Otaue(rice planting) festival at Kirishima Grand shrine
Date: February 4 of the old lunar calendar (In the new calendar, it is a month late, in mid-March) Location: Kirishima taguchi 2605-5, Kirishima city, Kagoshima prefecture Access: 10 minutes by bus from Kirishimajingu Station on the Nippo Line. (About 1 hour from Kagoshima)
Kirishima Shrine is one of the most famous shrines in Kagoshima. However, it is located in a rather inconvenient place. It is about six kilometers away from the nearest station. There is only one bus every hour. However, it is also one of the places where Japanese mythology is handed down, with a history of over 1500 years. More than 100 rituals are held here every year. One of them is the “Rice Planting Festival”.
There are many rare statues in Kagoshima that are not found in other prefectures. They are called “Tanokansaa”. It means the deity of rice fields. In Japan, if you look at the side of the road, you may see a statue of “Jizo-san”. In Kagoshima, we have “Tanokansaa” like that.
It is said that there is a festival in which “Tanokansaa” appears at Kirishima Shrine, the home of Tanokansaa.
It starts at 10:00 on the day. After the Shinto ritual, the first thing to do is to bring in the shii tree with the cow in the lead and scatter the branches around the area. This is supposed to be fertilizer. After that, several rituals are performed, and then the old man and woman appear.
These two perform a skit. “Do you know where the cow is?” “I don’t know where the cow is,” “That cow is always annoying me.” “It’s because you don’t take care of it,” and so on. Then the cow finally appears. But the cow doesn’t listen to them. It does everything on its own and annoys the couple.
It looks as if a roadside “tanokansa” has just stood up and walked away. He is holding a large rice ladle in his hand. After this, they say a few words and end with a dance. The performance is scheduled to end around noon. Japanese have always lived on the basis of agriculture. Rice has always been the staple food, and in the past, rice itself was the standard of national power, and salaries were paid in rice. This festival is a precious opportunity to experience the original scenery of Japan.
The area is also dotted with hot springs and an art forest. Above all, the shrine itself stands in the midst of a mythical setting. It takes an hour and a half from Fukuoka to Kagoshima by Shinkansen.
Enjoy the spiritual world of Japan and heal yourself in a hot spring. One way to enjoy Japan.
Report: Strange parade – Lion Dance in Ogawaji 小川寺の獅子舞
strange parade of variants in Ogawaji, Uozu cuty
Date 4th January, 12th March, and 12th October pm 2:00~ Location Senkoji-temple, Ogawaji, Uozu city , Toyama prefecture How to get there It takes 20 minutes from Toyama station or Unazuki-kurobe station
Toyama prefecture富山県
Uozu city魚津市
Introduction
An event we’ll look at this time is “Lion Dance in Ogawaji”. This event is held on March 12th (and other days) in Uozu city in Toyama prefecture. Toyama prefecture is very prosperous region of Lion Dance, the performed number is over 850 now. There are a significant number of various kinds, and there are 10 main kinds we can break down into 3 categories. In that, the Ogawaji Lion Dance is classified as “Gyoudo Shishi” (Lion guiding the way), it follws the traditionl style. I went to see this event in 2018. The following is from then.
If you want to go to Uozu ciity, you have two options, Shinkanswen or express bus. *in all of the above routes, the starting point is from Tokyo In the case of a train, from Tokyo you will take the Shinkansen to KUrobe Unzuki-onsen (黒部宇奈月温泉), transfer Toyama local line (Dentetsu Toyama; bound for Dentetsu Toyama (電鉄富山) station , for Shin Uozu(新魚津) station. It takes about 2~3 hours and costs about \ 14,000. If you take a bus, from Tokyo to Toyama station, and transfer to the local line (Ai no Kaze Toyama あいの風富山) line; bound for Tomari 泊) and stop at Uozu station. The Uozu station is in front of Shin-Uozu station. It takes 8 hours and costs about \ 8,000). After arriving in Uozu city, you can take local bus (Kurosawa 黒沢 line) and get off at Ogawaji bus stop. But, there is only one bus every 2 hours, if you take a bus, you must get on a bus at 11:50, Kurosawa line (as of January 2020).
Tokyo station 東京駅
Shinkansen 新幹線
When I went to this event, I took a Shinkansen at 9:38 (from Tokyo). the Shinknasen crossed Honshu, by way of the still snowy Nagano prefecture, after a little over 2 hours, I arrived at about 12 o’clock.
