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Computational Intelligence and Operations Laboratory (CIOL) 4

Pangea Day

Egypt

Pangea Day is an international multimedia event conducted on May 10, 2008. Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai and Rio de Janeiro were linked to produce a 4-hour program of films, music, and speakers. The program was broadcast live across the globe from 1800 to 2200 UTC, culminating in a global drum circle, symbolizing the common heartbeat of the world. According to the festival organizers, Pangea Day plans to use the power of film to bring the world a little closer together. Pangea Day originated in 2006 when documentary filmmaker Jehane Noujaim won the TED Prize. Jehane wished to use film to bring the world together. Pangea refers to the supercontinent from which all current continents initially separated. It serves as a reminder of the connectedness or unitary nature of all people on Planet Earth. == Goals == Bring together millions of people from all over the world in a unique shared experience. Use the power of film to create a better understanding of one another. Form a global community striving for a better future. == Live broadcast locations == Pangea Day was broadcast live from seven cities:Cairo - The Pyramids Kigali - Jali Gardens London - Somerset House Los Angeles - Sony Pictures Studios Mumbai - National Centre for the Performing Arts Rio de Janeiro - Morro da Urca Buenos Aires - [KONEX Theater] In the United States, Current TV was the exclusive, English-language broadcaster. == Featured Films == A Thousand Words directed by Ted Chung More directed by Mark Osborne L'Homme Sans Tete directed by Juan Diego Solanas Happy Together directed by Sam Nozik Dreaming of Zhejiang directed by Marineta Mak Kritikou == Global partner == Nokia was Pangea Day's premier global partner. In addition to providing financial support, Nokia sent video enabled devices to film schools and programs in disadvantaged areas and conflict zones, and to UNHCR refugee camps. Some of the films made in these locations were included in the Pangea Day broadcast. == Key participants == === Hosts === June Arunga Lisa Ling Max Lugavere Jason Silva === Advisory board === J. J. Abrams Lawrence Bender Nancy Buirski Alan Cumming Richard Curtis Ami Dar Cameron Diaz Matthew Freud Bob Geldof Goldie Hawn Jim Hornthal Judy McGrath Pat Mitchell Vik Muniz Clare Munn Mira Nair Dr. Tero Ojanperä Eboo Patel Alexander Payne Richard Rogers Meg Ryan Deborah Scranton Paul Simon Jeffrey Skoll Sir Martin Sorrell Philippe Starck Dave Stewart Yossi Vardi Kevin Wall Forest Whitaker will.i.am Paul Zilk === Speakers === Christiane Amanpour Bassam Aramin Karen Armstrong June Arunga Ali Abu Awwad Ishmael Beah Donald Brown Assaad Chaftari Muhieddine Chehab Robi Damelin Jonathan Harris Robert Kurzban Lisa Ling Max Lugavere Khaled Aboul Naga Queen Noor of Jordan Eboo Patel Carolyn Porco Jean-Paul Samputu Yonathan Shapira Jason Silva === Musicians === Dave Stewart Gilberto Gil Hypernova Rokia Traoré == Notes and references == == External links ==Can Your Film Change the World? - Pangea Day promo video at YouTube

Encontro de Cultura Huni Kuin

Brazil

The Huni Kuin Cultural Gathering (Portuguese: Encontro de Cultura [ĩˈkõtɾu dʒi kuwˈtuɾɐ]) is an annual cultural gathering from the Huni Kuin tribe that is held in the Kaxinawa do Rio Jordão Indigenous Land, in the Brazilian state of Acre. It assembles indigenous people from about 40 different villages, and attracts visitors from around the world. The event takes place in the Boa Vista Village (Portuguese: Aldeia Boa Vista [awˈdejjɐ ˈbo(ww)ɐ ˈvistɐ]), Good View), a local community. The closest municipality Jordão is about 600 km from the capital Rio Branco, and located in a remote and isolated area, accessible only by plane or boat. Activities are organized by the Instituto Indígena Huni Kuin Yube Inu, a nonprofit indigenous organization that works to promote the political, economic, sociocultural and spiritual development of the Huni Kuin people. == History == The gathering began in 2017 as a way to celebrate local indigenous culture and heritage. A festival known as the Nukun Dewe Festival is held each year to provide a space to exchange experience and knowledge among generations.June 30 – July 4, 2017 April 22 – May 2, 2018 April 12–22, 2019 (upcoming) == Goals == Promote union and strengthening of Huni Kuin villages and territories. Enhance cultural heritage of the Huni Kuin people. Promote cultural renewal and increase individual and collective knowledge through the exchange of experiences and knowledge between generations. Nurture a global awareness about the importance of the Amazon rainforest. Promote indigenous ecotourism and sustainable development practices. == External links == Huni Kuin Gathering Huni Kuin Gathering on Facebook Huni Kuin Gathering on Instagram

Indonesia Menari

Indonesia

Indonesia Menari or Indonesia Dance is a collective dance movement or festival that is held every year in the month of November. It is arranged by Galeri Indonesia Kaya of Bakti Budaya Djarum Foundation. It was first held in 2012. The dance festival held simultaneously at many locations in Indonesia. It aims to introduce people to traditional Indonesian dances, to encourage more people, especially those of the young generation to learn traditional dances of Indonesia and to be proud of Indonesian culture. Usually performed in the form of mass dance with choreography that combines several traditional and modern dance. The event is also enlivened by the presence of art workers who also danced together in the festivity of the event in each venue.Dance in Indonesia List of festivals in Indonesia == External links == Menari

Ambon bay festival

Indonesia

Ambon Bay Festival (Indonesian: Festival Teluk Ambon) is an annual event held at Ambon Bay and across West Seram Regency, Maluku, Indonesia at the end of September. The festival aims to promote national and international tourism to the Maluku Islands. It has been held since 2006.

Bali Kite Festival

Indonesia

The Bali Kite Festival is an annual international kite festival held in July in Padang Galak area, Sanur Beach, Bali. Traditional giant kites (4 metres in width and almost 10 metres in length) are made and flown competitively by teams from the villages (banjar) of Denpasar. The event is a seasonal religious festival intended to send a thanking message to the Hindu gods to create abundant crops and harvests. The teams consist of about 70 to 80 people, each team with its own Gamelan band, flag bearers and flyers. Bebean (fish-shaped), Janggan (bird-shaped). and Pecukan (leaf-shaped) are three traditional kites flown during this kite festival. The kites are flown by teams of 10 or more adult kitefliers. The Bebean is the largest kite, and looks like a broad-mouthed, split-tailed fish. The Janggan form has a broad flowing cloth tail that can reach more than 100 metres in length. The Pecukan requires the most skill to fly, as its unstable form often tumbles towards the ground. Red, white, and black are traditional colours used in the kite's designs. Each type of traditional kite has its own competition, with heats of 10 teams vying for the best launch and longest flight. Sometimes, the kites come down over the adjacent rice paddies, and the team members have to dash through the paddy to rescue the kite before it lands in the water. A competition is also held for 'New Creation' (kreasi baru) kites which may include detailed three-dimensional figures representing the Hindu Gods or sponsorship kites. Traditional and new creation kites are constructed from bamboo and cotton cloth. In the dry season of June through August, the winds blow continually from east to west in most of Indonesia. Balinese children and adults fly kites in the vacant rice paddies during this period. A gamelan orchestra plays music throughout the festival. The festival attracts many tourists and international kitefliers, along with many local spectators.Culture of Indonesia Balinese saka calendar == External links == Kite Lines - Vol. 07 No. 3 (Summer 1989), KiteLife.com. Dancing Frog

Christmas in Indonesia

Indonesia

Christmas in Indonesia, locally known as Natal from the Portuguese word for Christmas, is celebrated with various traditions throughout the country. == Overview == Indonesia has approximately 28 million Christians, of which about 70% are Protestant and 30% are Roman Catholics. In regions with a Christian majority, both Protestants and Catholics celebrate Christmas with ceremonies and local food. In big cities, shopping centers are decorated with plastic Christmas trees and Santa Claus figures (locally known as Sinterklas, derived from the Dutch word Sinterklaas). Many local television channels broadcast Christmas musical concerts, and the government organizes the annual national Christmas celebration. In addition to traditional foods, there are also unique Christmas Day foods, such as traditional desserts like nastar (pineapple tart) and kastengel (from Dutch word kaasstengel), or 'putri salju'. == By region == === Jakarta ===In North Jakarta, Indonesians of Portuguese descent live mainly in Kampung Tugu. After Christmas Mass, Christians in Kampung Tugu will visit the cemetery next to their local church and start the rabo-rabo tradition. The rabo-rabo tradition consists of playing Kroncong music and dancing together around the village area. Locals will sing and visit each other's relatives. Relatives who are visited must later join the game until a chain of players forms on the streets. The visits will continue until they arrive at the last house in the area. === Papua ===In the Papua region, after Christmas Mass, a ritual cooking of pork for feasting is held using a Barapen (grilling stone). The pork meat is cooked in between hot stones that are heated using wood. Instead of using matches, Papuan people scrape the wood continuously to produce heat to set it on fire. In order to prepare the Barapen, Papuan men dig a hole to put the hot stones in. At the same time, Papuan women prepare vegetables such as sweet potato, water spinach, fern, cassava, spinach, and papaya. Hot stones are stacked on the base of the hole and the pork and vegetables are put into the hole and covered with another layer of hot stones. The pork is cooked in the hole for half a day. The tradition of Barapen is an expression of gratitude, togetherness, sharing, and love, characterised by eating pork together. === Ambon === In Negeri Naku, South Leitimur, Ambon, there is a ceremony called cuci negeri (cleaning the nation). This ceremony symbolises the purification and liberation of sins from the local people and their environment. The cuci negeri starts with a gathering in the community function hall for each clan to hold their own traditional ritual. From there, the Ambonese walk to the traditional function hall.They sing and dance to the sounds of the tifa (traditional music instrument). Along the way, the women bring some offerings like betel, areca nut, and traditional drink called sopi. During Christmas eve celebrations in the Maluku, church bells will ring and ships will sound their sirens. === Yogyakarta ===In the Yogyakarta area, Christmas celebrations are marked by a wayang kulit adaptation of the Nativity scene. Church Mass is led by the priest who wears traditional Javanese attire (wearing beskap and blankon) and speaks in the local language. Similar to Eid al-Fitr, during Christmas time, people visit friends and family; children may receive money in an envelope from elders. === Manado === The pre-Christmas celebrations in Manado start from 1 December when the regional government officers go on the Christmas Safari and observe the Mass in a different district every day. As part of tradition, some residents of Manado join a carnival or visit and clean their families' graves. The series of Christmas celebrations will finish in the first week of January with a festival called kunci taon. During this festival, there is a carnival across the region featuring unique costumes. === Bali === Most Christian villages in Bali are located on the southern side of the island. In those villages, road decorations called penjor (made from yellow coconut leaves) are made for Christmas, which symbolise the Anantaboga dragon. The Christmas celebration draws influence from Balinese Hinduism. In Bali, the Christmas tree is made from chicken feathers. This unique tree has been imported to some European countries. === Toraja === Torajan people celebrate Christmas by having a cultural festival called Lovely December. This festival consists of dancing, a culinary celebration, cultural carnival, bamboo music performance and handicraft exhibition. The festival is ended by fireworks and Lettoan procession which is held on 26 December. Lettoan is a ritual of having pig parade with cultural symbols that represent three dimensions of human life. Those three symbols are:Saritatolamban, shaped like stairs, which represents a prayer and hope for a better life (as the steps which always go up). The Sun, which represents the source of life and light. Tabang flower, which represents success in the Torajan people's life. === North Sumatra ===For the Batak in North Sumatera, Christmas Day is always followed by sacrificing an animal. The local people will save money for months beforehand and buy this animal together. This tradition is called marbinda and shows togetherness and mutual cooperation. The sacrificed animal can be a pig, a buffalo, or an ox, and the meat will be shared to all the people that participate in the purchasing of the animal. == National Christmas Celebration == Every year, the Ministry of Religious Affairs holds the National Christmas Celebration of the Republic of Indonesia. The program started in 1993 after a suggestion from Tiopan Bernhard Silalahi, who was Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform in the Sixth Development Cabinet, who has Protestant background, to the then President of Indonesia Suharto. Since that time, the National Christmas Celebration has been held almost every year (and was held as a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21). Exceptions were in 2004, which was canceled as a condolence for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, in 2018, which was canceled as a condolence for the victims of the 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami, and in 2022, which was also planned to be cancelled before being delayed at the last minute as a condolence for the victims of the 2022 West Java earthquake. Until 2013, National Christmas Celebration was held in Jakarta and the most common used venue was Jakarta Convention Center. Since 2014, the tradition was changed by the then newly-elected President of Indonesia Joko Widodo. This is the list of National Christmas Celebration hosts since 2014: Christianity in Indonesia == External links == Media related to Christmas in Indonesia at Wikimedia Commons

