Date: Spring through fall (peaks in April and October)
Location: Sado 佐渡 Island City, Niigata Prefecture
Access: From various locations to Niigata 新潟 Station or Niigata Airport. From there, take a bus to Niigata Port, from where there are steamers to Sado Island. From Tokyo, it takes about 2.5 to 3 hours by Shinkansen to Niigata Port. There is also a way to get there from Naoetsu 直江津 via Naoetsu Port. From Niigata Port, you can go to Ryotsu 両津 Port, and from Naoetsu, you can go to Ogi 小木 Port, which are different arrival points.

There is an island where groups of drummers go from house to house. And they are demons, no less.
That name is Sado Island. Across from Tokyo lies Niigata Prefecture. From there, it’s another 30-minute to one-hour boat ride. It is the second-largest island in Japan, after Okinawa. There is a day on that island when demons visit every home. And the people look forward to it with anticipation. They say the demons are messengers of the gods. They are called oni, and the act of them beating drums is known as “Oni taiko (ogre drums).”People say this island is a treasure trove of performing arts. Among them, the most representative is this “Oni Taiko.” The locals also call it “ondeko. From spring to fall, the sound of taiko drums echoes throughout the island, and Oni dance in the air. There are more than 120 of them. It is true that the island is as large as the 23 wards of Tokyo, or about half the size of Osaka, but there are still many of them. Let’s take a look at what kind of Oni-daiko the islanders love so much.

Festival outline or “Kado-zuke 門付け”

Oni-daiko is an extremely simple art form consisting of a single drum, a drummer, and a dancer, the Oni. Oni Taiko festivals do not have a mikoshi (portable shrine) or pull a dashi around as in regular festivals. Instead, they do something called kadozuke 門付け. Kado means gate, and tsuke means to drop in, which means to visit each door. This is an old custom in which performers go from house to house to bless their families and in return receive a reward. In the past, many performers earned their money that way, but nowadays, the main purpose is to walk around blessing each house as God’s representative, rather than for remuneration. There is Ise Kagura centered in Mie Prefecture and a group of kagura performers who still travel over a wide area in Iwate Prefecture in the Tohoku region. Therefore, even if you go to the shrine on the day of the festival, there is nothing there. After the first and last dedication at the shrine, the group goes out to the community.

A day at Oni Taiko starts early in the morning. First, the group heads to a shrine. There they dedicate first formal dance. After that, they go to the village and perform the dance from door to door. Sometimes there are more than 100 houses in a village. When a group of taiko drummers arrives, people entertain them by preparing hospitality. If requested, a designated dancer other than oni may also dance. In addition, the masks may be displayed there for a time in the house where the original masks were made, or a special dance may be performed. After visiting all the houses, they return to the shrine to perform the dedication dance. It is not unusual for the dance to end around 10:00 p.m. This is why young people are always needed for the physical strength of the dancers.

Types of Oni-daiko

There are several classifications of oni taiko according to the way it is performed. There are three major categories, and five more detailed categories are often used. In order to avoid complications, we will inquire about three types. Types include the Maehama type, Aikawa type, and Kuninaka type, named after the region.
The most commonly seen is the Kuninaka type , in which two Oni, A (open-mouthed, not “ei”) and Um (closed-mouthed), dance alternately. This type is about 60% of the total. It is a form that was adopted by masters who learned Noh in the past. Therefore, the basic movement is to use a slip. The dance is also characterized by the intensity of the “A” and the quietness of the “Um”. Sometimes Shishi ( lions) is involved, which makes the dance more dynamic.
Maehama type is two oni facing each other and dancing. Sometimes a dancer wearing a mask with only the upper half of his face, called Rouso, joins them. The roso is the highest-ranking dancer in the group.
And the Aikawa type is often seen in the northwestern part of the island. Here, oni appear but do not dance. They just stand there with a spear. Instead, a dancer wearing an old man’s mask dances with a square to hold beans.

Representative Oni-daiko

Niibo-funashimo（新穂舟下）

Ryotu-Iwakubi（両津岩首）

Aikawa Maturi（相川祭り）

The Aikawa style of Onidaiko, which began in the Aikawa district, is named Onidaiko, but despite the name, the Oni (demons) do nothing. Or, not even Oni. The main actor is an old man (a virtuous old man), holding a bean-throwing square in his hand, which can often be seen in Setsubun 節分 (a ceremony held in February to drive away evil spirits). For example, in the Aikawa district, the birthplace of the festival, two people holding long swords simply stand there. Only the ogo (master) dances to the rhythm of the taiko drums.

Kita-Kawachi Matsuri (北川内祭り）

There are many other types of oni taiko with distinctive characteristics, such as the one-legged dancing style. It is no exaggeration to say that there are as many different oni taiko as there are districts and festivals. Sado is also a region that has handed down a variety of performing arts, not only oni taiko. Every year at the end of May, a festival is held to bring together all of Sado’s performing arts. Sado is an island where old Japan can be seen everywhere, and it is well worth a visit.

