Agency for Cultural Affairs Model Project for Creatingand Disseminating Food Culture Stories

Research Report on

Buchi-tatakasshai, Tsuju Dango, and Mayu Dama
～Food Culture and Traditions of Wheat and Millet Flourin the Tone-Numata Area, Deeply Rooted in theJapanese Concept of Hare and Ke～

Buchitatakasshai
Tsuju Dango

Mayu Dama
February 2024
Numata FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd.
Investigation Report Table of Contents

Table of contents
Chapter 1 Overview of the Survey
1 Purpose and Aim of Research ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P

22 Overview of the Research Subjects ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P

23 Flour Food Culture and Traditions Rooted in Hare and Ke ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P

3

Chapter 2 Environment of the Study Area
(1) Geographical Environment ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P

4(2) Historical Environment ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P

5(3) Industrial Environment ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P

6(4)Traditional Environment ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P

6

Chapter 3 Expert Review Committee(1) Committee Roster ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 10
(2) Progress of Committee Meetings ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 12
Chapter 4 Survey Implementation(1) Buchi-Tatakasshai(a) Literature Survey ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P １6(b) Field Survey

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 24(c) Literature Survey and Field Survey/Comparison with
Cases in other Regions, Characteristics of the Region ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 32(d) How to Make

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 41(e) Preservation/Inheritance ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 46(f) Summary of the investigation ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 53
(2) Tsuju Dango(a) Literature Survey(b) Field Survey

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 56

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 71(c) Literature Survey and Field Survey /Comparison with
Cases in other Regions, Characteristics of the Region ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 74(d) How to Make ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 86(e) Preservation/Inheritance ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 87(f) Summary of the investigation ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 88(3) Mayu Dama(a) Literature Survey

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 89(b) Field Survey ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 120(c) Literature Survey and Field Survey /Comparison with
Cases in other Regions, Characteristics of the Region ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 122(d) How to Make ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 150(e) Preservation/Inheritance ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 151(f) Summary of the investigation ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 151

Chapter 5 Promotional Projects(1) Demonstration at Magariya in Nango ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 153(2) Holding a Symposium ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 156(3) Panel Exhibition and Video Screening ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 157
Chapter 6 Future Initiatives ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 159
Chapter 7 The Wheat and Millet Flour Food Culture and Traditions of the Tone-Numata
Region, Deeply Rooted in the Japanese Concept of Hare and Ke ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ P 159

Chapter 1 Overview of the Survey
1. Purpose and Aim of Research
In 1999, Numata FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd. published "Hometown Event Food" with the aimof passing on event foods of the Tone-Numata area to future generations. In addition to
publishing this book, as the region's only broadcasting media, we have conveyed the current

state of food culture in the Tone-Numata region through programs and regional exchanges.The
purpose of this project is to clarify the cultural value of “Buchi-tatakasshai,” “Tsuju Dango,”and “Mayu Dama,” and to preserve and pass on the local foods and food culture that connects
the present and future of the region.
The purpose of this project is to clarify the cultural value of “Buchi-tatakasshai,” “Tsuju
Dango,” and “Mayu Dama,” and to preserve and pass on the local foods and food culture thatconnects the present and future of the region.
Passing on food culture, developing food education, and making friends through food should
lead to a deeper knowledge of local culture and developing a love for the local area.
Furthermore, ``Japanese traditional food culture'' has been registered as a UNESCO Intangible
Cultural Heritage. As Japan is attracting world-wide attention, we will promote this project as
a way to increase the value of the food culture of the Tone-Numata region and to lead toincreased consumption.
Ultimately, we aim to have the flour food culture of the Tone-Numata area, which is the
subject of this project, registered with the country as an intangible folk cultural property.

2 . Overview of the Research Subjects(1)Overview of Buchi-tatakasshai
Miso and green onions were added to flour dough, which was rolled into balls,
roasted within a firepit, and buried in the ashes. When guests would come to visit,
the host would dig them out of the ashes saying, “Buchi tatakasshai,” telling theguests to tap the food on the edge of the hearth to remove the ashes before eating.
It is said that this phrase used in offering the food to guests is where the nameoriginated.
(2) Overview of Tsuju Dango
It is said to have been made in parts of Kawaba Village after rice harvesting.

Instead of wasting the unhusked rice that fell during threshing, it was ground into
powder and made into dumplings. These dumplings were then put on skewers anddisplayed at entrances of houses to ward off evil spirits. Children used to go fromhouse to house asking for these dango, but it is said this is no longer done.

-2-Chapter 1 Overview of the Survey(3) Overview of Mayu Dama
It is a ceremonial food that is displayed on household Shinto altars and otherplaces to pray for a good harvest of silk cocoons during the Small New Year.
Sixteen dumplings made from rice flour were stuck on branches from dogwood
and wild mulberry trees as offerings to Buddha and other gods.

3. Flour Food Culture and Traditions Rooted in Hare and Ke“Hare” is written as “sunny” or “hazy”, and “ke” is written as “dirty”.
Hare refers to special days such as ceremonial occasions and annual events, while kerefers to the rest of the days of normal everyday life.
The Japanese have traditionally had a technique for balancing their lives called "Hareto Ke.““Hare no Hi”‘ is a special day, so it is customary to wear special clothing and make-up
and to eat meat, alcohol, and luxurious foods that one normally wouldn’t be able to eat.
The concept is still used for celebrations and anniversaries today, in terms like ” haregi”,“harebutai'”, and “hare no kadode”.

“Ke Days” are ordinary days, made up of getting up in the morning, going to work,
having meals with rice, miso soup, a few side dishes, and pickles, and then going to bed.
This is pretty much the same routine every day.
Of course, there aren't so many special days, so almost every day is a “Ke” day.
However, people may feel depressed if there are only ordinary days. That is where,“Hare” days with regularly held drinking and singing parties, can help people to restore
their tired bodies and minds.
This “Hare to Ke “lifestyle'' was a delicate lifestyle balance where one maintained

their health with a simple diet on a daily basis, and got stress-relief by eating anddrinking once in a while.
Concerned that the "flour food culture" rooted in this extremely logical and sustainable
way of life is dying out, our purpose is to conduct a detailed survey once again, review it,
and hope that it will be passed down for posterity, with the aim that it will lead to a love
for the local area.

-3-Chapter 2 Environment of the Study Area (Geographical,
Historical, Industrial, Traditional)（１） Geographical Environment
The areas where we will survey the three flour food cultures ofbutchi-tatakasshai, tsuju- dango, and mayu-dama are Numata City, Minakami Town,
Kawaba Village, Katashina Village, and Showa Village. These five municipalities
together are called the Tone-Numata area which is located in northern Gunma
Prefecture. The area borders three different prefectures: Niigata, Fukushima, and Tochigi.
Most of the area is occupied by mountains such as the Taishaku, Mikuni, andNikko Mountain Ranges, along with Mt. Akagi, while the forest area reaches 86% of
the entire area.
Rivers of various sizes, such as the Tone, Akatani, Katashina, and Usune rivers,
originate in mountainous areas and form a group of dams in their upper reaches.
This serves as a water tank for the metropolitan area, as well as a source of production
and culture, ultimately flowing into the Pacific Ocean.

The total area is 1,765.75 km2, and the population (per the 2020 census) is 76,958
people, accounting for 27.8% of the area and 4.0% of the population of Gunma Prefecture.
The shape of the region is almost circular, fitting within a radius of 30 km.
Although the populated area is spread out within a radius of 20 km, flat land isgenerally scarce, with agricultural land accounting for only 7% and residential land
accounting for only 1% of the Tone-Numata’s total area.
Main roads run through valleys along rivers, centered around the Numata Basin,
and communities are distributed nearby. The area's elevation ranges from plateaus in
the 300 meter range found in the Numata Basin up to the 2,000 meter mountains.
When looking at the locations of municipal offices, elevation ranges from 345 metersat the Showa Village Office to 813 meters above sea level at the Katashina Village
Office, demonstrating the characteristics of a mountainous area.
Although this type of topography imposes various encumbrances on local industry
and life, on the other hand, it also presents a large-scale landscape rich in diversity.
As a national park with abundant hot springs and abundant natural resources, it has
become a tourist destination of the highest caliber.
Reflecting the complexity of the topography of mountains, valleys, and river basins,

weather conditions are diverse as well. Due to the characteristics of the mountainous
area, there is a large temperature difference between summer and winter, especially in
winter, when the temperature is 4 to 5 degrees lower than that of Maebashi City.

-4-

Chapter 2 Environment of the Study Area (Geographical, Historical, Industrial, Traditional)
In addition, in winter, due to cold fronts from the Sea of Japan, the northern partsof Minakami Town and Katashina Village receive an extremely large amount of snow,
and the annual rainfall in the entire area exceeds that of Maebashi City.
This trend is particularly noticeable in the northern part of the area, where
Minakami Town has a climate with heavy rain in the summer and heavy snow in thewinter, which is a result of merging of the climate on the Pacific side and the Sea ofJapan side.
Tone-Numata Region’s Location in Gunma

Gunma’s Location in Japan(2) Historical Background
Historically, for more than 300 years since the Numata clan settled in Tenbun 1 (1532)
until the Meiji era, it was known as an area with abundant forest resources.
The entire area prospered as a castle town of the Sanada, Honda, Kuroda, and Toki clans.
In 1924, the then National Railway Joetsu Line opened, and the area further developed
as a distribution center for agricultural and forestry products.
After the war, the number of lumber related factories increased due to forest resources,
and the advancement of industrial infrastructure. As an area where administrative,commercial, information, and other daily life services are concentrated, it also plays a partas a tourist destination near the metropolitan area.
This is a result of the opening of the Kanetsu Expressway and the Joetsu bullet train.

-5-

Chapter 2 Environment of the Study Area (Geographical, Historical, Industrial, Traditional)(3) Industrial environment
This area, with an elevation ranging from 300m to 2,000m, is a typical hilly
and mountainous region, produced a sparse rice harvest as it was tilled on fallow land.
This was mainly cultivated as a way to survive without relying on rice cultivation due to theannual rice taxes that were required from the Edo period until the post-war Showa period.
People had no choice but to focus on field farming as a means of survival.
Many folk-stories illustrate how most people, other than a few landowners,
worshiped rice in a way that would be unimaginable today. Not a single grain was wasted
In order to support their diet based on field crops, a diet centered on millet
grains such as barley, millet and foxtail millet was created. In addition, sericulture
as a cash crop developed as the basis for the silk industry, which was the centerpiece ofoverseas trade. Furthermore, Gunma Prefecture as a whole, saw major development asa sericulture prefecture.

Due to the characteristics of the hilly and mountainous area, which create a lack ofsunlight and topographical constraints that prevent large rice yields, the cultivation of rice
had to be centered on upland cultivation. As the fields were not suitable for producing
high-quality crops, agricultural land, including sloped land, was used as mulberry gardens.
Residents of Tone-Numata have made good use of the land, practicing agriculture based on
sericulture, preserving the region, and have thus, survived.

(4) Traditional Background1)There is a funny story with a connection to “Buchi-tatakassshai” that has been passed

down in folklore about the confusion between the word “Buchi” and “Buchi”, which isanother name for a cat.
2) In relation to “Tsuju Dango,” people are told as a warning not to waste even a single
grain of precious rice, about an event to ward off demons that uses only scrap rice.
3) With Mayu-dama we can any stories related to sericulture worship that have been passed
down the generations. There are also, many traditions unique to the sericulture prefecture,such as stone Buddhas, wooden statues, and even the custom of doubling reciprosity.
◎Large mulberry in Usune
This tree has been designated as a national
cultural property. What is said to be Japan's threemajor mulberries are located in Sado and Otaru.
Among them, only the Usune mulberry is the a wild
mulberry tree achieving designation status in 1955.
The tree is 13m tall, has a base circumference of
5.7m and is approximately 1500 years old.

-6-

Chapter 2 Environment of the Study Area (Geographical, Historical, Industrial, Traditional)◎Tone Wind Cave
It is located on the mountainside slope of the Shikama River.
The wind cave is a storage room for silkworm seeds that uses
natural cold air, and by storing them at low temperatures, itmade it possible to cultivate silkworms three times a year. It
was started in 1894 and flourished as the demand for silkincreased.

◎Ibushi-gai
There is a household where the Nagai family of Hanasaki,
Katashina Village, learned about Ibushi-gai at the beginningof the Meiji era. When the government army headed from
Numata to Aizu during the Tokura War in the Meiji period,

they stayed at Hanasaki.
It was cold even though it was summer, and there was a lot of smoke from the fire lit in thefireplace, So, the family was worried about the silkworms on the second floor. However, on thecontrary, the silkworms were doing quite well and it is said that they were able to produce
good thread, From that time on the Nagai’s, added a process called “Ibusu,‘’ or smoking totheir silk cultivation and proceeded to spread the news to other villages to teach them how tomake it .

◎Kogai Shrine
The red torii gate at the foot of the mountain on the east sideof Nara Town is a sericulture shrine that praises the virtues of
Mr. Manjiro Imamura, whotaught sericulture throughout theTone District as a sericulture teacher. It was built in 1939
as a branch of the Sericulture Shrine in Kawaura Town,
Ibaraki Prefecture (mistaken as Seriyo-jinja Shrine in Kawajiri-cho).
The construction cost of the shrine was funded by donations from sericulture farmers
who had been taught by Mr. Imamura. To this day, many plaques of donated silk cocoons
still remain inside the main shrine.

-7-

Chapter 2 Environment of the Study Area (Geographical, Historical, Industrial, Traditional)◎Kamikuya Silkworm God
Made in the early Meiji period, the human-like elephant isa goddess, holding silkworm egg paper, mulberry leaves,and a cocoon in one hand.

◎Togenji Temple in Togano
There is Inari-sama, and Oshira-sama who is said to bean evil spirit, but if you accept them, they will give one
great power and it will become a lucky charm forprosperity in sericulture.
Thus, even people from outside the prefecture come to pray,
and every year at the end of May, before the spring sericulture season, they come to get
amulets. It was customary to receive the token and return it in the fallas an expression of gratitude.

◎Silkworm shadow mountain at Shirasawa Hiraide Shrine
A silkworm god named Kageyama is enshrined here. It wasmade by an Echigo stonemason in Ishinomiya, and is a heavy
piece with carvings of mulberry leaves and silkworms on theleft and right sides, bamboo plums and irises on thewaterfall, and pine trees and crane turtles. This is from1860, and is thought to be from when sericulture was justbeginning to flourish.

-8-

Chapter 2 Environment of the Study Area (Geographical, Historical, Industrial, Traditional)◎Meimyo Bodhisattva
There are about four such statues in the Tone-Numata area,

and all of them are beautiful works of art that have been
associated with deep faith.
①Chojuin Temple, Zaimokucho, Numata City
②Shoenji Temple, Naramachi, Numata City
③ Seikoin Temple, Idoue-cho, Numata City
④ Shorakuji Temple, Kawaba Yubara, Kawaba Village◎Harukoma
Every year, play performers would come to Kawaba Village
going door to door, singing songs praying for good yields insericulture. But one year they stopped coming, and it seemed
as a result, the amount of silk cultivated decreased. So,
young men from the village took their p lace. That is how thistradition was born. The lyrics entailed how silkworms wereraised from seed paper, then cocoons were made into thread,and how people went to Kyoto to sell it, The song continues
to declare that the industry flourished so much to the point
where 14 storehouses necessary and thus, built.

◎Mt. Kasho Tengu Mask
In the spring, before starting annual silkworm cultivation,
people would always visit the shrine, ask for a prayer,
received a wooden plate amulet and a Tengu mask. On theway back home, people would pick up a mulberry tree andgave it to their first silkworm.
The amulet was placed in the silkworm room, and the Tengu
mask was placed on the family altar, praying for silkworms tobe harvested.
In the fall, when people would return to demonstrate their
gratitude, they took the Tengu mask and returned it alongwith one more.

-9-Chapter 3. Expert Review Committee(1) Committee Roster(Honorific titles omitted: After Chairman, Vice Chairman, listed in hiragana)
Title

Name

Affiliation/Position

Notes

Chairman Noritake Kanai

Numata Cultural Assoc. Chairman

Local
historian/photograp
her

Vice
Masashi Takayama
Chairman

Local Historian

Former Numata
History Museum
Director

MemberSeiji Ebihara

Itadakimasu Info. Representative

Part-time lecturer
Kanto Gakuen Univ.

〃

Kimie Kanai

Kanai Cooking School

Local Cuisine
Expert〃Hanae Suzuki

Part Lecturer Gunma Perth Univ.

Phd. (Historical
Folkllore)〃

Matsue Hoshino

Katashina Vil. Diet Improvement
Promotion Coun.

Diet Improvement
Promotion Council
Member〃Minoru Miyauchi

Kawaba Village Deputy Mayor〃

Yoshihiro Motoyama

Numata FM Broadcasting Rep. Director〃

Kazuko Yoshino

Katashina Vil. Diet Improvement
Promotion Coun.

Managing Numata FM
Director Broadcasting Co., Ltd.

Managing Director

Kimio Chiaki〃〃

Broadcast Manager

Mayumi Usami〃〃

Event Business
Manager

Sachiko Yabuhara〃〃

Sales Manager

Miyuki Ogino〃〃

General Affairs

Akiko Fueki〃〃

General Affairs

Keiko Kiuchi〃

JM Co., Ltd.

Representative
Director

JunichiMatsuhashi〃〃

Junki Ishizuka-10-Diet Improvement
Promotion Council
MemberHistory program
personality

Chapter 3 Expert Review Committee

Letter of Appointment

Mr./Ms.

You are hereby commissioned as an expert
reviewer of the Agency for Culture's Food
Culture Story Creation Model Project and Review
Committee carried out by Numata FM Broadcating Co., Ltd.
July 19,2023
Yoshihiro Motoyama
Representative Director,
Numata FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd-11-

Chapter 3 Expert Review Committee(2) Progress of Committee Meetings＜1st Expert Review Committee＞
Date and time

Venue

Wednesday, July 19, 2023, 3:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Terrace Numata (Numata City Hall) 6th floor conference room 603

Attendees

9 experts from the review committee + 8 from the staff office, 4 from the
Agency for Cultural Affairs via Zoom

Observerattendees (via
Zoom)

・Agency for Cultural Affairs Cultural Properties Investigator Kazuo Oh’ishi
・Cultural Properties Investigator Hiroko Asakura・Assistant Counselor Katsuhiko Shibasaki,・Assistant Counselor Kazuki Mitsuhashi

Observerattendees

Contents

・Ami Araki from Katashina Village Office・Isao Tsukui from Numata FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd.
◎Greetings
・Isao Tsukui, Vice President of Numata FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd.
・Kazuo Oishi, Cultural Properties Investigator, Counselor, Agency
for Cultural Affairs (via Zoom)“The Japanese food culture has been reconsidered since 2013,
when ``Washoku: Traditional Japanese Food Culture‘’ was registered as a
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. This year marks the third year of thisproject. I hope this project will help us find a new direction for food culture.“◎Assignment of expert review committee◎Expert review committee self-introduction◎Introduction of secretariat personnel◎About the Agency for Cultural Affairs food culture story creation anddissemination model project (Matsuhashi explanation)
・Project Summary
・Overall schedule, review committee meetings
・Creating a food culture story
・Preparation of investigation report└ How do we protect food culture?
└ Continuous inheritance activities└ There is no right answer when it comes to food culture.
Because it's the current era. "◎Agenda (Chairman Kanai)①Research and research
Literature research Report compilation
On-site investigation②Preservation succession project③Communication etc. business④Exchange of opinions◎About the next event date

-12-

Chapter 3 Expert Review Committee＜2nd Expert Review Committee＞
Date and time
Venue
Attendees

Tuesday, August 29, 2023, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Terrace Numata (Numata City Hall) 6th floor conference room 601
7 expert review committee members + 8 secretariat members

Observer attendees Katashina Village Office Ami Araki

Contents◎Greetings
Yoshihiro Motoyama, President of Numata FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd.
◎Agenda (Chairman Kanai)① Buchi-tatakasshai
・Preliminary investigation report Hanae Suzuki, Takenori Kanai
・Literature survey report Masashi Takayama②History as a traditional food③ Recipe and reproduction (demonstration at a Magariya in Nango)④About the report◎Preliminary investigation until the next review committee◎About the next event date

＜3rd Expert Review Committee＞
Date and time

Venue

Wednesday, September 27, 2023, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Terrace Numata (Numata City Hall) 6th floor conference room 601

Attendees

8 expert review committee members + 7 secretariat members

Contents◎Greetings
Numata FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd.
◎Agenda (Chairman Kanai)①Buchi-tatakasshai
・Field survey 9/7, 9/19, 9/21
・Recipe and reproduction (tasting)②Tsuju Dango・On-site survey 9/15
・Literature research・Reference materials·Survey item
③About the report◎About the next event date-13-

Chapter 3 Expert Review Committee＜4th Expert Review Committee＞
Date and timeThursday, October 26, 2023, noon to 2:00 p.m.

Venue

Magariya in Nango, Tone-machi, Numata City

Attendees

7 expert review committee members + 7 secretariat members,
Media (NHK, Gunma TV, Jomo Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, Tone Numata
Mini Comic Magazine Tanigawa, Numata City Tourism Exchange Division,
Shakunage Hot Spring)Contents◎Greetings
Chairman Takenori Kanai◎Agenda (Chairman Kanai)①Field survey report・Field survey
・Literature research②Picture-Story Play performance of “Buchi-tatakasshai”③Reproduction of Buchi-tatakasshai ,Tsuju dango, and Mayu dama cocoon balls
Ingredients’ Explanation /procedure/making/tasting/impressions④About the report◎About the next event date

＜５th Expert Review Committee＞
Date and time

Venue

Attendees

Thursday, December 21, 2023, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Terrace Numata (Numata City Hall) 6th floor conference room 601

8 expert review committee members + 6 secretariat members

Observer attendees Katashina Village Office Ami Araki

Contents◎Greetings
Chairman Takenori Kanai◎Agenda (Chairman Kanai)① Food culture symposium report② Regarding report creation③About videos for YouTube◎About the next event date-14-

Chapter 3 Expert Review Committee＜６th Expert Review Committee＞
Date and time

Venue

Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Terrace Numata (Numata City Hall) 6th floor conference room 601

Attendees

7 experts on the review committee
1 person attending via Zoom
6 people from the secretariat

Contents◎Greetings
Chairman Takenori Kanai◎Agenda (Chairman Kanai)① Food culture symposium report②Report preparation-15-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai（a）Literature Survey① Folklore Volume 1 No. 12 Published in 1936
• There was some soil mixed in, making it extremely difficult to swallow. This is a millet
dumpling, which is prepared by removing the outer layer and other parts only roughly,
grinding it into a coarse powder with the inner bran still attached, kneading it with water
the night before, before going to bed, and shaping into balls. Early the next morning, theywould place it directly on the ashes around the fire and roast it. After roasting, theywould pound it on the edge of the hearth to knock off the ashes and eat it. In other words,
it is said that the name buchi comes from the fact that the dango is eaten after hitting
them on the edge of the irori hearth• Buchi is also called Kashi. Buchi or Kashi is eaten not only early in the morning, but also in

the in between meals like breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc., and is called yahari-kashi.
② Folklore Volume 6 No. 11 Published in 1941
• Using the heat of the ashes of a fire to warm dango and rice cakes and eat them
③ Folk Tour published in 1943
• When I took a small piece of it in my mouth, the taste was not appealing nd just like its
appearance, it tasted like chewing mud, When I finally swallowed it with tea, it was quite
bitter.
④ Jomo Folklore No. 8 Published in 1947
• A funny story about how someone hit a cat next to them instead of brushing off the ashesof his yakimochi because he was told “Buchi Hata Kasshare.”⑤ Japanese Meals/Japanese Lifestyle Complete Works 1 Published in 1956
• In Katashina Village, the morning greeting is “Uchihatakashare,“ which comes from theword for the local breakfast of rice cakes with miso stuffed inside. The rice cakes wereplaced in the ashes and placed by the hearth. This comes from the idea of saying it inorder to offer the food to visitors.
⑥ Vanishing Customs and Lifestyles of Mountain Villages Published in 1959
• They ate four meals a day in Katashina Village. The first time, was as soon as they woke

up in the morning, they each had two pieces of buchi, a yakimochi made from millet flourthat they had put in the hodo the night before, and then went to work.
• Chagashi is eaten by tapping it. After finishing the chagashi, I had Asatsukuri. Thenaround 11 o'clock we had breakfast. Around 3 o'clock we had hirameshi, and after sunset
we had dinner. It is said that if you add 1 cup of rice to 1 sho of millet it will be a highquality staple food. Eating four times a day was the norm from spring to autumn.

-16-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey⑦ Gunma Bunka published in 1959 (Showa 34)• Tatakatashai (or please eat - this means tapping to remove the ashes or buchi ontheyakimochi that is eaten for breakfast.)⑧ Katashina Folklore Published in 1960

• Yakimochi eaten for breakfast is called buchi and is mainly made from wheat flour,
usually buckwheat flour. In the past, we used millet. Knead, put miso or red bean paste
inside, roast in the ashes of the irori hearth. Nowadays, people use carbonated soda, so
it's fluffy and doesn't go bad.
⑨ Kashi Fudoki Published in 1965 (Showa 40)•

It was cooked by roasting it in the ashes of the iori hearth, a process called“hodo-yaki”.

Tap it to remove the ashes and eat.
⑩ Folklore of Shirasawa Village Published in 1969
• I used to roast in the ashes of the hearth until about 20 years ago.
• It was mainly made from wheat flour, and there was also a small amount of turmeric flour,
but I heard in Tano County that turmeric flour has heat even when it's cold outside, so it
helps to keep your body warm.
⑪ Chiba High Folklore First Issue Published in 1972
• Buchi = Large mochi-shaped dumplings made from wheat flour, baked by burying in theashes of the irori hearth. The ashes from the dango are removed by tapping them on theedge of the hearth, called “fuchi,” which is why they are called buchi. Also, cats arecalled buchi.

⑫ Golden Claws: Joshu/Tone Folk Tales Published in 1973
• Long ago, during the Aizu War, a samurai stayed overnight, and when the person he wasstaying with said, “Buchi- Takasshai!”, he slapped the cat.
⑬ Monthly Joshuji No. 22 Published in 1976
• Step into the hodo area and “hit it”. In the Tone region, the hearth is called hodo. The

hodo is used for boiling water, cooking food, and is a common room for welcoming guests,
as well as a place for socializing. The archaic word “Hoto”' comes from “motosho”' or“fire source,” and this word may have been accented to become “hodo”. The floor of thelower tatami room or day room near the back entrance, is cut out making a depression,and a fire is lit. It is the hodo that helps form the basis of the family's life. Hoto also
refers to a woman's important place in the house. However, this word became accented
becoming a part of everyday language, and became the place for the family to gather. Put
thick firewood or stepping stones in the hearth and step on them with your shoes on.
``Well, it's cold, so why don't we go to Hodo?'' “I was wondering if you could make some

Hodo yakimochi.”-17-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey• Since this region is originally a mountain village, rice cannot be harvested.

So, the mainfood was yakimochi (rice cakes) made by grinding millet into flour and baking dumplings
made from this flour in the warm ash of the hodo. It is eaten by picking it up out of thewarm ashes with tongs, placing it in the palm of your hand, and tapping the ashes off.
This is called buchi tataku.
⑭ Joushu’s Climate and Dialect Published in 1977
• Materials are not limited to flour. They used wheat flour, buckwheat flour, or turmericflour, but gradually they started using more wheat flour.
• Buchi-katte means to “have a seat,” and “buchi-tataku doesn’t mean to hit a cat, butrather means to tap or hit the buchi on the edge of the hearth to get the ashes off so theycan eat it.
⑮ Joshu Folk Tools Published in 1977
• When wheat is ground, it becomes red-black udon flour. Knead it with water or lukewarm
water, add miso, roll it, and cook it in pan. Then it is placed in hot ashes and roasted forabout an hour until golden brown. The center of the fire in the irori hearth is called``Hodonaka,'' and the hot ash is called ``Atsube.'' Scrape off the sticky bits (dig up andremove them) and bury the baked mochi. ``Buchi-tatakasshai,” or “Let's hit it,'' they say

when offering the food, and they knock the ashes off with a pair of chopsticks and bringthem to their mouth.
⑯ Gunma Prefectural History Materials Volume 27 (Folklore 3)• A person from the east side grilled oyaki for a guest. Instead of saying “Oyaki” they said,“Buchi-tatakasshai,” There happened to be a cat right there, so the guest hit it.Then, theperson from the east said, “I’ll get upset if you keep hitting my cat.” (Buchimeans oyaki).
⑰ Tone no Kotoba published in 1983
• In Katashina Village, the morning greeting is “Uchihatakashare,” which is related to the

local breakfast of rice cakes with miso inside. The rice cakes were placed in the ashes of
the hearth. This expression comes from the advice of hitting the dumpling on the edge ofthe hearth when offering some to visitors.
• Buchi is also known as yakimochi, but preparation method is not the same. The raw
materials used are barley flour and wheat flour, and the bean pastes vary widely; the mainones used are miso, Haname miso, hazuke (salted radish leaves or Chinese cabbage), andazuki bean paste (flavored only with salt) ), but in rare cases, mushrooms are also used.
• Approximately 70% of farmers in Azuma Village, Katashina Village, use barley flour (alsoknown as tea confectionery powder) for breakfast every morning, knead it with water or

lukewarm water, and make sweet bean paste. They put it on top of the ash, and set it
upright to dry. When it’s mostly dry, dig into the ash and roast it under the ashes until
the skin is charred.

-18-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey• Once it's baked, people say, “Saa,buchiha takashai”' and they hit it on the fireside toremove the ashes and eat the hot food while blowing on it. It's not like chewing mud.
• This buchi has a kind of savory flavor similar to soybean flour, and is very convenient andpractical, as it appeals to the taste of farmers and is easy to carry and store.
• The raw flour was high-quality wheat flour, and it was made with red bean paste andmatsutake mushroom oil miso.
• The quality of food naturally varies depending on the family's income.
• However, in the advanced age of today , you can hardly find anything as low-quality as
the old days, where the bran and even the wheat skin were not removed.
⑱ The Story of Oyaki and Yakimochi Published in 1984
• They ate yakimochi baked in the ashes from the hearth. This is also commonly called“Haikkoroboshi,” and is a common expression from the Nishiyama region to the

Kitaazumi region.
• How to make haikorobashi◎Knead the flour well. Actually, ground flour is better...

◎Add the bean paste. Mix salt and oil with diced eggplant.
◎Roast in horoku pan until slightly browned.
◎Put it in the ashes, cover with ashes, and roast. Turn itaround many times to make sure it roasts evenly.
◎ Brush off the ash, then wipe it with a cloth and it's done.
⑲ Joshuji No. 151 Published in 1986
• After a day of work, a farmer served fried rice cakes at home and said to a laborer, “Buchi

wa takashai..” In that area they called yakimochi, buchi. Then he encouraged the laboror
to try some more yakimochi. So, the laborer mistook the meaning and hit the cat that was
doing nothing but sleeping next to the pillar of the hearth.
⑳ Wearing, Eating, and Living Gunma Folklore 3 Published in 1990
• Generally, yakimochi is made by adding carbonic acid (baking soda) to flour, kneading it
to a consistency harder than udon, rolling it into a ball about 7 to 8 centimeters indiameter, and baking it a little until the surface becomes hard. Then put it in hot ash androast it. Once baked, take it out and knock off the ashes before eating.
㉑ Gunma Food Culture Published in 1990
• When I was told, “Butchi ra katte buchi tata kashai.” I didn't understand why. I later

found out that “butchi rakatte” means to sit cross-legged, and that “Buchi” was grilled
rice cake.
• Buchi is the hard one, and "tarashi" is the soft one.
• The daily diet of the people from Katashina Village included a meal called “Chagashi,”which was eaten before breakfast.

-19-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey㉒ Gunma’s Interesting Stories Published in 1991
• A farmer raised a big silkworm in a farmhouse around here. Many mulberry workers camefrom around Niigata. They say they grilled the yakimochi at the farmhouse.
Around here, people call yakimochi, buchi. The buchi is grilled in ashes in the hodo
(sunken hearth)• There was a place where Yakimochi was lined up and grilled. There, they called

yakimochi, buchi. A customer arrived and a person grilling rice cakes said, “Buchitatakashai,!” or "Let's hit it!" When the guest looked to their side, there was a cat curled
up in a ball. The customer did as told and slapped the cat. That angered the cat's ownerbecause the guest had actually been told to slap the yakimochi on the fire pit, remove theashes, and then eat it.
㉓ Irori Edge Food Culture Published in 1992
• There are two types of oyaki. “Hekube-oyaki” is hard and soft oyaki is called “steamedoyaki.”• In mountainous areas with few paddy fields, mulberry and hemp sticks are produced
through sericulture and hemp cultivation. By burning this, it was possible to make aconvenient fire, and by using the ashes from the hearth and the wood, it was possible to
make hard Hekube Oyaki.
㉔ Numata City History and Folklore published in 1998
• Buchi, which is a word from the local dialect, meaning yakimochi, is also found in themountainous areas bordering the northern and western parts of Gunma prefecture.
㉕ Hometown Event Food Published in 1999

• In the old days, after baking with a horoku pan, it was roasted in the ashes of a sunken
hearth. When it was time to eat it, the ashes were tapped on the side of makkobuchi, orthe wooden frame of the hearth.

-20-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey㉖ Life and Traditional Culture of Katashina Village Published in 2009
• In the old days, villagers had four meals a day. The meals were “Chagashi”' around 6am,
breakfast around 11am, lunch, or “Kojuhan”' around 3pm, and dinner around 8pm.
• Although it differs somewhat from household to household, the most common meals
include “chagashi”' (buchi), breakfast and lunch (rice and grains such as barley or
millet), and dinner (soba and udon noodles).
• However, during the winter, they could not work in the fields, so they had to eat threetimes a day.

The flour that is milled through a stone mill and sifted through a fine mesh sieve is called“first flour”, and the remainder that is passed through a mortar and sifted once more iscalled “second flour.”• The first flour is used for udon, tsumekko, okirikomi, etc. The second flour is made into

yakimochi (buchi).
㉗ Words and Life in Katashina Village Published in 2010
• Buchi~yakimochi was made from wheat flour, namely udongona (udon flour) and arakkona(rough flour), in the Showa era. However, before that, it was made with hikkonazokki(millet flour only).
㉘ Shinshu Oyaki Tour Published in 2013
• Ash-roasted oyaki is also called Haekkoro-bashi.

