Autumn Festivals and Winter Festivals |
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Kaku Shrine's festival in Oita City begins on
September 1st. The Year of the rabbit and the Year of the rooster
on the Chinese calendar come every six years, and thus every six years
a pro cession is held. The present festival style started at the time
of the Meiji Restoration during the Meiji era, after the master of
the Funai clan presented the equipment for the procession. "Hamanoichi
Festival" at the Ikushi area of Oita City starts on September
14th and is held in conjunction with the "Hojoe" of Yusuhara
Hachiman Shrine. In the early modern ages, the festival had been a
lively one, but now, only a few things remain, such as the "Shikishimochi-rice
cake" and the "Ichimon-doll".
Autumn festivals are usually held in celebration of good harvests
in the vil-lage. "Kebesu Festival" in Kunimi Town or "Doburoku
Festival" in Ota Village has retained its traditional practices,
such as "Miyaza" which refers to the organization of the
festival. The "Kebesu Festival" on the October 14th at Iwakura
Hachiman Shrine is a well-known fire festival that is held on the
eve of the September Festival. First, the "Kebesu" who is
wearing a wired mask stirs burning fern, then people dressed in white
guarding the fire start to run around holding bunches of burning fern
in their hands to the crowds. It is said that if the sparks fall on
you, you will be good in health throughout the year. The "Doburoku
Festival" held in October at Shirahige Shrine in Ota Village
is a festival for thanking the gods for a good harvest, and the worshippers
are treated to unrefined sake made from the year's new rice. Amazake,
sweet sake made from fermented rice, is usually prepared at the Shimotsuki
Festivals held in November. The "Amazake Festival" held
on December 11th at Tsukahara in Yufuin Town is held in a traditional
style, such as building a thatched sake cellar at a house called "Zamae".
The festival has another unique name-"Petticoat Gorernment Festival",
which means that a husband is under his wife's thumb. Women are the
guest of honor at the party, and men wait on women at the table.
"Hyotan (gourd) Festival" at Fukayama Hachiman Shrine in
Chitose Village is also a Shimotsuki Festival. The "Hyotan-sama"
wears huge straw sandals 1.2m long and weighing 8kg, then puts a crown
which is 80cm long on his head. He walks around the area with unsteady
steps and serving holy sake to the worshippers. It is a festival full
of humour and fun. |
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Folk Arts |
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"Kagura" (sacred dance) is usually
performed at festivals everywhere in the whole prefecture. There are
also "Gaku" (traditional music or song), mainly performed
in the Kunisaki Peninsula area. "Furyu" and "Tsue"
in the southern area and "Shishimai" (lion dance) and "Haguma-hineri"
in the Hohi area are also performed.
"Iwato Kagura" at Ontake Shrine in Kiyokawa Village originated
from the Ontake style and is practiced in many places. The "Gaku"
in the Kunisaki Peninsula area has characteristic dances such as "Yoshihirogaku"
in Musashi Town. People put on grass skirts made from Hera wood, tie
a drum to their fronts, carry a flag on their backs, and then dance.
They dance to the "Nenbutsu" which is a prayer to the Amida
Buddha. There are also a couple of peculiar gaku such as "Tsue-gaku"
in Kyudai area or "Kappa-gaku" in Shimoge District."Furyu"
or "Tsue", which is mainly performed at the spring festival
in the southern area, and "Shishimai" (lion dance) is normally
added to these 2 to make a set of 3 dances. "Furyu" is a
dance between a "Noh" (Japanese lyrical drama) farce, and
a "Noh" play or "Noh" song. There are 80 groups
of Shishimai in the Ono District and though the roots of the dance
in the southern areas are different, they are all led by the Ontake
style. "Haguma-hineri" is also called "Haguma-neri"
and is a lively spear parade lead by a shrine float. "Kugutsu-no-mai"
at Koyo Shrine in Nakatsu City or "Kitabaru puppet show"
is valued as an old-style puppet show. |
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Hamanoichi (Oita City)
Kebesu Festival(Kunimi Town)
Doburoku Festival (Ota Village)
Miyaza Organization for festivals or religious
services in the area.
Shimotsuki Festival A festival for good harvest
or for a guardian god of a village.
Hojoe A ceremony to release living things caught
by people back into the nature, and is based on the Buddhist principle of
not taking lives.
Hyotan Festival (Chitose Village)
Iwato Kagura-Sacred Dance
((C)Prefectural History Museum)
Kitabaru Puppet Show(Nakatsu City)
Yoshihiro-gaku Held to pray for bumper crops
or extermination of insect pests. The feudal lord Yoshihiro who lived during
the Otomo period started this event.
Kappa-gaku There are 2 types of performances.
One imitates the "kappa" (water imp) in their movements, and the
other tries to keep the "kappa" still with a big fan.
Kugutsu Puppets that are made to dance to music. |