Shin Kurobe station 新黒部駅 is front of Kurobe Unzauki Onsen
Dentetsu Toyama line 電鉄富山線
front of Uozu station
In Uozu city
The event starts at 2:00. The next bus will leaves at 12:38 (as in 2018). I had a little time, so I stopped by the tourist information center. A person working there was very kind and loved the city. I got a lot of information and many booklets. I heard that it’s about 4 kilometers from here to Ogawaji and road is flat. I decided to rent a bicycle. All are electric assist bicycle which are available from the information center, it costs \ 100~300.
Uozu city and Tateyama mountain range
It’s very fine, but the air is cold and feel chilly. Is this because it was still March or because this was Toyama? I was comfortable cycling, while seeing the snowy Tateyama mountain range. The city is very calm.
a road to Ogawaji
Senkoji temple 千光寺
The Kannondo 観音堂
I wonder, if I run some 2~30 minutes, I might finally arrive at the destination. It is the “Senko-ji temple”. There are steps for the “Kannon-do hall” right next to the building.
The Hakusan shrine 白山社
The precincts of the Kannon-do hall are unexpectedly large. About 2~30 people already were as if surrounding the Kannon-do hall. The neighboring building is the Hakusa shrine. As for the men, while the women gather in the Hakusan shrine, the men gather in Kannondo hall. In the Kannon-do hall a priest gives sutra-chanting, and Shinto priesthood gives a congratulatory address in the Hakusan shrine. This is a rare event, mixing Buddhism and Shintoism. In Japan, originally, the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism was widely seen from the Heian period (9~10 C) until the Meiji restoration (1968), and Shinto and Buddhism were not distinguished from each other as a general rule. Therefore a trace is sometimes still seen in this way.
A group is going to do seven laps here. On that day, the event was going to begin at 2:00 pm, but it was half past 2 and it started at 3:00 after all. A Buddhist priest seemed to be late for a funeral.
I looked at some strange people who come up the stairs between some trees. It may be finally beginning. First, they stopped at the Hakusan shrine 白山社 and gathered at the foot of the steps, they then received purification of the Shinto priesthood. Several children who hold the flags stood up. With them in the lead, a parade begin.
The parade has began
Tengu 天狗
Strange people appeared with flute and drums before us who were wating. At first, it is Tengu 天狗. The kind look that some mind seems to be weak here through Tengu is severe or it is a scary image. He come while jump up and down lightly.
baba-men ばば面
They walk with their hands and feet at same time. Next, two people following Tengu walk towards the same direction. They don’t jump, instead of push their hand up front powerfully with one step forward while glaring at front. They are called “baba-men(mask)”. Further more, they wear distinctive clothes characteristic. One is the pants of the striped pattern on showy clothes, and another is all striped. And after all, to catch the eyes is a strange headpiece. It seems like a crown. I have never seen anything like that. It is not Japanese -style at all. Where did this design come from?
Chinese Lion (Shishi) 獅子
Next comes a lion. Even though I call a lion, this is a Chinese legendary creature, it is totally different from the real animal. Japanese call them Kara-jishi (Chinese Lion). In Japan, there are many folk performing art about this Chinese lion. They are called Lion Dance. Lion Dance has various kinds. In this Ogawaji, it is the oldest style. They are only walking. Though, it’s very tough to walk while lowering the body. Older men say that they cannot walk for a muscular.
anema-men (mask) あねま面
And the lion following is a woman called “Anema”. She is coiffured old style and mouth bends for some reason and is walking while raising a sleeve by one step. And flute players, drum players and portable shrine. Though they say portable shrine (mikoshi 神輿), they pull it on a carriage. It is difficult for a few people to carry it on shoulder, so it become today’s style. They decided to concider it to walk around 7 laps for walk around all town.
mikoshi 神輿
This event is only they repeat this 7 times. It seems very strange.
Legend saya that both “baba-men” and “anema” was old heros and heroine. Name was Morimoto Sanemon, Joudou Rokubei and Omatsu. They fight with next village or avaricious feudallord. But now, we do not know the merely true meaning. Only this strange event has remained today.
A break time enters once on the way. They sit in front of Kannon-do, Shinto priest read a long address to the deities. After this, they walk aronud again.
After they finished laps, they came back to the starting place, under the Hakusan shrine. The event is finished.
At the event, they accept taking a ceremonial photograph. Totally about 30 minutes, this event had finished.
If you have some time, I recommend sightseeing around Toyama. The place where there are old cityscapes, hot springs and natural. There are many places for sightseeing.