-21-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Food Culture Story Literature Survey

Title

№
①

Katashina Unearthed,
Autumn 1920

② Miso Mochi③

Katashina Valley
October 29th and 30th

AuthorYasuo
Hashiura
Yoshimasa
HoshinoYasuo
Hashiura

Buchi-tatakasshai ①
page

Book

Publisher

Folklore Volume 1 No.
Folklore Society
12
Folklore Volume 6 No.
Folklore Society
11

P4
P5

Publicati
on Date1936-8
1941-8

P173

Visiting Folklore

Rokuninsha

1943-8

Jomo Folklore
Society

1947-6④ Buchi and a cat

Isamu Ueno

P33

Jomo Folklore No. 8⑤ Rice cake and ohagi

SusumuTsukasaki

P34

Complete collection ofJapanese food andIwasaki Shoten
Japanese life 1

1956-9

Food customs in⑥ mountain villages, Meal
systems

JukuichiTomaruP51

Customs and lifestyleof remaining mountain Takajo Shoten
villages

1959-6

Words excavated from
Yatsuo⑦ Katashina Village, Tone
HoshinoDistrict

P17

Gunma Culture

Gunma Prefecture
Regional Culture
Research Council⑧ Meal system

Yasuo Ida

P24

Katashina folklore

Gunma Prefectural
1960-9Board of Education⑨ Miso-manju

Yomiuri
ShimbunLiving Guide

P53

Fudoki of Sweets

Hayakawa Shobo

Editorialcommittee

P14

Folklore of Shirasawa Gunma Prefectural
1969-3Village
Board of Education⑪ Buchi-hatakasshai

Akira
Masatani

P30

Chiba High School
Folklore (first issue)⑫ Buchi-hatakasshai

Akira
Masatani

P227

Golden Claws:
Sakurakaedesha
Joshu/Tone folk tales

1973-1⑬ Let's Find Dialects

Shozo
Igarashi

P63

Monthly Joshuji No.
22

Asaosha

1976-3

Jomo Newspaper

1977-9Kan'yodo

1977-10⑩Folklore of Shirasawa
Village

P189～ Joshu's climate andWheat food - Grilled rice Jukuichi
191 dialect
cake called Buchi
TomaruP138・ Joshu's daily life folk
Irori (the JapaneseToru⑮
139 utensils
Sunken Hearth)
Takahashi
Morishita,
Gunma PrefecturalShowa⑯ Buchi-tatakasshai
P974 History Materials 27
Village, Tone
(Folklore 3)
District⑭⑰ BuchiIsamu Ueno

MasashiKaba
Matsujiro⑲ Buchi-hatakasshai
HoshinoStaple Foods, Flour, and Eichi⑳
Grilled Rice Cakes
Sakamoto⑱ The real taste is…

P84～86 Language of Tone
P18～23
P49
P97-98

1959-11

1965-8Chiba Prefectural
Chiba High School
1972-9Folklore StudyGroup

Gunma Prefectural
1980-3
History Editorial
Committee
Kokosho Publishing
1983-7
Association

Story of Oyaki andgrilled rice cake

Ginga Shobo

1984-10

Joshuji №151

Asaosha1986-11"Wear, Eat, Live
Gunma Folklore 3

Miyama Bunko１１４ 1990-3-22-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Food Culture Story Literature Survey

Buchi-tatakasshai ②

Title

Authorpage

Buchi- Rakatte
Buchitata Kasha

JukuichiTomaru,MasamiSekiguchi,
ToshikoShida

P34㉒ Buchi-tatakasshai

Yasuo Ida

P36～39№㉑

Taste Cultivated by the Tatsuo
Imamura㉓ Hearth
Old Folk Culture㉔

Yakimochi (Hodoyaki)
㉕

㉖

㉗

㉘

Editorialcommittee
Hometown
Food Culture
Study Group

Eating habits ofKatashina Village

KatsumiOkubo

Words related to thedaily life cycle

Reiko
Shinoki

Ash-roasted Oyaki

Yoko Koide

Book

Jomo Newspaper

1990-10

Funny Stories from
Gunma

Jomo Newspaper

1991-4

Numata City History
and Folklore Edition

Kyodo Publishing
1992-2
Numata City
1998-3Hometown Event Food Numata FM
Broadcasting

P79

Life and traditional
culture of Katashina
Village

P25

P101～ Words and life in
103 Katashina Village
P6～9、
16～17、
48～49

Publicati
on DateFood Culture of
Gunma

Food culture at the
P8～23 edge of Irori

P12

Publisher

Shinshu Oyaki Tour

-23-

Katashina Folklore
Research Group

1999-10

2009-3

Katashina Village
2010-3
Board of Education
Kawabe Shorin
2013-3

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai＜Field survey①＞
Date and Time Wednesday, August 24, 2023 12:20-13:00
Place

Tsuchiide, Katashina Village

Successor☆☆Yoshino May, 1917, ９６years-old

Listener

Takenori Kanai,Hanae Suzuki, Masashi Takayama

Survey of Modern times

Survey of Current situation

Overview◎Buchi-takashai is also called Buchi- Buchiyaki.
◎I was eating something that didn't taste good.
My current life is heaven.

Materials◎Millet and foxtail millet were ground into
powder using a water wheel.
◎Wheat is not grown in this area(some people did grow it, but it was to sell)◎It was always millet and foxtail millet◎Contents were abura-miso and homemade miso
◎In good places, it’ was made with udon flour.

・The ingredients aregreenonion miso・Adding baking powder willcause it to rise, but will harden
as it cools.

Procedures/Techniques◎It was made at night◎It was cooked at night, put in a colander
then hung in a cool place◎Cooked in earthen pan until a little charred◎It was heated in the ashes of the hearth◎The ones heated in ashes were hie-yakimochi
and soba-yakimochi◎Long ago there were no puffy buchi

・It's more plump than before.
・Sometimes I added baking
soda
We also devised a way to makeit delicious even when it's cold.

-24-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai＜Field survey①＞

Survey of Modern times
Tools/Equipmen ◎There was a thatched house with a sunken
t/Environment hearth.
Origin/backgro
und/storyWho?
(Successors,
Bearers

Survey of Current situation
30 years ago, we baked it on a
hot plate.

◎Around 1939, she married a farmer who grewfoxtail millet, common millet, Japanese millet,etc.
◎learned how to make it from mother-in-law
after getting married around 1939
◎it was brides job to make buchi◎Didn't make before marriage◎Made by herself after family went tobed(every night)◎3-4 per person times number in family

When?(Connect
ion with◎Ate for breakfast
seasons, hare,◎the buchi at breakfast was coldke, events,◎Ate warm buchi at nightetc.)◎in special days ate udon or soba
◎special days were seasonal or
new years◎sports day was an event day◎when the inn was opened the
locals were nostalgic for it◎they made it to make locals
happyWith whom?

◎The inn served buchi to tourists
as a local hometown food
◎It was a souvenir for tourists
when they went home.

Where?

-25-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai＜Field survey②＞

Date and TimeThursday, September 7, 2023 10:00-11:30

Place

Katashina Village Furunaka Community Center

At Katashina Village Social
Welfare Council Fureai Mini Salon

Successor☆☆Hoshino July 1930, 91 years old☆☆Hoshino May 1930, 87 years old☆☆Hoshino Dec 1930, 85 years old☆☆Hoshino June 1932, 84 years old☆☆Hoshino Jan 1939, 84 years old(Arai area)☆☆Umezawa April 1940, 84 years
old☆☆Kaburaki Jan. 1944, 79 years
oldListener

Takenori Kanai,Hanae Suzuki

Survey of Modern times

Overview

・In addition to ``buchi'', there are other words
such as ``tarashi'' and ``tsumekko’'.
・``Tatatashai'' means to tap off the ashes fromthe hearth. Also called buchiyaki

Materials

・Most of the contents are miso.
・Adding eggplant and green onions makes it
luxurious.
・Adding baking soda made it fluffy.
・Miso was made at each home.

Survey of Current situation

・Nowadays, people add a little
sugar to make it.

・Chop the eggplant and green onion finely andmix with miso. There is no need to fry or use
oil.

Procedures/Techniques

・It was delicious to chop the radish leaves, drythem, rehydrate them and mix them with miso.
・The soybeans were boiled until soft, thenstepped on into balls, wrapped in straw, hungfrom the ceiling to dry, and crushed using awater wheel.
・We made ``Igusa'' and ``Egoma'' and squeezed
them to make oil.

-26-

・Recently, made in a frying pan attimes.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai＜Field survey②＞

Survey of Modern times

Survey of Current situation

・There were one or two waterwheels in the
Tools/Equipmen
area. (Shared by community) Used for making
t/Environment
wheat, rice, miso, etc.
Origin/backgro
und/story
・Katashina people over 70 years
old can make it
・Didn't have many opportunities toteach it directly to brides andgrandchildren, but it has been
passed down throughimprovements in eating habits
projects etc.

Who?
(Successors,
Bearers

・Breakfast is buchi every day. One for a child,
two for adults. There is no soup, and if it comeswith pickles, it's luxurious.
When?(Connect
・It's not a "hare" food because it
・I had it for breakfast until about 1965.
ion with
was made all year round.
・The size of the buchi is smaller than a steamed
seasons, hare,
・I don't it on New Year's Day
bun, and slightly larger than a convenienceke, events,
because we have rice cakes.
store rice ball.
etc.)
・Udon was made during festivals.
・The rice is multi-grain rice with ingredientssuch as foxtail millet and Japanese millet.
Could only eat it around New Year's Day.
With whom?

・I served it when guests came over.

Where?

・Pack it for lunch. Just put it as is in a bag.

-27-

・Since I run an inn, I sometimes
serve it to guests (there is asunckenhearth)Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai＜Field survey③＞

Date and Time

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 14:00-15:00

Place

Hanasaki Village Center in Katashina Village

Successor☆☆Takayama June 1930, 90 years old☆☆Miyata February 1930, 84 years old☆☆Miyata November 1930, 92 years old☆☆Hoshino May 1930, 87 years old☆☆Nagai March 1940, 85 years old☆☆Nagai March 1944, 80 years old

Listener

Takenori Kanai, Hanae Suzuki, Masashi Takayama

Survey of Modern times

Survey of Current situation

Overview

・Called Buchi or Yakimochi. Older people call it
Buchi, Usually called Yakimochi –・The size is about the size of a mother's palm.
So size of the buchi depended on the size ofthe mother's hands.
・Made it often because it was filling.

Materials

・Buchi powder is wheat flour・The fillings of the buchi are miso, red beanpaste, and seasonal vegetables such as green
onion miso and eggplant.
・Also added baking soda.
・I also ate Hieyakimochi and Awamochi. In
particular, the Hieyakimochi was sweeter, morefragrant, and delicious than the Buchi.
・Miso is homemade, using soybeans grown at
home.

Procedures/Techniques

・I made yakimochi before breakfast.
・I warmed the buchi in ashes of the hearth.
・When they got cold, put them in the ash towarm them up.
・First, grilled both sides in a pan. Then placedin ashes of the hearth and steamed.

-28-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai＜Field survey③＞

Survey of Modern times
Tools/Equipmen ・The irori, or hearth always had fire lit.
t/Environment ・First, I would boil water in the irori.

Survey of Current situation
・After iroris disappeared fromhomes, we would grill it on a hot
plate. It was baked and thensteamed.

Origin/backgro
und/storyWho?
(Successors,
Bearers

・The number of buchi you make was enough foryour family. 2 per person
・My mother-in-law taught me how to make it.

・If a guest came over while I was making buchi
at home, I would serve it to that person as well.
・I served it for lunch saying, ``Let's eat it.''
・I ate buchi almost every day.
・I ate mochi only from late December to New
Year’s.
・I still make it because it's easy
・If there was some kind of celebration
・I still eat it regularly
When?(Connect (marriage), I did not make buchi. When people ・I keep the food I make in theion withcame over for celebrations, I made udon andfreezer and thaw it when I wantseasons, hare, tofu.
to eat itke, events,
・I had Kenchin soup at funerals.
・I make buchi in the morning andetc.)
・When there was a funeral, I cooked sekihan
still eat it with gojuhan .
rice.
・I will make it earlier and eat it
・I ate Hiemeshi at 3pm.
later for lunch.
・I ate fried buchi made in the morning as
gojuhan at 3 o'clock.
・I had buchi for breakfast, rice for lunch, buchi
for gojuhan (3 p.m. meal), and udon or rice fordinner.
With whom?

Where?

・It was not used to make offerings to themountain gods (Twelve Gods).

-29-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai＜Field survey④＞

Date and Time

September 21, 2023 (Thursday) 14:00～

Place

Noborito Community Center, Katashina Village

Successor☆☆Hoshino Feb. 1930, 87 years old.
☆☆Tomaru Feb. 1930, 85 years old☆☆Imaizumi May 1945, 76 years old☆☆Hoshino May 1945, 79 years old☆☆Nakamura Sep. 1930, 84 years old☆☆Hoshino August 1930, 91 years old☆☆Hoshino April 1939, 95 years old

Listener

Takenori Kanai and Hanae Suzuki

Survey of Current situation

Survey of Modern times

Overview

・Each person ate about 2 to 3 pieces.

Materials

・For the filling, finely chop green onions andmix with miso.

Procedures/Techniques

・Knead the flour in a large wooden bowl.
・At first, it was just wheat and water, and it was
hard.
・Eventually people started adding・First, roast it in a soft pan, then char it, andbaking soda, and now they eventhen put it in the ashes.
add baking powder.
・I woke up early in the morning and made it.
・The wife mainly made it.
・Some families made it at night and heated it up
in the morning.

-30-

・About half of the mochi
ingredients were mixed grains.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai＜Field survey④＞

Survey of Modern times

Survey of Current situation
・Since I didn't use the hearth for awhile, the temperature of the ash
was low and I couldn't roast it aswell as we used to.

Tools/Equipmen
t/Environment
Origin/backgro
und/storyWho?
(Successors,
Bearers

・About 60 years ago, I started
making rice and stopped eatingbuchi in the morning.
・After making mochi for New
Year's, I ate mochi for a while
instead of buchi.

When?
(Connection
with seasons,hare, ke,events, etc.)

With whom?

Where?

-31-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai(c)Literature survey, Field survey, Comparison with Cases in Other Regions,Characteristics of the Region
Major
items

Minor
item

History

Name

Literature survey(No. matches the No. in literature list)① Buchi or Kashi

Field survey

Examples fromother regions(No. matches the
No. in literaturelist)◎Buchitakashai isalso called Buchi Buchiyaki.

㉗Hai-yaki oyaki
is also called``Hae-kkorobashi.''(Shinshu)④ A funny story about someone who was told
“buchi-hatakashare” and instead of hitting
・Buchi-tatakasshai
the ashes off the yakimochi, they hit thewas called ``buchi''.
cat next to them.
A man born in⑦Tatakashai (means “please eat” - but this1936 said as a
is in regards to the yakimochi eaten forchild, he used tobreakfast called buchi. So the host means
call it,one should tap it to remove the ashes``Yakimochi‘’.
before eating.)(Kuri, Katashina⑨It was roasted by putting it in the ashes ofVillage,Tone
the Irori heaarth. Tap to remove the ashes
District)and eat. (Shinshu)⑪The ashes from the dango are removed bytapping on edge of the irori. which iscalled buchi. Also, cats are called buchi.
⑭ Butchi-katte became a rakuza, andbutchi-tataku means that you should beat
the ashes off and eat it. It doesn’tmean to hit the cat.
㉑I didn’t understand “butchirakattebuchitatakashai." I later found out that``butchirakatte'' means ``cross-legged,''and that Buchi meant a grilled rice cake.
㉔Buchi, which is from the local dialect
meaning yakimochi, is also used in themountainous areas bordering theprefecture in the north and west of Gunma
Prefecture.
㉕We tapped them on the amakkobuchi(wooden sides of the hearth) to remove theashes, then ate them.

-32-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Major
items

Minor
item

Literature survey(No. matches the No. in literature list)

History Backgro ⑤In Katashina Village, the morning
und/greeting
storyis ``Uchihatakashare,'' which actually is
the word for the local breakfast of ricecakes with miso stuffed inside.

Field survey◎We were eating
something thattasted bad.
◎Current life isheaven.
◎Around 1950, herhusband was a⑬This region was originally a village in the
farmer who grew
mountains, so rice could not be grown
millet, foxtail
there. Thus, so the regular food wasmillet, andyakimochi (rice cakes) made by grinding
Japanese millet,
millet into flour and baking dumplings madeetc.
from this flour in the warm ash of thehearth. It was eaten by picking it up fromthe warm ashes with chopsticks, placing it ・Originally from
Katashina Village
in the palm of your hand, and knocking theHanasakiashes off.
Yamazaki, thewoman said she㉒A farmer grew a big silkworm in a
made buchi fromfarmhouse around here. Many mulberry
the time before
workers came from around Niigata. They
she married.
say they grilled the yakimochi at the
Buchi is very
farmhouse.
filling.
So, she made it
often. At the ageof 23, through arelative's
introduction shecame toKuryu in
Katashina Village
after marrying. Of
course, she
continued to makebuchi. (Kuri,
Katashina Village,
Tone District)-33-

Examples fromother regions(No. matches the
No. in literature
list)Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

Major
items

Minor
item

Literature survey(No. matches the No. in literature list)

Form of
Eatin

Everyday life① Eat snacks called Yabarikashi not only
early in the morning, but also in between
breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc.

Field survey◎People ate it for
breakfast.
◎The buchi eatenin the morning
was cold.
⑥People ate four meals a day in Katashina◎They
ate warm
Village. The first time, as soon as we woke
buchi
for
dinner.
up in the morning, we had two pieces ofbuchi, a yakimochi made from millet flour
They made thethat we had put in our hodo the nightbuchi at night.
before. Then we headed right to work.
They put the・Buchi-hatatakasshai was eaten for
Chagashi. After finishing the chagashi, we grilled buchi in abasket and hung
had Asatsukuri. Then around 11 o'clock
it in a cool place
we had breakfast. Around 3 o'clock we(in the backhad lunch and after sunset we had dinner.
doorway). This
It was said that if you added one cup of
was for breakfast
rice to one of millet, it was a high-quality
the next day.
food. However, eating four times a day
When they went
was the norm from spring to autumn.
to work in themountains (mainly⑰About 70% of the farmers in Higashi
yakimochi), wasVillage, Katashina Village, made thisput in a biku (abreakfast every morning without fail.
backpack-likebag made of ricestraw or sedge)
and taken along
to eat. The buchi
we ate in themorning was cold.
(Tsuchiide,
Katashina Village,
Tone District)
We ate buchi(yakimochi) for
breakfast almost
every day. Around1955 and 1955,
it was the staple
food. In
Katashina, theyate Hiemeshi at
3pm. Sometimes
buchi grilled in
the morning would
be eaten forgojuhan (3 p.m.).
(Kuri, Katashina
Village, Tone
District)-34-

Examples fromother regions(No. matches the
No. in literature
list)Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Major
items

Minor
item

Form of
Eatin

Monobi(Special Days)Literature survey(No. matches the No. in literature list)

Field survey◎Udon/Soba were
eaten on monobi days.
◎What is a monobi
day? Festivals, New
Year’s, and sports
days were also kindsof Monobi days.
Buchi were madealmost all year round.
But from late
December to New
Year’s (Jan.1st) they
ate mochi. So buchi
wasn’t eaten during
this period.
(Kuri, Katashina
Village, Tone District)Buchi was not made in
the case ofcelebratory events(weddings etc.)
Instead, udon was
made. Yorikoto(holiday when a guest
visit one’s home) they
made udon and tofu.
For funerals, they
made kenchin soup
and sekihan rice.
(Kuri, Katashina
Village, Tone District)

With
whom

Where

◎When the inn was
built, the locals
started feelingnostalgic for Buchi.
◎They made it because
the local people likedit.
⑰It comes from the idea of putting it inashes, tapping it on the edge of thehearth, and offering it to visitors.

-35-

Buchi is in Irori's ashes
They put it in the ashesof the hearth to warm
it up. They would tap
it on the side of thehearth to knock off
the ash before eating.

Examples fromother regions(No. matches
the No. inliterature list)

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Major
items

Minor
item

Literature survey(No. matches the No. in literature list)

Field survey

To
make

Ingredients⑧Yakimochi eaten for breakfast is called buchi
and is mainly made from wheat flour, andbuckwheat flour. In the past, we used millet.
⑩It was mainly made from wheat flour, andthere was also some togibi. but I heard in
Tano County that togibi has heat evenwhen it's cold, so it keeps your body warm
and protects from the cold.
⑭Ingredients were not limited to wheat flour.
They used wheat flour, buckwheat flour, orturmeric flour, but gradually started using
more wheat flour.
⑰The raw materials were barley⑧Yakimochi eaten for breakfast is called buchi
and is mainly made from wheat flour, andbuckwheat flour. In the past, we used millet.
⑩It was mainly made from wheat flour, andthere was also some togibi. but I heard in
Tano County that togibi has heat evenwhen it's cold, so it keeps your body warm
and protects from the cold.
⑭Ingredients were not limited to wheat flour.
They used wheat flour, buckwheat flour, orturmeric flour, but gradually started using
more wheat flour.
⑰The raw materials were barley flour andwheat flour, and the bean paste was also
very varied. But the main ones used weremiso, haname miso, hazuke (salted radish
leaves or Chinese cabbage), and azuki beanpaste (salted only). In rare cases,
mushrooms were also used.
⑰The quality of food naturally varies
depending on the family's income.
㉖The flour that is milled through a stone milland passed through a fine mesh sieve iscalled ``first flour.’' The remaining wheat
is ground through a mortar and sifted to
become ``second flour.''㉖The first flour is used for udon, tsumekko,
okirikomi, etc. The second flour is used foryakimochi (buchi).
㉗Buchi ~ Yakimochi was made from wheat
flour, namely udongona (udon flour) andarakkona (rough flour), in the Showa era,but before that, it was made fromhikkonazokki (millet flour zokki, or millet
flour dake).

◎Millet and foxtail millet(Wheat is not grown inthis area. Some people
were growing it, but it
was for sale)◎Contents are abura miso
and homemade miso
◎Made with udon flour ingood places.

-36-

The raw material for buchi
was wheat flour, and thefilling was miso and redbean paste. Negi miso
made with chopped green
onions, eggplant andmiso are used as thefilling of the buchi. (Kuri,
Katashina Village, Tone
District)

Examplesfrom otherregions(No.
matchesthe No. inliterature
list)Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Major
items

Minor
item

To
make

Tools
/Equipment/Environment

Procedures/techniques

Literature survey(No. matches the No. in literature list)

Field survey◎Thatched houses had
sunken hearths.
◎Millet and foxtail millet
were ground into
powder using a water
wheel.
◎Houroku(baking pan)・
watashi・(mesh grill)
hibashi (tongs)◎Around 1979, it was
baked on a hot plate.
② Eating dumplings and mochi by heatingthem with the heat of the ash from thehearth.
⑧ Knead the flour, add miso bean pasteor red bean paste, and put it in theirori ashes to bake. Nowadays, we use
baking soda, so it's fluffy and doesn't
go bad.
⑮When wheat is ground, it becomes redblack udon flour. Knead it with wateror lukewarm water, add miso, roll it,
and bake it in a pan. This is thenplaced in hot ashes and baked forabout an hour until golden brown. The
center of the fire in the furnace iscalled ``Hodonaka,'' and the hot ash iscalled ``Atsube.'' Scrape off the sticky
ashes (dig up and remove) and bury
the baked mochi. Say ``Buchitatakasshai'' to offer it. Knock theashes off with a pair of chopsticks andbrings the food to your mouth.
⑳A typical yakimochi is to mix flour withcarbonic acid (baking soda), knead it
to a consistency harder than udon
noodles, roll it into a ball about 7-8 cm
in diameter, and bake it a little with ina pan until the surface becomes hard.
Put it in hot ash and roast it. Once
baked, take it out and knock off theashes before eating.

-37-◎Made at night◎Baked it at night, put
it in a colander andhung it in a cool place.
◎ Grilled in a baking
pan until charred.
◎Heated with hodo (theash in the hearth)◎Hieyakimochi and
Sobayakimochi wereboth cooked in theashes.
◎Buchi's filling is green
onion miso
◎It will expand when
you add baking powder,
but it will harden as itcools.
◎In the past, it was not
puffy.
In addition to flour, theyalso added baking soda
to Buchi. In the 1930s,
it was mixed with justwater and baked. The
flour was ground using awater wheel in Kuryu,
Katashina Village. Afterroasting the buchi on
both sides with in abaking pan, it wasplaced in the ashes of
the irori and steamed.
The steamed food wasremoved from the ashes.
(Kuri, Katashina Village,
Tone District)

Examples fromother regions(No. matches
the No. inliterature list)

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Major
items

Minor
item

To
make

Deliverables

Literature survey(No. matches the No. in literature list)

Field survey◎ 3-4 pieces per person⑰Once it's baked, people say, ``Well,
x number of family
buchi-tatakasshai,'' and they tap it on
members
the edge of the hearth to remove the◎Thecurrent shape isashes and then eat it while blowing on it.
plumperthan the old
It's nothing like chewing mud.
one.
㉑Buchi is the hard one, and ``tarashi'' is◎Sometimes added
the soft one.
baking soda.
◎They also devised a
way to make it delicious
even when it's cold.
The woman in the house(mainly the wife) madethe buchi for the family.
For a family of five, shemade 10 pieces,assuming each person
would eat two.
Depending on the family,some people madeenough buchi for three
to four times thenumber of family
members.
When they got cold, they
were placed in Irori's
ashes to warm them up.
The raw material for
Buchi was wheat flour.
In addition to buchi ,they also made and ate
Hieyakimochi and
Awamochi. In particular,
the Hieyakimochi wassweeter, more fragrant,
and delicious than the
Buchi. (Kuri, Katashina
Village, Tone District)
From around 1955 to
1965, if visitors came
while making buchi athome the hosts would
say, ``Wow!
You took the time to walk
all the way here!
They would hand theguest a buchi saying``Eat up!’' and "Let's
have a drink"(Kuri, Katashina Village)-38-

Examples fromother regions(No. matches
the No. inliterature list)

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Major
items

Minor
item

Literature survey(No. matches the No. in literature list)

Tradition/bearers

Field survey◎Learned how to make itfrom my mother-in-law,when she married(around 1950)◎It is the wife's job tomake the buchi.
◎She didn't make it
before becoming a bride.
◎I made it by myself
after my family went tobed (every night)
A woman born in 1947
whose hometown was
Okawara, Showa Village,
Tone District
Moved to Kuryu,
Katashina Village, Tone
District for marriage.
Learned how to makebuchi from mother-inlaw.
After making it forseveral years she waseven praised at her skill
by her mother-in-law.
She has been cooking
them on a stove andthen steaming themsince the time that irondisappeared from homes.
Some people prefer tosteam them first.
Some people baked itafter cooking.
The order of preparationslightly diffeed
depending on the family.
(Kuri, Katashina Village,
Tone District)

The size of the buchi wasdetermined by the sizeof the hands of thewoman (mother) in thehousehold. It is roughly
the size of a palm.
(Kuryu, Katashina
Village, Tone District)-39-

Examples fromother regions(No. matches
the No. inliterature list)

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Major
items

Minor
item

Literature survey(No. matches the No. in literature list)

Field survey◎At the inn, buchi wasserved to guests as alocal food.
◎It was a souvenir forcustomers on their way
home

Future outlook

Lately, I've been grillingbuchi on a hot plate andeating it every once in awhile.
A woman born in theearly Showa era said,``I still make it because
it's easy,'' ``I still eat it
regularly,'' and ``I keep
what I make in thefreezer and (defrost) it
when I want to eat it.''Some people eat it for
breakfast or lunch. (Kuri,
Katashina Village, Tone
District)-40-

Examples fromother regions(No. matches
the No. inliterature list)

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai（d） How to make it◆Yakimochi- making of Yore
1.Knead thedough

5.Put chopped
scallions in

2.Tear apartdough6.Shape in to balls

3. Shape dough in toballs then spread themout

4. Apply miso to
the dough7. Put in apreheated pan.

8. When browned
put on a sidebar

9. Put in the ashesof the hearth

10. Tap them on
the wooden edgeof hearth

11.Bon apetit!

They look tasty!

-41-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

Introducing Yakimochi
from Katashina Village①Chagashi-flour (bran flour) yakimochi
Buchi from long ago didn’t have baking soda.
The flour that is sifted through a fine mesh sieve is called ``first flour’' and is used
for udon or to be sold. The remainder of the flour that is sifted through a coarse
sieve is bran flour and called “second flour” which is mainly used to make yakimochi.
Texture: The color was brown and the dough was crumbly. It was chewy.
Taste:
Simple taste, aromatic②Kakippo (buckwheat yakimochi)
Pickled radish leaves and rhododendron were boiled until soft, buckwheat flour wasadded, rolled them, and roasted them on the watashi over thehearth and eaten. It was often eaten at dinner and other meal times.Easy to make.
Texture: Smooth and pleasant to the mouth.
Taste: It tastes like pickled food and is delicious.
Soba udekko: Buckwheat flour mixed with boiling water, rolled into balls, boiled, andbaked on top of a watashi.
*Watashi: An iron stand placed over the fire to warm food.

③Togimibuchi
Corn was dried and ground into flour, boiled and eaten, or steamed and roasted
in the ashes of the hearth and eaten with miso.

Texture: It's crunchy and spreads in your mouth, andyou can't swallow it unless you chew it thoroughly.
Taste: Delicious with the aroma and sweetness of corn.

-42-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey④Rice Buchi
When there was leftover rice, it was mixed with flour, kneaded, androasted
in a horoku (baking pan).
Texture:Moist and soft.
TasteThe same simple taste as commonly eaten Yakimochi.

⑤Recent yakimochi
Add baking soda, baking powder, sugar, vinegar, milk, vegetables, etc.
to flour (all-purpose flour).
Various efforts have been made to make the food taste good even when
they have cooled off.
Texture: Soft and fluffy. The texture is like steamed bread. Adding
vegetables gives it a vibrant color.
Taste: Delicious with the sweetness of vegetables and the gentle
taste of the ingredients.

◆Red bean paste of Yore (ingredients)
They used things such as leftover side dishes (pickles, simmered dried radish,simmered pumpkin, sweet and spicy simmered mushrooms, etc.) dregs, miso, or
salted red bean paste. (in the old days, because sugar was precious, salted redbean paste was used instead of sweet red bean paste).
Miso-an… Add green onions, eggplant, bonito flakes, etc.
Seasonal wild vegetables... Used bracken, butterbur sprouts, nobiru, pickles, etc.
Anko...Azuki beans, soybeans, dried persimmons (as a sugar substitute)-43-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

Various Ideas for Yakimochi
Ideas to increase nutritional value
Foods with Protein

Foods with Fiber /Vitamins Etc.

-yogurt-pumpkin-milk-sweet potato-skim milk-corn-soy milk- hanamame (runner beans)-eggs-raisins-aonori-roasted sesame seeds-your favorite vegetables

Tips to keep it from getting hard
In the Dough-baking powder-baking soda-vinegar-sake (rice wine)-hot spring water-sweet sake / sake dregs-cold, soaked rice-44-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey■Ideas for Cooking for Yakimochi

For people who want something that is crispy on the outside and moist on
the inside, steam it on a hot-plate or frying pan (with lid).

people who want something that is crispy on the outside and aromatic,steam it on a hot-plate or frying pan (with lid).

For people who want something that is moist. and soft, try steaming it in a
steamer.

If you want to eat soft browned food, brown the yakimochi on a hotplateor something similar, then steam it.
When cooking on a hotplate or in a frying pan, make sure not to take off
the lid more than once
because that causes the moisture to evaporate, which in turn, makes theyakimochi hard.
Only open the lid once when flipping over the yakimochi in order to make itsoft.
In the case of steaming, don’t open the lid either.

-45-

-46-

Buchi is an important food that has
been eaten in Katashina from ancient
times.

Long ago, in Katashina Village where
people couldn’t grow much rice,
yakimochi, also called buchi, madewith flour and cooked with an irori
hearth was the main food for busy
farmers.

■Katashina Village Dietary Improvement Promotion Council

Let's make it together!

■Do you know "buchi"?
(Buchi-tatakasshai)■Picture-story show

This was a fun nursery school,surrounded by mountains.
Do you know which nursery school thisis?

This is a story about a little girl, named
Shinako-chan who went to a nurseryschool in Katashina Village.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１）Buchi-tatakasshai(e) Preservation/ InheritanceCock-a-doodle-doo!! It’s morning!
The sun is shining brightly and theweather is nice.
“Good morning,” Shinako says with abright smile.
She washes her face, brushes her teeth,
gets dressed and then has breakfast withher whole family just as she does every
day.
“Let’s eat!”■Picture-story show

Let’s eat your favorites, natto with rice,
fried eggs, miso soup and eat some
veggies too, please.
Mama says” Eat some fish, too.” But
Shinako-chan says she can’t because
she’s too full. But what she’s reallythinking is that she’d like some octopus shaped sausages instead of fish.
Breakfast is like a switch that turns on
your body and mind, the source of power
for cheerful healthy energy!!

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

-47-

-48-

"I wonder what Grandma will do there?”
thinks Shinako-chan with excitement. She
can’t wait!

Tells her “Today I’m going to your nurseryschool.”After Shinako-chan says, “Gochisosama,”
or “Thank you for the meal.” Grandma■Picture-story show

Grandma and her friends are all wearing
matching pink aprons.
They help with preparing nutritious meals
to keep us healthy. They are called,‘Health-mates.’
Pink really looks good on them. They arecute aunties, aren’t they?
Today, they came to the nursery school tomake buchi with the children. Buchi is afood that has been eaten in Katashina
Village since ancient times. All of the pink
aunties gather here today,“Let's do our best for the sake of thesegood children!!” “Yay! Let’s go!”Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

-49-

I wonder if your hands are all clean now?
Now, is everyone ready?

Slish-slosh, and scrub-scrub.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap.

First of all, put on an aprons.

■Picture-story show

Seeing Shinako-chan looking worried, ahealth-mate auntie comes over and says,“Look. This thing that looks like white clay
is called dough.”

But it seems to be coming together
somehow…” Shinako-chan thinks.

Add flour and lukewarm water to a bowl.
Mix, mix it up. Then knead it.
“Ah, my hands are sticky.
Is this okay?

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

-50-

Add the miso and sugar and mix it well.

“Little by little”“Look, cut it really very well!”Absolutely no playing around or chatting!
Chop, chop, chop.

When you use a knife, make your other
hand like a cat’s paw.

Next, let’s make the filling for the buchi.
First, cut the green onions.

■Picture-story show

“Bibbidy bobbidy boo!”
Yes!! It's done!

Make them in to balls. . Round balls.”
Did everyone do a good job?
Be yummy, so yummy!

Roll it up and spread it out, then add themiso paste.

Now it's time to make the buchi.
Take the dough in your hands, and kneadit.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

■Picture-story show

-51-

They ended up hitting the cat (calico cat) next to them instead.
“Buchi Tatakasshai” actually meant to tap off the ashes before
eating.

There's also a funny story that tells about a person who came to visit
Katashina and was told, "Buchi Tatakasshai,” or Let's hit it!“That's why we call yakimochi "buchi".

But they used to knock the ashes off on the edge of the hearth andeat the buchi .

You're probably thinking, "Eh, that's not good," right?

