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New Year Events and Spring Festivals |
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December 1st is
called "Kigiri Tsuitachi" or "Karasu
Tsuitachi". The whole area of Buzen and Kunisaki
Peninsula, start to make preparations for the coming
New Year. The New Year festival that lifts the hearts
of the devout believers begins with "Horan-enya"
at Bungotakata City. It prays for safety on the sea
and a bumper catch of fish. The Horai-sen boat which
sets sail for Katsura River is decorated with flags
showing bumper catches and symbolizes good luck. This
festival was originally held on New Year's Day, but
has been changed recently due to the height of the tide.
On Chinese New Year's Day, there is a "Shujo-Onie"
event, where people pray for national security, longevity
and health. It is held at the temples of Tendai Buddhist
denomination in the Kunisaki Peninsula area. Only 3
temples are left to hold the event. These are the Tennenji-temple
(Bungotakata City), Iwatoji-temple (Kunisaki To w n
) and Jobutsuji-temple (Kunisaki Town). However, a "Child
Onie" is also held in Maruono area of Musashi Town
which has inherited from an "Onie" of Maruonoji-temple.
On the 14th day of Chinese New Year, fire festivals
are held in some places. New Year decorations such as
sacred straw ropes or bamboo brooms, and New Year calligraphy
are burnt in a big fire at night. These festivals are
called "Dondo-yaki" in the north area, or
"Tondo-yaki" in the south area of Oita. When
you toast rice cakes on this fire and eat it, you will
be in good health throughout the year. The "Tondo"
fire at Onyujima Island in Saiki City is a relatively
big affair reaching to about 10m high.
Spring festivals are usually held to pray for a good
harvest in the fall. The Rice-planting Festival at Morota-san
Shrine in Aki Town used to be held on the 17th day of
the Chinese New Year, but it has now been changed to
Vernal Equinox Day. Farm work such as breaking the ground
with a hoe or managing a cow is acted out in humorous
ways on a precinct resembling God's field. The Rice-planting
Festival held in Hibaru-sanShoheiji-temple in Yabakei
Town is an interesting example of the combination of
Shinto and Buddhism. Presently it is held on the second
Sunday of April. "Yoneura" is the predicting
of good or bad omens by reading how molds grow on rice
gruel (red bean rice is used now), and is held on March
15th at Ohara Hachiman Shrine in Hita City. The "Hatsuuma
Grand Festival" held at Futagoji-temple in Aki
Town and Ogimori Inari Shrine in Taketa City is full
of life on the first horse's day of February, which
is the day of the 12 horary signs on the old calendar.
Futagoji-temple is famous for granting child-bearing
wishes and Ogimori-Inari Shrine is well known by the
name of "Kotosama". Both the temples have
many worshippers from the areas outside. |
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Summer Festivals and the Events in "Bon"
Season |
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The "Gion
Festival" is a typical summer festival and the
cities of Usuki, Hita, and Nakatsu has remained tradi-tional
since the Edo period. "Hita Gione" is designated
as an Important Intangible Cultural Asset, reaching
a height of 15m with gorgeous decorations floating around
it.
The "Nagoshi Festival" of Usa Shrine used
to be known as the "Fighting Festival" because
of the rough and wild races between floats competing
for the top place. Now, 3 portable shrine parades advance
towards the shrine in a wild manner. When it comes to
the Bon Dance, Himeshima has retained an old style that
is very unique. They dance at a place called "Bontsubo"
which spreads throughout the village and there are 3
traditional dances - "Aya Dance", "Fox
Dance" and "Zenidaiko". There is also
a new fancy dress dance every year. There also many
types of Bon Dance in Oita, such as the "Kusaji
Dance" (Bungotakata City) which has a quick tempo,
"Tsurusaki Dance" (Oita City) which is elegant
and large scale, and "Sensu Dance" (Tsukumi
City).
There are "Kodai" and "Hashiramatsu"
fire festivals during the Bon period. On the night of
August 16th, the Ogata Plain is filled with over 10,000
torches of fire, resembling a sea of fire. It is said
to be for the extermination of insects, as well as a
service for the departed soul of HARAJIRI Okunojo who
was an officer and a farmer. Hashiramatsu is a service
meant especially for one's first Bon festival.
Though it used to be held in many places, particularly
in the Hohi area, only a few places like Kitsuki City
remain now. From below, people compete by tossing up
small torches of fire to the pole which is made from
wood or bamboo and which has a funnel stuffed with chaff
at the top. |
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Horanenya (Bungotakata City)
Local Tondo (Onyujima Island)
Rice-planting Festival ((C)Prefectural History Museum)
Hatsuuma Grand Festival, Ogimori Inari Shrine (Taketa City)
Hita Gion Festival
Fox Dance (Himeshima Island)
Gion Festival@Summer festival
that is held in town mainly to avoid plague.
Kodai@Fire that welcomes and
sends off a dead spirit.
HARAJIRI Okunojo@Hatsuuma Grand Festival, Ogimori An officer who met with an unnatural death in the Edo period. The soul-sending festival in the Nagasu area in Usa City is called gShoro-okurih and is both famous and traditional. The house organizing the first Bon festival prepares a gorgeous and expensive huge lantern. On August 15th, it is burnt to ashes at the graveyard by the coast.
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