Sado Ondeko dotto komu : An event that brings together all the performing arts of Sado Island https://niigata-kankou.or.jp/event/2145
Sado long ride : A cycle event with several thousand participants on a 210 km up-and-down course that circles the island at its longest point.
https://sado-biyori.com/feature/sadolog/11502/

Date: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, ending on the first Sunday of August
Location: Ono minato shrine 大野湊神社 163 Ha ハ, Teranaka-cho 寺中町, Kanazawa 金沢, Ishikawa, Japan
Access: 5-minute walk from Nishi Keisatsu Sho-mae bus stop on Hokuriku Railway buses bound for 60 Kanaiwa 金石, 61 Ono 大野 and 63 Ono.

About 30 minutes from Kanazawa Station. About one bus every 30 minutes.

based on 2024.8.4.

Overview

Throughout the festival, various events take place, including processions of portable shrines, boats setting out to pray for a bountiful catch, and fireworks displays. In addition, groups of exorcists perform exorcisms at various locations throughout the town. However, since only locals—and especially those directly involved—know which locations they’ll visit that year, the best choice is still to check out the event plaza on the final day.

Main Events begin

People gather at the main venue for the festival’s final day around 4:00 p.m. The main venue is located near the Kanaiwa Bus Terminal, where the central road is completely closed off to create two stages, one at the front and one at the back. Each group performs on the first stage and then moves to the second stage to do the same.

One of the highlights is the performance by the Kaga Tobi. “Tobi” is the name of a bird resembling an eagle, but it also refers to people who work at heights. However, in the past, the term referred to firefighters. During the Edo period (the age of the samurai), when fires were common, these firefighters were the target of popular admiration. In particular, here in Ishikawa Prefecture—specifically the region known as Kaga, which boasted the greatest national power outside of the shogun’s domain—the Kaga firefighters were as popular as actors even in Edo. Performing feats such as climbing onto roofs or scaling tall ladders to assess the situation of a fire was not a spectacle, but an essential part of their job. Even today, fire departments often demonstrate these skills at New Year’s ceremonies and other events across the country.

Drive away evil from the town

Around 5 o’clock, the crowd begins to move in a circle around the venue. The main event is about to begin. It’s the height of summer, so even at 5 p.m., it’s still bright out.

Two men dressed strangely like ancient yamabushi ( Buddhist monk) lead a group to ward off evil spirits. They wear high clogs, umbrellas and carry metallic canes. They lead the way first, reading out the names of the gods and chanting the sutra. Mysterious spectacles catch the eye.
A group of flutes and drums around the area help to enliven the occasion.

And there are three main actors. Black Hannya 般若, Red Tengu 天狗and Brown Okina 翁 (old man). They hold a broadax, a bow and a sword to ward off evil, each facing four directions, slashing evil with a sword or other weapon and stamping on the earth. The footwork also follows the secret methods of the mountain priests of the past. The footwork follows the secret method of Yamabushi in the past. Ninja also followed this method of walking without making noise.

High school students play all three of the main actors. No one knows why, but it has been a rule for some time. After the three years are up, the rest of the time they play supporting roles. In other words, the last performance is the final culmination for the third-year students.

They spend three days going from door to door in the town to ward off evil. On the way, many spectators crowd the crossroads, community centers and other large places. They split into several small groups, which can be powerful as they may all go together in large places. And finally, the original Ono Minato Shrine precinct. Around 7.30 pm.

History and overview

Ono Minato Shrine is situated 15 minutes’ bus from Kanazawa city center towards the sea. It was founded around the 8th century. Fire destroyed it in the 13th century, after which a new shrine building was built nearby (current location). So, the people tried hard to get deities to return to them, but it was difficult to achieve this. The origin of this festival is that people began to pray for the deity to return to their original place at least once a year. The festival therefore begins with the construction of a temporary shrine building at the original location. Deities returns to their home shrine and then returns to the original shrine three days later. And during this time, various events take place in the town. The most popular of these is the ‘exorcism’ introduced here.

This is the festival of the Ono Minato Shrine, but in fact there is also another festival in the neighbor town of Hiyoshi 日吉 shrine, where a group of evil-dispelling people also take part. The summer in Kanazawa is hot from the end of July to August. This is the time of year when you can see the two faces of Kanazawa, the normal townscape and the festive town.

Date: Fourth Saturday to Sunday in July
Location: Ono hiyoshi shrine 大野日吉神社　5-81, Ono-cho, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
Access: Bus From Hokutetsu Bus Korinbo (5 mins walk from Ono bus stop)… approx. 30 mins
From JR Kanazawa Station (only a few buses) (5-minute walk from Ono bus stop)… approx. 20 mins.
On foot 　From Hokutetsu 北鉄 Bus Kanaiwa 金石 rotary … approx. 20 mins.
From Kanazawa Port … approx. 15 mins.

cf. Ono minato shrine https://oonominato.or.jp/about/tradition/natumaturi/ sorry only Japanese
Ono hiyoshi shrine http://www.ohnohiyoshi.com/fes/summer
Kanazawa city https://visitkanazawa.jp/en/

Welcome to Kanazawa

Kanazawa is not only the heart of Ishikawa Prefecture but also the center of the Hokuriku region. It is not merely a modern city; it is a place rich in diverse charms, featuring a castle, one of Japan’s most iconic gardens, historic streets, and cutting-edge art museums. Kanazawa seems to encapsulate all the best of Japan in one place—it’s definitely a place you’ll want to visit at least once.