In the olden days, people used to cook the buchi in the fire in thehearth and bury it in the ashes.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

■Picture-story show

-52-

[The End]

Let's make it together again.‘’``It was really yummy, Grandma!

Shinako was really happy to hear that andreplied,grandmother said to her,``You did a great job making yakimochi!‘’

When Shinako came home, her

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai(f) Summary of the Survery``Buchi'' is a type of grilled rice cake, but there are some special characteristics in the
preparation process before eating. It is baked in a baking pan in a sunken hearth, thenburied in the ashes and steamed. It’s then taken out of the ashes just before eating, andthe ashes are knocked off before eating.

This act of tapping the ashes is called ``tatakasshai'' and a term used when offering it to
guests.
Similarly, in Nagano Prefecture, the act of steaming baked rice cakes by placing them inashes
has long been called ``Aikkoroboshi,'' a term that is common from the Nishiyama region ofNagano Prefecture to the Kitaazumi region.
According to this research, the earliest occurrence of ``buchi'' in Katashina Village was in
1923.
The following is a quote from the 1944 "Research on Japanese Local Cuisine", but what
appears here is the expression "Yakimochi", and from there on, the term "Buchi" could not

be found.

☆From “Research on Japanese local food”
In 1945, a nationwide survey of local food practices was carried out by the Central Food
Cooperation Association, which was compiled into a book called ``Study of Japan's Local
Foods.'' Thus, this survey was conducted on the local foods of Katashina Village as one of
the subjects. We would like to use the descriptions in this book as a foundation for thissurvey.
``Research on Japan's Local Foods'' was conducted by the Faculty of Agriculture of Tokyo
Imperial University in the Kanto and Chubu regions. and details were reported in four
villages, with Katashina Village being one of them.

Although the book was set in an unusual situation, in the midst of the Greater East Asia War,materials from the early Showa period are also included, and are considered the bestreference for understanding the environment surrounding dietary habits at the time.
The farmland area of Katashina Village is 1,200 ha of the village's 39,450 hectares, and
113 ha of paddy fields.With over 700 farming households, the average size of each farm isless than 2 acres (20 acres).

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（１） Buchi-tatakasshai``I have to say that the management of rice paddies is completely subordinate to thisvillage.Therefore, agriculture in this village is mainly based on field crop management, butsince there have been many cultivated fields in the mountains and forest plains since thepast, it is not sober. The area is inferior, and the entire village is located at a high altitudeof more than 600 m, and is influenced by weather conditions. Under unfavorable natural
conditions, wheat, soybeans, and soybeans are still concentrated today as they were 粟(あわ)in 稗(ひえ)the 黍(きび)past 蕎麦(そば). I am engaged in zaru farming.”☆General form of meals[General meal format] (Spring equinox to autumn harvest)
1. Tea ceremony (around 5-6am)
Eat 2 or 3 pieces of ``Yakimochi''
2.Breakfast (around 10am) One of the following"Yakimochi"...(When I'm busy or I don't have much time at home)
Millet rice (70% millet, 30% rice)
3. Lunch (3pm)

millet rice
As a side dish, add a large amount of vegetables to miso soup and use it as a side dish.
It is usually served with pickled vegetables.
4. Dinner (8pm-9pm)
Barley rice (70% barley, 30% rice)Occasionally, ``Udon'' is a treat.
There is no meal that relies solely on rice, and even in millet rice and barley rice, rice
only makes up about 30% of the food. This was almost the same even before the war,and the reason why wheat and millet constituted the main food of this village, andtheir dietary habits have remained unchanged for a long time, is due to the nature of
the production situation. This is due toThis description shows that interaction with surrounding villages was limited due to theunderdeveloped transportation system, and distribution was mainly carried out withinwalking distance.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Cars entered Katashina Village in 1920, when the 327m long Kuryu Tunnel was opened,making it possible for vehicles to access the then Higashi Village and Katashina Village forthe first time.
Furthermore, in 1964, a new road was opened over the Shiizaka Pass, making it possible forlarge buses and large trucks to pass through, resulting in major changes in the movementof people and logistics.
In addition, with the arrival of the motorized society, the number of hiking tourists to Oze
increased, and in anticipation of the influx of tourists, a major tourism industry, such as thedevelopment of ski resorts and the accompanying construction of guesthouses andpensions, suddenly engulfed the once quiet village. I went there.
With the bursting of the bubble economy, the momentum of development at that time
declined, and people began to focus on enjoying nature as it was, turning it into a quiet
tourism industry.

In this way, with the arrival of the automobile society, the quiet and closed village lifechanged completely, industries aimed at tourists increased, and as a result, the traditional
eating habits of the villagers gradually changed, and for a while. While the tourism boom
continues, although it has lost momentum, the current state of affairs is that the eating
habits that remain in books from the early Showa era are no longer the same.

The age structure of the people I met during this field survey seemed to be mainly in their80s, and the stories they told me about their dietary habits, especially about tabby, were
published in ``Research on Japanese Local Foods.'' It completely matched the descriptionof the ``general form of meals'' in the article, and I felt as if I could experience the eating
habits of Katashina Village in the pre-war period here and now.
What was even more surprising was that it seemed to be a nostalgic topic for the people who
were talking about it.
There is no need to mention that during the pre-war period, the octogenarians living in
Katashina Village were probably children and did not have enough to eat.
From those difficult times, when I had almost forgotten or tried to forget, ``Buchi'' filled myhunger and became a source of strength to work.
Due to the rapid progress of village culture and civilization, it seems that the food culturethat satisfies the hungry will not disappear easily.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（2） Tsuju dango（a） Literature survey① Monday Tsushin published in 1954
・There were two or three chickens in each house, and they found food on their own, so people
didn't give them any scraps of grain, as people needed to eat whatever they could.
・If there are many grains of rice that cannot be picked up by chopsticks or sticks, especiallythose that have fallen off and are scattered one by one in the corners, there is nothing elseto do butto sweep them up on the last day of the workshop. In other words, it is just acommon type of waste, but people in the past tried to put it to good use.
・Moreover, it wasn't just something that could be eaten, it was once considered one of theregular foods...
② Folklore No. 22 Published in 1957
・There is a festival for the god of fire and hearth, Kojin-sama, on a sanrinbo day death in
October. The events of this day are explained about by Mikawari-baasan. People madesome dumplings with red bean paste and offered them on a plate to the Kojin, and apartfrom that, they put three dumplings each on bamboo skewers and hung five of them on theeaves of the roof.

・This dango powder is said to be made by sweeping up the spilled paddy rice during threshing,washing it thoroughly with water, removing stones, and turning it into powder, so it wascalled tsuchiho dango.
・ The origin of making dumplings from fallen paddy rice on Kojin's Day is from the time when

Mikawari-Baasan was at home babysitting a large number of children who were exposed tofire. She decided to make earthen dumplings to prevent the children from getting burnt. It
is said that the festival began when people celebrated by making dumplings from the earsof rice and offering them to the deity.
③ Katashina Folklore published in 1960
・On November 30th from the old calendar, Tsuju Dango,and raw millet flour dango is passed
through a kaya skewer and placed at all of the entrances. They say that the moredangerous the dango, the better. It is said to ward off evil spirits.
・Tsuju Dango is made on November 29th. Made with bad grain flour found at one’s feetduring threshing, It is called Oninokobushi, or goblin’s fist, because the dumplings are
made by squishing them with one’s fist. These were then made as offerings to the gods. In
Higashi Ogawa, children walked around eating these dumplings, but in Tsukiji, they didn't
eat them because they thought they would get lice.

④ Kawada Village Magazine published in 1961 (Showa 36)
・Dumplings are made on the 27th day of December using rice, millet, and a mixture of various
flours. When these dumplings are placed on a doorway or wall, children are supposed towalk around them.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey⑤ History of Kanagawa Prefecture (Folklore of the Prefecture Volume 1) Published in 1961
・When it comes to offerings and food on the 8th day of Koto, it is important to note that in

Mikaaribasan's area, many places offer tsuchiho dango (also called tsujo dango).
・In Shimo-onda, Kohoku Ward, on the 8th day of December, doryo dango are made and 3
dumplings are placed on each bamboo skewer, and 4 of theses are used as offerings. If you
don't do that, you'll get sick.
・In Yato, behind Toriyama-cho in the same ward, three Tsujo dango are put on skewers andplaced in doorways on December 1st. This day is also called the first day of Hanayogore.
・Tsuchiho dango is a type of dumpling made from gleaned grains, but according to Mr.
Yanagita's discussion, they are not very edible. It is said that the reason why such poor
food is offered to the gods is because it still maintains the impression of a day of memorial.
⑥ Tone Folklore Vol. 1Published in 1964
・Performed around mid-November after the autumn season has just begun.
・ Fist-shaped dumplings were made and put on kaya branch skewers about the length of achopstick. Then they were put around the entrances of houses, storehouses, and barns.
People called them ``Oni no Kozuchi.'' Children would walk around and try to take them.
There was a thrill in pulling it off without anyone noticing.
⑦ Tone Dialect and Food Customs Published in 1968
・October 30th's ``Tsuji Dango'' - Red bean porridge made in the shape of a fist (kobushi) on

the second day of the year, with corn or flour dumplings added to it.
⑧ “Joushu Tree Rings” published in 1976
・The scrap rice and green rice that come out from the threshing machine are ground into
powder, and Nejikko dumplings are made on November 30th. They are placed on the
branches of Japanese oaks and hagi branches, and offered to the household deities,
shrines, and the entrance.
・In mountain villages, grains like barnyard millet, buckwheat, millet, and wheat, etc. is used.
However, in some regions children collect and walk around with dango, also calledoninokobushi, and in some regions, the dango is made into soup and eaten.
・It is generally believed that it is a talisman to prevent demons from descending from the sky.
Also, it is held that at the foot of Mt. Akagi, demons come to the door to eat screws. But
these Kanazuchi do not enter because they think they will be hit with a fist.
⑨ Life and Festivals in Joshu The Sound of a Good Harvest Published in 1977
・Tsujuuneji are dumplings made by picking up ears of rice that have fallen in the fields,
turning them into rice flour, and then squeezing the rice flour with your hands. It ischaracterized by the fact that the finger prints remain visible. It is a festival held in eachhousehold to give thanks for a bountiful harvest.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey⑩ Life and Festivals in Joshu, Festival of Small Houses Published in 1977
・November 30th is Tsuju Dango. In areas around Shibukawa and Maebashi cities, this wascalled tsuju-neji, and fist-shaped dumplings were put on to the ears of thatch and placedin the entrances of houses and places for deities. Legend has it that on this day, thedemons descending from the sky will be struck with this fist.
⑪ Gunma Prefectural History Materials 27 Folklore 3 Published in 1980
・If you write Tsuju in kanji Chinese characters, it can be translated into Tsujio or Tsuchiho.
・In this prefecture, this event is mainly held on November 30th of the lunar calendar, but thisis rare. In many other regions, it is an event held on December 8th, or the 8th day of Koto.
This event is mainly held on November 30th of the lunar calendar, and changes due to thecalendar change are similar to those of Daishi-ko.
・However, there are other dates such as November 27th (Tone Village, Tone District) ,December 27th (Kiryu City, Umeda Town), November 29th (Ueno Village, Tano District),and December 11th (Tomioka City). Agatsuma District has Misoka-dango, which is eaten
in many villages in Tsumagoi Village. It is a dumpling made from millet and buckwheat flour
which has become a part of the New Year's Eve event.
・This dango is usually called tsuju -dango, but it is also called tsuju neji, tsuju dance, or

chuuchi. It is called tsuju in Oizumi Town.
Neji is a special form of dango as described below, but this dialect vocabulary is rarenationwide.
However, it is said to be used in the area centered around Maebashi City and Shibukawa

City.
・Dance is a word that accurately conveys the old sound of dango, and was used in the Nishimo
region, such as Matsuida Town, Usui District, and Kurabuchi Village, Gunma District.
Misokadango, the term used in Tone Village, Tone District, and Kuni Village, Azuma District,probably comes from the fact that the dumplings were made on the 30th. However, there
are various other names as well.
・The special feature of this dango is that it uses extremely coarse powder that can be foundanywhere. In many places, Ashimoto is a flour prepared from the muddy ears of ricecollected from the foot of threshing machines. They also collected the paddy rice thatspilled into the garden during the drying process, though it was covered in dirt. This isprobably where the meaning of tsuju (ear of the earth) comes from.
-In fact, in the Ogo Town and Kasukawa Village areas of Seta District, the Ashimoto on theright is called Tsuju. Other words used for the lowest level of ingredients are still found in
those such as Nekoppataki in Azuma Town, Azuma District, Mushiroppataki in Kitachibana
Village, Seta District, and Hatenomon in Kanra Town, Kanra District.
-In addition to rice, millet flour or Korean millet flour was used. While some places just use
whatever they have, such as buckwheat flour or wheat flour.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・This dango is even more special in its shape. To put it simply, knead the flour and squeeze itin your palm.
・The shape is similar to that of a fist. Some people say that it is better to make it asthreatening as possible, and really emphasize the fist shape.

・In many places, two pieces of this dumpling are placed on the branches of trees such as
cypress, hagi, or others. trees, and are offered to the gods. Unlike other celebratory
events, the dumplings are to be offered at all entrances, such as toboguchi and samado.
・That's why in Kuni Village, Azuma District, its other name is Samanju Dango.
The reason why it is shaped like the one on the right and offered in such a place is because
there is a legend that demons and other monsters descend from the sky on this night, and it
is said that this is to protect people from them.
・"If the demons come, leave this so that they will be hit by it." "Put it at each entrance toprevent the demons from coming." "The demons won't come in because they think they will
be hit with the hammer." "The demons will go to the door to eat the screws but leave
because they’ll see the fists at the entrances.
However, the legends in various places are very similar to the one on the right.
・Thus, the name of this dumpling is Oninokobushi, goblin’s fist, in Katashina Village, Tone
District, Oniuchi, goblin hitter in Tone Village, Oniyoke in Kawaba Village, ``Three
Hammers to Drive Out Goblins'' in Shirasawa Village, and Oninomebataki in Kuni Village,
Azuma District. However, there seems to be no particular name for this demon or monster.
- In Kuni Village, Azuma District, it is called a demon called Samanji, but as mentioned

above, this probably means Ji (old man) who comes from Samado.
・In Orimo, Nagane, Yoshii-machi, Tano District, rice powder dumplings are specially coatedwith pot charcoal to make them black before being offered. Here, it is said that an onibaba
will come from heaven, and is also called tsuju baba, but this is also the night of tsuju. She
is a visiting old woman (Yoshii Town Journal). If so, it would not be a proper name like

Mikawaribaasan, who visits on the night of December 7th in Kanagawa Prefecture.
・Anyway, people believe evil spirits will visit villages around these dates of November 30thand December 8th.
It was believed that there was a god, similar to the the god of Taishi-ko, but that was it’s
opposite. Not being a deity that brings something of happiness, people revered it andtried to avoid it. They did so with the fist-shaped dango.
・This event, which has almost faded into obscurity now, was once a tradition that waspracticed by many people and was held regularly. In particular, dango, which is not often
made, is rare, even if the ingredients are bad and the taste is bad. Children and others
would have been curious and walked around holding the offerings on the right, or evenreceiving them. It was an event that gave children a role to participate in the activities.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・In the Ichinomiya and Nukabe areas of Tomioka City, there is a children’s song with lyrics
saying, “Bring out the Chuchu Dango and I’ll be having Omito tomorrow night.” The day
after the 11th ( called Tsuju-dango) was the day of the opening of the doors of Nukizen
Shrine, a major festival in the region.

・In Ogo Town, Seta District, there is also a children's song that says, ``I fell in love with

Tsujudango and came to Ora.''・Children in Sakai-cho, Sawa District sing, “I ate too much Tsuju Dango, devoured Tsuju

Dango, then put the poop in the pot.‘’-These songs are thought to have been passed down more widely. All of these songs
originated from the activities of children at night. But later they were sung not only onthat night, but also during village-versus-village rivalries and teasing.
⑫ Gunma Prefecture History Research No. 17 Published in 1983
・Made from the end of November to the beginning of December. Farmers dry rice in theirgardens. The paddy rice that spills down below is called tsuju. They collected the spilled
paddy rice and made dumplings.
・This tsuju powder was ground in a stone mill and then made into dumplings. After being
dipped in red bean paste it was given as an offering to the gods.
・Grind the tsuju into powder and make two shapes, one round and one shaped by hand. Thenskewer them on Kaya branch chopsticks.
They were also placed in kitchen entrances, Inari shrines, toilets, wells, storerooms, etc.,
as well as on windows and entrances. It’s very good for children.

・I made about 2 sho (about 3.6 liters) of rice dango. I put it on a kaya branch skewer, spreadsome miso on it, and put them in the hearth, cooked and ate them. (Maebashi City)⑬ Folklore of Annual Events and Faith Published in 1986
・ In many regions, the shape of the dango made on November 30th, or Tsuju Day, is slightly
different. It's not round. It is shaped like a fist.
・This is usually called, but as seen in the family mentioned above, it is called tsujuneji.
According to our research thus far, the word ``neji'' seems to be a word from the dialect of
the Nakamo area around Maebashi City and Shibukawa City.
・Put Tsuju-neji on the household Buddhist altar as an offering.
⑭ “Gunma Life Saijiki” published in 1988
・ Around November 30th or December 1st, when the rice harvest was over, there was an event
called Tsuju Dango, where people made dumplings and put them in doorways. This dango
was also called tsuju-neji or misoka dango.
・Tsuju dango is said to be best made by first forming rice flour into dumplings and thensqueezing them tightly in your hands.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・The Kobayashi family's ``annual event'' in Nakaotsuka, Fujioka City, is held on the 29th or
30th of November. “It’s called Tsuju-dango. To make them, the rice flour was kneaded,boiled, cut into dumplings that were then put in various areas. For instance, they were putin the entrance of the house, the household Shinto shrine, and the Buddhist altar, etc.

⑮ “Kikisho Gunma Meals” published in 1990
・Knead rice flour after boiling, make bite-sized dango, and boil. Boil the adzuki beans until
soft, add hot water, make more liquid, add sugar, and thicken. Add boiled dango to this andeat.
⑯ “Gunma Food Culture” published in 1990
・There are dumplings called Tsuju Dango or Tsuju Neji, which are made on November 30th.
However, they are made into a special shape. Since you squeeze the kneaded flour in yourhands, they will take the form of a fist. Put some them on a skewer and display it near the
doorway of your house. This makes it look like a clenched fist, and it is said that the goblinthat tried to come down from heaven that night would be in trouble if it was hit by the“fist”. So, this deterred them from coming down to earth.
・When eating tsuju dango, people were supposed to do ``sunabarai,’’ or sand removal byeating konac. The reason for this is that these dumplings are made by picking up sandy
grains of rice and grinding them into powder. The kojac allows you to clean out yourstomach.
・Collect the ears of rice that spilled under your feet during threshing. Though mixed with dirt,
make it into dumplings. Then put them on skewers, and display them at the entrance ofyour house. It is said that ``tsuju old ladies, are perfect at rivers,’' and the role of old
women was to carefully pick up and separate the grains of rice.
⑰ Takashiji published in 1990
Chijo chicken feed is called chijo. Nowadays, feed is mainly made from commercially available
adult chicken feed, but in the past, it was made from scrap rice, chopped vegetable leaves,and sprinkled with rice bran.
I didn't know why it was called chijo, but I found a clue.
Hatsue Kobayashi from Saitama Prefecture, who has written such books as ``Stories ofDiscriminated Burakus'' and ``This Kind of Discrimination'', gave me her recent book ``Do
Flowers and Fruits Bloom When You Die?: Songs and Life in Bushu Burakus''. . It said,``Well, that’s how it is, I guess.…The dango of the twenty-sixth night's feast, no matter
how new it may be, is ``tsujo dango'' made by grinding rice scraps into flour. What? Do you
think I don't know what ``ear of earth'' is? The young people of today act like that. It
refers to the rice that is swept up and scattered around the machinery during threshing.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

There is a passage that says, ``Nsa...'', and within this sentence was the key to solving chijo's
mystery.
The Japanese Kojien dictionary says, ``Tsuchiho = Tsuchibo, Fallen ears, Tsubu, Tsubo,

Tsuchibo dango (Tsuchiho dango {chichiyuko}), dumplings made from fallen ears of rice.
It’s listed as Tsubo dango or Chichuko.” However, the meaning of tsuchiho used to mean
fallen grains, but the meaning has changed to be scrap rice. The scrap rice that appears
under the vertical line when rice is polished, called green rice, is a large grain that can beturned into powder and made into dumplings.
These are called ambo, yakimochi, and chanoko. They are the ultimate low quality food. In
modern times, it is called ``oyaki'' and is considered to be a high-quality food, but in thepast ingredients were so crude as to make them not even worth mentioning.
This waste rice was also used as chicken feed. So, before you knew it, the word chicken foodevolved over time from the word tsuchibo → tsutsubo → tsujo → chichu → to chijo. Thus,
it’s thought that it may be the case that it was passed down as chijo in this area. Currently,
chijo is mainly a mixed feed, which includes corn, milo (improved Takamae), etc. This isthen mixed with rice bran, wheat bran, and chopped greens. Sometimes scrap rice is added
as before, but it no longer holds the position of the main ingredient.
⑱ Kawada Folklore published in 1992
The Takahashi family cannot make Tsuju dango. It is said that they are the descendants ofdemons. On this day, dumplings are made at home and children usually walk around withthem. Since the Takahashi family can't make them, their neighbors bring some to them.
(Shimokawada)⑲ “Usune Folklore” published in 1993
・On November 30th of the lunar calendar, make dango. Stick two of these dumplings onto
each beanstalk. Then, place them in the eaves of the entrance around the house. The
children walk past and take these branches. It is said to bring good luck if they are taken(Togami).
・Put rice or barley flour dumplings boiled into a soupy powder on a withered kaya branch andplace it on a pillar near every door of the house. These are taken by neighborhood children.
It is said that it is better luck if your dango offerings are taken away right away, before
you even know it. However, the Okamura family does not offer dango because they don’t
have a rice field.( Ishizumi).
-Put one dango on a skewer at every entrance to the house (Idoue).

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey⑳ “Folklore of Rinan” Published in 1994
・On November 30th, pick up the fallen ears of rice and turn them into flour to make dumplings.
Stick them on a chopstick and put it at the door of your house. Children go around stealing
these skewered dumplings. Tsuju means ear of earth. (Shimokuya)

・Make rice flour dumplings, put two each onto bamboo skewers. Stick the skewers in 4 to 5
places around your house. Children steal and eat. (Yokozuka)
・On November 30th, make fist-sized dumplings from udon flour, stick them onto kaya
branches, and put them in the doorways of the houses you visit. There will be about 10
pieces. It was said that a demon would come, so it would be hit by the clenched fist. This
shape was also called the shape of a hammer. The children walk around pulling out andtaking these dumplings. They say it's better to if yours are taken. (Shinmachi)㉑ Kawaba Village Cultural Properties Photo Collection 1994
The kanji, or Chinese characters for tsuju include tsujio and tsuchiho.
After the autumn harvest, the grain is threshed. The rice grains that have fallen under theirfeet mixed with soil (called Ashimoto) are ground into flour.
On November 30th of the lunar calendar, make fist-shaped dango. Put it on a skewer andput it on display at all buildings, Inari shrines, and windows (Toboguchi shrine) in the houseto protect from evil spirits.
Children at that time were allowed to eat dango from any household, which is something
they normally wouldn't have the chance to eat. They would walk around with dango in theirhands even in the middle of a snowstorm.

This event is almost no longer held. [With photos]㉒ “Ikeda Folklore” published in 1995
・On December 15th, Okoto and tsuju dango
・On December 8th, stick fist-shaped dango onto a kaya branches and display them around thehouse. Children will go around pulling them out. (Together with Tsuju Dango) (Shimosayama)・Tsuju dango (Chuchu dango) On November 30th of the lunar calendar, people decorate
around their home doorways putting up kaya branches with one fist-shaped dumpling eachon it. Children walk around pulling them out. The dumplings sometimes have red bean paste
added to it. (Kamihochi/Hochishinden)
・On the 30th day of November according to the lunar calendar, a total of 20 to 30 cocoonshaped dumplings are stuck on kaya branches and displayed around the outside of houses.
Children walk around taking the dumplings. It is said that it's better to have your dumplings
taken. (Hochishinden)-63-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・Shortly after finishing the pot purification rites put one dumpling each on kaya branches.
Then, stick these branches around the outside doorways of one’s house. It is said that
demons come in December, so people put these dumplings around in order to ward off thesedemons. (Shimosayama)

・On November 30th of the lunar calendar, make fist-shaped dumplings using flour groundfrom fallen ears of rice. Stick them onto skewers, and put them under the eaves. They say
it's better to have them taken by the children. Add the rest of the dumplings to shiruko soupand eat. (Nara)・Tsuju dango is called “Okoto dango” and is celebrated on December 8th. (Akizuka)
・December 8th marks the end of the year's events. On this day, called ``Okoto-dango,''people make fist-shaped dumplings and place them on kaya skewers which are then stuckunder the eaves. Children walk around removing them. They say it's better to have themtaken by the children. They are also called tsuju dango. (Akizuka)㉓ Numata Folklore published in 1996

Tsuju Dango Dumplings the size of a fist were stuck on bean stalks and placed around thehouse. (Yanagi Town)㉔ Joshu Saijiki published in 1997
There are days when families hold small festivals, and it is said that the gods of misfortune
visit them.
First, Tsuju Dango on November 30th. The etymology of Tsuju is unclear, as it is sometimes
written as ``Tsuchiho'' and sometimes referred to as ``Tsujio''. However, these characters

are used because the dumplings are made by collecting fallen rice ears and turning thespilled paddy from outside the threshing machine, called Ashimoto, into flour. In Tsumagoi
Village, Kuni Village, etc., it is called Misoka Dango because it is made on the 30th, and in
the same region it is also called Samajii Dango or Samanju Dango because it is offered in thesama, or windows, of each house. . Also, in Tone village, it is called Oniuchi dango based on
the shape of the dumplings. Furthermore, inside the triangular area connecting Shibukawa,
Maebashi, and Takasaki, the local dialect uses neji for dango. So it becomes tsuju-neji.

Tsuju is difficult for children to pronounce so it is often called chuchu dango.
Well, these dango are made by kneading flour and boiling them in the shape of the palm of
your hand. In other words, they will be in the shape of a fist. Stick about two fist-shaped
dumplings on each blade of bamboo grass or Shino bamboo. Then, place them at theentrances and exits of house, storehouses and windows. It is common for children from
Kitamo to Nishimo to walk around holding these dango in groups. Children around Tomioka
City chant, ``Put out the chuchu dango! Tomorrow night is Omito! Omito is the door opening
ritual at Nukizen Shrine. The ritual is held on December 12th. So, the Tsuju dango in thisregion was held on December 11th.

-64-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
The reason why fist-shaped dumplings are placed on the small sama windows, is because on
this day, evil spirits and demons come from the sky and try to enter houses. It is said that
demons, who are believed to be evil spirits, will turn back in fear when they see thedumplings. Some sources explain that the name of the evil god is Samaji. It must have meant

an old man trying to come in from the sama. Many of these things are related to December
8th.
㉕ Numata City History and Folklore Edition published in 1998

Tsuju Dango
On November 30th of the lunar calendar, there is an event where dango are skewered andplaced around the house. Dango comes in a variety of ingredients and shapes. The
ingredients include those made from rice flour, which actually means “flour made fromground ears of rice mixed with soil because they were ears that had fallen to the ground.”(Shimokuya/Nara), and those made from udon flour (Yagatahara/Shinmachi). It seems thatthey were “dumplings made with low quality ingredients” (Prefectural History 27), and theycame in a variety of shapes and methods of skewering.
“Put it on a chopstick and put it in the doorway.” (Shimokuya)“Put two pieces on bamboo skewers and insert them in 4 to 5 places around the outside of thehouse.”(Yakataharamachi/Yokozuka)“Put 3 to 5 sticks on a bamboo grass stick and roast them in the hearth before placing themaround the outside of the house.”(Yagatahara/Shinoo)“Put two pieces on a beanstalk and stick them at each entrance of the house.” (Togami)“Stick dumplings that have been boiled into shiruko form onto bamboo grass and then stickthem on the pillars near all the doors of the house.'' (Ishizumi)“Put one dango each on skewers and stick the skewers around the house.” (Idoue)“Stick a dumpling the size of a fist on something, then display it in the doorway of your house''(Shinmachi, Kamihotchi, Hochishinden, Shimosayama, Nara),“Stick 20 to 30 cocoon-shaped dumplings on bamboo grass, then place these around themain house” (Hochishinden),“Stick a fist-shaped dango on a bean stalk and place them around the house” (Yanagi-machi),etc.
As shown above, the tradition is so diverse that you'll get a different answer every time you
ask. In Gunma Prefectural History, it is said that “this is a quiet event held by eachfamily,”and this is a typical example of an event in Numata where traditions vary from family
to family.
The common reason for displaying dango is to ward off evil spirits, but in Shino’o, Yakatahara,

dango are offered to Shinto altars or to Yashiki Inari. The ones placed on the edge of theeaves are said to be “offerings to Tento-sama, or the deity of the sun.”-65-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
To explain the shape of the clenched fist, it’s said, “The clenched fist is shaped like a mallet.
So one should hit with a clenched fist to prevent demons from coming.” (Shinmachi) In
Shimosayama, there is an explanation that “Demons come in December, so people put
dumplings there to ward them off,'' which suggests that the purpose is similar to that of the

8th day of December. In Akitsuka and Shimosayama, Tsuju dango is held on December 8th as“Okotodango”. “It is a characteristic of the Gunma Prefecture region that this event is held
on November 30th, and in many other regions it is held on December 8th'' (Prefectural
History 27). However, in Numata as well, this is somethings that varies based on the area.
Children had a habit of walking around pulling out the dango on display. It is said that “itbrings good fortune if your household dumplings are taken,” and I have even heard stories
of people going out of their way to ``put red bean paste on the dumplings''(Kamihotchi/Hochishinden). In addition, in Shino’o, there is a folk belief related to Tsuju

Dango that says, “When a child gets a fish bone stuck in their throat, if you stroke theirthroat with this dango, it will come out.”㉖ Photography of Joshu Folklore Published in 1999
Miharada, Akagi Village, Seta District. An event on the night of November 30th. Tsuju is
written as “Tsujio” or “Tsuho” in Chinese characters. Neji is the word for dango in the local
dialect. Form the rice flour dumplings in the palm of your hand, leave the imprint of yourfingers as they are, and place them two by two on a Shino branch. Then, put up as offerings
at household Shinto altars, Buddhist altars, kettle deities, Yashiki deities, etc. The dango isprobably a talisman against evil spirits. (Photo taken in 1962 [Photo included])㉗ Hometown Event Food Published in 1999
Reason for the event
They collected the fallen ears of corn and turned them into flour to make dumplings.
This gleaning was an expression of the humble lifestyle of people in the past, who believedthat they should not waste the crops they had grown. It was the work of elderly people withsmall children.
●How to make Tsuju dango① Grind and knead the harvested rice and wheat into flour.
②Make the rice balls into fist-sized dumplings and boil them.
③Put them on the stems of Kaya.
*Tsuju dango, which were hung on the stems of the Kaya tree, were placed at the entrancesand roofs of houses to ward off evil spirits.

-66-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey㉘ Tone Numata Life History Annual Event Review published in 2001
・Dumplings made on November 30th of the lunar calendar are called tsuju dango. Whenthreshing rice, a lot of waste rice is produced. The rice that is hung on the huller is irigo

yurigo (broken rice under the sieve). Sand and pebbles are still mixed in this. So, these arethoroughly removed, ground into powder, and made into dango to make tsuju dango.
・Tsuju dango is also called chuchu dango or chuchu’u dango. After harvesting, rice isharvested and the gleaned grains are called tsuchippo (ears of earth).
・It is said that this Tsuchippo became Tsuju due to an accent. In other words, tsuju dango are
dumplings made from flour that is ground from low-quality rice that was covered in dirt.
However, it does not have to be made from rice flour. In other words, they are dumplings
made from the scraps left under the sieve.
・Make this dango into the shape of a fist (held in the hand), stick it onto a grass skewer, andplace it at an entrance or window. It is said to ward off evil spirits. So, if a devil tries toenter, they will be hit by the the fist-shaped tsuju dango. Therefore, the overwhelming
majority of dango are shaped like a fist. They are said to be “golden hammers that drives
away demons, or demon fists.” Also, it is said that this is because when demons see the big
dumplings, they run away thinking, “There's such a big man over there.”-This event is quite a personal event that varies from family to family. For example, somehouses have dango placed at the entrance (most of them do this), while others offer it at thehousehold shrine. The size and shape of the dango offered at the altar are different at the
top and bottom of the two skewers. Make the top one small and round, and the bottom

slightly larger like a straw bag. The round shape is to wish that everything stays round, andthe straw-shape is a prayer for fertility.
In addition, there are some places that do it after the beginning of December. In
Sunagawa/Kakidaira, Tone Village, people went there on December 27th for Misoka Dango.
It was an event to exorcise evil spirits, to welcome Toshigami, and involved cleaning thegrain storehouse, sweeping up the spilled grain, and grinding it into flour to make tsuju

dango. This was called “oniuchi” and was offered at entrances and altars. The children alked
around with dango offerings to the gods calling out, “Chu chu dango.”
Furthermore, when offering dango to the gods, they never said ``I offer tsuju dango.'' They
used names such as Oninokobushi, Oniuchi, and Oninokanazuchi. This is because dango weremeant to be offered to Buddha.

-67-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey㉙ Tone Numata History and Folklore Encyclopedia published in 2013
・Tsuju is the paddy that spills during autumn harvesting and threshing, which gets mixed withdirt from being on the ground, is swept up, milled, and made into dumplings. It may havebeen Tsuji Dango with an accent. Around November 30th, people made nigiri dango and put

them on kaya or hagi branches. Then they placed them at the entrances and windows of
their homes. It is said that this is to prevent demons and evil spiritsfrom descending from thesky at night. Neighboring children even came to steal these dango laden branches. Keepthings with many eyes like colanders and baskets out in the garden. This is said to be a way
to ward off demons because they have so many eyes.
- In Kuroho Village (Showa Village), it is said that on November 30th, the stem of a pipe is cut
into 5-inch pieces, two fist-sized dumplings are stuck onto it, and the pieces are inserted
into every entrance of the house to drive away demons.
・In Suganuma, Katashina Village, people purposely crush the dango with their hands and stickthem in windows to ward off evil spirits.
・In Kakidaira, Tone Town, children called it Oniuchi and carried it around.
㉚ “Katashina Village Magazine” published in 2014
・On the 15th and 31st of November of the lunar calendar, make dumplings from grains ofmillet, foxtail millet, etc., by shaping as if they were crushed by a fist. Then attach them tothe stems of Kaya trees. Put on different pillars such as doorways. This is done to ward off
evil spirits. (Tsukiji)
・On November 23rd, put millet dumplings on kaya branches and put them it at the door.