Djakarta Artmosphere

Indonesia

Djakarta Artmosphere, or Djaksphere in short, is an annual concert organized by G Production to promote the collaborations between artists that are not limited to a specific generation, genre and/or other artistic creations. The organizers of this concert interpret the name Djakarta as a symbol of a space to accommodate millions of souls from diverse backgrounds, both geographically and culturally. Moreover, Djakarta has become a place that is no longer synonymous with a particular ethnicity, religion, or skin color. == History == === Name Philosophy === The selection of employing the old spelling of Jakarta (i.e. Djakarta) in the concert's name aims to provide affirmation of the differences in the lifestyles of people in Jakarta over time. Hence, it intends to escape the impression that has been embedded in the word Jakarta as a dense, complicated, and exhausting city for its citizens. As for Artmosphere, it simply is the merging of the words Art and Atmosphere. Its goal is to capture an artistic mood, an aura of expression of the soul, a feeling that manifests itself to each individual in the room along with their local identities, and bringing sense, perspective, and culture from the place they came from to the place they now inhabit. In other words, it acts as a vessel holding a variety of flavors, making it a place of mingle between the diverse cultures of Indonesia. Djakarta Artmosphere slowly attempts to bring back the foundations of the spirit of equality in diversity using Music and Photography media. Djakarta Artmosphere 2009, with the theme Egalitarian, marked the beginning of their long journey on interpreting such independence. Egalitarian represents a humble spirit: the spirit of respect for equality in the world of artistic diversity. === Early Success (Djakarta Artmosphere 2009) === In the year of 2009, Djakarta Artmosphere held their first event in the UpperRoom Jakarta, Annex Building. Their first show was a success: tickets were sold out with almost 2,000 people in attendance, despite the fact that the event was held on the same day as the Jak Jazz. === Tragedy In Padang === In 2009, an earthquake struck Padang leaving many people homeless. Some of the kids were out of school or had to attend school outdoors. This was a tragic time for the people of Indonesia. === Aftermath === After the event of Djakarta Artmosphere 2009, the crew visited Padang to donate all of its proceeds to the victims of the Padang earthquake. They were able to raise and donate a total of Rp 70,000,000, or $7,000, along with books and other school supplies. == Collaborations/Line-Up == === 2009 === ==== Mini Stage ==== Endah & Rhesa Gugun Blues Shelter Tembang Pribumi Anda with The Joints Angsa & Serigala GRIBS Brass Band TNI AD ==== Main Stage ==== Vina Panduwinata Tika & The Dissidents Ebiet G. Ade SORE White Shoes And The Couples Company Fariz RM Oele Pattiselanno Doel Sumbang Efek Rumah Kaca

Gandrung

Indonesia

Gandrung (Javanese: ꦒꦤ꧀ꦝꦿꦸꦁ; Osing: Gandrong; Balinese: ᬕᬦ᭄ᬤ᭄ᬭᬸᬂ; Petjo: Gandroeng) is a traditional dance from Indonesia. Gandrung has many variations and is popular in Bali, Lombok, and Eastern Java among the Balinese, Sasak, and Javanese (especially the Osing Javanese). The most popular variation is gandrung from the Banyuwangi region in the eastern peninsula of Java; thus, the city is often referred to as Kota Gandrung, or the city of gandrung. Originally a ritual dance dedicated to the goddess of rice and fertility, Dewi Sri, it is currently performed as a social dance of courtship and love in communal and social events, or as a tourist attraction. The Gandrung Sewu Festival is held at Banyuwangi annually. == Descriptions ==Gandrung derives its name from the Javanese word for love. It is theorized that the dance originated as a ritual dance to express the people's affection for the rice goddess Dewi Sri, with trance and as a kind of fertility dance. However, it has now lost its ritual connotations, especially among the Muslim Javanese and the Sasak. The dance has evolved into a social dance describing a girl looking for love companions. The dance has thus been de-ritualized and has mostly lost its connections with the rice goddess. Gandrung is usually performed in an all-night performance that begins sometime around 9 p.m. and ends just before dawn. It is also commonly performed as a tourist attraction, for example in Bali or in Grajagan Bay in Banyuwangi. It is also performed as a social dance at communal and social events such as circumcisions or weddings. The gandrung, or main dancer, is usually an unmarried girl or a transvestite (or simply a boy playing the role of a female dancer). The dancer is dressed in traditional costume, with a fan, shawl, and ornamental headgear. Often there will be more than one gandrung dancer in the performance. Gandrung usually starts with the dancer(s) at the side of the stage, surrounded by the gamelan ensemble. When the music starts, the dancer begins dancing with hip thrusts and moves to the center stage. When the gandrung spots an audience member she wishes to dance with, she throws her shawl to him to bring him to the stage. The dancer and the audience member will then dance together. If there is more than one gandrung dancer in the performance, each dancer will choose a different partner to dance with. The audience member who has danced with the gandrung usually gives a small amount of money as a token of appreciation. Gandrung is now also performed as dance of courtship and love between girls and boys in central and eastern Lombok. It is usually performed outdoors by the young men and women of the village with everyone standing around in a circle. Similar dances are known throughout the Indonesian archipelago, such as ronggeng or tayuban in East and Central Java, jaipongan in West Java and Banten, and joged in Jakarta. == Music == The dance is performed to the tunes of a traditional ensemble similar to the gamelan, often composed of two violins, gendangs, bonang and gongs with gamelan xylophones (gambang). A singer is also present to sing the accompanying song for the gandrung performance. Villages in Banyuwangi, Bali and Lombok sometimes have their own gandrung music ensemble. Variations in ensemble composition exist between the different areas where gandrung is performed. The music has been described as vibrant and earthy and has been recorded by several anthropologists. == Gallery == Javanese dance Pajoge

Hudoq

Indonesia

Hudoq is a masked dance performed during the Erau harvest thanksgiving festival by many of the sub-groups of the Dayak ethnic group in East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. The Hudoq culture and performance are indigenous to the Dayak population of East Kalimantan province, and they are said to have originated from Mahakam Ulu Regency. == Mythology ==According to the traditional beliefs of the Bahau, Busang, Modang, Ao’heng, and Penihing people, hudoqs are thirteen crop-destroying pests, including rats, boars, leopards, and crows. In the festival, the Hudoqs are symbolized by dancers who wear masks representing pests and jackets made of pinang (areca palm) or banana tree bark. The entire body is covered with frayed pinang palm leaves. The dance is finished when two human hudoqs come out and chase the pest hudoqs. The duration of the dance is 1–5 hours. It is arranged from village to village after people dibble the land to grow dry-field rice paddies in September to October every year. They pray so that their fields will grow abundantly. == Gallery == Kancet Papatai Dayak people Indonesian Culture Ethnic groups in Indonesia == Further reading == Festival Hudoq di Hulu Sungai Mahakam. Potensi Wisata yang Tidak Tergarap. KOMPAS, Saturday, December 8, 2001. Retrieved on August 28, 2007.

Independence Day (Indonesia)