Base data

Date：18th April Every two years (odd-numbered years)
Location ：Itosaki dera-temple 糸崎, 22-5 Itosaki Town, Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture
Access ：From Fukui Station, take Keifuku Bus (Echizen Kaigan Blue Line No. 10) for 1 hour, alight at Itozaki and walk 20 minutes.
　　　　To reach Fukui, take the Shinkansen if you are travelling from Tokyo. From Nagoya, take the Shinkansen to Maibara and then
the lmited express via Tsuruga. From Kyoto or Osaka take the limited express via Tsuruga.

based on 2025.4.15.

Buddha dances

What does it mean that Buddha dances? Roughly speaking, it means that Buddha statues move in costumes. An immovable statue of Buddha moves. In other words, the doll moves. You can see such a mysterious scene at a small temple on the coast of Fukui Prefecture.

Just standing there, they are not much different from ordinary Buddhist statues. But they move. Let’s visit the site first.

Head to Itosaki

Itosakidera-temple

A small temple quietly overlooks the sea. The road leading to the temple is crowded with cars only this day.

The audience surrounds the stage. Local primary and junior high school students also gather in one corner. And snack stands are open. Most of the spectators seem to be locals. You don’t see photographers lined up in a row. Scheduled to start at 1.30 pm. The scene 30 minutes before that.

Before the Dance of the Buddha

At 1.30, an announcement signals the start of the event. It’s finally time to begin. Yet the Buddha does not emerge immediately. Women wearing sedge hat come out. And sit and sing a song in praise of the Buddha.

Emergence of the main actors

15 minutes later, when the audience is ready, the main character appears. A group of musicians leads the way, followed by children, the Buddha.

Buddha dance

An announcement is made and the Buddha’s dance begins. But imagining something like modern dance will only disappoint you. According to legend, in the eighth century, when people enshrined a statue of Buddha in this temple, the Buddha danced happily. However, the earliest recorded date is the 19 century. It is the Buddha’s dance that people imagined more than 100 years ago. It is also divided into several dances, but it is difficult to tell the difference. A monotonous dance accompanied by a drum and a gong. In fact, the audience, who had been eagerly watching in the front row from the middle of the performance, gradually moved away to their desired position.

But it’s funny, and it starts to be fun. The monotonous rhythm creates a kind of hallucination state.
Then I started thinking about this. The event has been going on for at least 100 years. People in the past saw the same thing. It’s like a time machine. What were people thinking when they watched this? Did they think it was monotonous? Or was it grateful? Eventually, I began to hallucinate as if people from the past are standing there looking the same.

At the last dance, the Buddhas stopped dancing one by one. And when the lasted one stops moving, all the dancing came to an end. About an hour. At the end of the glittering but quiet event, the Buddhas walked up to the main hall.

At the end

Fukui Prefecture may not be a familiar place. However, there are a number of places to see, including the famous Zen temple Eiheiji 永平寺. I hope that one day you will also experience the mysterious Buddhist dance.

https://enjoy.pref.fukui.lg.jp/en

Date：24 April every year.

Location：7238 Oaza Nou, Itoigawa-city, Niigata prefecture

Access： Shinkansen from Tokyo. If Hakutaka, change at Itoigawa and take the Hisui Line to Nou. About 2.5 hours. If you take Toki, change at Echigo-Yuzawa and take the Hokuhoku Line to Naoetsu, then the Hisui Line to Nou 能生. From there it is a 20-minute walk. From the Osaka area, take the limited express train to Tsuruga, then head toward Niigata. If flying, take a flight from any airport to Niigata Airport, then travel on to Nou.

based on 2025. 4. 24.

Spring in the snow country

Bugaku 舞楽

Masked dance

Nohbatou 能抜頭

Ｎasori 納曽利

The king finally descends Ryo-oh 陵王

After the children’s dance, it is time for the final star of the show, the Ryo King. So, yes, this is the most famous of all bugaku dances, the “Lanryou ou(king) 蘭陵王” dance. The dance has the following anecdotes. Once upon a time, there was a brave warlord in a country called Northern Qi in China. But people rumored that he was too well-formed and feminine. Thinking this would not improve the morale of the army, he put on a frightening mask and fought and won a great victory. This legendary figure was a real person in the mid-6th century.

Let’s go to Nou

On taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo, the Toki and Hakutakas were continuous. Toki is a little cheaper. But that was a mistake. The transfer was not smooth and I ended up waiting for an hour in Naoetsu 直江津. Lesson 1. If you go to an unfamiliar place, you should have as much time as possible. And choose the route with fewer transfers.
The temperature in Niigata Prefecture on that day was 15 degrees. Even though it is over 20 degrees in all areas west of Tokyo, it is still cold. So, on the way, I could see the cherry blossoms in full bloom behind the snowy landscape from the train window.

Also, this route has a lot of tunnels. Stations are located between tunnels, some of them in tunnels.

Nou hakusan shrine　能生白山神社

People are gathered around the stage in the center. The right side of the entrance is stepped. In the front row, a couple dressed up in kimono. The shrine is said to have been built in the 3rd century; the main building, which was rebuilt in the early 16th century, is an important national cultural asset.
Why are these people sitting in the front row in formal dress? I found that out at the end of the festival. They were the parents of the children of “Chigomai”. They were probably proud and anxious at the same time to see their own children on the big day. After all the children’s dances were over, I could see them weeping involuntarily.
It was a moment when I could once again realized that this is what the festival is all about.