Apparently it has the meaning of curing illness. (Gozairi)㉛ Takasaki Academic Certification Course Takasaki Annual Events and Food Published in 2021
・Tsuju dango (11/30)…Tsuju dango is a dumpling made from a wide collection of rice ears
and paddy and ground into powder. Stick this on Shino bamboo sticks and stick them at theentrances and windows. It is said to ward off demons and evil spirits.

-68-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Food Culture Story Literature Survey Tsuju Tango ①
№

Title

AuthorPublication
location

The Tsuchiho Dango Kunio
ProblemYanagida② About Sanrinbo
Yurei Kojima

P84～
102
P1

③ Cursed December

Shin Aiba

P83

From Autumn toWinterCompilationcommittee

P362

①

④

Book nameMondayCommunication
Folklore No. 22
Katashina Folk
Customs
Kawata Village
Magazine

Publisher

Publicati
on dateShudo Akiyama /1954-12
Shudosha
Sagami Folklore Society 1957-3
Gunma Prefecture
1960-9Board of Education
Kawata Village
1961-2
Magazine Editorial
Committee

History of
Kanagawa
Kanagawa Prefectural
P83～84 Prefecture
Library(Folklore of thePrefecture)
Tone Folklore
Tone Numata Folklore
P43
Takashi Abe
Volume 1
Research Council
Tsurubuchi
Tone Dialect and Tsurubuchi
P53
Fluorescence
Food Customs
Fluorescence
Joshu Annual
Sojusha (Susumu
P168
Hideo Ikeda
Rings
Hagiwara, Shin Aiba)
Tsuneichi
Joshu Life andP194
KanjidoMiyamoto
Festivals
TomaruJoshu Life andP241
KanjidoJukuichiFestivals
Prefectural
Gunma
P575～ Prefectural
History
Gunma Prefecture578
Editorial
History Materials
Committee
27 Folklore 3
Gunma
EiichiPrefecture
P137
Gunma Prefecture
Sakamoto
History ResearchNo. 17
Folk customs of
TomaruP12～13 Annual Events
Miyai Bookstore
Jukuichiand Faith
P187～ Gunma Life
Haruo Itabashi
Jomo Shimbunsha
188 Calendar
Completecollection ofJapanese
口絵
Meals in Kikisho Rural Culture
Dietary Habits
P139 Gunma
Association
Gunma
Editorial
Committee

Annual Events in⑤ Kanagawa Prefecture Masasu Wada
2. Koto 8 days

1961-10⑥ Tsuju Dango

1964-6⑦

Annual Events
November⑧ Tsuju Dango
The Sound of a
Bountiful Harvest
Small Houses’⑩
Festivals⑨⑪ Tsuju Dango⑫ Tsuju Dango⑬ Dumplings⑭ Tsuju Dango⑮

Gunma, Kingdom of
Flour

-69-

1968-8
1976-7
1977-101977-101980-3

1983-2

1986-11
1988-6

1990-6

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Food Culture Story Literature Survey Tsuju Tango ②

Title

№

AuthorPublication
locationBook namePublisher

Publicati
on date⑯ Hare Foods

TomaruJukuichi

P109

Gunma foodcultureJomo Shimbunsha

1990-10

Various dialects of⑰ Higashikubiki (3)Chijo

Yasuhachi
Takahashi

P19

Koshiji No. 298

Niigata Prefecture
Folklore Society

1990-12

P90

Folklore of
KawadaNumata City

1992-3

P157

Usune folklore

Numata City

1993-3

P164

Folklore of
TonamiNumata City

1994-2

P78

Kawaba Village
Cultural Property Kawaba Village Board
Photo Collection of Education
Vol. 3⑱⑲⑳

Knowledge in Daily
life 3. Taboos
Autumn event Tsuju

Dango
Winter event Tsuju

Dango㉑ Tsuju Dango㉒

Annual Events
Introduction㉓

Annual events: From
Summer to Autumn

Days when Evil gods
Visit, Tsuju Dango,㉔
Kawa-hitari mochi,
the 8th day, Okoto

City History
Compilation
Committee
City History
Compilation
Committee
City History
Compilation
Committee
Editorial
Committee
City History
Compilation
Committee
City History
Compilation
Committee
TomaruJukuichi

P149、168、180 Ikeda folklore
、181
P182

P266～
267

1994-12

Numata City

1995-3

Folklore of
NumataNumata City

1996-3

Joshu Saijiki

Kanjido1997/7

City history
Events from Autumn
Compilation
to Winter
Committee
Tomaru㉖ Tsuju neji
JukuichiTsuju Dango
Numata FM㉗
November 30th
Broadcasting

Numata City
P755～
History Folklore
Numata City
756
EditionFolklore of Joshu
P135
Miraishain Photos
Hometown Event Numata FM
P66～67
Food
BroadcastingThoughts about
P210～ Life history of㉘ Tsuju Dango
Masato Iizuka
Keibunsha Printing
211 Tone Numata
Annual Events
Tone Numata
P320～ History andTsuju Dango Tsuju㉙
Kaneko Castle
Jomo Shimbunsha
321 Folklore
Dango
Encyclopedia
Village
Magazine
Katashina village㉚ Tsuju Dango
P798
Katashina village
Editingmagazine
Committee
TakasakiAcademic(6) Winter events ① Masahiro
Certification㉛
P3
Tsuju Dango
YokotaCourseTakasaki's Annual
Events and Food㉕

-70-

1998-3
1999-2
1999-10

2001-7

2013-1

2014-122021-7

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（２） Tsuju Dango＜Field survey①＞

Date and Time

Friday, September 15, 2023 10:00-10:20

Place

Kawaba Village OfficeSuccessor☆☆Kimura, December 1930, 87 years old.
Born and raised in the Seishin district of Kawaba Village

Listener

Takenori Kanai, Hanae Suzuki, Masashi Takayama

Survey of Modern times

Overview

・Has never heard of the Tsuju dango event.
・Ate a lot of dumplings and rice.

-71-

Survey of Current situation

・Raw products are produced in the
rice-producing area of Kawaba
Village.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（２） Tsuju Dango＜Field survey②＞

Date and Time Friday, September 15, 2023 10:20-11:30
Place

Kawaba Village OfficeSuccessor☆☆Seki, Born January 1940, 82 years old,
Born and raised in Yachi, Fuji-mama area, Kawaba Village

Listener

Takenori Kanai, Hanae Suzuki, Masashi Takayama

Survey of Modern times

Overview◎Even as a child, said ``Tsuju dango.‘’◎It was somewhat tasty.
◎ Made botamochi after wheat-scawing. ◎Once tsuju dango wasfinished, it felt like we were just waiting for the New Year.

Ingredients◎Non-farming households used wheat flour ◎About half of thehouseholds in the village could not make enough rice to eat (therice harvest was small)◎In the old days, when threshing, ears of rice would fall by yourfeet
◎We had kinako and kosen◎The skewers used were the thick part of the grass

Procedures/Techniques◎Made on the same day.
◎One part rice flour to one part hot water ◎Make fist-shaped
dango (the wife makes them)◎Place the dango on kaya stems and put those on all thebuildings, Inari statues, and windows (Toboguchi- sama) on theproperty to ward off evil spirits.

Tools/
Equipment/◎Make the remaining dumplings (that haven’t been skewered) byshaping into balls and cook over the watashi grill.

Environment

Origin/Background/
Story◎The Mt. Fuji area was under shogunate control during the Edo
period.
◎They lived by stealing and cooking with charcoal in the forest.

-72-

Survey ofCurrent situation

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（２） Tsuju Dango＜Field survey②＞
Survey of Modern times

Survey ofCurrent situation◎Children, including girls, went around in groups taking theWho
dumplings. ◎They would not take things from their own homes.
(Successors/B ◎Did no take from families where there wasn’t enough to eat(such as refugees). ◎People didn’t say that eating theseearers)dumplings would protect you from getting sick.
When?
(Connection
with seasons,Hare, Ke,events, etc.)◎As a child, walked around taking dumplings. ◎Until enteringjunior high school. ◎On the day of the event, we started walking
around when it started to get dark. ◎On November 30th of thelunar calendar, we made dumplings and children walked aroundtaking them down.

With whom?

◎Small children so around taking the offerings for Inari -samastatues. ◎Older children would take the ones stuck in each door
◎Was told not to pull out the ones in the toilet area.

Where?

◎Fuji-yama area in Yachi (22-23 houses)• -There were annual events at seasonal milestones, which wereaccompanied by special foods (like dango).
• The day of the annual event is called ``Kami ni kazusukette kuchimatsuri.'' It means that while offering to the gods, we can also eat
something delicious (kuchi matsuri, or a festival for the mouth).

-73-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（２） Tsuju Dango(c) Literature Survey, Field Survey, Comparison with
Cases in Other Regions, Characteristics of the Region
Major
items
History

Minor
Items
Name

Literature survey③ Tsuju Dango④Tsuju dago
⑦Tsuji Dango⑧ Oninokobushi⑪ Tsujiu written in kanji is Tsujiu or
Tsuchiho.
・Oniuchi・Oniyoke・A hammer to drive away demons㉑Tsujio, Tsuchiho㉒Oto dango㉕ A powder made from the ears ofrice that fell on the soil, so it iscalled earth ears.
㉘Chuchu dumplings/Chuchu
dumplings
・Tsuchippo (ear of soil)- Tsuchippo's accent is Tsujuu㉙Demon’s Fist
・OniuchiField survey

Examples fromother regions

Tsuju dango⑤Doryo dango(Fuji-yama
・Tsujo dango
area, Yachi,⑩Tsuju neji
Kawaba Village, ⑪ Misoka dango
Tone District)）・Tsuju dango

Tsuju nejiTsuju dance
Chuchu dango
Tsuju (ear ofearth)
・Tsuju Ashimoto

Nekopataki
Mushiropataki
Hatenomon.
Such words arestill in use toexpress
something of
the lowest
qualityduring theadjustment
process.
・Samanju Dango・Oninomebataki
・Samanjii・Tsuju Baba
⑬ Tsuju (jiju)⑭Tsujiu dango⑰Tsuchiho used to

Background/Story

Mr. Seki, from
Yachi, Kawaba
Village, has
fond memories
of walking pasteach family's
Tsuju dango
from hischildhood until
the time heentered juniorhigh school.

-74-

mean fallen
grains, but themeaning haschanged to scrap
rice.
・Anbo, fried rice
cake, tea snacks.
① They did notgive them grain
scraps, instead
they ate
whatever they
could.
・If there aremany grains ofrice that cannot
be picked up bychopsticks or
sticks,Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

Formof
EatingEveryday LifeEvent③Lunar Calendar November 30thDay
・November 29th
④The 27th day of December⑥Around mid-November when theautumn season had finished⑦October 30th
⑧November 30th
⑪Mainly November 30th of the lunar
calendar・November 27th (Tone Village, Tone
District)⑫End of November or beginning ofDecember⑲November 30th of the lunar calendar㉒December 15th・December 8th㉚November 23rd

-75-

The Tsuju dango
event was heldfrom after WorldWar II until the
1950s, andduring this period
there was a
shortage of food,so he thought
Tsuju dango wasdelicious. In
recent years, no
one picks up thegrains and seeds
that fall at theirfeet.
thought Tsuju
dango wasdelicious. In
recent years, no
one picks up thegrains and seeds
that fall at their
feet.
(Yachi, Kawaba
Village, Tone
District).

especially thosethat have fallen
off and arescattered one
by one in thecorners, there isnothing to do
but to sweep
them up on thelast day ofthreshing. In
other words, itis actually justscrap
rice. However,people in thepast tried to put
it all to gooduse.
・Moreover, it was
not just
something toeat, but it used
to be one of theregular foods.

The Tsuju dango
event was held on
November 30th
according to thelunar calendar.
According to the
new calendar, it
is held aroundmid-December
when it issnowing. When

⑤Koto the 8th・December 8th
・December 1st,
this day is also
called the Firstof Hanayogore.
⑩November 30th
⑪December 8th
Okoto the 8th
December 27th
(Umeda-cho,
Kiryu City)
November 29th
(Ueno Village,
Tano District)
December 11th
(Tomioka City)
December 31st
(Tsumagoi
Village)⑬November 30th

Tsuju dango
ended, it was
New Year's.
(Fuji-yama area,
Yachi, Kawaba
Village, Tone
District)Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
With
Whom

It was more of a
local festival thana family
event(within the
Fuji-yama area).
We went toneighbors'houses to takesome Tsuju
dango. Around 5
p.m., when it got
dark, the children
gathered
together andwent to take thedumplings. There
were a lot ofchildren there, so
we ate the tsuju
dango on the
spot while pullingit off the grassskewers. Most ofthem were placedat the entranceof the houses(doorways,
gateways).
Several children
went to get them,andthen everyon
e ate as much as
they liked. ( Fujiyama area, Yachi,
Kawaba Village,
Tone District)

Where
Make

Ingredients③Raw dumplings made from millet
flour
・Made with powder from bad grainsthat had fallen to the ground.
④Make dumplings using a mixture ofvarious flours.
⑧The scrap rice and green rice thatfall out at the foot of the threshingmachine are turned into powder.
・In mountain villages, flours such as
millet, buckwheat, foxtail millet, andwheat are used.
⑨ Pick up the ears of rice that fell in
the rice fields and make them into
rice flour.

-76-

The woman of the ②Dumplinghouse made thepowder is madetsuju dango. A
by sweeping up
woman fromthe spilled
Katashina who
paddy
moved to there
rice duringwhen she married,
threshing,
had no idea how
washing it
to make them andthoroughly with
did notwater, removing
understand thestones, andmeaning of tsuju
turning it into
dango, a custom
powder.
in Kawaba Village. ⑪Japanese millet
Her mother-inand buckwheat
law taught her,flour・Useextremelycoarse powderthat you haveon hand.

⑳ Pick up the fallen ears of rice andmake them into powder
・Rice flour・Udon flour㉑When the autumn harvest is over andthe grain is threshed, collect the soillaced paddy that has fallen under ourfeet (called Ashimoto) and grind intoflour.
㉘When threshing rice, a lot of waste
rice is produced. The rice that is put
through the huller is irigo yurigo(hulled rice under the sieve). This had
sand and pebbles mixed in, which were
thoroughly removed, ground into
powder, and made into dumplings.
・Dumplings made from the scraps
left under the sieve-77-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
and she was able In many places, ato continue
flour prepared
the carrying out
from the muddy
the event. The
rice ears collectedfood culture
from the foot of
associated withthe threshingannual events
machine is called
was inherited
Ashimoto. They
from the families
also collected thethey married into. ears that spilled(Yachi, Kawaba
into the garden
Village, Tone
when drying theDistrict)
paddy and became
People who werecovered in dirt.
not farmers used ・It is best to use
to make tsuju
Japanese millet
dango using
flour or Koreanudon flour
millet flour.
(wheat flour).
However, some(Yachi, Kawaba
places use
Village, Tone
whatever theyDistrict)have, such as
buckwheat flour or
wheat flour.
⑫Farmers dry rice intheir gardens.The
fallen rice paddy
from this
They made about
15 cups of rice.
⑭Rice and barleyflour Kudzu rice
powder⑯Collect the ears ofrice covered in dirtthat fell under yourfeet when grinding
the rice.
⑰Green rice is the
scrap rice foundunder the verticalline that comes out
during ricepolishing. Thisgreen rice isground into
powder.ricefoundunder the verticalline that comes out
during ricepolishing. Thisgreen rice isground into
powder.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Tools
Procedures/
techniques③ Put the dumplings on the Kayaskewers and place them at all theentrances.・
・It is called Oninokobushi because it ismade by squeezing it in the palm of
your hand.
⑥ Dango shaped into a fist
⑦ Add corn or flour dumplings to thered bean porridge made in the shapeof a fist.
⑧Make Nejikko dumplings and put themon the stems of the kaya andhagi plants.
⑨ Dumplings made by squeezing themtightly with your hands⑲Make dumplings and stick two pieces
each on beanstalks.
⑳Stick the dango on chopsticks
・Thread two pieces each on bamboo
skewers.
・Make fist-sized dango.
㉑Fist-shaped dango㉓Put the dango beanstalks㉕ "Put it on a chopstick and put it in
the doorway" (Shimokuya),"Put two pieces on bamboo skewers andplace them in 4 to 5 places around theoutside of the house" (Yakataharamachi/Yokozuka),"Put 3 to 5 sticks on a kaya stick androast them in the hearth before
placing them around thehouse."(Yagatahara/Shino’o)"Put two pieces on each beanstalk andplace them at each entrance of thehouse" (Togami)"Take dumplings that have been boiled
into shiruko consistency and stick itthem on dried grass stalks. Thenplace on the pillars near all the doorsof the house." (Ishizumi)"Put skewers with one dumpling eacharound the outside of thehouse"(Idoue)“Stick a dumpling the size of aclenched fist on each stick and placethem in the doorways of your house''(Shinmachi, Kamihotchi, Hochishinden,
Shimosayama, Nara),"Put 20 to 30 cocoon-shaped dango on
blades of grass. Then placethese around the mainhouse.” (Hochishinden),-78-

Farmers in the
Yachi-Fujisanarea weregrowingsoybeans, adzukibeans, foxtail
millet, andcommon millet.
The materials
used in Tsuju
dango are theseeds and grainsthat fall from thefoot-operated
thresher(senbakoki) after
the rice washarvested. They
were milled intoflour using awater wheel.
Because the riceseeds and grainsused as raw
materials weremixed with soil,
the taste of mudremained. To
make Tsuju
dango, mix 1 cupof rice (rice flour)with 1 cup of hot
water and knead.
It was made into
the shape of ahammer and put
on pampas
grass stems inorder to ward off
evil spirits. The
freshly madeTsuju dango washot, and after it
had cooled down,
it was put on the
pampas grass.
Families ate theleftover Tsuju
dango bysprinkling it withsoy sauce,⑤Place three
dumplings eachon four bamboo
skewers. If you
don't do that,you'll get sick.
・Put three
dumplings oneach skewer andput them in the
doorways. The
shape is special.
To put it simply,
knead the powder
and squeeze it inyour palm.
・The shape issimilar to that ofa fist. Somepeople say that itis better to makeit as look as
dangerous as
possible, byemphasizing theshape of the fist.
⑫ Grind it intoflour with a stonemill, make it into
dumplings, andadd red beanpaste.
⑭It was said thatto get the best
shape you shouldmake rice flour
into dumplings
and then crush
them tightly withyour hands.
⑭Nigiri- ko toshi-yu, Hagino-take,Kenikiri,sosakinikoni
warite nigiriko
futatsuyubishi.
⑮ Knead with hotwater to form
bite-sized
dumplings andthen boil. Boil the
adzuki beans
until soft, add
hot water, makemore liquidChapter 4 Implementation of Survey"Put one fist-shaped dango oneach beanstalk and put them aroundthe house."㉗・Knead the fallen ears of rice andwheat into flour.
・Make fist-sized dumplings and boil.
・Put them on the stems of Kaya grass.
㉙Cut the stems into 5-inch pieces,
stick two dango on them. Put themin every entrance of the house todrive away demons.
Deliverables③They say that the more dangerous
the dango, the better. It is said toward off evil spirits.
-Offer this to the gods.
⑥ Stick them on skewers of Japanese
grass about the length of a chopstick
and put them around the entrances,windows of houses, storehouses, andbarns.
⑧Place offerings for deities, onhousehold altars and entrances.
⑨It is characterized by the fact thatthe finger impressions remain as
they are.
⑲Put it in the eaves of the entrance
around the house.
・Stick rice or barley flour dango boiled
into a shiruko consistency on awithered kaya tree and insert it onpillars near all the doors of the house.
・Put one dango on a skewer at every
entrance to your house.
⑳Place them in 4 to 5 places aroundthe house・Put it on kaya and place them indoorways around your house. There
will be about 10 pieces.
㉘It is said to be "a golden hammerthat chases away demons, a demon
fist.’' it This is because it’s said thatwhen demons see the big dumplings,
they run away and think, “There
must be such a big man over there.''・There are some houses that put
dango at the entrance (most of themdo this) and some houses that offer
it at the household Shinto altars. The
size and shape of the dumplings
offered at the altar are different at
the top and bottom of the skewers.
Make the top small and round, andthe bottom slightly larger like astraw bag. The round shape is a wish

-79-

roasted soy
powder, andsugar. Wheat
flour was also
added at times.
(Yachi, Kawaba
Village, Tone
District), add sugar, andthicken. Add
boiled dango tothis and eat.
⑯ Squeeze thekneaded flour inyour hands so it
forms a fist.

⑤It’s said thatit’s not reallyedible.
⑩ Fist-shaped
dango were put
onto bamboo
shoots andplaced at thealtars for gods
and at theentrances ofhouses.
・In many places,
two dumplings
are placed on
the branches oftrees such as
kaya, hagi andare offered to
the gods. In
contrast to mostevents, they are
to be placed atevery entrance,
including thewindows andopenings forventilation.
⑪We take thetrouble tospread pot
charcoal on rice
flour dango to
make it black
before offeringit.
⑫Powder them,make them into
two shapes, one
round and one
shaped by hand,then stick themonto

Chapter 4 Implementation of Surveythat everything continues goingsmoothly, and the straw-shaped
shape is a prayer for fertility.
・In Sunagawa/Kakidaira, Tone Village,
people carried out this event on
December 27th, calling it Misoka
Dango. It was an event to exorcise
evil spirits in order to welcome the
New Year’s deity. This involved
cleaning the grain storehouse,
sweeping up the spilled grain, andgrinding it into flour to make tsuju
dango. This was called "oniuchi'' andwas offered at entrances and altars.

-80-

Kaya chopsticks
and put themin places likethe kitchen,
Inari shrine,
restrooms,
wells,
storerooms,
etc., as well as
windows andentrances.
・I put it on abamboo stick,spread miso on
it, set it up in
the irori hearth
to cook it, andate it.
⑬It's not round.
A shaped
formed by aclenched fist
・Offer to
Buddhist altar⑭Place at the
doorways ofthe house, thehouseholdshrine, and theBuddhist altar,
etc.
⑯ Put onskewers andplace near the
doors of yourhouse.
・When eating,
we weresupposed to
eat konjac as
well. This wascalled"Sunabari.''
The reason isthat these
dumplings are
made bypicking up
sandy grains ofrice andgrinding theminto powder.
The konjac issaid to clean
the stomach.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
The Folkloric ③ In Higashi Ogawa, children carry these
Significancedumplings around and eat them, but inof Annual
Tsukiji, they don't eat them because they
Events forthink they'll get lice.
the Region ④If you put this dumpling up on a doorway
or wall, children will walk around taking
them down. ⑥The children walk aroundpulling them down, calling it the "demon
gavel.'' There's a thrill in pulling them out
without being discovered.
⑧In some regions, children collect themand eat them as shiruko.
⑱The Takahashi family cannot make Tsuju
dango. It is said that they aredescendants of demons. On this day,children usually make dumplings at home
and walk around with them. Since the
Takahashi family can't make them, theirneighbors bring some to them.
⑲The children silently walk around taking
them. It is said to be auspicious if they
are taken.
・Neighborhood children walk around taking
dumplings. It is good luck if your dumplings
are taken before you know it.
⑳It was said that demons would come, so
you should hit the demon with a clenched
fist. This shape was also called the shapeof a hammer.
㉑Children in those days were allowed to
eat the dango, which they normally
wouldn't be able to eat, from any
household. So, even in a blizzard theywould walk around taking the dango.
㉘When offering dango to a god, one neversaid, "I offer tsujuu dango.'' They usednames such as Oninokobushi , Oniuchi,
and Oninokanazuchi. This is because
dango were meant to be offered to
Buddha.
㉚Put the millet dango on the kaya stems
and put them at the door. This is meant
to cure disease.
㉛It is said to ward off demons and evil
spirits.

-81-

Not allhouses in thevillage wereable to holdthe Tsuju
dango event.
Only a few
large farmers
did so. Tsuju
dango wereplaced at thedoor leading
to theoutside of
the house, atthe gate, andat the Inarishrine(Yashiki
Inari). There
was a belief
that this wasa talisman toprevent
demons fromentering thehouse. In
somehouseholds,②There is a festival
for the desolate
god on the day ofSanrinbo in
October. The days
events of which aredescribed byMikaari-baasan.
They made somedumplings with redbean paste andoffered them to the
Kojin deity on aplate. Apart from
that, they put three
dumplings each on
bamboo skewers
and put five ofthem on the ridge ofthe roof.
・The origin of making
Tsuchiho Dango on
Kojin's Day is thatwhen Mikawaribaasan was at homebabysitting a large
number of children
who were exposed
to fire, she madeTsuju dango
Tsuchiho Dango to
was also put
prevent the children
in the outfrom getting
house. (Yachi, burned. It is said
Kawabathat the festival
Village, Tone
began when people
District).
celebrated bymaking dumplings
and offering themto the Kojin.
⑤ When it comes toofferings and foodon the 8th day ofKoto, it is important
to note that in thearea of Grandma
Mikaari,many places offer
tsuchiho (rice earsof the earth) dango(also called tsujo
dango).
・It is said thatoffering poor foodto the gods will
leave an impression
on the day of one’s
death.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey⑧It is generally
believed that it isa talisman toprevent demonsfrom descending
from the sky. Also,at the foot of Mt.
Akagi, demonscome to the door
to eat screws, butthey see thesehammers and fists
and do not enter
thinking they will
be hit.
⑩Tradition explainsthat on this day,the demons
descending fromthe sky will be
struck with thisfist.
⑪There is a legendthat demons andmonsters descendfrom the sky on
this night, and it’ssaid that this is toprotect against
them.
・"Leave it here sothat if the demonscome, you can hit
them with it." "Putit at eachentrance toprevent thedemons fromcoming.""The demon doesn't
come in because
he thinks he's
going to be hit
with a hammer.''"The demon comesto the door to eat
screws, butthere’s a fist, so
he can't come inbecause he'sscared.''-82-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey"The demon doesn't
come in because hethinks he's going tobe hit with ahammer.'' "Thedemon comes to thedoor to eat screws,
but there’s a fist,
so he can't come inbecause he'sscared.''⑫ Great for children⑯It looks like aclenched fist, so
it’s said thatmonsters that tried
to come down fromheaven that night
would be in trouble
if hit by it, so theywouldn't come down.

What Annual
Events wereCalled⑨It is a festival held by each family togive thanks for a good harvest.

-83-⑪A demon hag
comes down fromheaven-It was believed that
there was an evil
god that visited
villages. Unlike thegod of Taishi-ko,
this is the opposite
of something thatbrings happiness,
so naturally people
try to enshrine it
and avoid it. It wasa fist-shaped
dango.
・There is a children's
song that goes,"Bring out the
Chuchu Dango.
Tomorrow night will
be Omito."
・In the children'ssong, [ Tsuju dango
pleases me andcomes to Oraa]

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・Singing [I ate toomuch for Tsuju
dango, I was so
fed up by Tsuju
dango that I threw
poop into the pot.]⑯It is said that
"Tsuju haba,
Kawappitari'' was
the job of old
women and others
who carefully
picked up andseparated the ricegrains.
⑰The dumplings at
the 26th night's
feast is actually"tsujo dango,''made by grinding
rice scraps intoflour, no matter
how new the rice is.
What, you don't
know what "Tsujo"
is? That's how it iswith today's young
people. This refers
to the rice thatwas scatteredaround themachine during
threshing, that got
collected bysweeping it up.
Tradition/
bearers㉑This event is almost no longer held

-84-

⑪This event, which
has almost faded
into obscurity now,
was once carriedout by many
people. In
particular, dango,
which is not often
made, is rare, even
if the ingredientsare bad and thetaste is bad.
Children andothers would havebeen curious andwalked aroundChapter 4 Implementation of Survey
holding theofferings on theright orreceiving them.
It was an event
where children
could take partin the activities.
・It originatesfrom children's
activities atnight. However,it was latersung not only atnight, but also
during conflicts
during village
rivalries whentaunting eachother.

FutureProspects-85-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（２） Tsuju Dango(d) How to make it
scrap rice from undersorting maching＜米選機下のくず米＞

fallen ears of rice

steam

shape into
fist shapes

place in doorways todecoratechildren walkaround to
get some

eat

-86-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（２） Tsuju Dango(e) Preservation/inheritance

From the beginning of the survey, we asked many residents of Tone Numata jurisdiction
whether they knew about "Tsuju dango".
Not a single person knew.
For this reason, we first researched what ``Tsuju dango'' is in the literature, and also
conducted an interview survey based on the recognition that it was necessary to conduct
interviews with even more people.
Given this situation, it will be extremely difficult to move forward with preservation andsuccession activities during the implementation period of this project.
However, as a result of interviews, it was found that the effective use of kudzu rice, which

has a muddy odor that makes it difficult to eat as it is, is not to throw it away, but rather todecorate it at the doorway of a house as a talisman to ward off evil spirits. Children in theneighborhood freely take the decorated items and eat them as their privilege. By doing this,
we hope to pass on to future generations the wisdom of our predecessors, who allowed
children who are normally hungry to view rice as a valuable opportunity to consume rice, andat the same time experience the preciousness of food. , this research study is believed to beof great significance as an opportunity to do so.

-87-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey(f) Summary of the investigation
In interviews conducted as the first stage of the survey, it was found that there was norecognition of the word ``tsuju dango'' itself.
For this reason, we first conducted a large number of literature searches to learn about
the past situation, and were able to find many documents as shown in the literature survey
results.
When we looked into the details of the event, we found that it was not something that washeld in a village, but rather in the homes of individuals.
A major reason for this is that in mountainous areas where rice cultivation is difficult, many
farmers treat rice with low yields with great care, and ``grain gleaning'' is also practiced.
Legend has it that there was a time when they ate waste rice with great care.
However, due to the use of chemical fertilizers since the Taisho era to increase yields, aswell as the expansion and maintenance of fields through land improvement projects in recent
years, rice cultivation has changed from being considered "precious" to a grain that can beeasily harvested in large quantities. Things seem to have changed, and the culture ofgleaning and eating waste rice seems to have disappeared several decades ago.
Under these circumstances, it was a great benefit that we were able to interview people
with actual experience in Kawaba Village during the field survey. In some areas of Kawaba
Village today, there is a phantom rice! Koshihikari rice produced in Kawaba Village is sold asa branded rice called ``Yukihotaka‘’It is the following advertisement:
Koshihikari ``Yukihotaka'' from Kawaba Village is grown in mineral-rich snowmelt
water gushing out from Japan's 100 Famous Mountains, Mt. Hotakayama. It is said tobe a mysterious rice that is not commonly distributed, and it is also known that newrice was presented to Her Majesty the Emperor and Empress at the Niinamatsuri
ceremony held in the imperial court. In recent years, it has been appearing on themarket little by little, and its quality has been widely recognized, including winning
the gold medal 12 times in total at the International Rice Taste Analysis Appraisal
Contest.
By learning that the rice harvested in Kawaba Village was once extremely valuable

and that there was a culture such as `` Tsuju dango '', I learned that history is
cumulative.

-88-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（３） Mayu Dama(a) Literature Survey

Gothic font has descriptions related to Tone Numata① Ryori Saijiki Volume 1 published in 1780
・Today, after leaving the pine trees and shime-nawa that decorate the Shinto altar and theinside of the house, some farmers put many dumplings of rice flour, called Mai-tama into
the branches of nettle trees, and willow trees and others, making them look like blooming
flowers. To celebrate this, and to celebrate in advance the great yields of sericulture, weshould follow the local custom and decorate branches as if there are silkworm cocoons
forming in a tree. Silkworm cocoons are called Mai in the local dialect. People in thiscountry say that if one gets into the silkworm and mulberry industry, they will do the samething.
② Business Strategies and Prosperity Plans for Confectionery Retail Stores Published in 1932
・The “Mayu dama Business Strategy” is also called the ``Tsurisage Strategy''. The powerof this business strategy is such that it can't help but become popular.
・`Mayu dama” refers to monaka sweets. It is also said to be a lucky charm.
③Local Toys Taisei Volume 1 Tokyo Edition published in 1935

・In ancient times, cocoons were hung on willow branches with papier-mâché-made sea
breams, greens, senryobako, etc., and were hung at shrines and temples with many
visitors, including the Asakusa Kanzeon grounds, every New Year. Among them, it is said
that the first rabbit day of Kameido Myogisha was the most visited.
④Takashiji No. 37 published in 1938 (Showa 13)
・Cocoon balls are colored rice crackers made in various shapes that are hung on the
branches of a tree and displayed in a corner of a tea room, etc. Children gather under
this and rejoice. Although it is said to be displayed until around the 28th, the Japanesename for Mizukusa is Mizubusa, Mizutama tree, and it is also a member of the barberryfamily.
・Mizukusa is the Japanese name for the Mizuki tree from the barberry family, also known as

Mizubusa or Mizutama tree.
・Dango tree
・Stick dumplings at the tips of the twigs and gather them together like cocoons.
・The various shapes are a number of lucky deities and auspicious objects such as Koban
and Ebisu Daikoku.
⑤ “Aomori Prefecture Local History Collection No. 2” Published in 1938

・The sacred treasure was an Ainu treasure called Inao, and it was kept in a paulownia woodbox that was about 3 feet tall. Heibo and Ahabo are ears of rice and ears of millet, andare not gods of those grains. It was a way to ensure the fertility of those grains.

