Sorry for contacting you at this late hour. I am a shirabyoshi dancer and I live near. I have heard a memorial service with a bell. I was wondering if it would be possible for you to dance for a bell?

Mmm…If you insist. If would be fine if dancing was all, but we have to return her as soon as possible after dancing.

I am a Daimyo (Lord) living around here. Recently, I am in trouble because a Shishi (Chinese lion) has damaged the peonies in my garden. So, I will call my retainer, Taro-kaja and make him crush the Shishi. Are you here?

I wonder if he can catch the Shishi. How did it go, Taro-kaja? What are you doing? Why are you imitating the Shishi? Oh, no! Stop, this is me!

Although the characters say lines, it is easy to get the basic idea. It is the same as a pantomime. But what does “Yarumaizo” mean?

What are you carrying?

Stop being like a country bumpkin. We just get to Tokyo within 2 hours by train. (*They live in Gunma prefecture.)

I can’t take it. Shinjuku is the busiest station in Tokyo (and the world) ahead of Shibuya station and Tokyo station. Tokyo Metropolitan Government office is in Shinjuku,too.

So many people!

It is said that this festival gathers about 150,000 people. There are too many people that we can hardly move.

This is a “Dashi”. Each town in Ome city has a “Dashi”. There are 12 in all. There are various designs and decorations applied. These floats are so gorgeous that they are sometimes even described as a “mobile art museum”. To see each design of the Dashi is part of the attractions of enjoying this festival.

First, foxes greet us.

Yes. We will be able to find many masked characters on the Dashi.

Maybe. Not only animals, many various masked characters will be dancing on Dashi. This is not “Pokemon Go”, it’s “Maskman Go”. How many can we find them?

They are playing music called “O-hayashi”. Especially O-hayashi played in festivals is called “Matsuri-bayashi”. It is designed to be performed with festival events and as such, the shape of performances and performer’s costumes can vary depending on the nature of the events. And an interesting point of this flute for festivals is that the musical scales don’t conform to either Japanese or Western music, because the finger holes are equally spaced to make it easier to make as well as to play.

People call the situation when two Dashi collide “hikkawase”. “Hikkawase”‘s “hiku” means to pull Dashi, and “awase” means to have them collide. It is the highlight of the festival. The time when more than two Dashi collide brings more excitement. This time is announced on the leaflet before hand or real-time on microphone. The leaflet is provided at the station free of charge. This leaflet tells the kind of each Dashi and where the Dashi will pass.

Let’s walk around a little.

Foods, drinks, Japanese cheap sweets and toys are on the shop stands. “Yaki-soba“, “Tako-yaki“, “Okonomi-yaki” are traditional old-timers of all the stalls at the festival. In addition, there are grilled corn, “Yaki-tori” and so on. I guess Yaki-tori and Tako-yaki are some of the famous Japanese cheap foods. Yaki-tori is grilled chicken skewer, like kebab. Tako-yaki is a flour based snack baked in the shape of little round balls containing pieces of octopus. Okonomi-yaki is a dish of thinly sliced cabbage mixed with batter made of flour, eggs and water and cooked on an iron grill. Yaki-soba is stir-fried noodles. Yaki-soba, Okonomi-yaki and Tako-yaki are added with Japanese salty-sweet sauce. Each costs about \4~500.

These are for children. But, most adults are excited to remember their childhood. These colors, smells, tastes and sounds. Every element enlivens people. I wonder if most festivals have such elements all over the world.

You! Before I knew it. You are drinking alone.

It is the greatest highlight scene to turn the Dashi. For example, “Kishiwada danjiri (it is held at Kishiwada in Osaka) ” is famous. At this festival, the highlight is to turn the Dashi around with breakneck speed.

Let’s go to look for them.

These variety of masks all derive from Noh, Kyogen and Kagura*,and so on. They represent a deity, people or animals.
*Noh, Kyogen and Kagura are traditional performing arts since medieval times. Especially, Noh uses a lot of masks.
Foxes, raccoon dogs, or monkeys are active characters in folk tale. In stories, foxes and raccoon dogs bewitch people. In addition, foxes are messengers of the deity of rice planting.

This festival is for the deity of Sumiyoshi shrine. We go to shrines to worship.

Hey! Don’t reach for sweets. It’s for children. Quit making a fool of yourself.

This is “Ibayashi”. It means they play “Ohayashi” without moving. In this period, they play and dance not only on the Dashi, but also on the stage like this. They are set along the road.