Indonesia

The Independence Day of Indonesia (in Indonesian formally known as Hari Ulang Tahun Kemerdekaan Republik Indonesia shortened HUT RI, or simply Hari Kemerdekaan, and colloquially referred by the people as Tujuhbelasan, meaning the Seventeenth) is a national holiday in Indonesia commemorating the anniversary of Indonesia's proclamation of independence on 17 August 1945. It was made a national holiday by government decree in 1946. Ceremonies and festivities are held throughout the country to celebrate this national day, including the flag hoisting ceremony conducted nation-wide and at Indonesian diplomatic installations abroad, local community competitions, with patriotic and cultural parades. Discounts are offered by participating shopping centres or businesses. On 16 August or the last Friday prior to 17 August, the president of Indonesia addresses the nation at the People's Consultative Assembly. On 17 August at 10:00 Western Indonesian Time all Indonesian national television networks traditionally broadcast the National Independence Day Ceremony live from the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Earlier that day, cities and regencies throughout Indonesia conduct the flag hoisting ceremony at their respective city halls. Streets, public places and public transportation are filled with nationalistic and patriotic decorations and art dominating with the red and white color symbolizing the national flag of Indonesia throughout the month of August. == The obligation to hoist the national flag == According to the Constitution of Indonesia Act Number 24 Year 2009 concerning the National Flag, National Language, State Symbols, and National Anthem Article 7 paragraph 3, it obliges every citizen of Indonesia to fly the national flag in front of their houses as well as on public institutions, office buildings, educational institutions, and on private and public transportation facilities throughout the country, as well as on Indonesian diplomatic offices abroad, on the 17 August. Nowadays, the government requests the public to fly the national flag for a whole month in August (starting from the 1st till the 31st) to commemorate the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence of the country. Many Indonesians did not know the obligation to raise the national flag, and local authorities gave flags to residents and businesses that did not raise the flag. In August, community members also raise red and white pennant flags (Umbul-umbul) and banners along streets and alleys and also decorate the community with shades of red and white as a representation of the colors of the national flag to celebrate and welcome the independence day, a custom which has been in practice for many years. == Flag hoisting ceremony ==On the morning of 17 August, to commemorate Independence Day, the national Flag Hoisting Ceremony takes place at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta hosted by the president of Indonesia accompanied by the vice-president to reenact the declaration of independence proclaimed by President Sukarno in 1945, held at 10.00 AM. It is broadcast nationwide by state and private television and radio stations, and is broadcast live on YouTube by the State Secretariat and a number of Indonesian television networks. === National level === The national Independence Day ceremony at Merdeka Palace is broadcast live nationally starting at 09.00 AM Western Indonesian Time, 17 August. The ceremony is attended by distinguished guests from ambassadors and foreign defense attaches, former Indonesian presidents and vice-presidents, ministers and other government officials, prominent state figures, cultural figures including artists and celebrities, veterans, and other selected invitees from the general public. The ceremony starts as the tri-services and police guard of honour enters the palace forecourt at about 9.30 AM to the tune of marching music from combined military band. The guard of honour is provided by headquarters battalion of the National Armed Forces, all composed of military policemen and women, and the HQ Detachment of the National Police. As the president and vice-president enter the palace, the Ceremony Commander (Komandan Upacara), usually a colonel, leads the parade in the general salute to the president, followed by the remembrance of the proclamation of independence precisely at 10.00 AM accompanied by 17-gun salute fired from the National Monument (Monas) by the Indonesian Army 7th Field Artillery Battalion. The procession continued by reading of the proclamation of Independence by the speaker of the House of Representatives, followed by moment of silence known as Mengheningkan Cipta to remember those who have fallen in duty and national prayer read by the Minister of Religious Affairs. The core event of the ceremony takes place as the National Flag Hoisting Troop (composed of high school students who pass the selection processes, representing every province) marches into the main palace forecourt to raise the national flag by goose-stepping. As they enter the complex, the national flag is presented to the color company of students and personnel of the Presidential Security Force. Afterwards they march to the flagpole to raise the national flag accompanied by the playing of the national anthem Indonesia Raya. After the flag is raised, a fly-past is conducted by the Indonesian Air Force fighter aircraft right above the Merdeka Palace followed by joint services national flag flypast with helicopters of the Armed Forces and Police (introduced in the 2021 parade inspired by the Singapore National Day Parade), continued with orchestral and musical performance by Indonesian national orchestra the Gita Bahana Nusantara (under direction of Directorate of Films, Music, and Media Affairs) presenting Indonesian patriotic and traditional songs. The ceremony is concluded by a final general salute to the president and the honour guards exit the palace forecourt at noon. For much of the 2000s that format was observed until the 2022 ceremony, wherein the ceremony format was reformatted in 2023 with the ceremonial segment ending just early in order that the Gita Bahana Nusantara concert, one of the most awaited parts of the morning, would immediately follow. At 5 PM Western Indonesian Time, the National Flag Lowering Ceremony takes place at Merdeka Palace hosted by the president and vice-president of Indonesia. The ceremony is usually preceded by marching band, musical and traditional dance performances usually broadcast live since 4 PM. The lowering of the flag is conducted by the second group of the National Flag Hoisting Troop and the national flag is given back to the president by the flag carrier. === Regional level ===On 17 August, the national flag hoisting and lowering ceremonies are also conducted in every city and regency throughout the country with the local Mayor or Regent as the guest of honor (for the ceremony conducted at the city or regency level), and the provincial governor as the guest of honor (for the ceremony conducted at the provincial capital city level). The flag hoisting ceremony takes place earlier in the morning, which is at 7 AM local time for the regional level before the national level at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta commences. The flag-lowering ceremony is conducted at about 5 PM local time. Many of these regional ceremonies are also live streamed. === International level === On 17 August, Indonesian embassies and diplomatic offices around the world conduct the Flag Hoisting (in the morning) and the Flag Lowering Ceremony (at the afternoon) local time. After the flag hoisting ceremony, Indonesian embassies abroad usually also held some festivities, including cultural performances, music show, singing contests, competitions, and organising tent bazaar; selling Indonesian foods, handycrafts, souvenirs and various products. During this event, bazaar and festivities usually invites Indonesian expatriates and also foreign Indonesian culture enthusiasts. === Other independence day ceremonies === Other than the national and regional flag hoisting ceremonies conducted by the government, schools, private sectors, offices, corporations, and other organizations throughout the country also conducts the flag hoisting ceremony to commemorate the proclamation of Indonesian Independence. It is usually done a couple of days after 17 August while some organizations or institutions conduct it on 17 August. == Independence day festivities ==Independence Day is regarded as an important public holiday in Indonesia, and to celebrate the proclamation of Indonesian Independence, it is filled with joyful community competitions organized by localities throughout the country (locally known as lomba tujuhbelasan meaning independence day competitions). After witnessing the National Flag Hoisting ceremony in the morning, in the afternoon people usually participate in such activities. Some areas organize these competitions a couple of days or weeks after 17 August, usually organizing it on a weekend. Traditional games and competitions usually held to commemorate independence day are:Krupuk-eating race, krupuks are hanged on a thread and competitors must race to eat them with their hands behind their backs. Panjat pinang, it is a famous independence day game usually conducted at villages or communities throughout the country. The game is done by using a greased pole and putting precious prizes on top, and participants must climb the pole to get the prizes. Community Marching, known locally as Gerak Jalan is done where participants wear unique uniforms and march in a synchronized manner. This is done to compete between members of a neighborhood and is usually participated by adults. Bicycling carnival, known locally as Sepeda hias is participated by children riding their bicycles decorated in the Independence Day theme with red and white and the winner would be announced for the best decorated bicycle. Marble in spoon race, usually for children. A marble is placed in a spoon that is held in the competitor's mouth. Competitors must balance the marble while walking along the line and race towards the finish line. Sack race Bottle fishing, a nail is tied with a thread that's tied on the waist and hanged from the competitor's behind. Competitors must place the nail bait into the bottle and try to pull or fish the bottle. Wooden clog race Musical chairs Tug of war Coin biting Pillow fight Hitting the kendi terracotta jar blindfolded, similar to a piñata Balloon bursting Balloon dance Orange dance Searching for coins in flour Inserting thread into needle race Colouring competition Flag race, usually for children. Several small flags are placed in a container in one side and an empty container is placed on the other side. Each child must race to place these flags into the empty container one by one. Catching the eel race Sarong football or daster football, a football competition among men, made more difficult by wearing a sarong or daster (a form of women's casual home dress, usually worn by mothers). Various sports competitions are also held such as soccer, badminton, volleyball, table tennis, etc. == Independence day carnivals ==On Independence Day, parades or carnivals take place on streets in cities and villages across the nation. They might take the form of a modest carnival, organized by local people, where children and sometimes adults wear patriotic clothes, or traditional ethnic costumes. Some larger parades might be held and organized by provincial, regency, or municipal governments, staged in main thoroughfares of cities. Some places may hold independence day carnivals not precisely on 17 August, but usually on a Saturday or Sunday following that date. The parade and carnival usually feature marching bands, decorative floats, patriotic parades by civilian organizations and cultural carnivals featuring traditional costumes of the various ethnic groups of Indonesia. In Jakarta the national parade usually starts in Merdeka Square by the National Monument, parading through capital main avenues; Thamrin and Sudirman avenues, passing Selamat Datang Monument and the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex. The national parade, in the past, has had added a military and police element. In recent years however, the main national carnival has not been staged in the national capital, but in provinces with regional cities taking turns hosting this national event. In 2017, for example, the national independence carnival was staged in Bandung, West Java. == Gallery == Festivities and activities celebrating the Independence Day of Indonesia: == Themes == Independence Day themes are announced by the central government to accompany the annual independence day which alternately changes every year.Indonesian National Revolution Merdeka Hari Merdeka (Malaysia) == External links == Youtube: The Full Coverage of the National Independence Day Ceremony at Merdeka Palace Jakarta 2019 Special Report – The 73rd Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic of Indonesia in 2018 on YouTube video Youtube: Independence Day Carnival at Bandung, West Java in 2017

Jakarta Fashion & Food Festival

Indonesia

Jakarta Fashion & Food Festival or JFFF is an annual festival held in Jakarta, Indonesia. The month-long festival is organised by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government through the DKI Jakarta Tourism and Culture Office in collaboration with PT Summarecon Agung Tbk. The event is supported by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and the Indonesian Ministry of Trade. JFFF is also supported by various parties such as the Martha Tilaar Group, the Indonesian Fashion Entrepreneurs Designer Association (APPMI), the Indonesian Fashion Designers Association (IPMI), Indonesian Cita Weaving (CTI), ESMOD Fashion School, MRA Media Group, Metro TV , Fashion TV, Kompas, and The Jakarta Post. The aim of JFFF is to lift the image, dignity and dignity of the Indonesian people through a culture-based industry. JFFF takes place every year in May in the Sentra Kelapa Gading area. JFFF's fashion and culinary themes are embodied in the three main series of events, Fashion Extravaganza: A series of fashion shows from local designers and brands, as well as the JFFF Awards Food festival: hundreds of food stalls/ooths that serve traditional cuisine, starting from meatballs and soto (aromatic soup) to local snacks. Gading Nite Carnival: Presenting decorated street floats, entertaining street attractions and attractive lighting techniques.

Jakarta Great Sale Festival

Indonesia

Jakarta Great Sale Festival or Festival Jakarta Great Sale (FJGS) is an annual sale festival which is held to celebrate anniversary of Jakarta, Indonesia. It is held in the month of June and July. FJGS is participated by major shopping malls of Jakarta metro area. Aside from regular discounts, some of the malls offer malls midnight sales. The festival also involves traditional markets and hotels. == History == The city administration held an event called Festival Pertokoan (Shopping Festival) in 1982. The name later changed to Pesta Diskon (Discount Party). During 1990's, the name is changed to Jakarta Great Sale. Jakarta Fair Pasar Malam Besar

Jember Fashion Carnaval

Indonesia

Jember Fashion Carnaval or JFC (Indonesian Karnaval Busana Jember) is an annual carnival held in the East Java city of Jember. Officially it is written as Jember Fashion Carnaval; the word carnival here is officially spelled as carnaval, probably a confusion with Indonesian spelling karnaval, or an influence of the Dutch spelling carnaval. Jember Fashion Carnival has no relation with the Christian pre-Lenten festival, but more of a festivities in general, roughly following the Brazilian style and the Canary Islands style, with procession of dancers in extravagant costumes, with emphasis on the traditional Indonesian motif. Generally, the carnival used world-themed fashion or nature-inspired theme. Preparation was held extensively months before and participants volunteered for the event. The idea for Jember Fashion Carnaval was realized by local fashion designer and educator Dynand Fariz. Initially, a world-themed fashion week known as Pekan Mode Dynand Fariz was held in 2001. In 2002, the fashion week was held around the city of Jember. This has inspired the creation of Jember Fashion Carnaval. The first Jember Fashion Carnaval was held on January 1, 2003, the same date as the founding day of Jember City. It was followed by another Jember Fashion Carnaval in August 2003. Since then the carnival is held on the month of August. Starting From the rise of Group Reyog Ponorogo who crowded highways city protocol in the current cultural pageantry and celebration of the anniversary of the independence of Jember city which has always attracted the attention of citizens each year. Thus create the idea of thinking a walking parade with costumes menggenakan interesting, lively, bright colors and frilly audience reyog artists but has its own distinctive identity Jember city. At the time of 2001 to the beginning of Jember Carnaval Festival, where there wasn't much different in concept from the previous procession, and therefore the shape resembling the costume of JFC always Reyog at which time there is also a similar event, such as a costume festival in the countries in American continent. Even today, tens Reyog group in the town of Jember still participate and support the JFC activities each year, so are always there at the JFC costume design that carries about reyog art. Development Even in the development, JFC is still carrying the national reyog event and Reyog mini. Participants now not followed by adults only, but the students of students kindergarten, elementary, junior high school which is more commonly called participants JFC Mini Solo Batik Carnival == External links == Official website

Karapan sapi

Indonesia

Karapan sapi (Madurese: Kerrabhân sapè) is a traditional bull racing festival on the Indonesian island of Madura. Every year from about July through October, local bulls are yoked to wooden skids and raced for 130 meters (430 ft), similar to a chariot race. These races are held in several places throughout the season, and a final trophy race held in Pamekasan. The bulls participating in the event are adorned with gold and other decorations, and the event is sometimes accompanied by Gamelan music, food, and wagers on the outcome of the race. A depiction of the festival was featured on the reverse of the 100-rupiah coin for Indonesia from 1991 to 1998. An Indonesian stamp issued in 2009 also depicted the race, along with the Surabaya–Madura Bridge. == Past and Present == There is a very striking difference between the past and present karapan sapi. === Karapan Sapi in the past === 1. There is an ubo rampe and a ritual before the implementation to ask for safety accompanied by saronen music 2. Using large-bodied cows 2. Each cow is decorated as lively as possible, Keleles with beautiful wood carvings, pennant flags, to umbrellas 3. Each group of bull races is guarded by a Penjaghe who is in charge of maintaining the safety of the cows in order to avoid cheating from other participants. Usually, Penjaghe are imported from Ponorogo who is a Warok who is famous for being an expert in fighting. The penjaghe from Ponorogo often stands and dances on the karapan sapi kaleles hurdles, which shows that anyone who disturbs the cows he is guarding will deal with him. The choice of a Penjaghe from Ponorogo was not without reason, in addition to reducing the number of frauds, it also avoided retaliation from other participants if the Penjaghe was Madurese himself. It is strongly suspected that Madura's traditional clothes came from the clothes of the prison guards from Ponorogo, because the shirts and belts on Madura's traditional clothes were made in Ponorogo. === Karapan Sapi Now === 1. There is no Ubo rampe or ritual, only prayer readings 2. Using small cows 3. Keleles Karapan is minimalist, there is no festive hisan 4. Penjaghe by the Madurese themselves == Gallery == Pacu jawi, bull racing from West Sumatra, Indonesia Sport in Indonesia List of festivals in Indonesia Buffalo racing in Kerala Animal racing Madura cattle Malean sampi, cattle race in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia == External links == Karapan sapi on madureh.com.