Hana Matsuri is a festival of rebirth. During the season when the days are at their shortest, people prayed for the rebirth of the sun. It is an ancient festival.
You can experience such a festival in Aichi Prefecture. The centre of Aichi Prefecture is Nagoya City, which can be described as a major city second only to Tokyo and Osaka. Toyota’s headquarters are also in Toyota City. That’s the sort of place it is. But it’s actually quite a struggle to get to the venue for this Hana matsuri (festival). The Hana Festival is currently held at 15 locations across Aichi Prefecture, but all of them are deep in the mountains, in places that can only be reached by driving endlessly up long, narrow, winding roads. As a result, travel agencies now organise tours to the area.
Consequently, travel agencies now organise tours to the event. The Hnamatsuri festival runs from November to March. It is said to have once lasted a whole week, but it has since been shortened. Even so, it can still go on for a day and a night.

Toyotetsu Sightseeing has also begun to offer tours. Even with a car, it is dangerous to go to a mountainous sight-seeing area at night. We recommend that those who wish to visit join a such a tour.

“Hanamatsuri” is a festival centered on Oni (ogres). So maybe there used to be a tour like this.

This article is based on the 2018 tour at Sakauba.

Date; The weekend in late November
Location; 29-4 Miyanoshima, Sakauba, Toyone Village, Kitashitara District, Aichi prefecture
Access; Approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes by car from the Shinshiro Interchange on the Shin-Tomei Expressway

Hello and welcome to the tour

Here comes the festival at last

Yamami-Oni 山見鬼

Tehohe, Tehohe,. Tewotole tole

Sakaki-Oni 榊鬼

It was around 3:30 in the morning when the Sakaki Oni, the main character of the Hana Matsuri, made his appearance.

First, the dance of the accompanying Oni enlivens the occasion.

Negi, Okina, Miko (or Oturuhyala) 禰宜、翁、巫女（おつるひゃら）

Breakfast, and Yubayashi 湯ばやし

Asa-Oni 朝鬼~ ending

After the Yamami-oni and Sakaki-oni, the last Oni appears. That is the “Asa-oni”. The literal translation is “morning oni. The Asa-oni knocks off the symbol of the gods that is suspended from the “maido”. Next, a lion appears to purify the scene. After that, People return the deities they invited back to where they came from, and all festivities come to an end.
But it’s time for us to leave.

Fifteen Hana Matsuri have survived throughout the region, and although the people in each community suffer from a shortage of labor, they held between November and March of the following year. In order to support the festival, buses run late at night from the nearest station to each area on the days when the festival is concentrated, and travel agencies offer tours such as the one introduced in this article. It is one of the festivals where you can feel the original landscape of the Japanese people.

I would like to conclude with a comment posted on Instagram by a young woman who lives in the area.
She commented, “Life in general is inconvenient here, too, but I think it’s okay to continue living here because of the Hanamatsuri.”

Official site of Aichi prefecture https://aichinow.pref.aichi.jp/en/events/detail/1637/

Official https://aichinow.pref.aichi.jp/features/detail/125/

Date: September 20 every year
Location: Kumakabuto shrine 熊甲神社, Miyamae, Nakajima town, Nanao city, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan
Access: The nearest station is Noto-nakajima 能登中島 Station. It takes about 4.5 hours from Tokyo to there by Shinkansen and limited express. From Kanazawa, it takes about 1.5 hours by limited express and local train. A shuttle bus runs from Noto-nakajima Station on the day of the festival. There are also city buses.

Festival flow

There is a heroic festival in the Noto Peninsula in which many Sarutahiko appear. On this day alone, the cheers of the people and the excitement of the festival overtake the usually quiet town. On this day only, the people who go to this place take a day off from school and work to attend the festival. And they stubbornly observe the 20th. This festival is filled with the spirit of the people.

The festival is held by 19 shrines associated with Kumakabuto Shrine and their residents.
The festival consists of three main parts. First, people from each town come to the shrine with portable shrines and flags (the flags are the key to the festival). Next, when all the townspeople gather, move to Otabisho which is about 500 meters away from the shrine. Finally, the participants perform a performance using flags at the otabisho. During these processions, the leader of the procession is Sarutahiko, an incarnation of the masked god. As readers of other articles on this site may know, Sarutahiko has always been the leader of Japanese festivals. Especially there’s a lot of them at this festival. There are at least two or three Sarutahiko in a town, and there are 19 towns in all. One of the highlights of the festival is that these Sarutahiko parade through the streets and shrines, performing their unique dances to the rhythm of gongs and drums. Let’s take a closer look.