-89-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey⑥ Shina Plants and Bugs published in 1941
・On the 15th day of the New Year, rice dumplings called “Mayu dama,” or cocoon balls, areplaced on plum branches, and before mochi flowers, the rice cakes are cut into squares
and served to the silkworm god.
⑦ Nishikubiki Annual Events published in 1941
・It is common to decorate young trees with cocoons for the Little New Year . It is common
to hang auspicious items such as large, small, and chobo dice, but there are also places
where farmers' utensils made from saplings are hung on the branches.
- Trees that are decorated with cocoon balls are called Mayu dama trees and include

Hanano trees, Mizukusa, Shiderno and zelkova trees.
・The cocoons are made to be seven, five, and three.
・There is also a place where it’s called Mai dango.
⑧ Takashiji No. 96 Published in 1943
・We also make Shiba Shukuhi (also known as wooden celebratory decorations) and cocoon
balls, which are rice flour dumplings or rice cakes put as decorations on various trees
like dogwoods, Japanese mulberry, maple, and beech trees, etc.
・Hang the cocoons and ears of millet under the shime.
⑨ Rural Annual Events published in 1943
・On the 13th day, they pounded rice cakes and made them into decorative cocoon balls. On

the 2nd day, they started the work off by sticking the dumplings made from rice flour on
the Mizubusa (that is, dogwood).
・Decorate the young trees that you have received on New Year's Day, with shapes ofagricultural products, agricultural tools, and other auspicious shapes on them to pray fora bountiful harvest this year. This is an important task for the New Year.
・Later, as sericulture became popular, cocoon shapes (called kinko in many places) werealso made and put on branches, and eventually the trees on which ornaments were foundcollectively came to be called Mayu dama, or “cocoon balls.”
・Even though it is called a “cocoon ball”, it is rare that all the things that are stuck onthese trees are shaped like cocoons. Some are shaped like cocoons, but others are shaped
like agricultural products.
-And most of them are round dumplings. Adding mandarin oranges to remove the outercolor is practiced in many regions.
・People believe that the water used to boil the cocoons and dango that are placed on
decorative trees has some special power.
・Put this water into a medicine can and sprinkle it around the perimeter of your house. It isbelieved that this will prevent snakes from entering.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・It is said that you pour this hot water on the trunk of a persimmon tree and grind it with anax to see if it turns out fine.
・The cocoon balls are usually taken down on the 20th.
・There are some villages where it is said that if you keep a storehouse of wood and burn it
during a summer rain shower, its power will prevent lightning from striking you.
⑩ My Akagi Nemura published in 1954

・The first day of the horse in February is thought to be a day to celebrate the god ofsilkworms.
・It is said that Oshira-sama comes riding smoke, so the New Year's pine tree is actively
smoked. Also, use the pine fire to boil the water used to make cocoons.
・Cocoon balls are offered to various gods, but the main deity is Oshira-sama. In addition
to being placed in a jubako, a cocoon called Hanamabushi is made by breaking mulberry
branches that are given to Oshira-sama during the New Year. Save it and put it on.
・Hanamabushi also takes this and puts the first silkworm in it and makes it form a cocoon.
⑪ History of Food published in 1955
・On the first day of the Little New Year, dumplings made from mochi or rice flour are puton the branches of young trees that were taken from the mountains on the second day of
the New year, which is the first day of the mountain. The dumplings are made into theshapes of various auspicious objects, which for a farming village would be farming tools,
while houses in town displayed such shapes as a koban or senryobako. These would be
put on the branches and then displayed next to the Toshigami or elsewhere.
- In some places, this is called a cocoon ball, and in others it is called a rice flower or a ricecake flower. This custom probably began with the desire for a bountiful year andprosperous business.
・It is not clear whether it existed in the Middle Ages, but it is still widely practiced invarious regions today, so it must have originated from ancient times.
⑫ Annual Events Illustrated Guide published in 1955
・ From the Tohoku to the Chubu regions, decorations called Mayu dama are often seen on
the Little New Year and the first horse day of February.
・ Many cocoons are made from rice flour, mixed with other items, and decorated onbranches of persimmon trees or dogwoods.
・This is done to pray for the safety of the silkworms, and the custom of decorating
flowers was originally connected to silkworm farming .
It is an overuse of the word to call all mochi dango for the Little New Year by this name.
・Some of them are cocoon-shaped, but most of them are round dumplings, and it is rarethat they are all cocoon-shaped. In addition, various shapes of agricultural products arealso made as decorations.

-91-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・Dumplings are usually made by rolling rice flour, but depending on the region, buckwheat
flour is also used. For shapes that are difficult to make with dango, mochi is sometimes
cut into shapes.
⑬ Katashina Folklore published in 1960
・January 2nd: Start work; gather saplings for materials to make okazari decorations for the
Little New Year, and materials for mizubusa (flowering tree, put Mayu dama on them)(Shimodaira)・the 13th, Little New Year decorations (January 13th to 16th)
Take down the rice cakes offered during the Big New Year and replace with Mayu Damadango decorations. It is said that if you dry the mochi and don’t eat it until summer, it will
help prevent summer sicknesses.(Suganuma)
・Hana Kaki Flowers (Hana)were drawn and hung on tree branches along with Mayu dama,
but after the war they stopped doing so (Suribuchi)
・the 14th Setchinbena, the Setchin God

If you eat the cocoon balls given to the god of the toilet, your cavities will be cured. Thatsaid, offer enough Mayu dama for the number of people in the house.

Mayu dama
・It's called Mayu tama New Year, and people put three Mayu dama balls on small branches
and put them up instead of pine trees. Some families mix mochi one by one. (Suganuma)
・Mayu dama used to be made from foxtail millet, Japanese millet, and rice flour, but now it
is made only from rice and millet. It is hung on dogwood branches and displayed in large
pieces that fill the entire tatami room. (Tsuchiide)- Round Mayu dama are hung on trees such as the water mulberry or mountain mulberry anddisplayed in tatami rooms, and smaller branches are displayed after the Big New Year's
pine tree is taken down. Some families cut mochi into shapes like water chestnuts and mix
them together with the other decorations. (Suganuma)
・Jurokudan refers to a mulberry branch with 16 cocoon-shaped balls on it. (Suribuchi)
・It is called the 16 Tenjin (Suganuma)・Jūroku means placing a cocoon ball made of rice on a mulberry branch and displaying it infront of the Shinto altar where the silkworm god is placed (Tsuchiide)・Mayu dama for the Little New Year can also be placed in Koizuka (the compost field)(Suganuma)
・Abo and Hibo decorate the branches of the dogwood tree on the third floor with round

Mayu dama and Hana and set them up at the composting site of Umaya Hiei (Tsuchiide)・In the Kenoniwa (fertility area, mound, and compost area), decorate the three-story
dogwood tree with cocoon balls. Decorate wells, storehouses, and toilets with Mayu damaon small branches (Suribuchi)-92-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

・Save the tsuyu made by boiling cocoon balls and sprinkle around the house to preventmonsters from entering (Tsuchiide)- Sprinkle the hot water in which Mayu dama was boiled with pine needles and sprinkle it
around the house. It’s said to ward off evil diseases, snakes, and centipedes (Suganuma,
Suribuchi)・Put the remaining Mayu dama into the squares and offer it at the Shinto Altar (Suribuchi)
fifteenth day
・After boiling the red beans, make an Kekaki stick out of a young tree.

Break off the top

and put a mayu ball on it. Before boiling the pot of rice porridge with it, stand it up north,south, east, and west and look at it to see which side of the seedling is harder. The stick
will be placed at the water source

for the rice seedling nursery later. Make two(Suribuchi)⑭ Postal Service Vol. 13 No. 1 Published in 1961
・During the Edo period, Mayu dama were sold in front of shrines as indispensable lucky
charms during this Gencho shrine visit.
・It is a beautiful and cheerful spring decoration, with round red and white mochi balls
attached to willow branches and a number of cardboard Daifukucho and small-sized

Fukumen hanging between them.
・On the first day of the New Year, held at Myogi Shrine in the precincts of Kameido Tenjin
Shrine, people used to carry this cocoon ball (branch) on their shoulders when they
returned home. Then displayed it indoors as a symbol of praying for abundant sericulture
and riches and wishing for all the best fortune.
・During tMayu dama on this New Year's visit, and the whole family would walk around thetown on New Year's Day, accompanied by a man wearing a leather haori. They used to go
back and forth with this on their shoulders.

⑮ Kawada Village Magazine published in 1961
・The cocoon balls are put on Hanagi tree branches, but only the ones made for Oshirasama are made from mulberry wood.
・Make Oshira-sama's 16 cocoon-shaped dumplings close together.
- Others are made into circles out of rice flour, cut into mochi, and made into various
shapes, then put together on Hana trees, and displayed at altars for the gods or at gates.
・These decorations make even the tea room feel small.
・These 16 cocoon balls and cut rice cakes are shaped like cocoons, koban, and small grains.
Flowers are hung outside, where flower sweets are hung.
offered to the the Kojin god.

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Also, an elderberry tree isChapter 4 Implementation of Survey⑯ Tokyo’s Hidden Region Published in 1963
・On the morning of the fourteenth day of the new year, the women of the household arebusy making dumplings. Knead rice flour in a kneading bowl, steam it within a bamboo
steamer, moisten your hands with water, tear them apart, and roll them into balls.
・By the time a large bowl full of these dumplings had been made, a group of men who hadgone out into the mountains returned carrying a well-shaped boxwood branch, and placed
it in the hole of a stone mortar that they had placed in their parlor. The preparations were
finished.
・Place dumplings here and there along the branches, and when they are finished, it looks
like white flowers have bloomed all over the lush boxwood. Add golden mandarin oranges
here and there to add color. It is called Mayu dama or Medama, and is used to pray forsuccess in sericulture.
・ However, even homes that have stopped raising silkworms still display this. This isprobably because it is a long-standing tradition and also because it is beautiful as adecoration in the middle of winter when color is scarce.
・Even in the Kanto region, the ones rolled into dango may have been called Mayu dama,
and the ones cut up were called Mochi-hana. As for the name, Mochi-hana is old, andMayu dama seems to be newer.
・Therefore, from a historical perspective, the theory that mochihana, which was a spiritual

object to pray for a rich harvest, was linked to the newly widespread industry ofsericulture and had a hand in the emergence of cocoon balls can be said to be correctfrom a historical perspective.
⑰ Katashina Village History published in 1963
・Oshiramachi worships Oshira-sama on the day before the first horse day in February(Snake Day). Place Mayu dama in a square box as an offering for the god of silk worms.
(Tsuchiide)・Make the shape of a horse with the cocoon balls, raise it up in the alcove, and make anoffering by placing the round cocoon balls in the squares. (Suganuma)- A daikon radish with legs attached to it with bamboo, etc. and decorated with branches ofpine, bamboo, and plum blossoms is called oshira-sama. Mayu dama is placed in front of it.
There are also people who call it Inekoro, which refers to the white buds of the willow tree.
(Tsuchiide)・Put Mayu dama in one sho square box and put in to the alcove (Suribuchi)
・On the first day of the horse, the god of silkworms is celebrated and Mayu dama is placedin the squares.
-The silkworm gods are called Oshira-sama and Kokage-sama, and there is a figure of thegoddess holding a mulberry branch on a hanging scroll.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・When eating the decorated cocoon balls, don't add soy sauce as it will cause the silkworms
to become sticky. It is also said that drinking tea will rust your cocoons. (Suganuma)
・Just go and worship at Yashiki Inari (Suribuchi)
he Edo period, wealthy people and large merchant families took pride in buying large⑱ Akita Saijiki published in 1966
・Meya dama (cocoons) have two types of mochi. There is the small mochi attached to 12
stalks of new straw (13 in leap years) and made to look like ears of rice which are thenoffered at the household altar and attached to the support beams in the house. Then
there is the large mochi put on dogwood and willow branches with several cocoon-sized
rice cakes each, which are then displayed at places like the entrance of storehouses, etc.
・Meya dama is made to pray for the safety of silkworms, and it is said that the custom ofmochihana was once linked to sericulture.

Also, in the Akita region, the meya damatradition was practiced in relation to rice cultivation. It was in order to produce large andplentiful rice, big like silk cocoons. It is an event to celebrate.
⑲ Folklore of Shirasawa Village Published in 1969
・Mai dama
They would save the mai damas that were made during the Little New Year, and in early
spring, when the snow had disappeared and the wheat was ripening, the children would
roast them and take them to eat. Because they are quite hard, it is something to be eatenby young people with good teeth. It was two or three sho (about 15- 23 cups) for one
household and about five sho for big families. This has been practiced until quite recently.
・God of silkworms

Oshira-sama is the silkworm god who is on the household altar, and 16 me dama are madeand offered to it on New Year's Day.

・When making Mayu dama for the Little New Year, it is a rare custom to put one raw azuki
bean inside each to make a cocoon shape and offer it to the silkworm god. The azuki bean
is likened to a chrysalis, and compared to the shape of a cocoon.
・In Hiraide, the night before the first day of the horse is called Oshirabimachi, is whenpeople put 16 Mayu dama in a jubako to make it look like a real cocoon holder. Then thisis offered toOshira-sama. The next day, they call over neighbors and people who cometo help with the silkworms, and ask them to take out the Mayu dama, calling this Mayukaki.
・Second day: Getting young trees
On this day, young trees are gathered. The job of going to get young trees is that of themenfolk. They get the stocks of wild mulberry and dogwood trees in order to make Mayudama trees. (Kamiko)・Little New Year the 13th

Hiki-kazari Put away the pine decorations for the Big New Year and immediately decorate
Mayu dama and Hana (Takahira)-95-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

・Mayu tama On the morning of the 13th, make Mayutama and place them on the branchesof dogwood and wild mulberry trees. Juroku Dango is made by putting one raw azuki
bean each in place of a pupa into large pieces of mochi and then offering this to thesilkworm god. The silkworm god is enshrined on a pillar in the northwest corner of thetea room, and is displayed there. Make Mayu dama into both round ones and cocoonshaped ones, hang them on branches, and offer them all at the place that had been
decorated with pine decorations for the Big New Year. (Takahira)・On the 13th, put the water in which the Mayu dama had been boiled in a kettle andsprinkle it around the house (Hiraide)・Make mochi for the Little New Year, take down the shime decorations from the Big New
Year, and replace them with mai dama instead. Mai dama were used until recently, butfrom a few years ago there have been fewer and fewer houses doing so. (Kamiko)・Make mochi on the 13th day and make Omaru Mai dama (Hiraide)・Put cocoons and flower sweets on wild mulberry tree branches and place them near thepillar (the pillar on the left when facing the household altar). (Shimoko)
・Hanauri You can prepare the elderberry tree by putting it aside in the fall and keeping itin the shade. Using a sharp knife to draw the flowers will make the result beautiful. It issomething that is placed between Mai dama and is taken down on the 20th of New
Year's (Shimoko).
- 14th: If you take down the Mayu tama (dango made from rice flour) that is offering and
eat it, you will not catch a cold.
⑳ Sericulture Customs of Gunma Prefecture published in 1972
・The Little New Year・Make 16 Mayu Dama balls from rice flour and hang them on the branches of a dogwood
tree or a wild mulberry tree and display them in your tea room. It is also said to beoffered to Oshira-sama. (Make 16 pieces using 1 sho of rice flour.) The place where

Oshirasama lives is said to be the corner pillar on the north side of the tea room. These
16 cocoons will be displayed until the the 20th of the New Year.
・If you carry this cocoon ball with you, it will protect you from being bitten by vipers(snakes). They were also sewn into bags as back protectors for children's kimonos.
(Tenjin)・On the 14th day of Little New Year, they made 16 cocoon-shaped balls, called “Juroku

Mayu dama,” and we also made other round-shaped ones. They put these decorations
on branches of mulberry trees that were taken from the roots from someone else's
mountain. This is put up in the silkworm room. (It is said that silkworms won't get
attracted to things that are cut from their own mountain.) They put cocoon balls on tree
branches and reeds, then placed at the entrances of storerooms and stables. (Kawato)-96-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・Okazari (January 13th)
On January 2nd, they went into the mountains to get young saplings, and on January

13th,

mayu dama are put on these you trees. These trees include wild mulberry andwater mulberry. The ingredients for Mayu dama are Japanese millet, millet, and rice, etc.,
which are ground into flour. This is made into cocoon-shaped dumplings and placed inlarge pieces on New Year's shelves, zashiki, in kitchens, etc. For Oshirasama, inparticular, a large one is decorated with 16 balls called Juroku Me dama.
・Mai kaki (January 20th)
Before the sun shines on the morning of the 20th, they take down the decorations. Thisis called maikaki, and it is better to make it as lively as possible. So it can be done byjust one’s family or with many others. They take down the cocoons and eat them later.
・On the 13th, pound rice cakes and change the decorations. Decorate it by putting cocoonson branches. Cocoon balls are made with washed white rice ground in a stone mill. For
the New Year's shelf, they made 16 special large cocoon balls called Juroku Mayu Damaand put them on branches to display there. The mulberry used for the Juroku Mayu

Dama was taken from a silkworm farmer’s land and cut from the roots. So, even if one of
their own mulberry trees was stolen, they were supposed to tolerate it and no one could
complain.
・On the 15th, it was time to put away the cocoon ball decorations, which was called maikaki.

The shelled cocoons were preserved until the first day of the horse, then roasted or
steamed and eaten as omigoku by the whole family to pray for a good cocoon harvest.
(Nakago)・On the morning of the 16th, we boiled and ate mayu balls which was called “Neru Mayu.”(Zenji)・Make cocoons on the 13th. On the morning of the 14th, they made some soba noodles andput them on the cocoon balls. The noodles were supposed to act as the thread.
・For the Mai dama to be made on Little New Year's Day, they bought oval or cocoonshaped ones from a peddler and hung them all together so that they would have a good
cocoon harvest.
・Mayu dama is made by kneading rice flour with hot water on the night of the 12th day of
the New Year. (It is said that you should never use salt so that the cocoons will be
upright. Also, if you save the hot water and sprinkle it on fruit trees they will producewell) Then steam them.
・It is said that if you take Mayu dama to the Dondo-yaki bonfire on the morning of the 14th
and cook it while it is still attached to a branch, and eat it, you will not catch a cold.
・It is said that if a person who eats Mayu dama starts raising a silkworm, he or she will get

good luck. After that, just eat a little bit every day.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・It was said not to adjust the Mayu balls to the wind on the 16th, so they would take themdown on the night of the 15th or the morning of the 16th. They were eaten either grilled
or boiled and with soy sauce. It is sometimes added to shiruko.
- On the morning of the 15th, I brought a small Mayu dama stick to Dosojin-yaki, and after
the Dondon-yaki bonfire I brought back a burnt stick to use when clearing the silkworm
area.
・Nowadays, Mayu dama is steamed, but in the past it was boiled in a basket.
・16 large pieces are offered to the Grand Shrine. For the others, use an appropriate
number of small ones. The shape is often that of a cocoon. A shape commonly known as“koban”( merchandise) is attached to Mayu dama decorations. Toshigami has 16 large
ones.
・Make 16 large Mayu dama, hang them on mulberry tree branches and hang that from theceiling of the tatami room. In the tatami room, they are made into round balls anddisplayed in heaps in jubako boxes.

・Put it on the Kagincho tree (dogwood), wild mulberry, etc.
・Mayudama is eaten by putting it in rice porridge. When making the porridge, break the tipof elderwood chopsticks and grab the Mayu dama and stir each piece.
・Mayu dama were hung in a net bag to dry well, and when the time came to clear thesilkworms, the dried balls were broken up, cooked in a pan and eaten.
・In the past, it was mainly children who ate the boiled or grilled balls. Some families had it
as New Year's breakfast on the 20th.
・Put it in a colander, peel it, pound it, and mix it with new rice flour when making Hatsugo

dango.
・Offer it to Yashiki Inari. In some families, it is said that if you feed it to others, you will gobankrupt, so the family members bury it in the ashes of the hearth and roast it.
・You can save it and bake it as a snack for farm work or as a snack for children.
New Year's Eve
・The plan is to do this on February 11th. They will place about 7 to 10 large cocoonshaped balls inside a sho-size square box made to be a mabushi cocoon holder by folding
straw into random pieces. This is then offered to the household altar.

-98-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey㉑ Komemaki Village History published in 1972 (Showa 47)
・The first horse day of the second month of the lunar calendar is the first horse day of theyear. However, now it seems that much depends on the current calendar. Place cocoons
made from rice flour in a container and offer to Oshira-sama. It is said that if you sprinkle
the water in which these cocoons were boiled, around your house, snakes will not comenear.
㉒ Tone Village Magazine published in 1973
・cocoon balls
In the past, it was made with Japanese millet, foxtail millet, and rice flour, but now it ismade with rice flour. It is put on the branches of dogwoods, Japanese mulberry, andAzalea trees to make as an offering. For Oshira-sama, they put it on mulberry branches.
There are 16 cocoon-shaped dangos put on the branches, called 16 Tenjin. The rest is
made into balls or cut rice cakes, and are offered together with Hana in the place where
the New Year's pine and shime decorations were offered.
・the 15th-day Kayu
Eat red bean kayu porridge in the morning with a harami chopsticks. If you blow on it andeat it, it's said the wind will blow. It is said that if you keep two cocoon balls in the pot
and someone gives them to you, you will have good fortune that year.
㉓ Life and Festivals in Joshu Published in 1977
・During the New Year, Mayu dama are displayed not only inside the house but also on
roadside stone monuments (Nakazato Village)㉔ Hometown Memories Photo Collection Meiji Taisho Showa Yamagata Published in 1979
・On the 14th day of the new year, mochi and dango are made, placed on dogwood branches,and displayed on the main support pillar of the house. This is called “Mayu dama” and it’sdone to pray to the gods for the protection of sericulture. Families with members who
were in unlucky years used Mayu dama decorations to ward off the bad luck.
㉕ Gunma Prefecture Historical Materials Edition 27 Folklore 3 Published in 1980
・ Dango dumplings and cocoon balls were the centerpiece of the Little New Year. If
anything, dango is the older form and cocoon balls appear to be an evolved form dango.
・Trees in which dango or cocoon balls are put are generally called boku (tree). Dangoboya,
basket tree, dango tree, cocoon ball tree
Tree species: Dogwood, Akaboya, Kaginkonoki, Sumotori, Mizubusa, Komegome, Wild
mulberry, Mulberry. Depending on the land and house, hackberry, Japanese oak, Quercus

oak, crape myrtle, Shirahagi, plum, oak, and camellia.
They used to come to get young trees on the first day of the mountain on the second or
sixth day of the New Year.
・Change the decorations of the cocoon balls on the 13th or 14th.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Ingredients: Recently, rice flour. Japanese, foxtail, and common millets, sorghum, corn,

Korean wheat, buckwheat, etc.
In many cases, the amount produced was enormous. 2 or 3 to (30-45kg) was rather
normal, and the least being 2 or 3 sho (4.5kg).
・How to make and serve
There are two types of cocoons: those that are simply round and shaped like dumplings,
and those that are cocoon-shaped with a concave center.
They made 16 pieces, each about the size of a chicken's egg, and placed them in asquare box to offered them to the god of the new year.

Oshira-sama is called by various names such as Juroku Mayu dama, Juroku Dango,
Juroku Denji, etc.
・Fuel for inflating cocoon balls

Tawara wood from the previous year. The trees and Kadomatsu pine wood that weregathered together to make a shelf for Toshigami.
Soaking the ashes in water and sprinkling them around the perimeter of your house will
prevent long insects from entering.
・Juroku Mayu Dama (16 cocoon balls)
They were made all over the prefecture. The names, shapes, places where they are

offered, and meanings vary slightly.
Names: 16 Cocoon Balls, 16, 16 Balls, 16 Dango, 16 Zenji, 16 Denji, 16 Tenjin, 16 Detchi,

Oninomedama, Oshirasama Mai dama,
・The number sixteen
Various explanations have been given, such as the number of legs of a silkworm or thenumber of segments on its body. The silkworm god is Oshira-sama, and the best
offerings to Oshira-sama are those related to the number sixteen. As a result, a legend
was born that foretold a bumper crop of silkworms.
㉖ Koganei 101 Stories published in 1980
・Among the many events, I go back to my childhood and look back at the Cocoon Ball event,
held mainly on January 15th, which is rarely seen today.
・In the Kanto region, it was also a heartwarming prayer for the successful production ofsilk cocoons that year by the sericulture farmers who prospered from the Meiji period to
the Taisho period to the extent that they influenced Japan's economy.

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・The 14th is the day to make cocoons. The rice harvested the previous year is washed,dried in the sun, and ground into flour using a stone mill placed under the eaves of every
house's storeroom. In many households, two or three people take turns grinding the rice,which takes a whole day. I also have fond memories of helping my mothers grind the riceafter coming home from school. My mother would wake up early and, guided by mygrandmother, put rice flour in a wooden bowl, mixed it with water, made it into balls, andput it in a steamer to steam. Then she put it back into the wooden bowl or mochi mill andkneaded it well. This work was quite difficult. In my house, my mother and grandmotherrolled up their kimono sleeves and made white dumplings by rolling them one by one.
・My father always climbed the oak tree in the garden, cut off whatever branches he could
find, removed the dead branches, and placed them on a stone mill as a stand in the
parlor. Even as a child, it was fun to decorate the branches of this tree.
・Dumplings were made with great care so that this year's silkworm cocoons would grow well.
Plucking them one by one from the tree branches on the 16th was something children
really looked forward to.

The chewy white dango were always served in a big box.

Whenever there were visitors, these cocoons were grilled over charcoal until goldenbrown, then dipped in soy sauce and served. Furthermore, the cocoon balls, which weredisplayed using a stone mill as a stand, were accompanied by Kawarake lanterns, making
the event even more meaningful.
㉗ The Village Where the Cod Comes Published in 1982
・During the Little New Year, each household displays cocoon balls as an event to pray for agood harvest for the year. To make cocoon balls, rice cakes are made into cocoon shapes
and several pieces are wrapped with straw then hung about.
・After the New Year, these are removed and eaten as a snack.
㉘ Gunma Prefecture History Research No. 17 Published in 1983
・Mayu Dama The 13th day of the New Year is called marumedoshi, and rice flour is rolled
into cocoon balls.
・Mayu dama is made by kneading rice flour with hot water and making it into a ball. After it
has risen on the morning of the 14th, it is put on boku (tree branch for Mayu dama) andplaced at the altar.
・Make 16 large cocoon balls, cut down a mulberry tree from an auspicious area, and stickthe balls on it. For the rest, hang or stick small cocoons from branches or on the roots ofmulberry trees. Mulberry roots are acquired by stealing stocks from houses where
silkworms are plentiful. People do not criticize this act, as it is said that houses that had

their trees taken would have even more silkworms.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey㉙ Toyama Folklore No. 27 Published in 1983
・On January 14th, the flower mochi is removed and replaced with twelve cocoon balls.
・The Twelve Mayu dama are afixed after cutting a three-pronged mulberry branch, anddecorating each branch with four mochi balls in the shape of an abacus ball, a cocoon

ball, and round balls, for a total of 12 pieces. That is how it was done.
・It was meant as an offering for sericulture, which was flourishing during the Meiji period.
・We worshiped the spirit of the tree and made offerings to it in front of the hanging scrollof Kinugasa-hime. This was displayed until the first morning of February.
㉚ Gunma Culture No. 196 Published in 1983
・The shape of the cocoon balls attached to the branches was similar to the shape of thecocoons formed in the mabushi cocoon holder, which was once used for sagebrush andwas called ikadamabushi or boyamabushi.
・Cocoon balls are generally explained as “Mochihana, a symbol of a bountiful harvest,
which became associated with sericulture.”・The meaning of Juroku-denji is to give away 16 especially large cocoon ball dango among
the cocoon ball decorations.
・Juroku Tenjin (Tone Village)
・For Oshira-sama, put them on a mulberry branch. There are 16 cocoon-shaped dangos
called 16 Tenjin. Others are made into balls or cut rice cakes, and are offered along with

Hana in the same place where the New Year's pine and shime decorations were displayed.
・General folk explanations about the meaning behind the 16 cocoons include that thesilkworm has eight pairs of legs, or that it is because of the soul of the silkworm, but
none of these are sufficiently persuasive.
・When thinking about the number “16” and the relationship with Oshira-sama, we arereminded that in the Tohoku region, the days when the Oshira-sama game is played are
generally the 16th days of the New Year, and in March, and September.
・And Kunio Yanagita says, “In the fairly large area of the outer southern part of thecountry, the ceremony for this game is held three times a year, including New Year's Day,and on the 16th of March and September, that is, in this region. It should be noted that
this is the day when the god of agriculture descends and the day when the god of
agriculture ascends, and therefore many people seem to think that Oshira-sama is the
god of agriculture.”-102-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey㉛ Kuki Festivals and Events Published in 1984
・On January 14th, make cocoon-shaped (dumplings) from rice flour, stick them into a treewith many branches such as willow or zelkova, and give them as offerings to the deities
in your household, including Daijingu-sama and Kojin-sama. If you are going to place itin the tokonoma room, it should be in the place where the Toshigami deity was displayed.
・It is better to put on a lot of cocoon ball dango, usually about 7 to 15, but avoid numbers
such as 4, 9, 13, etc.
・Some places give 36 pieces to Kojin-sama, and some give about 50 pieces to Daijingu-

sama.
・This is displayed with Hana (kezurikake) after the New Year decorations are removed.
㉜ Gunma History and Folklore No. 6 Published in 1985

・On the 14th of the Little New Year, people eat rice and do the pepper ritual. Also, they
make awabo (foxtail millet ears) and hiebo (Japanese millet ears) from walnut trees, andleave them on the stake where the kadomatsu pine had been until taking down on the
20th.
・Tawarakamasu is made by bundling walnut tree branches and tying them with a rope, andplacing a dango made of rice or millet on top, or a rice cake made of rice or millet on a
dogwood branch, which is then put on top of the walnut branch bundle.

This wasdisplayed in the corner of the tatami room until the 20th.
・Hatsuuma is held on the first day of the horse in February. It enshrines Inari, Oshirasama,and the Silkworm deities.
・Make dangos into cocoon shapes and hang on a mulberry tree to make Hatsuuma dango
and offer it to Oshira-sama.
・At night, I made and ate udon so that the silkworms could produce long threads.
・Fubuki is also a game that women gathered together to play, where they put a winningmark on the end of a string and had people pull it to bet something. This was said to bedone so that the silkworms could produce silk well.
㉝ Sakado City History and Folklore Historical Materials Edition Published in 1985

・This dango is also from scrap rice that turns into flour when polished. That's what people
in the past thought. If you grind the brown rice scraps into powder in a stone mill andmake them into dumplings, then dry them on a tree, you will find that they will be auseful and valuable food. It tasted so good that they couldn't believe it was scrap rice.
・The practice of pouring boiled dumpling water onto persimmon trees that had been injured
with a machete in order to help with the production does not seem to be happening at allthese days, but people have said, “It's all right, and if it doesn't work out, I'll make mypeace with it.” This is a chant during the kizeme (tree attack).

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・Also, “After kneading the dango, they poured the water used for rinsing on chestnuts,
persimmons, and peaches, while chanting, “Become a persimmon, become a chestnut,

become a peach,” while scratching it with a machete.”㉞ Folklore of Saiji and Faith published in 1986 (Showa 61)
・ Dumplings are used spectacularly as decorations for the Little New Year holidays.
Originally, it was a celebration for the autumn grain harvest, but in Gunma, thesericulture prefecture, it was made in the shape of a cocoon and was called a Mayu

dama, so it came to be like a celebration for the harvest of cocoons.
・The process of removing the cocoons is called Mayukaki.
・Cocoon balls are made once again on the first day of the horse in February. This day isalso considered to be a celebration of silkworms.
㉟ Living with Silkworms Published in 1988
・ The Little New Year, centered around the 15th day of the year, is also called theagricultural New Year, and is filled with events to pray for a bountiful harvest. Mayudama is one of them.
・There are places in various areas where the act of putting on cocoon balls and removingon the 16th day is called “Mayukaki,” which is compared to the actual process of putting
up cocoons and collecting cocoons during sericulture.
・However, it is questionable whether Mayu dama was originally an event to wish only forthe abundance of silkworms; in various parts of Tone District, Mayu dama made in around shape was called “dango”', and Mayu dama that were concave in the center tolook like cocoons were called mayu dama. The two kinds were distinguished・Put one boiled red bean inside each cocoon ball and call it a pupa.
・In the irori hearth, yakimochi (a food made from rice flour kneaded with hot water and with
red bean paste filling) is made with the same flour used to make Mayu Dama and eatenwith nishime. The Mayu dama offered as an offering is displayed until the day of therooster, when they are taken down, a process called Mayukaki. Then they are cooked
and eaten.
㊱ Gunma Life Saijiki Published in 1988 (Showa 63)
・The tree on which the cocoon balls are decorated is always a wild mulberry, which is dug
up with its roots every year and placed in the middle of the front parlor. (Kurohone)
・It is generally called “Boku”, but it is also called “Kagoki”. It is written with different
Chinese characters for Kagogi, Kagogi, etc. In addition to wild mulberry, other species
such as Japanese mulberry are also used.
・Dumplings are not only made from rice flour, but also corn, foxtail millet, Japanese millet,
buckwheat, and other flours were used in the past.

・Generally, it was not only the dango that was a decoration, but also the monaka sweets
called oban and koban.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey㊲ Little New Year’s Crafts (Part 3) Tone Edition Published in 1989
・Hana materials

Generally speaking, dogwood is most common, followed by walnut. Elderberry is also used
for long things. There are few examples of Okkado (nurude).
・Koeniwa decorations
There are also examples of decorating the Mayu dama with Chijire (frizz) attached to it,
as in the case of Katashina Village.
・Mayu dama

Mai dama and dango are used, and in some cases the Little New Year is called the dango
shogatsu. However, in addition to rice flour, flour made from grains such as foxtail millet,
and Japanese millet ground in a stone mill, and wakabiki are used in preparation. Makeand decorate on the 13th.
・Juroku Maidama are generally round. However, 16 large cocoon-shaped ones (with one
boiled red bean inside each) are put into a mulberry tree or into the bamboo used for

Kadomatsu pine decorations, and then put up for Oshira-sama.
・This is an offering to the god of silkworms, so in addition to putting 16 pieces of maidama
on bamboo branches, 16 pieces of cut Noshi mochi are put on a mulberry tree andpresented to the god Oshira as “mulberry leaves.”
・The event called Oshiramachi is not held during the Little New Year, but rather on the firstday of the horse at the beginning of February.
・Oshiramachi

Oshiramachi in Tone District is held on the night before the first day of the horse in
February, which is the day of the snake.

That night is when Mayu dama are made,placed in a straw lined square box, and offered to Oshira-sama (the silkworm god).
・There are also cases where soba noodles called mabushi soba are made and offered.
㊳ Kikisho Gunma Meals published in 1990
・Hatsuuma After Setsubun, we celebrate the first day of the horse in February. It is also
an event to pray for a good harvest of sericulture, which takes place around the 10th.
・Soba is made because the color of soba resembles freshly-swept kego (young silkworms).
・Put the new kayamabushi (a mabushi cocoon holder made with kaya grass) in a box, placesome soba inside the kayamabushi, and place it at the altar as an offering.
・The next day, make about 16 cocoon-shaped dango and put them in place of the soba you
put there the night before .

-105-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey㊴ Gunma Food Culture published in 1990
・The shape is round for dango, and for mayu dama, the round balls are shaped to look likecocoons or in the shape of flowers. In any case, the process is the same, just the shapeis different.
・Mayudama is said twice a year, on the Little New Year and on the first day of the horse.
・Cocoon balls are made by washing uruchi rice in cold water, spreading it out in the hallway
to dry, and grinding it into powder using a stone mill.
・On the evening of the 13th, knead the powder with hot water and roll it into cocoons. The
most common cocoon balls are round, but 16 special large cocoon-shaped pieces are
made and are called Juroku Mayu Dama.
Other shapes such as of jewels, birds, and small coins are also made and placed inside
the bamboo steamer to steam. If you pour it into a sake cup and fan the steam to cool it
down quickly, it will become shiny.
・Cocoons are stuck on branches of hackberry, oak, kashi oak, etc., and placed as offerings
starting at the household altar, tatami room, or alcove, to the outside shrine for thedeity of the house, the water well, the restroom, shed, cemetery, etc. In addition,families who make waka-mochi stick it on branches along with cocoon balls. Place theremaining cocoon balls in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar, and eat. When soy sauce is poured
on cocoons, they turn brown, to resemble bishon cocoons produced by diseased

silkworms.