Lebaran

Indonesia

Lebaran is the Indonesian popular name for two Islamic official holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in Indonesia, and is one of the major national holidays in the country. Lebaran holiday officially lasts for two days in the Indonesian calendar, although the government usually declares a few days before and after the Lebaran as a bank holiday. Many individuals or families, especially Muslims take paid time off from their workplace during these days. == Etymology == Idul Fitri and Idul Adha are Indonesian spelling of Arabic Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. While lebaran is localized name for this festive occasion, the etymology is not clear. It is suggested derived from Javanese word lebar which means finished, then the word lebar is absorbed into Indonesian language with additional suffix -an, so it becomes a common vocabulary for a celebration when the fasting ritual is finished, or derived from Sundanese word lebar which means abundance or many to describe the abundance of foods and delicacies served for visiting guests; family, relatives, neighbors and friends during this festive occasion. Another theory suggested, lebaran is derived from Betawi, lebar which means wide and broad, so the celebration means to broaden or widen one's heart feeling after fasting ritual of Ramadhan. Madurese people have also a similar word called lober to describe the completion of Ramadhan fast. It is also possible the word 'lebaran' derived from the word luber > luber-an > lebaran, which means overflow or flocking. The term lebaran usually used specific to describe Eid al-Fitr Islamic holiday, however in looser terms it sometimes used to describe similar festivals and celebrations. For example, in Indonesian the term lebaran haji (lit. 'Hajj's lebaran') is informally used to describe Eid al-Adha, also lebaran cina (lit. 'Chinese lebaran') for Chinese New Year. Christmas however, although bearing similarity in abundance of foods, is never referred to as lebaran, but just Natal or natalan instead. == History ==The word Lebaran was derived from a Javanese word, and according to Indonesian Muslim scholar Umar Khayam, the lebaran tradition was the result of acculturation between Javanese culture and Islam during the 15th century. According to Javanese traditions, the local lebaran tradition of Idul Fitri was first started when Sunan Bonang, one of the Wali Songo of Tuban in 15th-century Java, called for the Muslims to elevate the perfection of their Ramadhan fast by asking forgiveness and forgiving others' wrongdoings. The asking and giving for forgiveness during Eid al-Fitr is quite unique among Indonesian Muslims, and did not occur among Muslims of Middle East, Indian subcontinent or elsewhere. Most of the world's Muslims would only express Eid Mubarak (blessed Eid). Other lebaran traditions that are uniquely local and derived from Javanese traditions are sungkem and consuming ketupat.Sungkem is the Javanese tradition of asking for blessing and forgiveness from parents, grandparents and elders. The parents sit on a chair while the children and youngsters bow deep with their nose tip touching their hands that rest upon parents' laps. It is a sign of humility, expressing dedication and honoring parents and elders. Another tradition is consuming ketupat or kupat in Javanese language. The tradition on preparing and consuming ketupat during lebaran is believed to be introduced by Sunan Kalijaga, one of the Wali Songo who spread Islam in Java, as it contains some symbolism. It is believed that kupat means ngaku lepat or admitting one's mistakes in Javanese. The crossed weaving of palm leaves symbolizes people's mistakes and sins, and the inner whitish rice cake symbolizes purity and deliverance from sins after observing Ramadhan fast, prayer and rituals. Other than Java, the tradition of consuming ketupat during Eid ul Fitr also can be found throughout Indonesia, from Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, to neighboring Malaysia. == Prior to Lebaran == === Lebaran bonus === Additionally, in Indonesia Idul Fitri has a legally mandated salary bonus for all employees, known as Tunjangan Hari Raya (THR) as initially enforced by Indonesia's Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration (Kementerian Tenaga Kerja dan Transmigrasi) in the 1950s. The mandated amount of this salary bonus differs by region. For example, within the Jakarta region it must not be less than one month's full salary paid in advance of Idul Fitri, in addition to the employee's regular salary. Thus, Idul Fitri is also a paid holiday. Breaching or withholding THR is a very serious labour law infraction and is punished severely, regardless of employer status or position. === Lebaran shopping ===Other than shopping for typical food and kue kering (cookies) for Lebaran, Indonesians usually buy and wear new clothes and footwear. Shopping malls and bazaars are filled with people to get things for Lebaran such as clothes, footwear, even food to serve days ahead of Idul Fitri, which creates a distinctive festive atmosphere throughout the country, along with traffic mayhem around shopping malls and marketplaces. Lebaran also creates special occasions for shopping that often generate seasonal retail business. Retail businesses try to attract shoppers with special Lebaran discounts, Lebaran-themed decorations, and playing joyous Lebaran-themed or Islamic music in their stores. The festive shopping feel is quite similar to Christmas for Christians, but the things bought (usually fashion apparel), are rather for oneself, not as a gift. Many banks, government and private offices are closed for the duration of the Lebaran festivities. === Mudik lebaran ===One of the largest temporary human migrations globally is the prevailing custom of the Lebaran where workers, particularly unskilled labourers such as maids and construction workers, return to their home town or city to celebrate with their families and to ask forgiveness from parents, in-laws, and other elders. This is known in Indonesia as mudik or pulang kampung (homecoming). It is an annual tradition that people in big cities such as Greater Jakarta, Bandung, or Surabaya travel to their hometowns or other cities to visit relatives, to ask forgiveness, or just to celebrate with the whole family. The government of Indonesia provides additional transportation to handle the massive surge of travellers for several days before and after the lebaran. In 2013 around 30 million people travelled to their hometowns during lebaran, spending a total of around 90 trillion rupiah (around US$9 billion) from main urban centers to rural areas, pulsing economic opportunities and business from the city to the villages. The numbers of Indonesians who took mudik or pulang kampung travel is tremendous, a numbers similar to the whole population of Malaysia travelling simultaneously, causing massive traffic jams and a sudden rise of demand and volume of intercity transportation. The impact is huge, as millions of cars and motorcycles jam the roads and highways, causing kilometres of traffic jams each year. This massive annual congestion usually occurs along Java's Northern Coast Road. Additionally, the wealthier classes often go to local hotels or overseas to accommodate the absence of their domestic servants, drivers and even security guards. Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian hotels have been particularly successful in marketing lucrative Lebaran or Idul Fitri escape packages. === Takbiran ===The night before Idul Fitri is called takbiran, filled with the sounds of bedug drums and many muezzin chanting the takbir in the mosques or musallahs. In larger cities people fill the streets and chant takbir from their cars and motorcycles, often creating more traffic jams. In some instances fireworks and firecrackers are ignited, but this is discouraged by police as it could be dangerous to light these explosives over the crowd. In many parts of Indonesia, especially in rural areas, pelita, obor or lampu tempel (oil lamps, similar to tiki torches) are lit and placed outside and around homes. Some cities, such as Yogyakarta, organize a festive annual parade featuring colorful Islamic-themed lantern-like floats. == Lebaran day == On the Lebaran day, after performing the Eid prayer in the morning, people dressed in their new or best clothes will gather to greet their family and neighbours. It is common to greet people with Selamat Idul Fitri, which means Happy Eid. Muslims also greet one another with mohon maaf lahir dan batin, which means Forgive my physical and emotional (wrongdoings), because Idul Fitri is not only for celebrations but also a time for atonement to ask for forgiveness for sins which have been cleansed as a result of the fasting in the Muslim month of Ramadan. From morning to afternoon, the zakat alms for the poor are distributed in mosques. === Lebaran feast ===Families usually have a special Lebaran meal served during breakfast, brunch or lunch; special dishes include ketupat, opor ayam, rendang, sambal goreng ati, sayur lodeh and lemang (a type of glutinous rice cake cooked in bamboo). Various types of snacks such as roasted peanuts, kue, kue kering (cookies) especially kaasstengels, nastar and putri salju, dodol and imported dates sweet delicacies are served during the day, together with fruit syrup beverages. The lively or alternatively very emotional devotional music blended with Quranic verses associated with Ramadan and Eid – known as Kaisidah or more correctly, Qasida – can be heard throughout the country. These are commonly performed by famous musicians, some of whom may be international stars, and televised nationwide. === Silaturrahmi and lebaran money === Younger families usually visit their older neighbours or relatives to wish them a happy Eid and to ask for forgiveness. During these visits, it is a customs for older, established or married couple to give uang lebaran, a small amount of money, to their own children, as well as those of relatives and neighbours. Idul Fitri is a joyous day for children, as adults give them money in colourful envelopes. Indonesian banks and Bank Indonesia usually open some money changer counters to change larger to smaller denominations several days prior to Lebaran. The denominations may vary from 1,000 to 10,000 rupiah. The sudden rise of demand for goods (especially food) and services (especially transportation), and the pulsing and distribution of newly printed small denomination bank notes from the central bank, gives the Indonesian economy a seasonal inflation annually. === Lebaran costumes === It is customary for Muslim-Indonesians to wear traditional clothing on Eid al-Fitr. The male outfit is known as baju koko: a collarless long- or short-sleeve shirt with traditional embroidered designs with a kilt sarung of songket, ikat or similar woven, plaid-cloth. Alternatively, they may wear Western-style business suits or more traditional loose-fitting trousers with colour-matched shirts, and a peci hat or regional cultural headwear and songkok. The Malay variant worn in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Southern Thailand and parts of Indonesia (especially Sumatera and Kalimantan) is known as the Baju Melayu, shirt worn with a sarong known as kain samping or songket and a headwear known as songkok. Traditional female dress is known as kebaya kurung. It consists of, normally, a loose-fitting kebaya blouse (which may be enhanced with brocade and embroidery), a long skirt both of which may be batik, or the sarung skirt made of batik, ikat or songket and for some women either the jilbab (hijab) or its variant the stiffened kerudung Veil. Non-Austronesian Muslims, or even non-Muslims may don costumes of their respective culture and tradition, or Islamic clothes to show respect to their relatives' or friends' differing religious beliefs for the occasion. This is particularly common in Indonesia, where many families have close friends or relatives of differing faiths, namely Catholic, some Protestant, some Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim, or even Confucian. === Visiting graves ===It is common for many Muslims in Indonesia to visit the graves of loved ones several days before Ramadhan. During this visit, they clean the grave, recite Ya-Seen, a chapter (sura) from the Quran and perform the tahlil ceremony. These are done as a means to ask God to forgive both the dead and the living for their sins. The Javanese majority of Indonesia are known for their pre-Islamic Kejawen traditions of washing the headstone using scented water from the traditional terracotta water-jug, the kendi, and sprinkling hyacinth and jasmine over the graves. == After lebaran == Several days after lebaran are usually marked with arus balik (returning waves) of mudik lebaran (lebaran home-coming). People return to cities of their workplaces from their hometowns, and just like the mudik lebaran it creates massive temporary migrations that require large amounts of transportation for travellers and often results in gridlock traffic. === Halal bi-halal === In Indonesia there is a special ritual called halal bi-halal. During this, Indonesian Muslims visit their elders, in the family, the neighborhood, or their work, and show respect to them. This may be done during or several days after Idul Fitri. Usually core family and neighbors are visited on the first day of Idul Fitri, further relatives on the next day, and colleagues in days to weeks later after they get back to work. They will also seek reconciliation (if needed), and preserve or restore harmonious relations. == External links == Media related to Eid al-Fitr in Indonesia at Wikimedia Commons

