.
I heard that the screams of children echoed throughout the district again this year.

 

If you have enough courage to join the festival, why don’t you visit it?
Bring a change of clothes! (H.S)

Japanese Summer Festival Part-5

2016.10.13

Festivals and events

As I introduced in our previous blog that “Aoi Matsuri (festival)” is the oldest festival in Japan,

there was another festival, “Aizen Matsuri (festival)” started 30 years after the Aoi Festival was started. Aizen Festival was started in 593.

 

It is held in Aizen Do(hall) of Tennoji-ku in Osaka from every June 30th to July 2nd.

Crown prince in ancient Japan, Shotoku Taishi (574-622) wished to help people with pain and sorrow, and the Aizen festival has inherited his wish for a long time.

This is a festival to pray for safety and state of perfect health of the people.

 

Aizen Festival is one of Osaka’s greatest festivals.

In Osaka, beside Aizen Festival, there are Tenjin Festival and Sumiyoshi Festival.

 

I would like to show you some part of parade of “Hoe-Kago(palanquins)”.

I am sharing a video of “Mari Yoshitani”, (Aizen Festival parade 2).

Please enjoy.

 

I would like to share another video of “BinshukeIPO”,

(Aizen Festival 2, Danjiri-bayashi&dragon dance).

T.F

Japanese Summer Festival Part-4

2016.10.08

Festivals and events

It has beeng a little bit cooler and autumn-like in Japan.

How about where you live, is it cool or hot?

 

In Japan, there are festivals throughout the year.

As much as you can enjoy summer festivals feeling the hot weather of summer,

you can also have a great time in autumn festivals feeling the cool autumn breeze as well.

 

 

Do you know the oldest festival in Japan?

 

Aoi festival is the oldest and it was started in Kyoto in 567.

This festival is one of the three great festivals of Kyoto in May.

Two other festivals are Gion festival in July and Jidai festival in October.

Aoi festival is also known as Kamo festival and this is conducted

at both Kami (upper) Kamo and Shimo (lower) Kamo shrines.

 

It is said that first Aoi festival was held when Wakeikaduchinokami (one of the Japanese gods) came down to a mountain in north-northwest of the current main shrine building.

 

In 567, many natural disasters occurred and crops could not grow.

Then, the emperor at that time told a fortune teller to see what was happening

and he found out that curses of god were causing a poor crop.

 

Therefore, farmers and villagers had the festival to pacify the curses

and this was the beginning of Aoi festival.

 

I would like to share a video of “Japanesquest”,

“Aoi Matsuri Festival in Kyoto! / Video Japan Guide”

 

 

T.F

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