So people eat them with sugar because they don't want them to lookdiseased.
Depending on the family, they made from 5 sho to 1 to ( 7.5-15kg) of cocoon balls andused them as preserved food and snacks. Usually, when cocoon balls are roasted andeaten, they are roasted until slightly burnt, then smooshed down and eaten with sugar
and soy sauce and can be served as gojuhan (a small lunch) during January andFebruary.
・On the first day of the horse, put up a hanging scroll of the god of silkworms in the alcove
and offer one sho of cocoons. Knead one liter of non-glutinous rice powder with hotwater to make 16 large cocoons. Spread rice straw in a 1 sho square box, pile up theboiled cocoon balls, and place it as an offering. Round dumplings are also made, boiled,and eaten with sugar, but because they are not exposed to the cold by being stuck ontree branches like cocoon balls for the New Year, they become sticky and the taste isless appealing.
・Some families eat cocoon balls with red bean paste for breakfast.
㊵ Shape of Prayer: Gunma’s Little New Year Tsukurimono published in 1991
・They are said to be made as a ritual celebration to pray for a bumper crop of silkworms,

and this is often called Maidama within the prefecture.

-106-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・Currently, the common Mayu dama shape is round, but there are also cocoon-shaped ones
which are concave in the center.
・In addition, in some areas, Mayu dama are made in the form of cocoons, which are used topray for the prosperity of various crops such as silkworms, Mulberry leaves, taro
potatoes, and cotton flowers.
・Some are made in the shape of koban or abacus beads, attached to the roots of a mulberry
tree along with Mayu dama, and others are made in the shape of a bird or flower.
・Mayu dama Yasaimon (Takasaki City)
On the 14th, the main support beam was decorated with a Mayu Dama tree, “branches”
with oak and bamboo leaves attached, and vegetables and things in the shape ofsilkworms and mulberry leaves as well.
・Azalea and oak Mayu dama decorations (Manba Town)
In the tatami room, azalea branches were decorated with birds, and the oaks were
decorated with molded flowers and jewels.

・Mayudama no kata (cocoon ball type) (Onishi Town)
In addition to the round and 16 cocoon shaped decorations, we also made ones that were
embossed into flower shapes and dyed red. There were also shapes of birds and dolls.
㊶ Kawada Folklore published in 1992
- On January 13th, small New Year's rice cakes are made early in the morning, and thenomeidama (spherical rice dumplings) are decorated on the dogwood branches that werecollected on January 2nd.
・Sixteen or thirty-two large cocoons are attached to branches of a wild mulberry tree andare called Juroku Meidama or Juroku. Then they are offered to Oshira-sama (the god ofsericulture).
・The shape, size, and type of tree on which the cocoon is decorated all vary greatly
depending on the family.
㊷ Usune Folklore published in 1993
・At Hatsuuma, the Inari Festival, people put many cocoon ball shaped dango in a straw

mabushi cocoon holder and offered it to Oshira-sama.
・In the Usune area, the dango decorations for the New Year were clearly called “dango.”㊸ Folklore of Tonami Published in 1994

・The day before Hatsuuma, a flag is put up at Yashiki Inari, cocoon balls (dango) are made,placed in a colander with a cocoon holder and placed at the tokonoma or altar.
・The Inari Shrine on the grounds of Togenji Temple is dedicated to the god of silkworms
and attracts pilgrims from far and wide. Worshipers receive a talisman and return home,
and then bring a cocoon ball as an offering on their next visit.

-107-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・Make cocoon balls. That evening, visit one's neighbors, and the host will say, “Would you liketo harvest a cocoon this year as well?” The guests will eat the cocoon balls with sugar andsoy sauce. This is an event where people help each other with sericulture in theirneighborhood.
㊹ Gunma’s Little New Year Events and Tsukurimono Published in 1995
・Cocoon balls
In Western Joshu, Mayu dama are rolled into balls on the night of the 12th, and this iscalled Marume-toshi. Most of the shapes are round or cocoon-shaped, and there arealso larger ones such as 16 pieces for Juroku Mayu dama) and 12 pieces for Otendo-san.
On the 13th, they are boiled and steamed, then hung in a maidama tree that had been
cut down in the mountains for decoration.
・Sometimes they are hung on an oak branch, as it is said to increase the amount of cash.
・The 16 Juroku Mayu dama are given to the god of silkworms, so they are put on a mulberrystock.
・Mayu dama making can be done on different days depending on the time of Dondon-yaki
on the 14th. In areas where Dondon-yaki is done early on the 14th, it must be decorated
on the 13th, and in places where it is done from evening to night, it is done on the 14th.
It's the same reason why Okazarikae Day is on the 13th and 14th.
・Mayukaki

From the 16th, people will start cleaning up the hana flowers and Mayu dama kazari thatwere offered to the gods and Buddha during the Little New Year .
・It is called Mayukaki because it is associated with scraping out the cocoons. Also, placing

Mayu dama cocoon balls in a 1-sho square box is said to be auspicious for an abundanceof silkworms. They said, ``Don't adjust to the wind of the 20th,'' so they finished the day
before the 20th, to ensure the safe harvest of the crops. This would keep them frombeing affected by the great wind of the 202nd.
㊺ Ikeda Folklore published in 1995
・Decorations
On January 13th, After making mochi, Mayu dama (round dumplings) are put on the
branches of dogwood trees that were previously collected.

These branches are

displayed in all the places that were decorated with pine trees for the New Year. Mayudama decorations are accompanied by flowers made from Occado and dogwood, as well
as Hana sweets sold by peddlers.

Oshira-sama is given offerings of 16 large cocoon-shaped dumplings made from 1 sho offlour. These are called “Juroku Mayu dama.’"・I also added mayu dama to the red bean sauce.

・When cleaning up, I put the mayu dama in a bag and left them to dry, and later roasted
them in the hearth and ate them. The branches were burned in the hearth.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey㊻ Numata City History Folklore Edition published in 1998
・The Little New Year is also known as the New Year of Silkworms. Cocoons made from rice

flour are stuck on the branches of dogwood (red) and Japanese mulberry (white) trees,
which represent red and white, and are decorated using porridge stirring sticks andHarami chopsticks in order to pray for a good harvest.
・ Yamakuwa (Yamahoshi) is used to to put up cocoons decorations, but is especiallyharvested as a special as the tree used to put up decorations for Oshirasama, in order topray for a good harvest of silkworms.
・The implementation rate of cocoon ball decorations is 20% throughout the city, and 34%
for households that have been around for two or more generations, such as farmers.
・”Dango refers to the pillow dango used at funerals, and I was scolded for not calling thedecorations for the Little New Year's holidays mayu dama.”
・Disposing of the cocoon ball tree
Early in the morning on the first day of the horse, it is burned in the stove in which the
dumplings had been steamed. It is said that if you smoke it in the hearth on the morningof the first day of the horse along with the pine tree decoration fromthe New Year,“Oshira-sama will come riding on the smoke.”・Processing cocoons and offering rice cakes
Dump the dango out of the square boxes and then grill and eat them. (It represents

harvesting)
The dango is crushed into powder and used to make them again on Hatsuuma (the firstday of the horse).
・Save it and put it in a pouch and hang it at your waist at a later date. It serves as atalisman to protect you from being bitten by a snake.
・Dry and freeze it, hotobashi it (rehydrate it with water), mix it with powder, bake it, andeat it on June 1st of the lunar calendar.
・The custom of freezing the offering mochi in the open air, saving it, and eating it on June
1st is called “hyoi mochi”and is widely seen throughout the city.
㊼ Photography of Joshu Folklore Published in 1999
・The basic shape of a cocoon ball is a dango, which is the original form of a cocoon ball. In
the Joshu area, various shapes are created from this original shape. The bamboo leaves
on the right hand side that are displayed on the altar in the tea room are probably

Oshira-sama, the god of silkworms. (Azuma Town)-109-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey㊽ West Suburbs Folklore Discussion Group (Shinjuku Ward) Published in 1999
- Sericulture was once actively practiced in the Tama region, and the sericulture industry
has contributed greatly to farmers' cash income. It is not well known that these
sericulture farmers transcended the boundaries of their municipalities and joined
together in a wide area to organize a group called the Asahi Mayu Dama Lecture Society.
・At its peak before the war, the lecture had about 90 to 100 lecturers, and it had a strong
devotion to Myohoji Temple in Suginami Ward, Tokyo.
・Myohoji Temple is, needless to say, Nichirenzan Myohoji Temple, a famous temple of the
Nichiren sect that is famous as the “Grandfather of Horinouchi.”・During lectures, the tradition of making a large number of cocoon balls and dedicatingthem to the temple's founder's hall once a year, around the time of the Little New Year,was called “Mayu-dama-osame”, but at the time the sericulture industry was becoming
more and more prominent. Even today, when the industry has declined, it continues tobe held as a proper event.

㊾ Hometown Event Food Published in 1999
・The origin of the event
It is an agricultural festival dedicated to the god of silkworms, which is held on the firsthorse day of the January calendar.
On this day, we make rice flour dumplings and distribute them to neighboring homes. It issaid that the more people you serve, the more lively the Mayukaki will be.
・Make 16 Mayu dama rice flour dumplings by putting one azuki bean inside, put a mabushi
cocoon holder inside a colander, and decorate them to look like a silkworm making a
cocoon.
㊿ The old days of sericulture in Oraga village published in 1999
・In the past, the shrine was for the guardian deity of each area, and the spring festival
was held to pray for a rich harvest, abundant silkworms, and safety for one's family.
There were also separate silkworm charms.
・Dumplings shaped like cocoons were decorated for the Little New Year, and the same wastrue for Hatsuuma.
・Whether it was a dango offered to the gods or Buddha, or a resting dango for silkworms,
there was always something in the shape of a cocoon ball.

・When making Hatsuuma Dango or resting Dango, if you eat the cocoon-shaped ones
before decorating them, you will not get a lot of silkworms.
(51) Tone Numata Life History Annual Event Review published in 2001
・In Katashina Village, the shape is slightly different, and it is called mee dama and mayutta,
but it is not called dango.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・The 16 steps offered to Oshira-sama are made by making 16 cocoon-shaped rice flour
cakes and placing them on a single mulberry branch. In Suganuma and other places,

these are called the 16 Tenjin.
・Cocoons were made from Japanese millet, foxtail millet and rice flour, but the ones forthe16 steps was made from rice flour in all regions.
・ Make small round cocoons of Japanese millet and foxtail millet, stick three each on
branches from dogwood and wild mulberry, and put up to decorate after removing the
New Year’s pine decorations.
- The Japanese millet was made in place of rice, and the foxtail millet was colorful,
representing gold and silver and praying for a rich harvest of cocoons.
・In Tsuhiide, they decorated by hanging them on large branches throughout the tatami
room. In addition, the ears of millet and husk decorations were placed in the horse
fertilizer field (compost field) by decorating three levels of branches from dogwood
trees with round cocoons and flowers.
・ At Suribuchi, a three-level dogwood is decorated with cocoons (Japanese millet andfoxtail millet). Some families make and display Japanese and foxtail millet ears, butothers use only cocoon balls because the millets are already the raw materials for straw
bags and cocoon balls.
・Some families allow horses to drink boiled cocoon water, but most people flick it with pineneedles and sprinkle it around the house to ward off evil spirits, pestilence, snakes, andcentipedes. Furthermore, it is said that families that allow horses to drink this water doit to protect them from pit vipers. Horses were a powerful helper, indispensable fortransporting goods So it is clear that they were highly valued.
(52) Gods of Sericulture: Faith Nurtured in the Village of Cocoons published in 2004

Hatsuuma Event
・On the first day of the horse in February, people celebrated by making Mayu dama, andInari festivals were held in various places.
・I put Mayu dama on a tree branch and went to pray at Inari Shrine. It is said that whoever
gets there first will wino silkworms.

So, we competed be the first, but we also

exchanged them with other people's silkworms later. (Azuma Town)
・At the Yashiki Inari festival, people put up colored paper flags, folded straw into acolander, put mayu dama in there, and gave them as offerings to pray for a rich harvestof silkworms. (Kawaba Village)
・On the first day of the horse, put one azuki bean inside each Mayu dama. It is said to be
the pupa of a cocoon. Knead rice flour, add red bean paste, and boil to make yakimochi.
It is offered to Inari shrines, then eaten by family members, and is called yakimochi

because it is eaten grilled. (Ueno Village)-111-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey- Mayu dama cocoon balls were placed on a leafy oak branch and offered as an offering.
(Kanryu Town)(53) Monthly Joshuji No. 366 published in 2004
・In the 1950s, Kiryu City celebrated the New Year by decorating with cocoon balls.
・To encourage the production of many cocoons, they made Mayu dama (cocoon-shaped
dumplings) from rice flour, hung them on oak tree branches, and displayed them in theirparlors and kitchens.
・To go with the cocoon ball decorations, they made a flowers by carving a branch of theelderberry tree.
・On the 20th, the cocoons that were decorated for the Little New Year are taken down,roasted over charcoal, and eaten with sugar and soy sauce. but I couldn't eat the ones
that were displayed outside because they seemed to have dust on them.
・My grandfather shoved a cocoon ball into my mouth and said, “If you don't eat this, you
won't grow up to be strong.”(54) Amulet Sweets that Bring Good Luck Published in 2011
・Dango sashimi and dango tree (all around southeast and northern areas)・“Manufacturing” in Nagano
・Cocoon balls from Gunma, the sericulture kingdom
・Tokyo's Foxtail and Japanese Millet Ears

・“Mai dama” in Echigo Nagaoka(55) “Tone Numata History and Folklore Encyclopedia” published in 2013
・Mayu dama, which is said to be a blessing for the abundance of silkworms, were made inlarge quantities as a decoration for the Little New Year. Thus, the Little New Year was
also called the New Year of Silkworms.
・In Tone County, the 13th day of the New Year was used as the farewell day for New
Year's celebrations. It’s when people removed the big New Year’s decorations and put
up their Little New Year 's decorations.
・ As the 14th day is also the eve of the lunar calendar, there was a tradition that
decorations should not be put up for just one night, so decorations were put up on the
13th day.
・Mayu tama were made by steaming rice flour into dumplings resembling cocoons, and 16of them were placed on the branches of dogwood (red) and wild mulberry (white) trees,
representing red and white.
・Some families made large amounts of decorations in multiples of 16, such as 32, 48, and
64. This base of 16 was to pray for an even richer harvest of silkworms.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・In Tone District, there were places that made Mayu dama balls and offered them toOshira-sama (the silkworm god) at times other than the New Year. For instance, thistook place in February on the first day of the horse and on the 11th.
・In Kuroho Village, originally it was held on first day of the horse after Setsubun or the
next day of the horse if the previous one fell on Heigo. Later, the date was fixed so it
was held on February 11th. They made cocoons and put them in a new colander. A
cocoon holder and cocoon balls were added to it then offered to Oshira-sama (the god ofsilkworms).
・In Momono Village, they put up a five-colored flag with the words “Dedication to Inari

Daimyojin” at the Yashiki Inari shrine, offered 16 cocoon-shaped dango in a cocoon
holder to Oshira-sama, and made Hatsuuma dango with bean paste to celebrate.
・In the Tonami region, on the first day of the first horse, straw was spread in a square box,
sixteen Mayu dama were lined up in it and it was offered to Oshira-sama.
・In Kamikuya, they put a cocoon holder in a new colander, put Mayu dama inside it,
pretended that cocoons had actually formed, and roasted them the next morning and atethem calling this “Mayukaki,”or cocoon scraping removal.
・In Katashina Village, some families let their horses drink the water in which the dumplings
had been boiled, but many also used pine needles and sprinkled it around their homes toward off evil spirits, diseases, snakes, and centipedes.

・It is said that when a branch that had had with a Mayu tama stuck on it is smoked in thehearth on the first morning of the first day of the horse, along with the pine tree
decoration from the big

New Year, “Oshira-sama will come riding on thesmoke.”(Shimonumata, Kamisayama)
・To dispose of Mayu dama, you can put it in a pouch and hang it around your waist as atalisman to prevent snake bites (Kamikawada). Or you can dry it, freeze it, rehydrate itwith water on June 1st of the lunar calendar, mix it with powder, then eat it grilled(Shino’o)・This custom of freezing mochi and Mayu Dama dumplings and eating them on June 1st iscalled “hyo-mochi” and was widely seen in the Tone-Numata region.
(56)Katashina Village Journal Published in 2014
・On the 13th, remove the pine tree and replace with mayu dama decorations. It is adumpling, but it is called Mayu dama because because it’s put up to pray for a richharvest of silkworms. The branches used to decorate the room are from dogwood, andwild mulberry saplings which were brought down from the mountains on the second dayof the new year.
・The offering to Oshira-sama is called “Jurokudan” and is made by putting 16 large

cocoon-shaped balls on a mulberry branch. In Suganuma, these are called “16 Tenjin.”-113-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・Other small round cocoons are made from Japanese and foxtail millet, and are hung threeby three on twigs from dogwood and wild mulberry trees. They are displayed after

removing the pine decorations.
・Japanese millet is a substitute for rice, and foxtail millet is colorful, representing gold andsilver and praying for a rich harvest.
・Use the boiled water from Mayu dama preparation. Sprinkle it around the house using
pine needles. It is said that this is meant to ward off demons, evil diseases, snakes andcentipedes.
(57) Gunma’s historical and cultural heritage – modern and contemporary sericulture culture – research
report Published in 2015
- Sericulture rituals are centered around prayers for “winning silkworms” (= harvesting
many cocoons). In particular, the preliminary rituals for the Little New Year are the mainones, and there are few production rituals during the breeding period.
・The first pre-celebration event is the cocoon ball event. The Cocoon Ball Ceremony is not
only for sericulture, but also for rice cultivation and field cultivation, and the process isquite complex.
・There are many agricultural pre-celebratory rituals such as making rice cake flowers,
millet ears, rice planting, and garden rice planting.
・Carved flowers called monotsukuri ・In the mountainous regions, kezurikake flowers areused as a variety of decorations to pray for fertility.
・Mochihana is called Mayu dama in the Kanto region. A rice cake is rolled into a cocoon
shape and placed on a tree branch to represent the state in which many cocoons havebeen removed.
・They were removed on January 16th calling the process, “cocoon scraping.” The Cocoon
Ball Festival imitates the formation of a cocoon and prays for a good harvest.
・In Isesaki City, Mayu dama is placed in the stock from a mulberry, and it is said that it willbring good luck the tree is stolen from a house where many silkworms can be harvested.
So, even though one’s tree was stolen, the owner was happy rather than angry.
・Wrapping a thin rice cake about 30 centimeters long around the Mayu dama branches issaid to be a snake that protects silkworms from rats.
(58) Gunma Regional Culture No. 46 Published in 2016
・Originally, small New Year events are held in each family, but in Sayato, Higashi-machi,
Midori City, everyone in the area has been celebrating the Little New Year decorations
together for 25 years.
・In Sayoto, in 1991, everyone in the area started making small New Year decorations
together in order to preserve the event. A preservation society was organized in 2005,

and it has been designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Midori City.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・On January 11, 2016, members of the preservation society gathered at the meeting halland made things like carved-out flowers, dumplings, and red bean porridge.

- They made 16 large dango, 36 cocoon-shaped dango, countless small dango, flatshaped dango colored red, yellow, and blue, 12 of each color.

These were decorated

on ash and dogwood branches.
・ The cocoon-shaped dumplings represent gratitude and prayers to Oshira-sama (thesilkworm god).
・Little New Year decorations for the entire Sayoto area began to be made at the meeting
hall, and this day also came to serve as a New Year's party for everyone in the Sayoto
area.
・At the end of the banquet, attendees are given white bush clover branches, and if they
return home with seven dumplings on them, they are enshrined on the Shinto altar or
Ebisu trellis of each family.

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Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Food Culture Story Literature Survey Mayu Dama ①
№

Title

Author

① Fourteen Days

Hiroshi
Kawanobe②

Popular Mayu DamaBusiness Strategy

TsutaeSato③ Mayu Dama

KotaroArisaka④ Mayu Dama Trees“Takashiji”
Editorial
Department

Publication
LocationBook Title

Publisher

Yori Saijiki
Takasaki domain
Volume 1
Business andProsperity
P50～56 Strategies for
SeikodoConfectionery
Retail Stores
Folk Toys Taisei
P329 Volume 1 Tokyo Kensetsusha
Edition
P229

P1～3

Takashi Road 37

Koshisha (Niigata
City)

Publicati
on date
1780101932-2

1935-2

1938-1

Aomori
P126～ Prefecture Local⑤ Mayu Dama Theory
1938-1133 History
Collection No. 2
Shina Plant,⑥ Silkworms
Eiichi Isobe P46～51 Insect and Fish Toa Research Group 1941-1
Records
Nishikubiki
District
Nishikubiki District
1941Nishikubiki⑦ Cocoons, Rice Ears, etc. Local
P42
Local Studies Assoc.
11
Annual Events
Studies(Niigata)
Assoc.
Kezurikake,
1943Taro
Koshisha (Niigata⑧ Decorations, and Cocoon
P6
Takashiro 96
11
Nakayama
City)
Balls
Cocoon balls & Cocoon
1943Hisakichi
Annual Rural⑨ balls and Curse
P80～93
Ryuseikaku
12
TakedaEventsProtection
1954From Spring to Summer, Compilation P195～ My Akagi⑩
Akagi Nemura Office
196 Nemura
10
HatsuumaCommittee
Mochi balls and Cocoon Moriichi⑪
P92～93 History of Food Kawade Shobo
1955-8balls
Goto
Illustrated
1955Kunio⑫ Mayu Dama
P75～77 Explanation of
Iwasaki Shoten
12
Yanagida
Annual Events
Starting work/New Year Gunma
Katashina Folk Gunma Prefecture⑬
P72～77
1960-9Decorations
Pref. BOE
Customs
Board of Education
Nishizawa
Postal Service
Postal Service⑭ Mayu Dama
P1
1961-1
FueuneVol. 13 No. 1
Association
Changing Decorations
Kawada Village
Compilation P353・ Kawada Village⑮ 15th day of the New
1961-2
Magazine Editorial
354 Magazine
Committee
Year
Comm.
Sericulture has died
P163～ Unexplored⑯ out, but cocoon balls are Isamu Kono
1963-3
Yokura Shobo
166 areas of Tokyo
still on display.
History of
1963First morning, OshiraCompilation
Katashina Village⑰
P630 Katashina
11
samaCommittee
OfficeVillageJunjiroOigawa-116-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Food Culture Story Literature Survey Mayu Dama ②
№

Title

⑱ Cocoon ball Mochi

AuthorTokuyuki
KappiraShintaro
Aiba

Publication
LocationBook Title

P190・
Akita Saijiki
191

P15・37･
Gunma
151・
Folklore ofPreserved foods ofPrefecture⑲
155･
Shirasawa
Kamikokubu, etc.
Board of158･
Village
Education
159
Sericulture
P211～
Sericulture Beliefs and Gunma⑳
Customs in
225
Traditions
Pref. BOE
Gunma Pref.
㉑ First Day of the Horse

Compilation
Komemaki
P1297
Committee
Village History

Publisher

Publicati
on dateMiura Shoten

196612

Takasaki domain

1969-3

Gunma Prefecture
Board of Education

1972-3

Tsukiyono Town
Magazine EditorialComm.

1972-9Compilation
Tone Village
P946
1973-4Tone village
Committee
Magazine
1977Celebrating the New
JukuichiJoshu Life and㉓
P47
Kanjido10
Year
TomaruFestivals
Hometown
Memories Photo
Yoshikazu
Kokusho Publishing㉔ Cocoon Ball Decorations
P97 Collection Meiji
1979-3
Goto
Association
Taisho Showa
Yamagata
Gunma
Gunma
Pref.
Prefecture
P199～㉕ Mayu Dama
1980-3
History
Historical
Gunma Prefecture204
Editorial
Materials 27
Committee
Folklore 3
Shinichi
Koganei 101㉖ Delicious Cocoon Balls
P81～83
Koganei Shimbunsha 1980-5
HoshinoStories
The Village
Shinichiro
Tradition and㉗ Mayu Dama
P21～23 where Cod
1982-7
Kawagishi
Gendaisha
Comes
Gunma
P132～ Prefectural
Folk Food Notes: For
EiichiPrefectural History㉘
1983-2136 History Research Editorial Committee
powdered foods
Sakamoto
No. 17
Shuzo
Toyama Folklore㉙ Gathering Young Trees
P20～21
1983-4
ShioyaNo.27
About the Cocoon Balls
Gunma Pref. Regional
1983Haruo
Gunma Culture㉚ and the Oshira-samaP31～42
Culture Research
10
ItabashiNo. 196
RitualCouncil
City History
Kuki Festivals㉛ Cocoon Ball Dumplings
P11
1984-3
Kuki City
Editor Roomand Events
Rural Diet in
Mountainous area
Tone River
Upstream of the Tone
Gunma History Gunma History andDiet History
P20・21 and Folklore No. Folklore Research
1985-3㉜ River: Fujiwara,
Research
Minakami Town, Tone
6
Society
Gr.
District, Gunma
Prefecture㉒ The Little New Year

-117-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Food Culture Story Literature Survey Mayu Dama ③
№

㉝

㉞

Title

Dango sashi (cocoon
balls)/Attacking Trees
Food for Sunny Days:
Dumplings

Author
City Boardof
Education
JukuichiTomaruPublication
LocationBook Title

Publisher

Sakado City
P145～ History Folklore
Sakado City
150 Historical
Materials
Folk customs ofP12～14 Annual Events
Miyai Bookstore
and Faith

Publicati
on date1985-3

198611

Gunma
Prayer for Abundant
Prefectural
Life with
Gunma Pref. Museum
P39～41
1988-4㉟ Silkworm Harvest. New
Museum of
Silkwormsof History
Year
HistoryHaruo
Gunma life
P74・751988-6
Jomo Shimbunsha㊱ Mayu Dama
ItabashicalendarPref. BOE
Characteristics of the Cultural
Little New
Pref. BOE Cultural
P5～
Properties
Year's Creations Properties Protection 1989-3㊲ Crafts of the Tone
104
regionProtection(3) Tone Edition Div.
Div.
Completecollection ofJapanese
Food of Okutone:
First-handdietary
Rural Culture
P24 Accounts of
1990-6㊳ Dietary Habits of Four
habits
Association
Seasons
Meals in Gunma
Gunma
Editorial
Committee
JukuichiTomaruMasami
P108・ Gunma Food
1990Jomo Shimbunsha㊴ Hare Foods
Sekiguchi
190 Culture
10
Toshiko
Shida
Gunma
Form of prayer
Prefectural
Gunma's Little
Gunma Prefectural
P30・31
1991-4㊵ Mayu Dama
Museum of
New YearMuseum of History
History
Tsukurimono
City History
Folklore of
1992-3
Numata City
㊶ Little New Year Events Compilation P130
KawadaCommittee
City History
P35・
Sericulture Silkworm
1993-3Compilation
Usune folklore
Numata City㊷
137
Species and Breeding
Committee
City History
P155・ Folklore of
1994-2
Numata City
㊸ Annual Event Hatsuuma Compilation
156 Tonami
Committee
P13～25
Gunma
Gunma's Little
Prefectural ・350
Gunma Prefectural
1995-3
New Year events㊹ Mayu Dama
Museum ofMuseum of History
and Tsukurimono
History-118-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Food Culture Story Literature Survey Mayu Dama ④
Publicati
PublicationBook Title
Publisher
on dateLocation
City History P161～
170
1995-3
LittleNew
Year
EventsCompilation
Ikeda Folklore
Numata City㊺
Committee 180
P191・
City History
Numata City
686・
1998-3
History Folklore Numata City
㊻ Naejiro’s Annual Events Compilation
691～
Committee
Edition702
Jukuichi
Folklore of
P97
1999-2
Miraisha㊼ Mayu Dama
TomaruJoshu in Photos
Western
Western Suburbs
Tama's Cocoon Ball
Toshiaki
P8～17 Suburbs Folklore Folklore Discussion
1999-6㊽
Lecture Course
Nagasawa
No. 167(Shinjuku Ward)
1999Hometown event Numata FM
P30
Numata FM㊾ Hatsuuma
10
food
Broadcasting
The Old Days of
1999Sericulture Belief andAiya
P23・30 Sericulture in
T.D.I.
㊿
11
Gods
HayashiOraga Village
Life History ofMasatoTone Numata(51) Mayu Dama
P62・63
2001-7
Keibunsha Printing
IizukaAnnual Eventsand Thoughts
Gods of
Hatsuuma Ceremony:
Sericulture:
P35・51“Win a Silkworm”
Haruo
Annaka City Furusato 2004(52)Faith Nurtured in～52
10
Sericulture Ceremony
Itabashi
Learning Center
the Village ofand Bodhidharma
Cocoons
2004Hiromi
Monthly Joshuji(53) Cocoon Ball Decorations
P8
Asaosha11
Katayama
No.366
MasakoAmulet Sweets
2011Mizoguchi(54) Little New Year Events
P24～33 that Bring Good Kodansha
11
Keiko
Fortune
Nakayama
Tone Numata
P479・ History andRojo(55) Mayu Dama2013-1
Jomo Shimbunsha
480 Folklore
KanekoEncyclopedia
2014Little New Year
Compilation P779・ Katashina(56)
Katashina village
780 Village Magazine
12
decorationscommittee
Historical andcultural heritage Gunma Historical andof Gunma Cultural Heritage
P10･11 Modern andLittle New Year Cocoon Haruo
Excavation,(57)
2015-3109
Balls
Itabashicontemporary
Utilization, andsericulture
Dissemination
culture-Research Executive Committee
reportGunma Regional
Sayoto’s Mayu Dama
YoshieGunma Regional(58)
P24～25
2016-5
Culture Promotion
New Year
Kamei
Culture No. 46
Association
№

Title

Author-119-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（３） Mayu Dama
＜Field survey①＞

Date and Time Friday, December 29, 2023 10:00-11:00

Place
Successor
ListenerMorishita House, Fuse Minowa, Former Niiharu Village☆☆ Kawai DOB January 1945, 81 years old
Born and raised in the former Niiharu village, Charismatic Tourist
Takenori Kanai, Hanae Suzuki, MasashiTakayama
Survey of Modern times

Overview

A large three-story farmhouse in a sericulture
village. Before sericulture, it was used for
tobacco (a drying area)

Materials◎Millet and foxtail millet were ground into
powder using a water wheel.
◎Wheat is not grown in this area (some people
did grow it, but it was to sell)◎It was always millet and foxtail millet◎Contents were abura-miso and homemade miso
◎In good places, it’ was made with udon flour.

Ingredients

The mulberry trees necessary for sericulture
were available on the flat area on the west sideof the hill, which was a mulberry garden.

Survey of Current situation
This is the birthplace of Mr.
Kawai's aunt, but the current
head of the family has moved
to Numata.

It is large-scale house,measuring 10 rooms x 6
rooms, and the second floor iscurrently a storage area. The
3rd floor has no flooring, so it
is open to the ceiling. The 1st
floor has, an earthen floorarea, living room, tea room(with18 tatami), back roomwith 8 tatami leveled floor, 8tatami doorway, 4 tatami
doorway. In the 2nd floor
storehouse on the west side.
The front and back rooms areconnected by a hallway.Thereis also a storehouse in thesoutheast of the garden.

Procedures/Techniques-120-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（３） Mayu Dama
＜Field survey②＞

Date and Time Friday, December 29, 2023 11:00-12:00
Place
Successor
Listener

Former Niiharu Village Higashimine Former Daishoya Yakutaku☆☆ Kawai Born in 1950, 74 years old, born and raised in the former Niiharu
Village, professor emeritus at the Open University of Japan.
Takenori Kanai, Hanae Suzuki, Tadashi Takayama
Survey of Modern times

Overview

Survey of Current situation
The Mayu damas were
imitations. Normally, it would
be displayed during the New
Year, but it was put on display
to preserve and pass on thefolk event.
It was said that thatched roof
houses would not last unlessthey were smoked, so they
were smoking that day as
well.・There were original
paintings on display.

Materials-121-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（２）Mayu Dama (Cocoon Balls)(c) Literature Survey, Field Survey, Comparison with Cases in Other Regions,Characteristics of the Region
Major
items
History

Minor
Items
Name

Literature survey⑲ Maidama⑳ Mayu dama
㉕16 Cocoon Balls, 16, 16 Balls, 16
Dango, 16 Zenji, 16 Denji, 16
Tenjin, 16 Detchi, Oninomedama,

Oshira-sama, Maidama㊴The expression Mayu dama is said
twice a year: on the Small New Yearand on the first day of the horse.
㊵It is often called Maidama within
the prefecture.
㊶Omeidama㊷In the Usune area, the dango
decorations for the New Year wereclearly called ``dango.''㊻ “Dango” refers to the pillow dango
used at funerals, and I was scolded
for not calling the decorations for
New Year's holidays “cocoon balls.”(51) It is called Meedama Mayutta,
but it is not called Dango.

Field survey

Mayu dama(Yachi, Kawaba
Village, Tone
District)

Examples fromother regions② “Mayu dama”
refers tomonakasweets.
・Lucky balls④Maedama-ki(Cocoon ball,also called
Mochihana inTokyo)⑦Mai Dango⑪In some places
they are calledrice plant
flowers or
mochi flowers.
⑫It is an
overuse of theword to call all
the rice cake
dumplings of
the Little New
Year by thisname.
⑯It is called
Mayudama or
Medama.
・Even in the
Kanto region,
the ones rolled
into dango may
have beencalled Mayu
dama, and theones cut up
were called
Mochihana. As
for the names,
Mochihana isolder, andMayu damaseems to benewer.
㉘Marumedoshi-122-Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Background/Story⑤A monk named Jiko of Akizuka
village, Numata-go, Tone-gun,Joshu, started from Mt. Pilgrimed to
28 places. It looks like it started
from Tsugaru, but ended in thesouthern part at Ozaki Daimyojin.
The sacred treasure I was shown
here was an Ainu treasure called
Inao, and it was kept in a paulownia
wood box about three feet long.
Heibo and Ahabo are ears of riceand ears of millet, and are not godsof those grains. It was a way toensure the fertility of those grains.
㉕The number sixteen
Various explanations have been
given, such as the number of thesilkworm's legs or the number ofsegments on its body; the silkworm
god is Oshirasama, and the best
offerings to Oshirasama are thoserelated to the number sixteen. As aresult, a tradition was born in whicha fertility of silkworms wasforetold..