Maras Taun

Indonesia

Maras Taun is a thanksgiving festival and harvest festival celebrated by Malays in Belitung Island and its surrounding smaller islands. Maras in Malay Belitung dialect means cutting and taun means year. Maras Taun occurs once a year after the harvest of rice from dry-field paddy fields (padi ladang or Oryza montana). == Maras Taun in Mendanau == For the Mendanau islanders, rice is the main foodstuff. Rice trading connects people from island to island. The festival is celebrated by fishermen in addition to farmers. The farmers celebrate their harvest; the fishermen celebrate their successful fish hauling. == Rites == The festival is opened with a farmer dance. They sing a Maras Taun song together to accompany the dance. After the dance ends, a village chief (a Muslim leader) appears and leads the people in prayer. The chief burns a piece of agarwood which causes a fragrant smell; then, he says the prayers and blesses two pieces of sacred leaves called daun hati-hati or daun kesalan, a variety of medicinal mint also known as Asian oregano. Afterward, the sacred leaves are given to the people. The islanders spread the leaves around their homes and boats because they believe that the sacred leaves bring luck. == Lepat == Before the harvest festival, people gather pounded rice that will be cooked as lepat. Lepat is a variety of steamed cake made from red rice, which is filled with a piece of fish or meat and wrapped with young coconut leaves. Hundreds of lepats will be distributed to the villagers at the end of the festival. Paddy field Green Revolution Translated from Kompas with some edits, Maras Taun Adat Barik Urang Belitong… June 5, 2006. Retrieved on May 2, 2007

National Pedestrian Day

Indonesia

National Pedestrian Day (Indonesian: Hari Pejalan Kaki) is celebrated annually on January 22 in Indonesia. In particular, the capital suffers from lack of sidewalks and uneven walking surfaces.

Nyepi

Indonesia

Nyepi is a Balinese Day of Silence that is commemorated every Isakawarsa (Saka new year) according to the Balinese calendar (in 2024, it falls on March 11). Nyepi, a public holiday in Indonesia, is a day of silence, fasting and meditation for the Balinese. The day following Nyepi is also celebrated as New Year's Day. After Nyepi, youths of Bali in the village of Sesetan in South Bali practice the ceremony of omed-omedan or 'The Kissing Ritual' to celebrate the new year. == Rituals == Observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection, and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. The main restrictions are no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and, for some, no talking or eating at all. The effect of these prohibitions is that Bali's usually bustling streets and roads are empty, there is little or no noise from TVs and radios, limited access to Internet and few signs of activity are seen even inside homes. The only people to be seen outdoors are the pecalang, traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed. Although Nyepi is primarily a Hindu holiday, non-Hindu residents and tourists are not exempt from the restrictions in Bali. Although they are free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. Tourists who violate the rules could face deportation. On the afternoon and evening before Nyepi, accessibility on roads is limited. Many local roads are closed for the parade in the evening, making it difficult to navigate by car or scooter. Most local restaurants close early and many ATMs are switched off with the cash removed until the day following Nyepi. The indirectly-state-owned consumer communications provider Telkomsel shuts down all internet access, while privately owned ISPs remain operational. Some hotels/resorts choose to shut down WiFi coverage, while others choose to let it remain operational. Electricity remains operational in Bali, while being shut off in Nusa Penida (2023). The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles responding to life-threatening conditions and women going into labor. On the day after Nyepi, known as Ngembak Geni (Relighting the Fire), social activity picks up again quickly, as families and friends gather to ask forgiveness from one another, and to perform certain religious rituals together. Fires and electricity are allowed again, and cooking of food resumes. Nyepi can be traced as far back as 78 A.D.First, the Melasti ritual is performed 3–4 days beforehand. It is dedicated to Sanghyang Widhi Wasa. The ritual is performed in several puras (Balinese temple) near the sea and beaches. It is meant to purify Arca, Pratima, and Pralingga (sacred objects) belonging to several temples, also to acquire sacred water from the sea. Second, the Bhuta Yajna ritual is performed in order to vanquish the negative elements and create a balance with God, mankind, and nature. The ritual is also meant to appease Batara Kala by Pecaruan offering of live animal sacrifice. Around sunset the Pengrupukan or Ngrupuk ceremony begins in the house compounds with the noisy banging of pots and pans and bamboo tubes along with burning of dried coconut leaf torches to drive out the demons. The Ngrupuk parade is a new phenomenon: it started in Denpasar in the early 1980s.Most Hindu Balinese villages make Ogoh-ogoh, demonic statues made of richly painted bamboo, papier-mâché, cloth, and tinsel symbolising negative elements or malevolent spirits or even characters from Hindu mythology. After the Ogoh-ogoh have been paraded around the village, they are burned in the cemeteries although many are displayed in front of community halls for another month or more and sometimes even purchased by museums and collectors.Third, the Nyepi rituals are performed as follows: Amati Geni: No fire or light, including no electricity Amati Karya: No working Amati Lelunganan: No travelling Amati Lelanguan: No revelry/self-entertainment Fourth, the Yoga/Brata ritual starts at 6:00 a.m. and continues to 6:00 a.m. the next day. Fifth, the Ngembak Agni/Labuh Brata ritual is performed for all Hindus to forgive each other and to welcome the new days to come. Sixth and finally, the Dharma Shanti rituals are performed after all the Nyepi rituals are finished. == Dates ==In 2024 the Ogoh-Ogoh parades were cancelled because of the general election being so close to the date of the festival, the regional government fearing that the parade may be used to convey political themes. Only villages, in particular the traditional villages, were allowed to hold the parade. == Related festivals == The festival is related to those observed by Hindus in the Indian subcontinent, although the dates are not the same due to the different calendars. For example, the Hindus of Maharashtra term their new year Gudi Padwa (in Marathi: गुढी पाडवा). The Sindhis, people from Sindh, celebrate the beginning of their calendar year as Cheti Chand. The Manipuris celebrate their new year as Sajibu Nongma Panba. The Hindus of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka also celebrate their new year as Ugadi. == Security == Security is provided by the usual hansip, while the pecalang are redirected into security roles from their usual mundane tasks like traffic coordination to beef up the local security. These two security forces report to local village heads. In 2017, it is reported islandwide that some 22,000 pecalang are taking part for Nyepi. National police also take part, but naturally ultimately report to Jakarta rather than the village or regency level. Indian New Year's days == External links == Juniartha, I Wayan (2008-03-06). Nyepi, in search of the silence within. The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-01-13. Nyepi: Bali's day of silence. indo.com. Retrieved 2009-01-13. Putu. Nyepi Day, a silence day to mark Balinese New Year. balifriend.net. Retrieved 2009-01-13. Dhadhiati, Anna. Nyepi: the balinese silence. essortment.com. Archived from the original on 2009-03-28. Retrieved 2009-01-13. Nyepi: New Year in Bali. villajegeg.com. 2011-01-30. Archived from the original on 2011-12-23. Retrieved 2011-01-30.

Pacu Jalur

Indonesia

Pacu Jalur (puh-tCHOO-juh-LOOR, also spelt as Pacu Jalua, Pachu Jalugh, or Patjoe Djaloer) is a traditional cultural Minangkabau boat race originated from the Central-Western Sumatran region of Kuantan Singingi (colloquially also known as Kuansing) on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The Pacu Jalur is held annually in the river of Batang Kuantan under the Pacu Jalur Festival series of events, it is the largest annual festival for the local communities (especially in the capital district of Taluk Kuantan) for hundreds of years. Since 2014, the traditions, knowledge, cultural customs, biocentrism awareness, and the practices of Pacu Jalur officially recognized and regarded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of Republic Indonesia as integral part of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia. As the effort to preserve these cultural heritage, the government of Indonesia support the Pacu Jalur Festival which held annually in Kuantan Singingi and promote its importance for the wider public both nationwide and international, the winner team of Pacu Jalur usually will also have a chance to be elected as the national athlete of Indonesia to represent Indonesia in the international boat racing events. In 2022, the Pacu Jalur art (illustrated by a Bandung-based Sundanese artist, Wastana Haikal) was selected as Google Doodle, it was a special alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate the Indonesian Independence Day celebrated on August 17 annually. == Nomenclature == The pacu jalur is an Eastern Minangkabau-origin term; the pacu literally means race, meanwhile the word jalur refers to (elongated) boat. In simple sense, the Pacu Jalur could be roughly translated as boat race or canoe race. Depends on Minangkabau dialectal differences, the Pacu Jalur might spelt differently, such as Pacu Jalua (in Standard Minangkabau), Pacu Jalugh or Pachu Jalugh (in another Eastern Minangkabau), or even Patjoe Djaloer (in Petjo). According to colonial manuscripts written in Dutch, these cultural traditions were better known by its nicknames, such as Kanorace op de Inderagiri (lit. 'Canoe race of Indragiri') or Kanorace op de Batang Koeantan (lit. 'Batang Kuantan canoe race'). == History == Little is known about the exact starting date of these cultural tradition, but the earliest written reference for Pacu Jalur specifically mentioned during 17th century within the local manuscripts. However, in earlier era, in the 7th century, it is worth to mention that the large number of envoy of Minangkabau rowers reached the downstream of the Batang Hari river (part of modern-day Jambi provincial region) from its upstream in Minangkabau Highlands (part of modern-day West Sumatra provincial region) using watercrafts, these specific event described in the Kedukan Bukit Inscription found in Palembang.Inscriptional text:... maŕlapas dari Mināṅa tāmvan mamāva yaṁ vala dua lakşa daṅan ko śa duaratus cāra di sāmvau ...Translation:... went from the Minangkabau carrying twenty thousand reinforcements with two hundreds tributes in the watercrafts (boats or canoes) ... According to the oral tradition of the local community, the Pacu Jalur were initially used as a means of transport along the river of Batang Kuantan from the Kuantan Hulu (upstream region) all the way down to the Cerenti sub-district at the mouth of Batang Kuantan river. As ground transportation was not yet developed during that time, the route was actually used as an important means of transport for villagers, mainly used as a means of transporting crops, such as local fruits and sugar cane, and serves to transport about 40-60 people. Later, these elongated dug-out boats are purposely decorated by the local cultural elements that might include the heads of snakes, crocodiles, tigers and sometimes added with Minangkabau umbrellas (payuang). As the time goes by, its function shifted from being a mere transport means for people to a splendid royal barge. The water-route that usually used as the transport or exchange goods-route gradually transformed as the sociocultural identity for Kuansing Minangkabaus to hold the festivals. Moreover, according to the written historical records, the route also served as the royals' route to welcome the honorable guests of kings (and later sultans) who wanted to visit the Rantau Kuantan area. During the Dutch colonialism era, the Pacu Jalur was allowed and held to enliven the traditional celebrations; since 1890 it was used as the mean to commemorate the birthday of Wilhelmina (the Queen of the Netherlands) that fell on 31 August annually and the festival will last up to 1 or 2 September. The Pacu Jalur celebration was contested for 2–3 days, depending on the number of tracks that follow. Formerly, before the arrival of the Dutch colonizers, Pacu Jalur was already held by the locals to commemorate the Muslims celebrations, such as Maulud Nabi ('Birthday of Muhammad'), Eid-ul Fitr, or even to celebrate the Islamic New Year. Furthermore, after the independence of Indonesia, the festival developed more and intended to celebrate the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia as well. Later on, to preserve this cultural tradition, the government of Indonesia includes the Pacu Jalur Festival in annual national tourist calendar event of Indonesia, which usually held around 23 to 26 August. == The race == According to the language of the local population, Jalur means Boat. Before the main event of Pacu Jalur 'is started, it usually held entertainment performances like singing and dancing performances to entertain all participants and surrounding communities. Nowadays, prior to the festival, smaller paddeling events were held in four districts, followed by a traditional mini route held at Tepian Narosa Teluk Kuantan. The racetrack follows the flow of Batang Kuantan River, with a track length of about 1 km marked by six piles. The wooden boat taking part in the competition usually have a length of 25 to 40 meters and the width of the middle section of approximately 1.3 ms / d 1.5 m. The crew for each boat varies from 50 to 60 people. Each of the crew has his own task, there is the commander who shouts out instructions, the helmsman, another one leads the boat by dancing from left to right, while another provides the music to provide rhythm and ensure regularity to paddlers. All these are in order that the boat moves fast forward in the right direction, provide balance, and paddlers follow the same rhythm.Pacu Jawi — another traditional Minangkabau sport of bull race Pacu Itiak — another traditional Minangkabau sport of duck race