On the 2nd of May, it is held from 3 pm to 10 pm. On the 3rd, it is held from 9 am to 10 pm. On the 2nd, the Dashi only moves in each town. So, I recommend to go on the 3rd.

Don’t worry. In this station, there is a corner to rent a bicycle. You pay \500 and \1,000 for deposit, you can rent a bicycle for a day. When you return it, the \1,000 deposit will be refunded to you. (as of 2020)

Is there something wrong for a deity to get on a bicycle? It takes about 20 minutes by bicycle.

You are really greedy. I wonder if it is too early to sell shaved ice. Well, the Shinto ritual starts at noon, so kagura will start in 45 minutes.

Yes. Although this story may seem difficult, this thought has affected the lifestyle of Japanese until today. For example, when Japanese decide on the date of weddings, they set a date based on this theory.

Moves of this dancer’s Sarutahiko have the same feature in Kanto area. It’s a very magical action to expel evil spirits from the stage.

He is not an old man. His old face shows thoughtfulness and consideration. His name is “Omoikane”. Do you remember this name?

It’s a simple reason. When people want to express congratulation or happiness, they say “medetai” in Japanese. “Tai” means red snapper. It’s a pun or word play. In addition, this fish’s color is red and looks good. Red is considered to protect us from evil.

Yes. The direction of kagura like this can often be seen all over Japan. Amaterasu is a deity of the sun. A mirror is a symbol of the sun in Shintoism.

No, he is a deity named “Ohyamatsumi”. He often comes out towards the end of Kagura in the Kanto area. When it comes to Ohyamatsumi, it is the end in no time. The ending of kagura in Kanto area is…..

Many gifts which were piled up as a mountain are vanishing one by one. Are human beings greedy or generous? I’m not sure which is right.

It is about 1.2 or 1.4 kilometers from the station.

Don’t be winging! We came here to watch and guide a kagura, not to take a bath.This shrine has a long and distinguished history. It is said that Yamanash prefecture’s name is was taken after this shrine. Have you heard the name “Takeda Shingen 武田信玄” ?

“Takeda shingen” is a famous warlord who had ruled this region about 450 years ago. People in this prefecture have respected and loved him till now. He is a kind of hero in this region.

This kagura is performed to wish for his victory when he went to war.

You are getting to learn about watching a kagura. If I were to add something, dancers continue playing as long as they live, especially men. Now the group of dancers consists of about 30 people. All are volunteers. And I have to tell you at first, this kagura has no elements of comedy.

This fox is a very popular and familiar character in this kagura. A man who plays this role has to have acting talent.

You may be right about the point that the fox is more energetic than the player acting as a deity of planting rice at least,

In this kagura group, the woman is called “princess”. They are to graduate this group by the time they reach high school age.

They have practiced extensively throughout the year, and every night before the festival. How about your case?

if it’s really, you are absolutely fool or genius

Right, he is just Sarutahiko. I guess the color of the mask had worn off because it’s too old.

It’s lunch break for one hour. Let’s walk around the shrine.

Actually, Fuefuki city is the largest producer of peaches in Japan. The peach festival* is held this season.

Many deities appear on the stage in this program. Because it represents the scene where all the deities gathered at Amano-Yasugawara to solve the problem when Amaterasu, the sun deity, had hidden.

Can you see the black board at the center of the stage? That is the “Amano-iwato”(the door made of rock).

Many deities come in, so we can watch dances of deities who don’t perform their own programs today.

Look, that’s powerful walking. And his face has black lines like Kabuki’s “Kumadori”. In Japanese traditional Kabuki 歌舞伎, lines (it is said “Kumadori”) on a face represent powerful and strong character. I’m sure he is “Tajikarao”, The most powerful deity. He must open the “Iwato” and pull out “Amaterasu”. Finally this program will reach a climax.

Hey,look at that. The black board that Tajikarao holds is “Amano-Iwato”.

Yes. This is a scene where every deity is pleased to have light of the sun come back. This is the most famous happening in Japanese mythology.

What time is it now?

This program has another name “Kume mai (dance)”. We can find this name in the records of the first emperor. The records say that this dance was played for the first emperor’s victory of battle.

So they say when Takeda Shingen was going to war, this was played to wish his victory.

Yes. It is held tonight and tomorrow.

Good! You are finally coming to recognize the attraction of kagura.

I have noticed your intention. You don’t care about kagura, you only wish to take a bath at hot spring, don’t you?