-123-

After January 1st,
I went to a nearby
mountain tocollect wild
mulberry branches
to put Mayudama into. The
mulberry branches
were cut from ashigh up as
possible. The
following year,
new branches
grew from there
and were used atthat time.
Depending on thehouse, branchesof dogwood trees
were sometimes
used. White wood
was used to makesmall New Yeardecorations for
Shinto altars andplaces where gods
were worshipped,
but dogwood (redwood) was used
for offerings at
Buddhist altars.
(Yachi, Kawaba
Village, Tone
District)③In ancient
times, domaru andother papiermache items suchas sea bream,
greens, andsenryobako werehung on willow
branches.
・They are madewith sweets as a
substitute for clay
items and areused fordecorative
windows andother decorations
in department
stores.
⑥This is said tobe held in
Jiangnan, Shina
Province, on thefirst night of the
Little New Year, arural custom,when people madecocoon threadwith powder,wrote auspicious
words and placed
the threads
inside, then usedthem to divine thefortunes andmisfortunes of theyear. , I drew thisfrom Yang Wanli's“To Cocoon”
poem, called``Powder To'',and pointed out
the similarities
between me andhim.
⑪A custom thatbegan with thedesire for abountiful year andprosperous
business.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・It is not clear
whether it
existed in the
Middle Ages, but
it is still widelypracticed invarious regions
today. Thus, it
must haveoriginated inancient times.
⑯The theory thatmochihana,
which was aritualistic object
used to pray fora good harvest,
was linked to thenewly
widespreadindustry ofsericulture andtherein brought
about theemergence of
cocoon balls canbe said to beaccurate from ahistoricalperspective.
Form of Everyda
Eatingy LifeEvent
Day⑩The first day of the horse in
February, a day to celebrate the godof silkworms⑬January 2nd・the 13th・the 14th・the 15th⑰Oshiramachi is the day before thefirst horse day in February (Day of theSerpent)⑲Little New Year・They pick up young trees on thesecond day of the New Year. Going to
cut down saplings is a man's job.
・Make mochi on the 13th
㉑The first horse day of the second
month of the lunar calendar is

Hatsuuma.
㉒15th day Kayu
㉕First day of the mountain on thesecond or sixth day of the New Year・13th or 14th

-124-

Mayu dama aremade on the 13thof January anddisplayed as
decorations fromthe 14th to the
15th.
(Yachi, Kawaba
Village, Tone
District)③The Usual New
Year's Day
・The day of thefirst rabbit had
the most visitors.
was most often
held on the firstday of the rabbit.
④Little New
Year's Day
・Put out
decorations by
the end of theyear, around the
28th.
⑥The 15th day of
the New Year
⑨ The 13th of the
New YearChapter 4 Implementation of Survey㊳After Setsubun, we celebrate thefirst horse day in February. It is also
an event held around the 10th topray for a good harvest of
sericulture.
㊶On January 13th, Little New Year’s
rice cakes are made early in themorning, and then omeidama(spherical rice dumplings: meaning
cocoon balls) are put on branches of
the Japanese dogwood trees thatwere harvested on January 2nd.
㊸The day before Hatsuuma㊺January 13th(55) Since the 14th day is also theeve of the lunar calendar, there wasa tradition that decorations were
not to be put up for only one night.
So decorations were put up on the
13th day.
・In Tone District, there were places
that made Mayu dama and offeredthem to Oshira-sama (the silkworm
god) on other days than just the
Little New Year, like the first day ofthe horse in February and on the
11th.
・In Kuroho Village, when the firstday of the horse after Setsubun
falls on Heigo, the festival was heldon the next day of the horse. But
later, it came to always be held on
February 11th.

Where⑪ On thebranches ofyoung trees
taken from themountains on thefirst day of themountain (thesecond day of
the new year).
・On the Little
New Year⑫The Little New
Year and thefirst day of thehorse inFebruary⑭At the shrine
visit in the Yuan
Dynasty・New Year's firstday of the rabbit⑯Morning of the
14th day of the
new year㉔Fourteenth day㉖January 15th
㊹It is the night of
the 12th and iscalled the yearof Marume. The
cocoon balls areboiled andsteamed on the
13th③Shrines andtemples withmany visitors,
including the
Asakusa
Kanzeon grounds
・The day of thefirst rabbit at
Kameido
Myogisha had
the most visitors.
④ Display in thecorner of the tea
room etc.
⑭In front ofshrines・Myogi Shrine in
the precincts ofKameido Tenjin-125-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Make

Materials/Ingredients⑬Get the dogwood tree materials(hananoki, put the cocoon balls on
the branches)・ It was made with Japanese andfoxtail millet, and rice flour, but now
only rice and foxtail millet are used.
⑮The cocoon balls are put on
hananoki, but only those for Oshirasama are put on mulberry wood.
⑲Collect the stocks of dogwood andwild mulberry trees for the Mayudama tree.
⑳The saplings are trees like wild
mulberry, dogwood, etc.
- Make powder using Japanese orcommon millet, rice, etc.
㉑Rice powder㉒ In the past, it was made withJapanese or foxtail millet, and rice
flour, but now it is made with rice
flour.
㉕Rice flour has been introduced inrecent years. Japanese, foxtail, andcommon millet, sorghum, corn,
Korean wheat, buckwheat, etc.
36)The tree on which the cocoon
balls will be displayed is always aJapanese mulberry, which is dug up
with its roots every year and placedin the middle of the front parlor.
(Kurohone)
・It is generally called “Boku”, but it
is also called “Kagoki”. It is written
in Chinese characters as Kagogi,
Kagogi, etc. In addition to wild
mulberry, other species such as
dogwood are also used.
・Dumplings are not only made fromrice flour, but also corn, foxtail andJapanese millet, buckwheat, andother flours were used in the past.
㊲The powder of foxtail and Japanesemillet, called wakabiki, is preparedby grinding it in a stone mill after
the 7th, and it is made and into
decorations and put up on the 13th
day of new year.
Soba is madebecause the color of soba resembles
freshly-swept
kego(youngsilkworms).
(51) They were made with Japaneseor foxtail millet, and rice flour, but
the Juroku-dan (16 levels) are madewith rice flour in all regions.
・ Make the round Japanese andfoxtail millet cocoons into small
pieces.

-126-

Mayu dama balls
were made by the
women of thehousehold. (Yachi,
Kawaba Village,
Tone District)④ Colored ricecrackers invarious shapes⑨Rice flour
・Rice and foxtail
millet flour・Two types ofround andcocoon-shaped
dumplings
made of starch
flour
・Usually, rice
flour iskneaded androlled, andsome of it isshaped like a
cocoon.
・Kuwai,potatoes, soba,
millet seeds,
chestnuts,
persimmons,peaches,
pumpkins,
cucumbers,
eggplants,
taugarashi,
cowpeas, etc.
- Agricultural
tools, treasure
ships,
daifukucho,
Oban, Koban,
Daruma, Okamemask,matsutakemushrooms, aswell as firstmushrooms,
shiitake
mushrooms,
tobacco leaves,etc.
・For shapes thatare difficult tomake using
buckwheatflour or flour
dumplings,
mochi may be
cut into
shapes.
⑪Mochi or rice
flour?

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

Tools/
Equipment/
Environment

・ Put three on each twig fromdogwood and wild mulberry trees.
Put as decorations after firstremoving the pine decoration.
(56) Dogwood and mulberry trees⑫Usually rice
flour is kneaded
and rolled into
balls, but insome regions
buckwheat flour
is used.
㉝These dango
are also madefrom scrap ricethat is made intoflour when
polished.
㊹ Maidama tree

㉒Dogwood, wild mulberry, azalea
trees, etc.
㉕ Dango boya, basket tree, dango
tree, cocoon ball tree
Tree species: Dogwood, Akaboya,
Kaginkonoki, Sumotori, Mizubusa,
Komegome, wild Mulberry, Mulberry.
Depending on the land and thefamily, hackberry, Japanese oak,Quercus oak, crape myrtle,
Shirahagi, plum, oak, and camellia.
㉕ Kindling for steaming cocoons
Tawaraki from the previous year.
Trees and Kadomatsu pine woodgathered together to make a trellis
for Toshigami deity.
Generally speaking, Japanese
dogwood is the most common type of
flowering tree, followed by walnut.
Elderberry is also used for longthings. There are few examples of
Okkado (Nurude).
㊴Stick it on the branches of
hackberry, Japanese oak, and kashi
oak, etc.

④ Mizukusa is theJapanese namefor Mizubusa, also
known asMizutama tree. It
is a member of thebarberry family,
and is called
Dango tree in thearea where they
were born.
⑦ Flowering tree,
mizukusa,
hornbeam tree,
zelkova, etc.
⑧Dogwood,
Japanesemulberry, maple,
shii beech, etc.
⑨The mostcommon Mizubusa
tree used for thisevent, which wepick up at the
beginning of thesecond day's workis the staghorn
tree, which has
beautiful red
twigs, so much sothat this tree isoften called the
dango tree.
⑳Put it on the
Kagincho tree
(mizubusa), wild
mulberry, etc.

-127-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Procedures/tec
hniques⑲ Hiki-kazari Put away the pine
decorations for the Big New Yearand immediately decorate Mayudama and Hana・Make Mayu dama and place them on
the branches of dogwood and wild
mulberry trees. Juroku Dango ismade by putting one raw azuki beaneach in place of a pupa into large
pieces of mochi and then offering
this to the silkworm god.
⑳Cocoon balls are made from washedwhite rice and ground in a stonemill.
㉝If you grind brown rice scraps intoflour in a stone mill, make them into
dumplings and dry them on a tree,
you will find that they become auseful and valuable food.When you
place the hardened dumplings inwarm ash and bake them, they
become delicious. It tasted so goodthat I couldn't believe it was scrap
rice.
㊴Cocoon balls are made by washinguruchi rice in cold water, spreading
it out in the hallway to dry, andgrinding it into powder using a stonemill.
・On the evening of the 13th, knead
the powder with hot water and roll it
into cocoons. The most common
cocoon balls are round, but 16
special large cocoon-shaped pieces
are made and are called Juroku
Mayu dama balls.
・Other shapes such as jewels, birds,
and oval shapes are also made andplaced in a bamboo steamer toincubate. If you pour it into a sakecup and fan the steam to cool it
down quickly, it will become shiny.

-128-⑪Items made of
hard materials,
such as theshapes ofagricultural
products andagricultural tools
in rural areas,
and various
auspicious items,
while the houses
in town
displayed such
shapes as kobanor senryobako.
⑯The women athome are busy
makingdumplings.
Knead rice flourin a kneading
bowl, steam it ina steamer,
moisten yourhands with water,tear them apart,and roll theminto balls.
・By the time alarge bowl full ofthese dumplings
had been made,a group of men
who had goneout into themountains
returnedcarrying a wellshaped boxwood
branch, andplaced it in thehole of a stonemortar that they
had placed intheir parlor. The
preparations
were finished.
・Stick the
dumplings allover thesebranches.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey⑳ Mayu dama is
made bykneading rice
flour with hotwater on thenight of the 12th
day of New Year.
(It’s said thatyou should neveruse salt so thatthe cocoons will
be upright. Also,
if you save the
hot water andsprinkle it on
fruit trees they
will producewell) Then steamthem.
・Nowadays, Mayudama is steamed,
but in the past it
was boiled in abasket.
㉖Rice harvested
the last year iswashed, dried in
the sun, andground into flour
using a stone
mill placed underthe eaves of thehouse'sstoreroom. In
many families,
two or threepeople taketurns grinding
the rice, whichtakes a wholeday.
・Put rice flour in awooden bowl,
stir with water,
form into balls,
and put in a
steamer tosteam. Return itto the wooden
bowl or mochi
mill and knead it
well.
・I made whitedumplings byrolling them one
by one.

-129-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Deliverables⑬ Stick three cocoon balls on small
branches and put them up in placeof the pine tree. In some houses,
the rice cakes are mixed together
one by one.
・Hang a large one on a dogwood anddecorate the entire tatami room.
・Put the round Mayu dama on a treesuch as dogwood or wild mulberry.
Then display in the tatami room, anddisplay the small branches after the
Big New Year's pine tree isremoved.
⑮For Oshira-sama make 16 concave
cocoon-shaped dumplings.
- The rest are made into circles withrice flour, cut mochi, and othershapes made into various shapes
and placed on a Hana tree.
・The 16 mayu dama and kirimochi areshaped like cocoons, koban, andsmall grains and flower sweets arehung along the outer side the flower
decorations.
㉕In many cases, the amountproduced was enormous. 2 or 3 towas rather normal, and they made atleast 2 or 3 sho.
㉟In the irori hearth, yakimochi (afood made from rice flour kneadedwith hot water and with red beanpaste filling) is made with the same
flour used to make Mayu Dama andeaten with nishime.㊱Generally, it
was not only dango that was putup, but also the monaka sweets
called oban and koban.
㊲ There are also examples ofdecorating the Mayu dama with
Chijire (frizz) attached to it, as in
the case of Katashina Village.
㊺After making mochi, Mayu dama
(dumplings) are put on the branchesof dogwood trees that werepreviously collected. Thesebranches are displayed in all theplaces that were decorated withpine trees for the New Year. Mayudama decorations are accompanied
by flowers made from Occado anddogwood, as well as Hana sweets
sold by peddlers.

-130-④Hang it on the
branch of a
dogwood tree
・Hang each ricecracker in the
middle using apaper string.
・The job today is
to stick dumplingson the tips of thetwigs and gather
them together likecocoons.
⑦ Hangauspicious items
such as large,
small, and chobo
dice, ・Farmers'
tools made from
saplings are hungon the branches.
⑨It is rather rarethat they are
made in the shapeof a cocoon; someare in the shapeof a cocoon,others are in the
shape ofagricultural items,
and most are
round dumplings.
Mandarin oranges
are added toremove the outercolor.
・Recently, thehanging sweets
have been mostly
used to makevarious shapes, so
starch is nolonger used tomake anythingother than rounddango and cocoon
balls.
⑪ Display it next
to the Toshigami
or somewhereelse.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey(51) The 16 steps offered to Oshirasama are made by making 16
cocoon-shaped rice flour cakes andplacing them on a mulberry branch.
In Suganuma and other places,
these are called the 16 Tenjin.
(55) Mayu dama were made bysteaming rice flour into dumplings
resembling cocoons, and 16 of themwere placed on the branches of
dogwood (red) and mulberry (white)
trees, representing red and white.
・Some families made large amountsof decorations in multiples of 16,
such as 32, 48, and 64. This baseof 16 was to pray for an even richer
harvest of silkworms.

-131-⑫Other items areoften put
together anddecorated onbranches of
persimmons,dogwoods, etc.
・Most dumplings
are round, and it
is rare if they
are all shaped
like cocoons. In
addition, various
shapes ofagricultural
products can becreated.
・For shapes thatare difficult tomake with dango,
mochi may be cut
into shapes.
⑭ A beautiful andfun spring
decoration withround red andwhite mochi balls
attached to willow
branches and anumber of
cardboard
daifukucho andoval fukumen
hanging between
them. have
bloomed all overthe lush boxwood.
Add golden
mandarin oranges
here and there to
add color.
⑳ Mayudama iseaten by putting
it in rice
porridge. Whenmaking it, break
the tips ofelderwoodchopsticks andgrab aMayu
dama and stireach piece.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・You can save it
and bake it as asnack for farmwork or as asnack forchildren.
㉖When one has
visitors, thedumplings are
grilled overcharcoal andserved with soy
sauce.
㉙Remove theflower mochi andreplace it with
twelve cocoon
balls.
・The Twelve Mayudama are madeby cutting athree-pronged
mulberry branch,and decoratingeach branch withfour mochi ballsin the shape of
abacus balls,
cocoon balls,
and round balls,
for a total of 12
pieces.
㉛It is better to
add a lot of
cocoon balldango, usually
about 7 to 15,
but avoid
numbers such as
4, 9, 13, etc.
・Some places give
36 pieces to
Kojin-sama, andsome give about
50 pieces to
Daijingu .
・This is displayedwith Hana(kezurikake)after the New
Year decorations
are removed.
Most of the
shapes areround or-132-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
cocoon-shaped,
and there arealso larger ones
such as 16(Juroku Mayudama) and 12(Otendo-san).
(58) Sixteen large
dumplings,
thirty-six
cocoon-shaped
dumplings,
countless small
dumplings, flatshaped
dumplings
colored red,
yellow, and blue
with 12 of eachcolor, and ash
and blue
dumplings. It is
decorated on a
dogwood branch.
・The cocoonshaped
dumplings
represent
gratitude andprayers toOshirasama (thesilkworm god).
Growth stages ofsilkworms fromthe perspectiveof sericulture⑩Hanamabushi also takes this andputs the first silkworm in it andmakes it form a cocoon.
㉚The shape of the cocoon balls
attached to the branches was
similar to the shape of the cocoons
formed in the mabushi cocoon
holder, which was once used forsagebrush and was calledikadamabushi or boyamabushi㉞The process of removing the
cocoons is called Mayukaki.
㉟There are places in various areas
where the act of putting on cocoon
balls and removing on the 16th day
is called “Mayukaki,” which iscompared to the actual process of
putting up cocoons and collecting
cocoons during sericulture.
・The Mayu dama offered as anoffering is displayed until the day of
the rooster, when they are taken
down, a process called Mayukaki.
Then they are cooked and eaten.

-133-⑳ Mayu dama
were hung in a
net bag to dry
well, and when
the time came toclear thesilkworms, thedried balls werebroken up,
cooked in a pan
and eaten.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・There are also cases where soba
noodles called mabushi soba aremade and offered.
㊾It is said that the more people you
serve, the more lively the Mayukaki
will be.
・Whether it was a dango offered to
the gods or Buddha, or a resting
dango for silkworms, there wasalways something in the shape of a
cocoon balll.
(57) In particular, the preliminary
rituals for the Little New Year are
the main ones, and there are few
production rituals during thebreeding period.
・Mochihana is called Mayu dama in
the Kanto region. A rice cake isrolled into a cocoon shape andplaced on a tree branch to
represent the state in which many
cocoons have been removed.
・They were removed on January 16th
calling the process, “cocoon
scraping.” The Cocoon Ball Festival
imitates the formation of a cocoonand prays for a good harvest.
Relationship with
sericulture
beliefs⑬Jurokudan refers to a mulberry
branch with 16 cocoon-shaped ballson it.
・It is called the 16 Tenjin.
・Display it in front of the Shinto altar
where the silkworm god is placed.
⑰Worship Oshira-sama. Place Mayudama in a square box as an offering
for the god of silkworms.
・Make the shape of a horse with thecocoon balls, raise it up in the alcove,and make an offering by placing theround cocoon balls in a square box.
- A daikon radish with legs attached toit with bamboo, etc. and decorated
with branches of pine, bamboo, andplum blossoms is called oshira-sama.
Mayu dama is placed in front of it.
There are also people who call it
Inekoro, which refers to the whitebuds of the willow tree.
・Put Mayu dama in a one- sho squarebox and move it to the alcove.
・On the first day of the horse, the godof silkworms is celebrated and Mayudama is placed in the square boxes.
・The silkworm gods are called Oshirasama and Kokage-sama, and there isa figure of the goddess holding amulberry branch on a hanging scroll.

-134-① It is goodcelebrate inadvance thegreat yields ofsericulture, weshould follow
the local custom
and decorate
branches as if
there aresilkwormcocoons forming
in a tree thebranch of atree.
⑥ On the 15th
day of the New
Year, rice
dumplings called“Mayu dama,”
are placed onplum branches,and before
mochi flowers,
the rice cakes
are cut into
squares andserved to thesilkworm god.
⑦The cocoonsChapter 4 Implementation of Survey
・When eating the decorated cocoon
balls, don't add soy sauce as it willcause the silkworms to become sticky.
It is also said that drinking tea willrust your cocoons.
⑲ Oshira-sama is the silkworm god
who is on the household altar, and 16
me dama are made and offered to it
on New Year's Dayy.
・When making Mayu dama for the Little
New Year, it is a rare custom to put
one raw azuki bean inside each to
make a cocoon shape and offer it to
the silkworm god. The azuki bean islikened to a chrysalis, and comparedto the shape of a cocoon.
・In Hiraide, the night before the firstday of the horse is called
Oshirabimachi, when people put 16
Mayu dama in a jubako to make it look
like a real cocoon holder. Then this isoffered to Oshira-sama. The nextday, they call over neighbors andpeople who come to help with thesilkworms, and ask them to take out
the Mayu dama, calling this Mayukaki.
・The silkworm god is enshrined on apillar in the northwest corner of thetea room, and is displayed there.
・Make Mayu dama (cocoon balls) roundand cocoon-shaped, stick them onbranches, and offer them at all theplaces decorated with pine
decorations for the New Year.
・Put cocoons and flower oaks on a wild
mulberry tree and place them near thepillar (the pillar on the left whenfacing the household altar.
⑳Make 16 mayu dama balls of rice
flour and hang them on the branchesof a dogwood tree or a wild mulberry
tree and display them in your tea room.
It is also said to be offered toOshirasama. (Make 16 pieces using 1
liter of rice flour)・The place where Oshirasama lives issaid to be the corner pillar on thenorth side of the tea room.
・These 16 cocoons will be displayed
until the New Year on the 20th.
・Specially decorate Oshirasama with alarge cocoon ball called 16 Medama.
・For the New Year's shelf, they made16 special large cocoon balls called
Juroku Mayu Dama and put them onbranches to display there.
・The mulberry used for the Juroku
Mayu Dama was taken from aprosperous silkworm farmer’s land andcut from the roots. So, even if one of-135-

are made to beseven, five, andthree.
⑧We also makeShiba Shukuhi(also known as
woodencelebratory
decorations) andcocoon balls,
which are rice
flour dumplings or
rice cakes.
・A cocoon ball isalso made byattaching a ricecake in the shapeof cocoon to
straw. Millet ears
are also made.
⑨Later, as
sericulture
became popular,
cocoon shapes(called kinko inmany places)
were also madeand put on
branches, andeventually thetrees on which
ornaments were
found collectively
came to be called
Mayu dama.
・In addition, forthe silkworm god,
stick 16 pieces on
the branches of a
dogwood tree.
⑫It is done to pray
for the safety ofthe silkworms,
and originally thecustom ofdecorating
flowers wasconnected tosilkworm farming.
⑭Pray for anabundant cocoon
harvest in
sericulture.
⑯Prayers for
success insericulture⑱Meya dama is
made to pray forthe safety ofsilkworms, andChapter 4 Implementation of Survey
their own mulberry trees was stolen,
they were supposed to tolerate it andno one could complain.
㉑Put the cocoon balls in a container
and offer it to Oshira-sama. It is said
that if you sprinkle water boiled withthese cocoons around your house,snakes will not come near you.
㉒Put it on a mulberry branch for

Oshira-sama.
・There are 16 cocoon-shaped dangos
put on the branches, called 16 Tenjin.
㉕There are two types of cocoons:
those that are simply round andshaped like dumplings, and those thatare cocoon-shaped with a concave
center.
㉚Cocoon balls are generally explained
as “Mochihana, a symbol of abountiful harvest, which became
associated with sericulture.
・The meaning of Juroku-denji is to give
16 especially large cocoon ball dango
among the cocoon ball decorations.
Juroku Tenjin (Tone Village)
For Oshira-sama, put them on amulberry branch. There are 16 cocoonshaped dangos called 16 Tenjin.
Others are made into balls or cut ricecakes, and are offered along with Hanain the same place where the New Year's
pine and shime decorations weredisplayed.
・General folk explanations about themeaning behind the 16 cocoons
include that the silkworm has eightpairs of legs, or that it is because of
the soul of the silkworm, but none ofthese are sufficiently persuasive.
・When thinking about the number “16”and the relationship with Oshira-sama,
we are reminded that in the Tohoku
region, the days when the Oshirasama game is played are generally the
16th days of the New Year, and in
March, and September.
・And Kunio Yanagita says, “In the fairly
large area of the outer southern partof the country, the ceremony for thisgame is held three times a year,
including New Year's Day, and on the
16th of March and September, that is,in this region. It should be noted that
this is the day when the god of
agriculture descends and the day
when the god of agriculture ascends,
and therefore many people seem tothink that Oshira-sama is the god of
agriculture.”-136-

the custom ofmochihana wasonce linked tosericulture.
⑳ On the 14th dayof Little New
Year, they made16 cocoonshaped balls,
called “Juroku
Mayu dama,” andalso made otherround-shaped
ones. They put
these decorations
on branches ofmulberry treesthat were takenfrom the roots
from someone
else's mountain.
This is put up in
the silkworm room.
(It is said thatsilkworms won't
get attracted tothings that are
cut from theirown mountain.
・On the 15th, it
was time to put
away the cocoonball decorations,which was calledmaikaki. The
shelled cocoons
were preserved
until the first dayof the horse, thenroasted or
steamed andeaten as omigoku
by the wholefamily to pray fora good cocoon
harvest.
・On the morning of
the 16th, weboiled and ate
mayu balls called``Neru Mayu.''・Make cocoons on
the 13th.
・On the morning of
the 14th, they
made some soba
noodles and put
them on the
cocoon balls. The

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey㉜Hatsuuma is held on the first day ofthe horse in February. It enshrines
Inari, Oshirasama, and the Silkworm
deities.
・Make dangos into cocoon shapes andhang on a mulberry tree to make
Hatsuuma dango and offer it to
Oshira-sama.
・At night, I made and ate udon so thatthe silkworms could produce longthreads.
・Fubuki is also a game that womengathered together to play, where they
put a winning mark on the end of astring and had people pull it to bet
something. This was said to be done
so that the silkworms could produce
silk well.
㉟Put one boiled red bean inside eachcocoon ball and call it a pupa.
㊲They are generally round. However,
16 large cocoon-shaped ones (withone boiled red bean inside each) are
put into a mulberry tree or into thebamboo used for Kadomatsu pine
decorations, and then put up for
Oshira-sama .
・This is an offering to the god ofsilkworms, so in addition to putting 16
pieces of maidama on bamboo
branches, 16 pieces of cut Noshi
mochi are put on a mulberry tree andpresented to the god Oshira-sama as“mulberry leaves.”
・The event called Oshiramachi is notheld during the Little New Year, butrather on the first day of the horse at
the beginning of February.

Oshiramachi
Oshiramachi in Tone District is heldon the night before the first day ofthe horse in February, which is theday of the snake. That is when Mayudama are made, placed in a straw
lined square box, and offered toOshira-sama (the silkworm god).
On the first day of the horse, put up a
hanging scroll of the god of silkworms
in the alcove and offer one sho of
cocoons.
・Knead one liter of non-glutinous rice
powder with hot water to make 16
large cocoons.
・Spread rice straw in a 1 sho squarebox, pile up the boiled cocoon balls,
and place as an offering.
㊵Made as a ritual celebration to pray
for a bumper crop of silkworms.
㊶Sixteen or thirty-two large cocoons
are attached to branches of a wild-137-

noodles were
supposed to act
as the thread.
・For the Mai dama
to be made on
Little New Year'sDay, they bought
oval or cocoonshaped ones froma peddler andhung them all
together so thatthey would have agood cocoon
harvest.
・Make 16 large
Mayu dama, putthem on mulberry
branches andhang that fromthe ceiling of thetatami room. In
the tatami room,
they are madeinto round balls
and displayed inheaps in jubako
boxes.
㉖In the Kanto
region, it wasalso aheartwarming
prayer for the
successful
production of silk
cocoons that yearby the sericulture
farmers, whoprospered from
the Meiji period
to the Taisho
period to theextent that they
influenced
Japan's economy.
㉖With all my heart,
I hope that thisyear's silkworm
cocoons harvest
will be plentiful.
㉘Make 16 large
cocoon balls, cut
down a mulberry
tree from an
auspicious area,and stick theballs on it. For
the rest, hang or
stick small
cocoons from

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
mulberry tree and are called Juroku
Meidama or Juroku. Then they are
offered to Oshira-sama (the god ofsericulture).
・The shape, size, and type of tree on
which the cocoon is decorated all vary
greatly depending on the family.
㊸A flag is put up at Yashiki Inari,cocoon balls (dango) are made,placed in a colander with a cocoon
holder and placed at the tokonoma or
altar.
・The Inari Shrine on the grounds ofTogenji Temple is dedicated to thegod of silkworms and attracts pilgrims
from far and wide. Worshipers receive
a talisman, return home, and offer a
cocoon ball on their next visit.
・Make cocoon balls. That evening, visit
one's neighbors, and the host will say,“Would you like to harvest a cocoon
this year as well?” The guests will eat
the cocoon balls with sugar and soy
sauce. This is an event where people
help each other with sericulture in
their neighborhood.
㊺Oshira-sama is given offerings of 16
large cocoon-shaped dumplings madefrom 1 sho of flour. These are called“Juroku Mayu dama.
㊻The Little New Year is also known as
the New Year of Silkworms. Cocoons
made from rice flour are stuck on the
branches of dogwood (red) andJapanese mulberry (white) trees,
which represent red and white, andare decorated using porridge stirring
sticks and Harami chopsticks in orderto pray for a good harvest.
・Yamakuwa (Yamahoshi) is used to to
put up cocoons decorations, but isespecially harvested as the tree used
to put up decorations for Oshirasama,in order to pray for a good harvest ofsilkworms.
・The implementation rate of cocoon balldecorations is 20% throughout thecity, and 34% for households thathave been around for two or moregenerations, such as farmers.
・Disposing of the cocoon ball tree
Early in the morning on the first day ofthe horse, it is burned in the stove inwhich the dumplings had been steamed.
It is said that if you smoke it in thehearth on the morning of the first dayof the horse along with the pine tree
decoration from the New Year, “Oshirasama will come riding on the smoke . “㊾ Make 16 Mayu dama rice flour-138-

branches or on theroots of mulberrytreess.
・Mulberry roots
are acquired bystealing stocks
from houses
where silkworms
are plentiful.
People do not
criticize this act,
as it is said thathouses that had
their trees taken
would have evenmore silkworms.
㉙It was meant as
an offering forsericulture, which
was flourishing
during the Meiji
period.
㊹The 16 Juroku
Mayu dama are
given to the godof silkworms, sothey are put on amulberry stock.
・It is called

Mayukakibecause it isassociated withscraping out thecocoons. Also,
placing Mayudama cocoon
balls in a 1-shosquare box is said
to be auspicious
for an abundanceof silkworms.
㊼ The bamboo
leaves on theright hand sidethat aredisplayed on thealtar in the tea
room are probably
Oshira-sama, thegod of silkworms.
(Agatsuma Town)㊽Sericulture wasonce actively
practiced in theTama region, andthe sericultureindustry has
contributed
greatly tofarmers' cash

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
dumplings by putting one azuki bean
inside, put a mabushi cocoon holder
inside a colander, and decorate themto look like a silkworm making a
cocoon.
㊿There were also separate silkworm
charms.
・When making Hatsuuma Dango or
resting Dango, if you eat the cocoonshaped ones before decorating them,
you will not get a lot of silkworm.
(51)Japanese millet was made in placeof rice, and foxtail millet was colorful,
representing gold and silver andpraying for a rich harvest of cocoons.
(52) At the Yashiki Inari festival,
people put up colored paper flags,
folded straw into a colander, put mayu
dama in there, and gave them as
offerings to pray for a rich harvest ofsilkworms. (Kawaba Village)(55) They made cocoons and put themin a new colander. A cocoon holder
and cocoon balls were added to it thenoffered to Oshira-sama (the god ofsilkworms).
・They offered 16 cocoon-shaped dango
in a cocoon holder to Oshira-sama,and made Hatsuuma dango with beanpaste to celebrate.
・In the Tonami region, on the first dayof the first horse, straw was spread ina square box, sixteen Mayu dama
were lined up in it and it was offered
to Oshira-sama.
・In Kamikuya, they put a cocoon holder
in a new colander, put Mayu damainside it, pretended that cocoons had
actually formed, and roasted them thenext morning and ate them calling this“Mayukaki.”(56)The offering to Oshira-sama iscalled “Jurokudan” and is made byputting 16 large cocoon-shaped balls
on a mulberry branch. In Suganuma,
these are called “16 Tenjin.”
・Other small round cocoons are madefrom Japanese and foxtail millet, andare hung three by three on twigs fromdogwood and wild mulberry trees.
They are displayed after removing thepine decorations.
・Japanese millet is a substitute for rice,and foxtail millet is colorful,
representing gold and silver andpraying for a rich harvest.

-139-

income. It is notwell known thatthese sericulture
farmerstranscended theboundaries of
theirmunicipalities andjoined together ina wide area toorganize a groupcalled the Asahi

Mayu Dama
Lecture Society.
・At its peak before
the war, thelecture had about
90 to 100lecturers, and it
had a strong
devotion to
Myohoji Temple in
Suginami Ward,
Tokyo.
・Myohoji Temple is,needless to say,Nichirenzan
Myohoji Temple,
a famous templeof the Nichiren
sect that isfamous as the“Grandfather ofHorinouchi.”・During lectures,the tradition of
making a large
number of cocoon
balls anddedicating themto the temple's
founder's hall
once a year,
around the timeof the Little New
Year, was called“Mayu-damaosame”, but at
the time thesericultureindustry was
becoming more
and moreprominent. Even
today, when theindustry has
declined, it
continues to beheld as a proper
event.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey(52) ・I p put Mayudama on a tree
branch and went
to pray at Inari
Shrine. It is said
that whoever getsthere first will
wino silkworms.
So, we competed
be the first, but
we alsoexchanged themwith otherpeople'ssilkworms later.
・Put one azuki
bean inside each
Mayu dama. It issaid to be thepupa of a cocoon.
・Knead rice flour,
add red beanpaste, and boil tomake yakimochi.
・It is offered toInari shrines,
then eaten byfamily members,
and is called

yakimochi
because it iseaten grilled.
(Ueno Village)(57)In Isesaki City,
Mayu dama isplaced in thestock from amulberry, and it issaid that it willbring good luck
the tree is stolen
from a house
where manysilkworms can be
harvested. So,even though
one’s tree wasstolen, the owner
was happy rather
than angry.
・Wrapping a thinrice cake about
30 centimeters
long around theMayu damabranches is said
to be a snakethat protects
silkworms fromrats..