Pacu jawi

Indonesia

The pacu jawi (Minangkabau pronunciation: [ˈpatʃu ˈdʒawi]) is a traditional bull race in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra, Indonesia. In the race, a jockey stands on a wooden plough loosely tied to a pair of bulls and holds them by their tails while the bulls cover about 60–250 metres (200–820 ft) of muddy track in a rice field. Although the name means a bull race, the bulls do not directly compete against each other, and no formal winner is declared. Instead, spectators judge the bulls by their performance (mostly their speed and their ability to run straight), and have the ability to buy well-performing bulls, albeit at well above usual price. The people of Tanah Datar—especially the nagaris (villages) in four of its districts—have been conducting this tradition for centuries to celebrate the end of the rice harvest. The race is held concurrently with a village festival of culture called alek pacu jawi. Recently it has become a tourist attraction supported by the government and the subject of multiple award-winning photographs. == Background ==The pacu jawi is performed in Tanah Datar, one of the regencies of West Sumatra, Indonesia. According to tradition, the race can only be held where the 2,891 m-tall Mount Marapi—reputed to be the origin of the Minangkabau people who populate West Sumatra—is visible. It is held by the region's agrarian population, when the rice fields are empty after harvest and before the next planting. Its location is rotated between several nagaris of Tanah Datar. Traditionally, the hosts are the nagaris in four of Tanah Datar's districts: Sungai Tarab, Pariangan, Lima Kaum and Rambatan.: 2  Together, these four districts consist of 26 nagaris (as of 2014) with altitudes ranging between 550–700 metres (1,800–2,300 ft), and have 96.16 square kilometres (37.13 sq mi) rice fields and more than 12,000 cattle (2012 data). The race originated as post-harvest entertainment and a celebration for the villagers and has been taking place for centuries, predating the Indonesian independence. In the past, the event was held only twice a year, but the shortening of rice harvest cycle has allowed more frequent installments of pacu jawi. By 2013, one of the nagaris hosted it every two months, with each instance consisting of four events on Wednesdays or Saturdays. == Race ==Despite its name pacu jawi (literally bull race or cow race in Minangkabau), it is not generally conducted as a direct competition between the animals. Instead, each participant (a jockey, with a pair of bulls) takes a turn running across the track. The animals are usually bulls (male cattle) between 2–13 years old, and run in pairs. Both bulls are connected by a rope to a wooden plough, where the jockey stands. They run in a muddy track, an empty patch of rice fields that have been cleared after harvest. Sources—witnessing different instances of the race—describe various length of the track, including around 60 metres (200 ft), 100 metres (330 ft), and 250 metres (820 ft). The track can be covered by up to 30 centimetres (12 in) of mud. The bulls are trained to start running when the plough is on the ground and someone steps on it. The jockey controls the animals and remains standing by holding on to the tails of both bulls. The jockey does not carry any whip. Because the rope connecting the animals is loose, the animals are likely to try to run in different directions or with different speeds, and the jockey must keep them running straight together while also struggling to stay upright.Spectators, including international tourists, watch the race, usually from a dry patch of field higher than the track. Part of the attraction is the bulls' unexpected behavior, often causing the jockey to fall or to perform manoeuvres like biting a bull's tail to make it run faster. Occasionally the jockey does this to speed up his animals, especially when one is running slower than the other. Mud splashes everywhere, including on nearby spectators. Bulls might also veer off track and charge in the spectators' direction. Injuries, especially among jockeys, are quite common. No winner is declared, but spectators judge the bulls by their speed, strength, and their ability to run straight on the track. Traditionally, the ability to run straight is important, and it is meant to teach people that those who follow the straight path deserve the most respect and honor. Owning a well-performing pair of bulls can be a source of pride for the locals, so spectators might buy such bulls at up to 2–3 times their usual price. This potential profit is one of the main motivations among participants. Hundreds of cattle can participate in a pacu jawi, including from the host nagari and also from the other three traditional nagaris of pacu jawi. Tanah Datar's Tourism Office provides funding and trucks for transporting the animals. Prior to this government involvement, cattle used to travel up to 50 kilometres (31 mi) on foot (often overnight). During the event, the cattle that are not currently racing are kept in a separate area, often near the finish line. Their presence is said to encourage the racing bulls to run faster to join the herd. == Festival == The race is held concurrently with a village festival (Minangkabau: alek nagari) called the alek pacu jawi (bull race festival). Over the years, the festivities have included pageants of cattle dressed with suntiangs (a Minangkabau traditional headdress), performance of traditional music such as gendang tasa and talempong pacik, tari piring, a fair, and traditional games such as the panjat pinang (greasy pole) and a kite competition. Prior to the government's involvement, all costs were borne together by the villagers, but now Tanah Datar's Tourism Office provides some funding. == Photography == Pacu jawi has attracted national and international photographers and has become subject of several award-winning photographs. Aesthetic factors associated with the event include its dramatic high-speed action, mud splashing, and the distinctive jockey facial expression and posture. Adding to the attraction, Tanah Datar is known for its natural views, including Mount Marapi, hills, green tropical vegetation, and rice fields. In order to take good photographs, photographers often have to be closer to the track than the general spectator area, and they risk getting soaked by mud and must be careful about charging bulls. Awards won by photographs of pacu jawi include the World Press Photo of the Year, Hamdan International Photography Award, The Daily Telegraph's Digital Camera Photographer of the Year and Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year.Flying duck race (pacu itiak) in Payakumbuh, another area in West Sumatra Karapan sapi, chariot-style bull racing from Madura, Indonesia Kambala, a similar type of race held in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka. Jallikattu, a traditional event in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, India as a part of Pongal (festival) celebrations on Mattu Pongal.

Pangkak

Indonesia

The Pangkak is a traditional Kangeanese rice harvest festival tradition and ceremony native to the Kangean Islands. These ceremony believed by the indigenous as a pure form of spiritualistic and gratitude towards God. Pangkak could refers to the singing style performed throughout these ceremony as well, which resembles the similarity with a capella. Pangkak also later became a betrothal ritual among the Kangeanese people. This meeting of agricultural and life cycle rituals that makes sense: the celebration of fertility found in pangkak also implies an especially fertile marriage. This connection between pangkak and the engagement process is made explicit in the lyrics of the pangkak song tune: Calm your mind, engaged one; Your bride-to-be will come to your home; When you see her, you’ll find your spirit”. The pangkak ceremony is often accompanied by traditional arts using Gendeng Dumik means the little gendang (traditional drums), and sometimes Pencak Silat is also performed.— The mantra chanted during the pangkak proposal rituals by the local pawang (a type of shaman). == Etymology == Pangkak derived from Kangeanese word of aranggak, aranggĕk, paranggak or paranggĕk which means cut or cutting, referred to reaping process in paddy (rice) harvesting activities. Kangeanese people Seren Taun

Rabu pungkasan

Indonesia

Rabu pungkasan (lit. 'last Wednesday') is a customary ceremony to expect a blessing which is held on the last Wednesday of Safar in the Jejeran Field, Wonokromo, Bantul Regency, Indonesia. The ceremony is performed on the last Wednesday of Safar because on that day, Kyai Usman Faqih (religious figures in Pleret) held a meeting with Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono I.

Sekaten

Indonesia

Sekaten (Javanese: ꦱꦼꦏꦠꦺꦤ꧀; from the Arabic word syahadatain) is a week-long Javanese traditional ceremony, festival, fair and pasar malam (night market) commemorating Mawlid (the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad), celebrated annually started on 5th day through the 12th day of (Javanese Calendar) Mulud month (corresponding to Rabi' al-awwal in Islamic Calendar). The festivities usually took place in northern alun-alun (square) in Yogyakarta, and simultaneously also celebrated in northern alun-alun of Surakarta. This ceremony originally were initiated by Sultan Hamengkubuwana I, the founder of Yogyakarta Sultanate to promote the Islamic faith. == Gamelan Sekaten ==On day one, the ceremony commences after the Isya evening prayer with a royal procession of royal guards and 'abdi dalem' court officials accompanying two sets of centuries old gamelan traditional music instruments, the Kyai Nogo Wilogo and Kyai Guntur Madu. The royal procession, led by the Sultan and Governor of Yogyakarta or his representative, begins in Pendopo Ponconiti, the main hall of Kraton Yogyakarta and proceeds towards Yogyakarta Great Mosque in northern Alun-Alun. The Kyai Nogo Wilogo gamelan will be placed at the northern pavilion of Grand Mosque, while Gamelan Kyai Guntur Madu will be placed at Pagongan pavilion in southern side of the mosque. These two set of sacred gamelans will be played simultaneously everyday until the 11th day of Maulud month through seven consecutive days. During the last day the two gamelans will be returned into the Kraton. The Gamelan Sekaten of Surakarta are played in the same manner as their Yogyakarta counterparts, and are brought out to the mosque and returned to the palace in a royal procession led by the Sunan of Surakarta and the Mayor and City Council of Surakarta. == Tumplak Wajik == Two days before Grebeg Muludan, the ceremony called Tumplak Wajik was held in palace Magangan field in 4:00 PM afternoon. This ceremony is started by kotekan ceremony which incorporate singing traditional songs accompanied with rhythmic hitting of kentongan (bamboo or wooden slit drum) and lumpang (rice mortar and pestle), that marked the making of Gunungan which will be carried in Grebeg Mulud festival. The traditional Javanese kue called wajik which is diamond-shaped sticky rice in palm sugar, is an essential part of this ceremony, and included within gunungan offering. The song played in this Tumplak Wajik ceremony is usually the popular Javanese traditional songs, such as Lompong Keli, Tundhung Setan, Owal awil. == Grebeg Muludan == In Yogyakarta, the main event of Sekaten is called the Grebeg Muludan that held in 12th day (exactly during the birthday of Muhammad) starting in 8:00 am. The main Gunungan (Javanese: mountain), a model of mountain made of sticky rice, sweets, various foods, crackers, fruits and vegetables, were guarded by 10 units of bregodo (brigade) of the royal guards of the palace (the companies under His Majesty's Kraton Guard Regiment): Wirobrojo, Daeng, Patangpuluh, Jogokaryo, Prawirotomo, Nyutro, Ketanggung, Mantrijero, Surokarso, and Bugis Companies, together with the Royal Guard Battalion of the Duchy of Pakualaman. The Gunungan will be carried in processions from Kemandungan through Sitihinggil and Pagelaran hall and finally ended in Grand Mosque. After the prayer, the Gunungan that symbolize the wealth and prosperity of Mataram Sultanate will be picked, fought over and ripped apart by the people that already waiting in the square, as they believed this objects is sacred, potent and could bring good luck, prosperity and wealth upon their households. Usually these parts of Gunungan will be kept in the house for luck, or buried in the rice fields as the traditional Javanese farmers believed that these objects will grant their fields fertility and protection from locust, plagues, and any misfortunes that might befell them. == External links ==