The entry of the portable shrine into the shrine’s premises

Festival morning comes early. Around 7:00 a.m., people carrying portable shrines and flags from each town leave the town for the shrine. There are 19 towns in total, some of which face the sea. So people from these towns bring their portable shrines to nearby towns on boats. By about 8:00 all the town get together. For a distance of about 200 meters, the festival group, centering on the mikoshi, will line up in front of the shrine. Let me explain about the flag here. This flag is the most distinctive and symbolic feature of this festival. It is a long red flag, about 20 meters long, and is called “wakuhata 枠旗”. Unfortunately, due to a lack of volunteers to carry the flag, the length of the flag has been shortened to about 15 meters in many places these days.
Upon arrival, the first thing Sarutahiko does is tap on the steps of the main shrine. This is a greeting that he has arrived. Following this, people raise the flags in the precincts of the shrine with a loud shout. The ceremony lasts for about two and a half hours. This ceremony at once sends the audience into a whirlpool of excitement. When all towns arrive it will be approximately 10:30 am. From there, the arrival greeting ceremony begins. Led by Sarutahiko’s dance, portable shrines and tool bearers march in two lines to greet the gods. When all are assembled, the priest proceeds to the center and gives a festive greeting to the deity. Here all rituals in the precincts of the shrine come to an end. This is the first part.

Heading to the Otabisho 御旅所

Shimada kuzushi (Otabisho)

Guided by Sarutahiko, mikoshi and flags from each town depart one after another for Kamohara, the otabisho. The last group finally leaves the shrine around 2:00 PM when the first group arrives at Kamohara. The sight of red flags over 15 meters high lining the Kamohara and golden mikoshi (portable shrines) in the sun is spectacular. And here is the highlight of the festival: the flag parade.

Among them, the skill that people are most looking forward to is Shimada-kuzushi. It means to put it into disorder. It is a technique to knock down a long flag so as not to touch the ground. The origin of the name is as follows:. Once toppled, the flag touched the hair of a woman who came to see the festival and ruined her hairstyle. The name of the hairstyle is Shimada. It is said that the name ‘Shimada-kuzushi’ came from the fact. The festival continues until around 5:00 p.m., and the fervor continues unabated. Unfortunately, we can no longer use long flags like before. Because of the labor shortage in recent years. However, the spectacle and enthusiasm of the event is the same as in the past.

Ending

It takes only 2 hours to get there from Kanazawa (Kanazawa is 2.5 hours from Tokyo). In addition, Wakura 和倉 Onsen (hot spring) is just 15 minutes away. Wakura Onsen is also home to the most famous inn in Japan, Kagaya 加賀屋, which has been voted the best inn in Japan for many years in a row (though it is moderately priced).

In 2025, the Noto Peninsula was damaged by a major earthquake and also by heavy rain in the summer. It is still in the middle of reconstruction, but the people have been reviving the town with the indomitable spirit of never giving up, and the festival has continued. Why don’t you see the beauty of the Noto Peninsula, the strength of the people, and the valor of the festival with your own eyes?

There is a term “Hida no Takumi” (artisans of Hida). Hida 飛騨 is a mountainous area. There is little flat land suitable for agriculture, and people had no choice but to make a living from wood. From there, the people of Hida developed their woodworking skills. Eventually, the technique became known throughout the country, and Hida wood was used for various types of construction, and carpenters and other technicians went to various places in response to the demand.

The Hida region is part of present-day Gifu Prefecture. In the past, they were divided more finely than the current administrative division. Therefore, the southern part of Gifu Prefecture was called Mino and the northern part was called Hida. Mino has many plains, and commerce developed in close cooperation with the neighboring Owari region (western Aichi Prefecture). Even now, it takes nearly two hours from Takayama to Gifu by express train. Therefore, Hida developed itself. Takayama is the center of Hida, so the station is much bigger than the surrounding area.

Eventually you will see the river and cross an impressive bridge, which marks the beginning of the old town.

This town seems to be famous even abroad and is always full of tourists. Sometimes groups of visitors occupy the road and take pictures. The streets are narrow because of the old townscape, so it is unavoidable that the streets fill up quickly.

However, after 5:30 in the evening, people suddenly disappear. Probably because the group guests have gone home. Most of the restaurants also close at 6:00 p.m. This means that if you are planning to eat or buy souvenirs, you need to get there early. (If you go to the street in front of the station, the big souvenir stores are open.)

By the time the lights are turned on, the town is once again quiet and regains its original appearance.

https://www.hida.jp/english/

There are many different kinds of Oni in Japan, each with a unique characterization. They often bestow good fortune on people even though they are Onis, and the distinction between Onis and deities is often unclear. This time, the Oni is a bad one. As expected, he challenges the warrior deity, the symbol of goodness, to a fight. His appearance looks as if he is making fun of the warrior deity, which is why people commonly call this ” Oni no Karakai” (Karakai means to make fun of). The demon, whose body is as round as a drum, provokes the warrior god. The warrior god remains calm and collected. As many as 60,000 people will gather here to watch this battle.

Date: February 10th-11th, every year
Location: 3-17 Hatcho-dori 八町通り, Toyohashi-shi, Aichi prefecture
Access: From Toyohashi Station on the JR or Meitetsu 名鉄 Line, board a streetcar at Toyohashi Ekimae 豊橋駅前 and disembark at the Shiyakusho-mae 市役所前 stop. Or get off at Toyohashi Koen-mae 豊橋公園前 stop. Approximately 3 minutes on foot.