-140-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Annual events⑬Take down the rice cakes offeredduring the Big New Year and replacewith Mayu Dama dango decorations.
It is said that if you dry the mochi anddon’t eat it until summer, it will help
prevent summer sicknesses.
⑲They saved the mai dama that weremade during the Little New Year, andin early spring, when the snow had
disappeared and the wheat was
ripening, the children would roast
them and take them to eat. Because
they are quite hard, it is something tobe eaten by young people with goodteeth. It was two or three sho for one
household and about five sho for big
families..
・Put the water in which the Mayu dama
had been boiled, in a kettle andsprinkle it around the house.
・Make mochi for the Little New Year,take down the shime decorations fromthe Big New Year, and replace themwith mai dama insteadd .
・You can prepare the elderberry tree by
putting it aside in the fall and keeping
it in the shade. Using a sharp knife
to draw the flowers will make theresult beautiful. It is something that isplaced between Mai dama and istaken down on the 20th of New Year
(Shimoko).
- 14th: If you take down the Mayu tama
(dango made from rice flour) that was
the offering and eat it, you will notcatch a cold.
⑳If you carry this cocoon ball with you,it will protect you from being bitten by
vipers (snakes). They were also sewn
into bags as back protectors forchildren's kimonos.
・This is made into cocoon-shaped
dumplings and placed in large pieces
on New Year's shelves, zashiki, in
kitchens, etc.
・Before the sun shines on the morningof the 20th, they take down thedecorations. This is called maikaki,
and it is better to make it as lively as
possible. So it can be done by justone’s family or with many others.
They take down the cocoons and eat
them later.
㉒It is made into balls or cut rice cakes,
and are offered together with Hana in
the place where the New Year's pineand shime decorations were offered.
・Eat red bean kayu porridge in themorning with harami chopsticks. If you
blow on it and eat it, it's said the wind-141-

⑦To celebrate agood harvest
with Hana.
⑨ Decorate theyoung trees thatyou got on New
Year's Day, withshapes ofagricultural
products,
agricultural
tools, and otherauspicious
shapes on themto pray for abountifulharvest thisyear. This is an
important task
for the New
Years.
・You should
know that insome villages,
cocoon balls are
not made on
Little New
Year's Day, but
are held as an
event onHatsuuma Day.
・People believethat the waterused to boil the
cocoons anddango that areplaced on
decorative trees
has some
special powerr.
・Put this water
into a medicine
can and sprinkle
it around theperimeter ofyour house. It isbelieved that
this will prevent
snakes fromentering.
・It is said thatyou can pourthis hot wateron the trunk of apersimmon tree
and grind it withan ax to see if itturns out fine.
・The cocoon
ballsChapter 4 Implementation of Survey
will blow. It is said that if you keep two
cocoon balls in the pot and someone
gives them to you, you will have good
fortune that year.
㉕We went to get saplings.
・They made 16 pieces, each about thesize of a chicken's egg, and placed
them in a square box offer them to thegod of the new year.
㉞It originally was a celebration for theautumn grain harvest, but in Gunma,
the sericulture prefecture, it wasmade in the shape of a cocoon andwas called a Mayu dama, so it came tobe like a celebration for the harvest of
cocoons.
・Cocoon balls are made once again on
the first day of the horse in February.
This day is also considered to be acelebration of silkworms.
㉟The Little New Year, centered aroundthe 15th day of the year, is also
called the agricultural New Year, andis filled with events to pray for abountiful harvest. Mayu dama is oneof them.
㊴In addition, families who make wakamochi stick it on branches along withcocoon balls. Place the remaining
cocoon balls in a bowl, sprinkle withsugar, and eat. When soy sauce ispoured on cocoons, they turn brown,
to resemble bishon cocoons produced
by diseased silkworms. So people eatthem with sugar because they don't
want them to look diseased.
・Depending on the family, they madefrom 5 sho to 1 to ( 7.5-15kg) of
cocoon balls and used them aspreserved food and snacks.
・Usually, when cocoon balls are roasted
and eaten, they are roasted untilslightly burnt, then smooshed down
and eaten with sugar and soy sauce
and can be served as gojuhan (a small
lunch) during January and February.
㊴・Round dumplings are also made,boiled, and eaten with sugar, but
because they are not exposed to thecold by being stuck on tree branches
like cocoon balls for the New Year,they become sticky and the taste is a
bit off.
・Some families eat cocoon balls with
red bean paste for breakfast.
㊵In addition, in some areas, Mayudama are made in the form of cocoons,
which are used to pray for theprosperity of various crops such as
silkworms, Mulberry leaves, taro-142-

are usually taken
down on the 20th.
On this day, theyalso would clean
and tidy up thehouse. It’s said
that if they leave
it as it is, a lot of
weeds will grow intheir fields.
・There are also
villages where itis said that if you
keep astorehouse ofwood and burn it
during a summer
shower, its power
will prevent
lightning fromstriking you.
⑭As a symbol ofthis, in the past,
people used tocarry this cocoonball (branch) on
their shoulders
when they
returned home.
Then displayed it
indoors as asymbol of praying
for abundant
sericulture andriches andwishing for all thebest fortune.
・During the Edo
period, wealthypeople and large
merchant families
took pride inbuying large
Mayu dama on
this New Year's
visit, and thewhole family
would walkaround the town
on New Year'sDay,accompanied by a
man wearing aleather haori.
They used to go
back and forthwith this on theirshoulders.
⑱Several cocoonsized mochi areChapter 4 Implementation of Survey
potatoes, and cotton flowers.
・Some are made in the shape of koban
or abacus beads, attached to theroots of a mulberry tree along with
Mayu dama, and others are made in
the shape of a bird or flower.
・Mayudama Yasaimon (Takasaki City)
On the 14th, the main support beam
was decorated with a Mayu Dama tree,“branches” with oak and bamboo
leaves attached, and vegetables andthings in the shape of silkworms andmulberry leaves as well.
・Azalea and oak Mayu damadecorations (Manba Town)
In the tatami room, azalea branches
were decorated with birds, and the oaks
were decorated with molded flowers
and jewels.
・Mayuda Manokata (cocoon ball type)(Onishi Town)
In addition to the round and 16 cocoon
decorations, we also made ones thatwere embossed into flower shapes anddyed red. There were also shapes ofbirds and dolls.
㊷ At Hatsuuma, the Inari Festival,
people put many cocoon ball shaped
dango in a straw mabushi cocoon
holder and offered it to Oshira-sama.
㊺I also added mayu dama to the redbean sauce.
・When cleaning up, I put the mayu
dama in a bag and left them to dry,and later roasted them in the hearth
and ate them. The branches wereburned in the hearth.
㊻Processing cocoons and offering ricecakes
Dump the dango into square boxes
and then grill them. (Meant torepresent harvesting)・The dango is crushed into powder andused to make them again on Hatsuuma(the first day of the horse).
・Save it and put it in a pouch and hang
it at your waist at a later date. It
serves as a talisman to protect you
from being bitten by a snake.
- Dry and freeze it, hotobashi it(rehydrate it with water), mix it withpowder, bake it, and eat it on June 1stof the lunar calendar.
・The custom of freezing the offeringmochi in the open air, saving it, andeating it on June 1st is called “hyoimochi”and is widely seen throughout
the city.
(51) In Tsuchiide, they decorated byhanging them on large branches-143-

attached to willow
or dogwood
branches and are
displayed at theentrance of astorehouses.
・In the Akita
region, it is an
event tocelebrate the rice
harvest in hopesthat the rice willgrow as big andrich as a cocoon.
⑳Cocoon balls
stuck in cloverand reeds weredisplayed at theentrance ofstorerooms andstables.
・It is said that if
you take Mayudama to the
Dondo-yaki
bonfire on themorning of the
14th and cook it
while it is still
attached to abranch, and eat it,
you will not catcha cold.
・It is said that if aperson who eats
Mayu dama starts
raising silkworms,
they will get agood cocoon crop.
After that, justeat a little bit
every day.
・It was said not toadjust the Mayuballs to the windon the 16th, sothey would takethem down on thenight of the 15thor the morning of
the 16th. They
were eaten either
grilled or boiled
and with soy
sauce. It issometimes added
to shiruko.
- On the morningof the 15th, I
brought a small

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
throughout the tatami room.
・In addition, the ears of millet and husk
decorations were placed in the horse
fertilizer field (compost field) bydecorating three levels of branchesfrom dogwood trees with roundcocooons and flowers.
・At Suribuchi, a three-level dogwood is
decorated with cocoons (Japanesemillet and foxtail millet). Some families
make and display Japanese andfoxtail millet ears, but others use only
cocoon balls because the millets are
already the raw materials for straw
bags and cocoon balls.
・Some families allow horses to drink
boiled cocoon water, but most people
flick it with pine needles and sprinkle
it around the house to ward off evil
spirits, pestilence, snakes, andcentipedes.
・It is said that families that allowed
horses to drink this water do it toprotect them from pit vipers. Horses
were a powerful helper, indispensablefor transporting goods So it is clearthat they were highly valued.
(55) In Katashina Village, some families
let their horses drink the water inwhich the dumplings had been boiled,
but many also used pine needles andsprinkled it around their homes toward off evil spirits, diseases, snakes,
and centipedes.
・It is said that when a branch that had
had a Mayu tama stuck on it is smokedin the hearth on the first morning of
the first day of the horse, along withthe pine tree decoration from the big
New Year, “Oshira-sama will comeriding on the smoke.”(Shimonumata,Kamisayama)
・To dispose of Mayu dama, you can put
it in a pouch and hang it around yourwaist as a talisman to prevent snake
bites (Kamikawada), or dry it, freeze
it, reconstitute it with water on June
1st of the lunar calendar, mix it withpowder, grill and eat. (Shinoo)
・This custom of freezing mochi andMayu Dama dumplings and eatingthem on June 1st is called “hyomochi” and was widely seen in the
Tone-Numata region.
(56) Use the boiled water from Mayudama preparation. Sprinkle it aroundthe house using pine needles. It issaid that this is meant to ward off
demons, evil diseases, snakes andcentipedess.

-144-

Mayu dama stick to
Dosojin-yaki, andafter theDondon-yaki
bonfire I broughtback a burnt stick
to use whenclearing thesilkworm area.
・In the past,children mainly
ate it boiled or
grilled. Somefamilies had it as
New Year's
breakfast on the
20th.
・Put it in acolander, peel it,
pound it, and mix
it with new rice
flour when making

Hatsugo dango.
㉔On the 14th dayof the new year,
mochi and dango
are made, placedon dogwood
branches, anddisplayed on themain support
pillar of the house.
㉕Soaking theashes in waterand scattering
them around yourhouse will prevent
long insects fromentering.
㉗Each household
displays cocoon
balls as an eventto pray for a good
harvest for theyear. To makecocoon balls, ricecakes are madeinto cocoon
shapes andseveral pieces
are wrapped withstraw then hungabout.
-After the New
Year, these areremoved andeaten as a snack.
㉙We worshiped
the spirit of thetree and made

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey(57) The Cocoon Ball Ceremony is not
only for sericulture, but also for ricecultivation and field cultivation, andthe process is quite complex.

offerings to it infront of thehanging scroll of
Kinugasa-hime.
This wasdisplayed until
the first morningof February.
㊹Sometimes it is
attached to an
oak branch, as it
is said toincrease theamount of cash.
・Mayu damamaking can bedone on differentdays dependingon the time of
Dondon-yaki on
the 14th. In
areas where
Dondon-yaki isdone early on the
14th, it must be
decorated on the
13th, and inplaces where it isdone fromevening to night,
it is done on the
14th. It's thesame reason why
Okazarikae Day ison the 13th and
14th.
・On the 16th,
people will startcleaning up thehana flowers andMayu damakazari that were
offered to thegods and Buddha
during the Little
New Year.
・They said, ``Don't
adjust to the windof the 20th,'' sothey finished the
day before the20th, to ensure
the safe harvestof the crops. This
would keep themfrom being
affected by thegreat wind of the202nd.

-145-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
Relationship withcocoon beads
offered to thegods and Buddha⑩It is said that Oshira-sama comesriding smoke, so the New Year's pinetree is actively smoked. Also, use thepine fire to boil the water used tomake cocoons.
・Cocoon balls are offered to various
gods, but the main deity is Oshirasama. In addition to being placed in a
jubako, a cocoon called Hanamabushi
is made by breaking mulberry
branches that are given to Oshirasama during the New Year. Save it
and put it on.
⑬ If you eat the cocoon balls given to
the god of the toilet, your cavities will
be cured. That said, offer enoughMayu dama for the number of people
in the house.
・Mayu dama for the Little New Yearcan also be placed in Koizuka(compost fields)
・Abo and Hibo decorate the branchesof the dogwood tree on the third floor
with round Mayu dama and Hana andset them up at the composting site of
Umayae hie.
・In the Kenoniwa (fertility area, mound,and compost area), decorate thethree-story dogwood tree with cocoon
balls. Decorate wells, storehouses,
and toilets with Mayu dama on small
branches.
・Decorate wells, storehouses, andtoilets with Mayu dama on small
branches.
・Save the tsuyu made by boiling cocoon
balls and sprinkle around the house toprevent monsters from entering.
・ Sprinkle the hot water in which Mayudama was boiled with pine needles
and sprinkle it around the house. It’s
said to ward off evil diseases, snakes,
and centipede and warding off snake
centipedes.
・Put the remaining Mayu dama into thesquare boxes and p offer it atthe
Shinto altar.
fifteenth day
・After boiling the red beans, make an
Kekaki stick out of a young tree.
Break off the top and put a mayu ballon it. Before boiling the pot of rice
porridge with it, stand it up north,south, east, and west and look at it to
see which side of the seedling isharder. The stick will be placed at thewater source for the rice seedlingnursery later. Make two.
⑮Decorate on gods or gates
・These decorations make even the tea-146-④The various
shapes are anumber of lucky
deities andauspicious
objects such as
Koban and Ebisu
Daikoku.
⑨Carve a 16tiered flower
and offer it to
the Grand
Shrine.
⑱Meyadama(cocoon balls)
are made byattaching mochi
to 12 newstraws (13 inleap years) tomake them look
like ears of rice,
and are used tohang rice at thealtar, etc⑳16 large pieces
are offered to
the Grand
Shrine. For theothers, use anappropriate
number of small
ones. The shapeis often that ofa cocoon. A
shape commonly
known as“koban”(
merchandise) is
attached toMayu damadecorations.
Toshigami has
16 large ones.
・Offer it to
Yashiki Inari. In
some families, it
is said that if
you feed it toothers, you willgo bankrupt, so
the family
members bury itin the ashes of
the hearth androast it.
・The plan is to do
this on February
11th. They willplace about 7 to

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

Tradition/bearersroom feel small.
・Also, an elderberry tree is offered to
the Kojin god.
⑰Just go and worship at Yashiki Inari㉝The practice of pouring boiled
dumpling water onto persimmon treesthat had been injured with a machetein order to help with production does
not seem to be happening at all thesedays, but people have said, “It's allright, and if it doesn't work out, I'll
make my peace with it.” This is achant during the kizeme (tree attack).
・Also, “After kneading dango, they
poured the water used for rinsing onchestnuts, persimmons, and peaches,
while chanting, “Become a persimmon,
become a chestnut, become a peach,”while scratching it with a machete.”㉟However, it is questionable whether
Mayu dama was originally an event towish only for the abundance ofsilkworms; in various parts of Tone
District, Mayu dama made in a roundshape was called “dango”', and Mayudama that were concave in the center
to look like cocoons were called mayu
dama. The two kinds weredistinguished from each other.
㊳Put the new kayamabushi (a mabushi
cocoon holder made with kaya grass)in a box, place some soba inside the
kayamabushi, and place it at the altar
as an offering.
-The next day, make about 16 cocoonshaped dango and put them in placeof the soba you put there the night
before.
㊴Offerings are placed at shrines,
tatami rooms, and alcoves to shrine
deities the outside household deity,wells, toilets, huts, and graveyards.
(55) A five-colored flag with the words“Dedicated Inari Daimyojin” waserected at Yashiki Inari.

10 large cocoonshaped balls
inside a sho-size
square box madeto be a mabushi
cocoon holder byfolding straw into
random pieces.
This is thenoffered to thehousehold altar.
㉓ During the New
Year, Mayu dama
are displayed not
only inside thehouse but also on
roadside stonemonuments.
㉔Pray to the gods
for the protectionof sericulture.
・Families withmembers who
were in unlucky
years used Mayudama decorations
to ward off thebad luck.
㉛On January 14th,
make cocoonshaped(dumplings) fromrice flour, stickthem into a treewith manybranches such as
willow or zelkova,
and give them as
offerings to thedeities in yourhousehold,including㉕Dango dumplings and cocoon balls
were the centerpiece of the Little New
Year. If anything, dango is the older
form and cocoon balls appear to be
evolved form dango.

④The children
gather under
here andrejoice.
⑯Even families
that havestopped raisingsilkworms still-147-

Daijingu-samaand Kojin-sama.
If you are goingto place it in the
tokonoma room, it
should be in theplace where theToshigami deity
was displayed.

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
display this. This isprobably because
it is a longstanding tradition
and also because
it is beautiful as adecoration in the
middle of winterwhen color is
scarce.
(58)Originally,small New Year
events are held ineach family, but
in Sayato,
Higashi-machi,
Midori City,
everyone in thearea has beencelebrating the
Little New Yeardecorations
together for 25
years.
・In Sayoto, in
1991, everyonein the area
started making
decorations forthe little New
Year together inorder to preserve
the event. A
preservationsociety wasorganized in
2005, and it has
been designatedas an intangible
folk culturalproperty of Midori
City.
・On January 11,
2016, members of
the preservationsociety gatheredat the meeting halland made things
like carved-out
flowers, dumplings,
and red bean
porridge.
- Little New Yeardecorations for theentire Sayoto area
began to be madeat the meeting hall,and this day alsocame to serve as a
New Year's party-148-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey
for everyone in the
Sayoto area.
- At the end of thebanquet,attendees are
given white bush
clover branches,
and if they returnhome with sevendumplings on them,
they are enshrinedon the Shinto altar
or Ebisu trellis ofeach family.

Future prospects-149-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（3） Mayu Dama (Cocoon balls)(d) How to makeRice Flour

Steam

Shape into cocoon balls

Wild Mulberry Tree

Dogwood Tree

Buddhist Altar, etc

New Year’s Altar, etc

Roast at the Dondo-yaki
bonfire and eat

Steam and eat(To not make the cocoon balls
look dirty don’t add soy sauce.)-150-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey（3） Mayu Dama (Cocoon balls)(e) Preservation/inheritanceTracing its origins, it seems that it was an ornament to pray for prosperity in business,but with the development of sericulture, it spread to farmers. In Gunma, a sericulture
prefecture, where the tradition continued to symbolize farmers' hopes for a rich harvest andabundant silkworms, I have always seen these “cocoon ball decorations ” at home, at myrelatives, and at other places ever since I was a child.
In recent years, with the decline of sericulture, these decorations have been on the
decline and are no longer seen in the average household. However, it can be seen in many
places as a religious event celebrated by who wish to carry on the culture of sericulture.
In addition, in recent years, it has developed as a prayer culture not just for the fertilityof silkworms, but for the fertility of all crops. Furthermore, the underlying keyword of“prosperous business” seems to have been revived, and the “cocoon ball culture” that canbe seen all over the country is, the faith expanded from sericulture to a belief in economic
development through abundant agricultural products and prosperous business(f) Summary of the Investigation
Since the Edo period, the Tone-Numata region in northern Gunma Prefecture, which
lacked rich rice fields, had no choice but to rely on field-based agriculture.
The growth of silkworms, the basis of sericulture, has been a major pillar of this industry.
With it’s struggle against nature a great deal of knowledge and experience is needed, fromthe growth of mulberries, which are the food for silkworms, to the ecology of silkworms,

which are living creatures. Many documents show that in the days when silkworms could only
be raised once a year due to meet the need for silkworms, it was a constant struggle until
the silkworms successfully turned into cocoons and ultimately, became cash income.
Many farmers would have had no choice but to have faith in order to safely witness suchnature and the ecology of living creatures, and there is no room for doubt that the belief inthe “cocoon balls” was a major pillar of their faith.
Furthermore, Gunma's sericulture culture centered around the world heritage Tomioka Silk
Mill, designated in 1995, which was created in the early Meiji period. The northern areas(Tone Numata) and the western areas raised silkworms and produced cocoons, while thecentral area produced cocoons, and the eastern areas, where raw silk was extracted fromthe silk and silk fabrics were manufactured . The culture of sericulture has been preserved
and nurtured in all regions of the prefecture.

-151-

Chapter 4 Implementation of Survey

For these reasons, the belief in cocoon balls that is the basis of this faith still has very
deep roots.
In addition, outside the prefecture, the female workers who learned the silk milling businessat Tomioka Silk Mill, as they were the children of samurai, returned to their respective
regions and established silk milling industries there, taking the forefront of promoting the
local sericulture industry. It is believed that the “cocoon ball” culture that they saw andheard in Tomioka was understood to be a great spiritual base for the development of thesericulture industry, and spread it, and there are many documents that show that it
continued until recent years.
Until recently, the culture of making cocoons for the New Year remained in many homes in

the Tone-Numata area. But, in more recent years it seems to have almost disappeared withthe decline of the sericulture industry.
However, although the sericulture industry has declined, the cocoon ball culture has
greatly expanded its religious beliefs and is showing signs of revival, along with the aspectof traditional folk events.
This is not a sign of decline, as it seems to be moving in a positive direction. Yet, it is an
opportunity to learn about the past history in which sericulture was a key industry in Japan,
albeit for a time. I would like it to be understood that it is a good thing if the “cocoon ball”
culture can be passed down to many more generations.

-152-

Chapter 5 Promotional Projects（１） Demonstration at Magariya in Nango
Jomo Shimbun,(22) Friday, October, 27, 2023

Recreating the Local Traditional Flour Foods
Yakimochi, Tsuju dango , Mayu Dama
Held by Numata FM at Magariya in Nango
In an effort to preserve the disappearing flour food culture of the Tone Numata region, Numata FM Broadcasting (President Yoshihiro Motoyama) in Numata
City, Gunma Prefecture, held an event on the 26th at Nango no Magariya (former
Suzuki family residence) in Numata City. Three traditional foods were recreated,
including Katashina village's yakimochi called, ”buchi-tatakasshai ”.

It was selected as a model project for the creation and dissemination of foodculture stories by the Agency for Cultural Affairs this year. The company hasorganized an expert review committee, chaired by Takenori Kanai, to conduct researchon the flour food culture of Tone-Numata. On this day, in addition to yakimochi , theyalso made Kawaba village's “Tsuju dango '' and “ Mayu dama” or cocoon balls that havebeen passed down for generations in various regions where sericulture had flourished.

-153-

Chapter 5 Promotional Projects

Kazuko Yoshino (74) and Matsue Hoshino (66) of the Katashina Village
Dietary Improvement Promotion Council demonstrated how to make Yakimochi
at the Irori end of a music shop. He put miso and green onions in flour dough,rolled it up, roasted it, and buried it in the ashes. It is said that the name camefrom the fact that when a guest came over, he would dig it up and say, ” Buchi,tatakasshai” and encourage them to tap the food on the edge of the irori fire
pit to shake off the ashes before eating. ”When I was a child, I ate buchi forbreakfast,” Hoshino said.

Tsuju dango is said to have been made after the rice harvest in someareas of Kawaba Village. Instead of wasting the rice grains that spilled out
during threshing, they were ground into powder and made into fist -shaped
dango, which were then placed on skewers to be used as a talisman at
entrances of houses,etc. Children used to go from house to house asking forthese dango , but this is no longer done. In the demonstration, the dango wasdisplayed at the entrance of the Magariya building.

Cocoon balls are a ceremonial food made to pray for a good harvest of
cocoons, which are displayed on household altars and other places during the
Little New Year. Sixteen dumplings made from rice flour were placed onbranches of dogwood and wild mulberry trees and offered to the gods andBuddha.

Chairman Kanai (77) said, “We will further our research and compile thefindings in a report. We want to preserve the food culture passed down by ourancestors and pass it on to our children.”(By Takashi Monya)-154-

Chapter 5 Promotional Projects（２） Food Culture Symposium

Agency for Cultural Affairs 2023 “Food Culture Story” Creation
and Dissemination Model Project

Food Culture Symposium
Date and time:
Venue:
Theme:

December 9, 2020 (Sat) 13:00~
Hotel Bellavita"Tone Numata's Wheat and Millet Flour Culture andTraditions Deeply Rooted in Hare and Ke"

12:30
13:00

Doors open
Numasu Puppet Play Performance“Sanbaso”

13:10
13:15

Opening remarks
Greetings from Guests

13:20

Keynote Speech “Flour food culture
Passed Down in Tone Numata”
Lecturer: Mr. Takenori Kanai (local
historian)*Tasting (buchi-tatakasshai)
13:55

14:25

The History of

BuchiTatakasshai,
Mayu
Dama,
and
Tsuju Dango・Buchi-

Tatakasshai
TastingWith the Cooperation of
Katashina Village Diet Improvement
Promotion Council

Food culture symposium
Lecturer: Mr. Takenori Kanai (local
historian)
Lecturer: Masashi Takayama (local
historian)Interviewer:
Junichi Matsuhashi(Representative of JM Co., Ltd.)Historians
Representing
the Local Area

Mr.Takenori Kanai
Mr.Masashi Takayama

Numasu Puppet Play Performance"Naruto of Awa Castle During
Pilgrimage "14:55

Questionnaire

15:00

ClosingNumasuPuppet Play
(Numata City)(Public corporation) Japan
Federation of UNESCO Associations
Project Future Area 2022
Enrollment-155-Chapter 5 Promotional Projects（２）Holding a Symposium
Jomo Shimbun (15) Wednesday, December 1

Local Flour-eating Culture for Posterity
Symposium by Local Historians
In order to pass down the flour-eating culture of

the Tone-Numata area to future generations,
FM Broadcasting Co.,Ltd. (President Yoshihiro Motoyama),
a radio station in Numata
City, held a food culture symposium held a symposium aboutfood cultutre at a hotel in the city. With the theme entitled,“Tone Numata's Wheat and MilletFlour Culture and Traditions
Deeply Rooted in Hare and Ke,” two local historians gave their opinions about local cuisine
passed down , while participants

thought about different way to preserve food culture for future generations to inherit.

It was held as a part of the “Food Culture Story” Creation and Dissemination Model
Project designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Takenori Kanai (left in photo) who
surveyed Katashina Village’s local dish, “Buchi-tatakasshai,” made by kneading flour androasting the dumplings in the ashes of the hearth, Kawaba village's talisman dumplings, andcocoon balls that have been passed down in various areas took part as lecturer.

Lecturer Masashi Takayama (same photo on the right), explained to participants, “TheTone Numata region is a mountainous area where rice cannot be grown. Thus, the fillingbuchi was born.” Mr. Kanai said, “There is a tendency to have a strong sense of respect forancestors and to preserve the city's food culture in this region. It's also important to get thepeople who cook the food interested.” A high school student, who was eating buchi for the
first time when the participants were served samples, shared his idea about ways to pass on
our food culture saying, “ We should have children eat this for school lunch.''(Takashi Monya)cal Flour-eating Culture for Posterity
Symposium by Local Historians-156-

Chapter 5 Promotional Projects(3) Panel Exhibition and Video Screening

Let’s Learn about the Food of Culture of Tone-Numata“Wheat and Millet Flour Food Culture andTradition of the Tone-Numata area Deeply Rooted in Hare and Ke “Panel exhibition and video screening
Date: Saturday, December 23, 2023) 11:00～15:00
Venue: Terrace Numata (1st floor) Multipurpose space
Contents: Enjoy food culture lectures, video screenings, tastings, and more.

Japan's food culture has been developed in close connection with annual events. Sharing
nature's bounty of food with family and friends and eating together has strengthened family
and community bonds.
At FMOZE, we are investigating and researching the valuable food culture handed down in the
ToneNumata region.

At the venue, we will introduce the following three food cultures that were surveyed:“Buchi-tatakasshai”” (Katashina Village)
A local food that originated in Katashina Village. It’s a type of“Oyaki',” with a dough madefrom flour or millet and a “filling” inside. Placing it in the ashes of
the hearth and use the heat of the ashes to keep it warm. They
would offer it to visitors after digging it out of the ashes,encouraging them to tap the buchi on the edge of the hearth, andsay, “Buchi-tatakasshai,” or “Let's hit it!”-157-

Chapter 5 Promotional Projects

Tsuju Dango (Kawaba Village)
A local food that has been passed down in some areas of Kawaba Village.
Dumplings are made by collecting rice ears and paddy mixed with soil thatfell underfoot during
threshing, and them grinding them into powder. The dumplings are
skewered and placed under eaves of houses as talismans to ward off evil

spirits. Local children would eat them.

Mayu Dama Cocoon balls (all areas)
Since ancient times sericulture had been prevalent in the ToneNumata area since, and “cocoons” were highly valued. Mayu dama or
cocoon balls, which are made by rolling rice flour dough in hopes of
producing good cocoons, are loved and the tradition has been

passed down from generation to generation.
Originally, it symbolized the hope for a prosperous business, but since then, the cultural ritual hastaken root and been passed down as a ceremonial food. With the intention of reflecting thesericulture industry, it is decorated in time for the Little New Year and later baked and eaten byfamilies.

You can watch a video of the food culture research process.
“The story hidden in the Buchi-tatakasshai, Tsuju Dango, andMayu Dama cocoon balls~The Culture and Tradition of Eating Wheat and Millet Flour in the ToneNumata region, which is Deeply Rooted in Hare and Ke.~*The video is currently in production. It canbe viewed until December 31st.
Sponsored by
FM OZE Numata FM Broadcasting
76.5MHz-158-

Chapter 6

Future initiatives① Buchi-tatakasshai・After the irori hearth disappeared, the preparation method changed to hot plates and the like,but other than the process of baking in ashes, it has been carried over to the present day.
・The members of the Katashina Village Dietary Improvement Promotion Council are taking up“yakimochi” as part of their activities and are trying to pass on the traditional dietaryculture of Katashina Village.
・The flour-eating culture is being spread greatly thanks to the fact that people are not only
making it and eating it with close family and friends, but also are selling it as a souvenir.

② Tsuju dango
・Since only a limited number of people know about Tsuju Dango, the first step is to spread theword about what Tsuju Dango is and how it is connected to this kind of food culture. It seems
that it will be difficult to realize the expansion of awareness of this food culture without
testing many methods.

③ Mayu dama Cocoon balls
・Going back in time a little, we see that most farmers in the Tone-Numata area were involved insericulture. Therefore, the food culture of praying for a bountiful silkworm harvest is still
deeply rooted among the older generation. However, with the decline of sericulture, there is
no longer the need to pray for silk cocoons, so opportunities to see mayu dama cocoon balls

have become extremely rare.
Nowadays, it is still possible to conduct detailed interviews with our elders.

It seems to bequite possible to investigate and pass on detailed information about a wide variety of
cocoons.

Chapter 7
Wheat and Millet Flour Food Culture and Tradition in the
Tone-Numata Area, Rooted in Hare and Ke◎The Origin and Development of Flour Food Cullture
・In the Tone-Numata area, which was originally surrounded by mountains and forests, there
were only a few rice fields. Annual tax records from that time show harvest yields at about
120kg per field.
Currently, if you use good rice fields, you can expect a harvest of 10 bales, about five times
as much, Furthermore, even if you use ordinary fields, you can expect a yield of six bales,
which is about three times as much. However, it can be said that the current yield reached
its current level after the emergence of chemical fertilizers after the Taisho era and theirwidespread use after the war.

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Chapter 7 Wheat and Millet Flour Food Culture and Tradition in the
Tone-Numata Area, Rooted in Hare and Ke
So, it seems likely that the yield for approximately 300 years up until then was almost the sameas that of the year of 1996.
- Annual tax is basically rice payment, and except for a very small group of landowners, it was
impossible for farmers to rely solely on homegrown rice as their staple food. The generalpublic ate mainly cereals such as barley, Japanese millet, and foxtail millet on a daily basis,and only a small amount of rice was mixed in or eaten on special hare days, making it a
precious ingredient.
These kinds of eating habits continued until the 1950s.

◎Buchi-tatakasshai
・It seems that, among the flour- based foods, buchi was the best food to satisfy hunger. We
have heard from interviews that it was “quite filling.” This kind of Yakimochi is still eaten in
Katashina Village under the name buchi.. However, the literature survey has revealed thatthe food culture of Haikorogashi, which is exactly the same in its preparation, has existed in
Nagano Prefecture since ancient times.
Historically, during the Warring States period, the Numata area was ruled by the Sanada clanof Nagano Prefecture for about 90 years. The influence of the Sanada clan can also be seenelsewhere, with the chief brewer of Tone Numata Sake Brewery having deep ties to Nagano

Prefecture. While most of the chief brewers in other areas of the prefecture are from Niigata
Prefecture, this phenomenon in the Tone-Numata area, which borders Niigata
Prefecture,shows how strong the influence of the Sanada clan was.

◎ Tsuju Dango- Regarding the culture of Tsuju dango, after surveying the different areas in the entire Villageof Kawaba, we were only able to hear anything about it in the and Fuji-yama area.
This seems to be due to the fact that it is a “personal” tradition, carried out on the household

level, as seen in some documents.
Rice was very important, but the rice grains that leaked from the rice sorting machine had amuddy odor, and this odor seemed to have a unique odor that could not be removed evenafter washing or cooking.
This precious rice, which was very difficult to eat, was made into dumplings and used as anoffering to the gods. Also, it appears to have become a dumpling that was a valuable foodfor children, as they would compete to go take them from where they were displayed in theneighborhoods.

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Chapter 7 Wheat and Millet Flour Food Culture and Tradition in the
Tone-Numata Area, Rooted in Hare and Ke
However, this valuable custom has changed due to the dramatic increase in yields due to theadvent of chemical fertilizers, and a significant decrease in the amount of rice that accounts
for the current dietary intake (1 unit “goku” of 1 in the Edo period was for the amount of riceeaten in one year. It’s equal to the amount you eat, if you eat 1 cup at every meal three times
a day, which is about 90 cups in a month, and comes to about 1,000 cups in a year, or one
stone.
Nowadays, it’s quite rare for people to eat one bowl of rice at every meal time.

It seems that it disappeared all at once, and during this survey, no matter where I asked, no
one outside of the Fuji-yama area knew about it. Even in Kawaba Village, no one knew about it,much less Kawaba Village today is the number one producer of branded rice in Tone-Numata,and this culture of eating the waste of kudzu rice has completely disappeared.

◎ Mayu dama Cocoon balls
Sericulture was an extremely valuable industry for Gunma Prefecture, which was the number
one sericulture prefecture in the country and prospered throughout the sericulture culture era,
including Japan's very first silk mill in Tomioka City. The purpose of this sericulture industry is
to extract raw silk, but due to the spread of nylon products, the demand for raw silk has
become insignificant even in Japan. Furthermore, this trend has been so rapid that it’s seems
like a fallacy to say that the prefecture was once covered with mulberry fields.
Until around the 1960s, there still were many farmers cultivating silk worms, and “cocoons”,
which were used to pray for a bountiful silkworm harvest, could of course, be seen in mostfarms.
I thought that this cocoon ball decoration had simply evolved along with the sericulture industry,
but this research revealed that ``in ancient times, cocoon balls were made by hanging domaru

and other papier-mâché sea breams, greens, senryobako boxes, and the like on willow
branches every New Year, in the Asakusa Kanzeon grounds...'' It seems that the form of what
used to be local toys and decorations has changed.

It was a transition from a wish forprosperous business to a wish for a bountiful silkworm, and it can be said that this is a changethat many people made at that time.
As this tradition has changed in this way, shows that customs can also change with the flow of
the times. Therefore, although the form may change significantly, it is believed that the spiritof the cocoon ball will be carried on for prosperity.

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Agency for Cultural Affairs
Model Project for Creating andDisseminating Food Culture Stories
Research Report on Buchi-tatakasshai, Tsuju
dango, and Mayu dama cocoon balls

Edited By: Numata FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd.

Terrace Numata, 2nd Floor
888 Shimonocho
Numata City, Gunma Prefecture
378-0044
Tel: 0278-22-1600 (Rep.)
Issued By: Numata FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd

Date of Issue: March , 2024

Printing： JM Co., Ltd.

Fallen Ears of Rice in Late Autum