Serak Gulo

Indonesia

Serak Gulo (Jawi: سراق ڬولو) is an annual festival celebrated by ethnic Indian Indonesian to express gratitude in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. This tradition is held by distributing sugar to the public by menyerak (scattering or throwing) to it. Serak Gulo is commemorates every 1st Jumada al-Thani—in Islamic calendar.List of festivals in Indonesia Indian Indonesians

Seren taun

Indonesia

Seren Taun is an annual traditional Sundanese rice harvest festival and ceremony. The festival was originally held to mark the new agriculture year in the Sundanese ancient calendar as well as thanks giving for the blessings of the abundance rice harvest, and also to pray for the next successful harvest. Seren Taun demonstrates the Sundanese agricultural way of life, and is held in high regard in Sundanese traditional villages, as the festival draw thousands Sundanese villagers to participate as well as Indonesian or foreign visitors. There are several traditional Sundanese villages that hold this annual festival, the notable villages are:Cigugur village, Kuningan Regency, West Java Kasepuhan Banten Kidul, Ciptagelar village, Cisolok, Sukabumi, West Java Sindang Barang village, Pasir Eurih, Taman Sari, Bogor, West Java Kanekes village, Lebak, Banten Province Kampung Naga, Tasikmalaya, West Java == Etymology ==Seren Taun is derived from Sundanese language seren that means to give and taun which means year. Seren taun means the last year has given way to the new year, which means the transition between agriculture years. In Sundanese agriculture community, Seren Taun is the festival to express gratitude and thanksgiving to God for the blessing of rice harvest abundance, as well as to pray for the successful rice harvest in the next agriculture cycle. Another specific definition of Seren Taun is to give the rice harvest and present it to community leaders to be stored in communal barns (Sundanese: leuit) There are two kinds of leuit: the main barn and the secondary barn. The main barn is held in high importance and considered sacred; it can be called leuit sijimat, leuit ratna inten, or leuit indung (mother barn). The secondary barns are called leuit pangiring or leuit leutik (small barn). Leuit indung contained the sacred rice seed, the pare ambu or pare indung (mother rice seed) covered in white cloth, and pare bapa or pare abah (father rice seed) covered in black cloth. Leuit pangiring (secondary barns) are rows of barns to store the offering rices when the main barn is already full. == History ==According to historical records as well as local traditions, Seren Taun is held annually since the era of Sunda Kingdom. The ceremony was started as a dedication to Nyi Pohaci Sanghyang Asri, the goddess of rice in ancient Sundanese beliefs. Ancient Sundanese religion was influenced by animism and dynamism that revered the spirit of karuhun (ancestors) as well as unseen natural power identified as hyang, and it is also influenced by Hinduism. Since ancient times Sundanese are agricultural community that revered natural power that give fertility in plants and animals, this natural divine power is identified as Nyi Pohaci Sanghyang Asri, the goddess of rice and fertility. According to Sundanese beliefs her husband is Kuwera, the god of wealth. Both are symbolize in Pare Abah (father rice) and Pare Ambu (mother rice), signify the union of man and woman as the primordial symbol of fertility and family happiness. There are two kinds of harvest ceremony in Sunda Kingdom; Seren Taun Guru Bumi that is held annually and Seren Taun Tutug Galur that is held only once every eight years. Seren Taun Guru Bumi held in Pakuan Pajajaran capital and various villages, while the Seren Taun Tutug Galur or also called Kuwera Bakti only held in Pakuan. Seren Taun annually held in Sunda Kingdom and ceased after the fall of Sunda Pajajaran kingdom. Several decades later the ceremony revived in Sindang Barang, Kuta Batu and Cipakancilan village, and continued until it ceased in the 1970s. After 36 years pause, the ceremony was revived again in 2006 at Sindang Barang cultural village, Pasir Eurih, Sari, Bogor. The Seren Taun Guru Bumi celebrated again to revived cultural identity of Sundanese people. In Cigugur, Kuningan, Seren Taun is held every 22 Rayagung, the last month of Sundanese calendar. The ceremony is concentrated in pendopo Paseban Tri Panca Tunggal, the residence of prince Djatikusumah, constructed in 1840. The adherents of native Sunda Wiwitan belief still celebrate this annual harvest festival, such as Kanekes (Baduy) people, Kasepuhan Banten Kidul, and Cigugur. Today most of Sundanese are Muslim, however this tradition still survives and is celebrated although the prayer is now conducted in an Islamic way. == Rituals ==The Seren Taun rituals are different and varied among each villages, however the main ritual is the procession to presenting the rice to community leader. This rice are put into main leuit (rice barn) and secondary rice barns. The community leader later gave indung pare (mother of rice) that already blessed by the villages leaders to be planted in the next agriculture cycle. In some villages the rituals usually started with the collections of waters from several sacred water springs. Usually the water are collected from seven water springs in small jars to be united in one large water vessel, the water is blessed through prayers and considered sacred. The sacred water is later sprinkled upon people present in the festival, it is considered potent and would bring good luck and good fortunes for the people. The next rituals is sedekah kue, people brought traditional cakes, delicacies and also tumpeng on wooden palanquin. The cake later is fought among villagers as it is believed to bring good luck, and the tumpeng rice is distributed among the people to be consumed together. The slaughtering of water buffalo might also become the part of rituals, the meat is later distributed to the poor families in the village. Later in the night the wayang golek performance is held in the village main communal building. The main ritual of seren usually started in 08.00 in the morning, started with ngajayak procession (procession to bring and presenting the rice), continued with three mass performances; buyung dance, angklung baduy and angklung buncis angklung music performance, usually performed during seren taun in Cigugur. The ritual started with prayer to express gratitude to God for the abundance of harvest. Ngajayak main ritual is the presenting of rice from villagers to community leader to be stored in main barn, the rest is stored in secondary barns. Some of the rice is later rhythmically pounded together by women using wooden mortars and pestles. Some of blessed rice seed is placed in pavilion called Pwah Aci Sanghyang Asri (Pohaci Sanghyang Asri), and this rice seed is sought and fought by villagers as it is also believed to bring good fortune. In Cigugur, Kuningan, Seren Taun is started on 18 Rayagung. Several traditional Sundanese cultural performances is also demonstrated, such as pencak silat, Sundanese dances, nyiblung (water music), suling rando, tarawelet, karinding, and suling kumbang of Baduy people.

Solo Batik Carnival

Indonesia

The Solo Batik Carnival or SBC (Indonesian Karnaval Batik Solo) is an annual carnival held in Solo City (Surakarta City), Indonesia. The word carnival here is not related with the Christian pre-Lent celebration, but more of a festivities in general, with procession of dancers in extravagant costumes, with emphasis on the Indonesian motif of batik. == Solo Batik Carnival 2008 == The first Solo Batik Carnival was held on April 13, 2008 along the main street of Solo City, Slamet Riyadi Street. == Solo Batik Carnival 2009 == The second Solo Batik Carnival was held on June 28, 2009 along the same route, Slamet Riyadi Street. The second carnival used the theme Topeng/Mask. The carnival featured around 300 performers incorporating masks into their acts, which took place along the 4 kilometers route through the city. The carnival presented three styles of traditional masks, which are associated with particular mythological characters. The Panji masks represent a king or a queen along with gentleness and beauty, the Kelana masks represent knights or evil giants and the Gecul masks represent punakawan or royal servants. == Solo Batik Carnival 2010 == The third Solo Batik Carnival was held on June 23, 2010. The theme of the carnival was Sekar Jagad. Around 300 participants attended the festival. == Solo Batik Carnival 2011 ==The fourth Solo Batik Carnival was held on Saturday evening 25 June 2011 on the main street of Solo, Slamet Riyadi Street. The theme of the year is The Amazing Legend. The Carnival highlighted four of the most renowned Javanese folk-legends: the Ande Ande Lumut, Ratu Kencana Wungu, Ratu Laut Selatan, and Roro Jonggrang. The event also highlighted the appearance of four winners of the Miss Indonesia beauty pageant: Nadine Ames, Inda Adeliani, Alessandra K Usman, and Reisa Kartikasari. The event was attended by the Mayor of Solo, Joko Widodo, and vice Mayor Hadi Rudyatmo, who both followed the parade on foot from the start to the finish-line at the Solo City Hall, wearing distinguished costumes normally worn only by the nobility. == Solo Batik Carnival 2019 == 2019 carnival themed as Suvarna Bhumi: The Golden of ASEAN. Delegations from 11 Southeast Asian countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Timor Leste, showcased traditional outfits from their countries and kicked off the event with various artistic performances. Jember Fashion Carnival == External links == Official website

Tabuik

Indonesia

A Tabuik is the local manifestation of Remembrance of Muharram, in particular Shiite Ashura, among the Minangkabau people in the coastal regions of West Sumatra, Indonesia, particularly in the city of Pariaman. == History == A tabuik also refers to the towering funeral biers carried around during the remembrance procession, and is similar in form to several of the indigenous cultures' totems found in the old world Western cultures. Since 1831, the practice of throwing a tabuik into the sea has taken place every year in Pariaman on the 10th of Muharram. The practice was introduced to the region by the Shi'ite Muslim sepoy troops from India or middle east who were stationed—and later settled—there during the British Raj. == The events ==The festival includes reenactments of the Battle of Karbala and the playing of tassa and dhol drums. Although originally a Shi'a festival, nowadays most inhabitants of Pariaman and other southeastern Asia areas hold similar festivals which are even celebrated by non-Muslims. == The remembrance bier == The remembrance is referred to as Tabut or Tabot in Indonesian. Tabut is the name given in the Quran for The Ark of the Covenant. One or more tabuiks made from bamboo, rattan, and paper are usually prepared for the ceremony. Activities held during the week of Tabuik include kite races, traditional plays, and dance expositions (such as the Tari Piring). The memorial draws a large crowd including dignitaries such as the provincial governor. Visitors and celebrants can observe the tabuik in the morning before it is slowly taken to the beach in a procession. At noon, the tabuik is thrown into the sea. Afterwards, many people go swimming to make 'memories' of the tabuik to cherish. == Gallery == Minangkabau culture Culture of Indonesia Islam in Indonesia Shi'a Islam in Indonesia Hosay == External links == Photos of Tabuik Festival Tabuik Festival: Sumatra, Indonesia Tabuik: www.West-Sumatra.com – Land of Paradise