The history of the festival

According to the writings, the shrine was founded around the 10th century.It is unclear whether or not events were held at that time. However, it can be assumed that there was something like a New Year’s Eve event to ward off demons. It is estimated that it took its present form around the 16th century. There are still some old Oni masks donated by the lords of the time. The shogun who opened the Edo shogunate told his vassals that he saw a demon festival in 1554. It is clear that by that time the festival had already taken on its present form.

Outline

Eve of the festival

The festival has a fixed date every year: February 10. The day before that is the evening festival.
The main character on the previous day is the Blue Demon, a new character in the festival that first appeared 60 years ago. His appearance is almost the same as the red demon.
First, a blue Oni comes to the shrine in the morning. Then, one of the biggest incidents in Japanese mythology, the “Opening of Ama-no-Iwato” is performed. One of the main characters in the opening of Ama-no-Iwato is “Tajikara-o”, the most powerful creature in the world of deities who pushes open the door. He plays this role. After that, the group of the blue Oni goes out to the town. After this, Kagura and Taiko performances are held at the shrine, as well as a rehearsal for the unmasked child Oni.
At night, the Tengu and the red Oni practice for the last time without their masks on. After this, all that is left is the day of the performance.

On the day

Finally, the day of the event. Kagura and various other events are held at the shrine from the morning. The main events of the day are the Tengu and the Red Oni. The first child Oni arrives at the shrine in the morning where the Kagura is held. The child Oni is about twelve or thirteen years old, but is the same as the adult Oni. The weight of their costumes is about half, but it is still about 10 kg. The child Oni throws a special candy called “Tankiri,” and then goes out into the town.
At the same time, the Tengu and the red Oni do their final purification and prepare to put on their costumes. The costumes weigh about 20 kilograms. If it rains, it will weigh twice as much. Once the costumes are put on, they cannot be taken off easily, so they have to keep them on for about 12 hours until the end of the festival. Therefore, when they drink water, they have to keep it on their mouths.

Highlights

2:00 p.m. When the drums sounded, the two parties finally appeared in the precincts. By this time people are filling the precincts of the temple. On the side, a black Oni is waiting in the wings to act as a judge. He never speaks. He is very unassuming, but important.
The red Oni provokes the tengu this way and that. The tengu, however, is unmoved. Then, the red Oni, annoyed with the situation, begins to perform a secret technique. The official explanation is that this secret art is a product of a generous age. First, he throws a tool in his hand, but next, he throws snot at them.

At this point, the red Oni finally runs out of strength and flees with his guards in tow. In doing so, he scatters candy called “tankiri candy. This is the highlight of the festival. Tankiri candy scattered with white powder. The whole area turns completely white and chaos ensues. As it is, the red Oni moves out of the precincts and into town. From here, the nine-kilometer-long, nine-hour-long procession begins, which lasts until nightfall.

Even after the red ogre has left the precincts of the shrine, each township performs a variety of kagura. These are valuable performing arts that have retained much of their original form from the Middle Ages. The tengu also goes out to wash away the town by a route different from that of the Oni, after performing a ritual to predict the harvest. This is the start of a long, long journey into the night.

A peek behind the scenes

How do we decide who will play the roles of oni and tengu, the two biggest protagonists of the festival? Basically, it’s whoever wants to play them. There are no particular rules. It can be any boy from the town. However, there is an unwritten rule that once you have played a role, you must be involved for seven years. That’s what they do before they play the tengu, two roles before they play the tengu, and four roles after they finish. That is how our predecessors have kept the festival alive for so long.

They also say that role-playing begins the day after the festival. Some people abstain from alcohol, others start running. There are no rules. It all depends on the individual. However, the costumes weigh more than 20 kg and cannot be easily taken off once put on. They are not allowed to go to the restroom on the day of the festival, so they are required to drink a minimum amount of water. By the end of the day, the weight of the costume will be nearly 30 kg due to sweat absorption.

From February 1, they are not allowed to eat food prepared by young women, nor are they allowed to talk to them. Every day, they bathe in water to purify themselves.
Only those who have experienced the role in the past are allowed to help the young women put on their costumes on the day of the festival. The rest of the townspeople have their own rules. This is how the festival has been and will continue to be handed down.

Touohashi official https://www.honokuni.or.jp/toyohashi/en/festival/000018.html

Date: 31st, July and 1st, August (Nafune festival)
Location: Nafune town, Wajima city, Ishikawa prefecture
Access: About 1 hour by airplane from Haneda (Tokyo) to Noto Satoyama airport
or It takes 1 hour by JR Nanao line from Kanazawa to Wakura Onsen, and 40 minutes by Noto line to Anamizu

Since they are a popular group, they are invited to various events. However, one of the most prestigious and nerve-wracking events for them is a performance at the local Nafune Grand Festival.
This is a small village with only about 200 residents. More than 10,000 people gather for the festival. Even those who have left the village come back only for the festival.

At the Nafune Grand Festival, many people come to see the Gojinjo-daiko. On the first day of the festival, from around 9:00 p.m., a large number of people carrying kirikos pass through the shrine and head for the sea. Then the drums are performed. After that, people continue to enjoy late into the night. The next day, the festival starts in the afternoon.

Even if you can’t see it on this day, there are still many opportunities to see the Gojinjo-daiko. The easiest way is to go to the Wajima Kiriko Museum, where the Kirikos are displayed, and performances are held every day at a certain time. There are also other opportunities to see the performance at some hotels.

Summer in Noto is the summer of the Kiriko Festival. And Kanazawa, a popular tourist destination, is nearby. And of course, there are hot springs.

　Today, we will go to Shinmiato. Shinminato was a city’s name. It merged with other towns and became Imizu City. So it will be more easily understood when you say Shinminato rather than when you say Imizu even now. For those who saw Rokudoji’s Lion Dance (cf. part 1) and those who didn’t, although you can see the event of this special day, it is wasteful since you came all the way to Toyama on this day. It is said that you can see the lion dance anywhere in Shinminato all day long if you just go there. And you need not spend all day to see the Lion Dance. You can either go sightseeing in another place or can sleep at a hotel. But, all the more, I recommend you should spend all day watching this lion dance.

　In my case, I went first to “Kanayamachi” and “Yamacho-suji” in Takaoka city before going to Shinminato because I stayed in Takaoka. And I was too tired to see the lion dance because I had spent all day watching one in Rokudoji. I wanted to stay in bed. I was very tired. But I got out of bed just because it was my personal mission to tell people about the interesting aspects of masked traditional performing arts and I was born to be poor.
“Kanayamachi” is the street that has elegant houses with delicate latticework characteristic of Japanese architecture that line the gently curving road. I love this town. It gives a floating impression which transports me to a different world just by being there. Both “Kanayamachi” and “Yamacho-suji” are “Important Preservecd Districts of Historic Buildings” (there are more than 200 of these districts) . In short, it is an old street that has been left as is. It doesn’t take a lot of time to see and walk around. Kanayamachi’s street is only 450 meters long. Yamacho-suji is only 600 meters long.
　I don’t know whether you wanted to walk around Takaoka or not, because you are going to Shinminato. However, where is Shinminato? This question, actually, was mine. I didn’t have knowledge of this town or the event. I was too late to get reliable information about the shrine. I had to depend on unreliable information on Internet that said “If you go to Shinminato on that day, you can get information everywhere”. As a result, I could get reliable information.
　Where is Shinminto? You will be OK if you get off at the station called “Shinminato” on the Manyo Line. It is safe to assume that everything to the west is Shinminato. To be specific, it’s Nishi Shinminato.

　It was still the morning of a weekday. There weren’t many people but they were very enthusiastic. And then, I saw another group on a small truck pass by. I found two groups. Besides these two groups, I found the third group while I followed the first group. The words I happened to see that you can find the lion dance easily if you go to Shinminato on the day were not false. I was a little worried because I heard the rumor that recently, some groups changed the day to Saturday or Sunday near the special day. But this was worry for nothing.

　Even though it was a weekday and there were few people, they were very active. Even though people have their daily jobs and children were in school, the mood was still very festive. I suppose that they had a spirit that we preserved this tradition and it is natural that the people who live in this town will support it. This feeling is natural, coming from the people themselves. Besides, I guess they don’t only want to preserve tradition, they just do it because it is very enjoyable. Both participants and citizens in the audience love this performing art.

The style is almost the same as Rokudoji (cf. Part 1). The composition of the group of the lion dance is pretty much the same. A lion, some Tengu, some Kiriko and musicians. And they wander around doing the lion dance in their area the whole day.

　Their theater is on the streets. They have no special facility, no special area with a shrine. The town where they usually live is the stage.

So, when they arrived at a nursery school, the children were already sitting down in front of their school. In this region, people think that watching this performance is educational and fun.

　The Tengu carried a special torch. The performance time became longer, too. Even though it was in front of children, they didn’t cut corners. You can feel the spirit of the lion dance group. There are, of course, other people. But the participants perform solely for the children. When the group of the lion dance comes, the teachers have children watch it in a natural, relaxed way.

　Next. I found the fourth group, “Shoto” on this day. Each area has a group of lion dancers in this district. Each group has done almost the same performance. If so, you say, its enough to watch only one group. No. Although I said “almost the same”, it doesn’t mean exactly the same. The design of the long covering each lion is different and the chants are different, too. Furthermore, the number of each group and territory are different.
　All of their performances in the morning finished at 1:30pm. They took a lunch break and the town got quiet again for a while.

　Shiminato is an old town. It is not so much a historical town as it is a place where time seems to have stopped about 50 years ago. The town has been the setting for several movies, and recently a movie featuring the Hikiyama festival, with the festival floats held in September, was released. Perherps it is the unique atmosphere of this old town, which makes people feel nostalgic that has captured the hearts of filmmakers.

　The afternoon sunshine, the endlessly flowing river and the calm sea will surely relax your tired mind. And then we notice that in the towns that pursue only convenience, there are no performing arts remaining.

　Its just after 1:30 pm. Its almost time to resume. I turn to the city as if the tone of the music is inviting me again. I’ve been listening to it all morning, and I can hear the sound in my ears like an auditory hallucination all the time. There it is. It is “Higashi Shinmachi” I saw earlier.

　

　In the afternoon, the number of people seems to have increased a bit. I was led to the plaza in front of the housing complex as I watched. Quite a few people had already gathered there. Other groups had gathered there as well. There, they are going to demonstrate their skill one after the other.

　

　It was the “Nago cho” that appeared. Two Tengu came out there with torches. The flickering fire of the torch bewitches not only Shishi but also the audience.

　In this way, it seems to be a momentary event, but the truth is that a lot of time has passed there, both physically and in terms of mood. The lion shakes his huge body, sometimes violently sometimes gently, as if in response to the Tengu’s torch. If the lion gives the lion-headed man a ride on its shoulders and threatens the Tengu, the Tengu also carries another Tengu on its shoulders and counters. When the lion comes running in, the Tengu uses his torch as if cleaning the ground. This is the technique that they can’t do or else both are in harmony.

　After I enjoyed their performance enough, I got to see “lion slayer” for the first time. The performance of “lion slayer” is so unique one. I suppose that the origin of this performance came from “Kinzo-Shishi” in Gifu prefecture, next to Toyama. “Kinzo-Shishi” is a performance where a man called “Kinzo” fought Shishi that destroyed a farm. In this performance, Shishi appears as a bad being. However, the lion (Shishi) is a sacred animal originally. So people could be confused when they see this performance. I’m sure they probably had to say “What does this mean?” Now, they seem to have settled on the fact that they are not killing the lion itself, but getting rid of the malignant nature of the lion.
　It’s a quiet beginning. The tengu and the lion move freely in time with the music. When one swings to the left, the other is in tune with the music. This may be called a play in its entirety, but it could also be called a ballet or a musical in the sense that it is set to music.

The lion and the tengu are not evenly matched. If anything, the lion is stronger. The tengu is always frightened of the lion. If possible, the Tengu would like to avoid a head-to-head battle with the lion. This is expressed in the performance by the Tengu’s trembling legs. But here’s the crucial moment. Kiriko is captured by the lion.

The Tengu must save Kiriko from being captured by the lion. However, fighting the lion head-on was not a good idea. What should they do? Make him drink. The lion was so absorbed in drinking that he would ignore Kiriko. One of the highlights of the battle is when the lion raises a cask of liquor in his mouth in one fell swoop. This may have been the inspiration for the famous myth of the Orochi’s (being like dragon) extermination, as the same method is also used to slay the Orochi. Either way, the lion gets drunk and docile. This ploy works, and the Tengu succeeds in killing the lion, but as the lion gets drunk and gradually moves less and less, the tone of the music is exquisitely slowed down. The Tengu still managed to make sure that the lion was asleep. The staging in this area is so brilliant that it is hard to believe this is an amateur play, making everyone in the audience gasp. The Tengu would then “kill” the lion.

　The lion is reborn. The symbol of this is the scene in which the lion stands up with Kiriko on his back. The music that had been suppressed until then explodes. The scene is very solemn. The local lady smiled and asked to me “How was it? Was it interesting?”. I looked at her and she looked a little proud.

　I found a number of lion dance troupes after that. They were everywhere, in the back alleys and along the river. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the whole of Shinminato is steeped in the sounds of the lion dance.

　

　After five o’clock in the evening, the town is quiet again. After this, the “Iwaibana”, so to speak, which is the most important part of the festival, will be held.
As I walked through the quiet town, I happened to see a lion’s head on in front of the main hall of a large temple. An elderly person stands talking in the evening shadows. The pursuit of economic efficiency is always the focus of our attention, but this is the kind of quiet and modest life that has always been carried out in this country. If you have the opportunity to visit, I’m sure the town will tell you all about this and give you a glimpse of its little treasures.

　

　Now, what is a “Iwaibana”? Quite simply, it’s a celebratory dance. When a family had a new house, marriage, or birth of a child, they would pay a lion dance troupe for the celebratory flowers. In response to this, the lion dance troupe would perform in front of the house. Of course, anyone could watch the performance. When the time came, people gathered to watch the performance. At that time, we happened to look for it on the Internet, but in fact, this is very rare case.

　”Iwaibana” is basically the same as the one performed. It’s a lion slayer. However, the most distinctive feature of the performance is that in the middle of the performance, “Koj-jo 口上” (it means a “speech” congratulating the people of the house) is added. The words are fixed, and they say something like, “You have piled up a mountain of money for me”. However, because of the relationship with the house, various ad-libs are added. So it takes nearly an hour. During this time, the traffic is sometimes stopped on one side of the road, but nobody complains about it. Passers-by are eager to watch from even the other side of the road. This is the only day the lion dance is allowed to go unchallenged.

　

The sort of evening session of “Iwaibana” can continue until quite late, but you have to know where it takes place. If you are not a local, you can’t find it, but by that time, you can’t see it well because the crowds of people are like a mountain. So I had one idea. The idea was to follow people as they walked along, so that we could see the performance. Of course, it was a kind of a gamble, but I think it was a very effective strategy.

As a result, I was able to take a closer look at two of them afterwards. One of them was quite exciting because the house we visited was one of the lion dance troupe members.
The last train back to Takaoka was around 9:30. The lion dance was going on until just before that time, and it seemed to be going on for a long time.
While I was watching one of the lion dances, I heard the words of a girl. “Everyone comes to see Sakuramachi, don’t they?”
I think it’s already said that the lion dance in your town is the best thing you can do.
I remember feeling very jealous on the train home.