Vasant Panchami

Indonesia

Vasant Panchami (Sanskrit: वसन्त पञ्चमी, romanized: Vasanta Pañcamī), also rendered Vasanta Panchami and Saraswati Puja in honour of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for Holika and Holi, which take place forty days later. The Vasant Utsava (festival) on Panchami is celebrated forty days before spring, because any season's transition period is 40 days, and after that, the season comes into full bloom. == Nomenclature and date == Vasant Panchami is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the bright half of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Magha, which typically falls in late January or February. Spring is known as the King of all Seasons, so the festival commences forty days in advance. It is generally winter-like in northern India, and more spring-like in central and western parts of India on Vasant Panchami, which gives credence to the idea that spring is actually in full bloom 40 days after the Vasant Panchami day. The festival is particularly observed by Hindus in the Indian subcontinent, notably India and Nepal. In southern states, the same day is called Sri Panchami. On the island of Bali and the Hindus of Indonesia, it is known as Hari Raya Saraswati (great day of Saraswati). It also marks the beginning of the 210-day long Balinese Pawukon calendar. == Hinduism == === Saraswati Puja === Vasant Panchami is a festival of Hindus that marks the beginning of preparations for the spring season. It is celebrated by people in various ways depending on the region. Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for Holika and Holi, which occur forty days later. For many, Vasant Panchami is the festival dedicated to goddess Saraswati who is their goddess of knowledge, language, music, and all arts. She symbolizes creative energy and power in all its forms, including longing and love. The season and festival also celebrate the agricultural fields' ripening with yellow flowers of mustard crop, which Hindus associate with Saraswati's favorite color. People dress in yellow saris or shirts or accessories, share yellow-colored snacks and sweets. Some add saffron to their rice and then eat yellow cooked rice as a part of an elaborate feast. Many families mark this day by sitting with babies and young children, encouraging their children to write their first words with their fingers, and some study or create music together. The day before Vasant Panchami, Saraswati's temples are filled with food so that she can join the celebrants in the traditional feasting the following morning. In temples and educational institutions, statues of Saraswati are dressed in yellow and worshiped. Many educational institutions arrange special prayers or pujas in the morning to seek the blessing of the goddess. Poetic and musical gatherings are held in some communities in reverence for Saraswati. In Eastern India, primarily in the states of West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Bihar, as well as in Nepal, people visit Saraswati temples and also worship Goddess Saraswati at home (Saraswati Puja). In West Bengal, it's one of the major festivals for Bengali Hindus and observed by many households; most schools arrange Saraswati puja for their students on their premises. In Bangladesh too, all major educational institutes and universities observe it with a holiday and a special puja. In the state of Odisha, the festival is celebrated as Basanta Panchami/Sri Panchami /Saraswati Puja. Homas and Yagnas are done in schools and colleges across the state. Students celebrate Saraswati puja with great sincerity and fervor. Usually, children four and five years old start learning on this day in a unique ceremony named 'Khadi-Chuan' or 'Vidya-Arambha'. This is alternatively known as Haate-Khori among Bengali Hindus. In southern states such as Andhra Pradesh, the same day is called Sri Panchami where Sri refers to her as another aspect of the one goddess Devi. === Other deities ===Another legend behind Vasant Panchami is based on the Hindu god of love called Kama. Pradyumna is Kamadeva reborn as Krishna's son. Thus Vasant Panchami is also known as Madana Panchami. Pradyumna is the son of Rukmini and Krishna. He awakens the passions of the earth (and its people) and thus the world blooms anew. It is remembered as the day when the Seers (Rishis) approached Kama to wake up Shiva from his Yogic meditation. They support Parvati who is doing a penance to get Shiva as husband and seek Kama's help to bring Shiva back from his meditation to worldly desires. Kama agrees and shoots arrows, made of flowers and bees, at Shiva from his heavenly bow of sugarcane in order to arouse him to pay attention to Parvati. Lord Shiva awakens from his meditation. When his third eye opens, a fireball is directed to Kama. Kama the Lord of desires is burnt to ashes. This initiative is celebrated by Hindus as Vasant Panchami. Vasant Panchami is associated with the emotions of love and emotional anticipation in Kutch (Gujarat) and is celebrated by preparing bouquets and garlands of flowers set with mango leaves, as a gift. People dress in saffron, pink, or yellow and visit each other. Songs about Krishna's pranks with Radha, considered to mirror Kama-Rati, are sung. This is symbolized with the Hindu deity Kama with his wife Rati. Traditionally, in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, after bathing in the morning, people worship Shiva and Parvati. Offerings of mango flowers and the ears of wheat are traditionally made. === Deo temple: Sun God === The shrine of the Sun God in Aurangabad district, Bihar known as the Deo-Sun Shrine, was established on Basant Panchami. The day is celebrated to commemorate the founding of the shrine by King Aila of Allahabad and the birthday of the Sun-Deo God. The statues are washed and old red clothes on them are replaced with new ones on Basant Panchami. Devotees sing, dance and play musical instruments. === Other ===People celebrate the day by wearing yellow (white), eating sweet dishes and displaying yellow flowers in homes. In Rajasthan, it is customary for people to wear jasmine garlands. In Maharashtra, newly married couples visit a temple and offer prayers on the first Basant Panchami after the wedding. wearing yellow dresses. In the Punjab region, Hindus wear yellow turban or headdress. In Uttarakhand, in addition to Saraswati Puja, people worship Shiva, Parvati as the mother earth and the crops or agriculture. People eat yellow rice and wear yellow. It is also a significant school supplies shopping and related gift-giving season. In the Punjab region, Basant is celebrated as a seasonal festival by all faiths and is known as the Basant Festival of Kites. Children buy dor (thread) and guddi or patang (kites) for the sport. The people of the Punjab wear yellow clothes and eat yellow rice to emulate the yellow mustard (sarson) flower fields, or play by flying kites. According to Desai (2010), the tradition of flying kites on various festivals is also found in northern and western Indian states: Hindus in Rajasthan and especially in Gujarat associate kite flying with the period prior to Uttarayan; in Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), kites are flown on Dussehra; in Bengal kite flying takes place on Viskwakarma Puja in September. The sport is also found in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and parts of south India. On Bali and among Indonesian Hindus, Hari Raya Saraswati (the festival's local name) is celebrated with prayers in family compounds, educational institutions, and public venues from morning to noon. Teachers and students wear brightly coloured clothes instead of their usual uniforms, and children bring traditional cakes and fruit to school for offerings in a temple. == Sikhism == Namdhari Sikhs have historically celebrated Basant Panchami to mark the beginning of spring. Other Sikhs treat it as a spring festival, and joyfully celebrate it by wearing yellow colored clothes, emulating the bright yellow mustard flowers in the fields. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire, encouraged the celebration of Basant Panchami as a social event in the Gurdwaras. In 1825 CE he gave 2,000 rupees to the Harmandir Sahib Gurdwara in Amritsar to distribute food. He held an annual Basant fair and sponsored kite flying as a regular feature of the fairs. Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his queen Moran would dress in yellow and fly kites on Basant Panchami. Maharaja Ranjit Singh would also hold a darbar or court in Lahore on Basant Panchami which lasted ten days when soldiers would dress in yellow and show their military prowess. In the Malwa region, the festival of Basant Panchami is celebrated with wearing of yellow dress and kite flying. In Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur, a Basant Panchami fair is held. People attend the fair wearing yellow clothes, turbans or accessories. Sikhs also remember the martyrdom of the child Haqiqat Rai on Basant Panchmi, who was arrested by the Muslim ruler Khan Zakariya Khan after being falsely accused of insulting Islam. Rai was given the choice of converting to Islam or death and, having refused conversion, was executed on the Basant Panchami of 1741 in Lahore, Pakistan. Nihangs go to Patiala on Basant Panchami and dress in pink and yellow on the month of Vaisakh (not only Basant Panchami day). == Pakistan == Kite flying in Lahore goes back centuries. After creation of Pakistan it evolved into a highly competitive sport which is not limited to basant only. There are regional teams, competitions, and trophies. Kite And string making is an industry all over central Punjab providing livelihood to thousands. Given the shared history and culture in the Indian subcontinent, the Punjabi Muslims in and around Lahore also celebrate kite flying as a sport in Pakistan from home rooftops during the Basant season. In 2003, the Supreme Court of Pakistan attempted to ban the manufacture, trade, and flying of kites in Lahore on the basis of fatal incidents involving 'glass-coated' stray strings originally used in kite-battles in Lahore. In 2005 Lahore announced that Vasant Panchami could be celebrated in a forest outside of Lahore. In 2017 the ban on Vasant Panchami was briefly lifted and reimposed. == Sufi Muslim Basant == According to Lochan Singh Buxi, Basant Panchmi is a Hindu festival adopted by some Indian Muslim Sufis in the 12th century to mark the grave of the Muslim Sufi saint dargah of Nizamuddin Aulia in Delhi and ever since, has been observed by the Chishti order. According to local Sufi traditions, the poet Amir Khusrau saw Hindu women carry yellow flowers to a temple on Basant and they were dressed in yellow, and he adopted their culture to give some happiness to Nizamuddin Aulia because his nephew died few days ago and he was not recovering from grief, one the Chishti order of Sufi Indian Muslims continue to practice. == Controversy == Vasant Panchami has been a historic occasion of dispute at the archaeological site of Bhojshala (Dhar, Madhya Pradesh) with evidence of an early Saraswati temple (locally called Waghdevi). On the site of Bhojshala is a later era Kamal-Maula mosque, which Muslims use for Friday prayers. The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has provided annual guidelines, when the Vasant Panchami festival falls on a Friday, announcing hours when Hindus can worship at Bhojshala on Vasant Panchami, and when Muslims can. However, in past years, the Muslim community scheduled earlier has refused to vacate the premises, leading to riots and disorder such as in the 1980s and 1990s. Vasanta (Ritu) Vasant Panchmi, a book by Anurag Basu. Kite Festival by Sanjeev Narula. Saraswati Puja: Quotes, Wishes, Mantras, Images, Songs

Yaqowiyu

Indonesia

Yaqowiyu is a traditional Javanese religious festival held in Jatinom, Klaten Regency, Central Java. The festival is held every Sapar of the Javanese calendar, and is often called Saparan. During Yaqowiyu, a traditional cake called apem which is round snack made of rice flour is distributed, and thousands of people fight for the cake. Thousands of apems will be distributed from a platform established in the mosque located in the funeral complex of Ki Ageng Gribig. Traditional belief tells that apem will bring fortune for people who succeed in getting it. The festival is a prominent example of adat which is a syncretism between Islamic belief and vernacular customary traditions. Yaqowiyu was first introduced by Ki Ageng Gribig, who is believed to be the descendant of Brawijaya, after his return from the hajji pilgrimage in Mecca. The name Yaqowiyu comes from the part of the Arabic dua (supplication prayer), yaa qowiyyu, yaa aziz, qowwina wal muslimiin, yaa qowiyyu warzuqna wal muslimiin which is believed to be the dua for power. == Gallery ==

Yogyakarta Art Festival

Indonesia

Yogyakarta Art Festival (Indonesian: Festival Kesenian Yogyakarta / FKY) is an annual arts festivals held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. FKY was established on July 7, 1989. Previously, all 24 festivals were held near Fort Vredeburg. Since 2013, FKY has relocated to the Ngasem Market complex.

List of festivals in Japan

Japan

This is an incomplete list of festivals in Japan. == Traditional festivals == == Film festivals == == Music festivals == Japanese festivals Abare Festival Matsuri float

Japanese festivals

Japan

Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. In Japan, festivals are called matsuri (祭り), and the origin of the word matsuri is related to the kami (神, Shinto deities); there are theories that the word matsuri is derived from matsu (待つ) meaning to wait (for the kami to descend), tatematsuru (献る) meaning to make offerings to the kami, and matsurau (奉う) meaning to obey the kami. The theory that it is derived from matsurau is the most popular. It is estimated that there are between 100,000 and 300,000 festivals across Japan, generating an annual economic impact of 530 billion yen as of 2019. As of 2024, 33 of these festivals have been registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists as Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan. Various folk dances, costume processions, kagura, dengaku, bugaku, and noh performed at festivals are also registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists. For example, 41 folk dances including bon odori from various regions of Japan are registered as Furyu-odori and 10 costume processions including namahage are registered as Raihō-shin. Japanese festivals reflect the unique religious beliefs of the Japanese people, who worship onryō (怨霊, vengeful spirits) and violent kami, based on the background of Japan's frequent natural disasters. Based on the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism, Japanese people worship not only the spirits that inhabit all things and the souls of their ancestors, but also terrifying onryō and violent kami that protect people from epidemics and natural disasters. For example, Gion Matsuri, Tenjin Matsuri (ja), and Kanda Matsuri, which are considered the three major festivals in Japan, worship the onryō of Gozu Tennō, Sugawara no Michizane, and Taira no Masakado, respectively, and pray for good health and protection from natural disasters. Since these festivals are held in urban areas, each attracts hundreds of thousands to over a million spectators each year. On the other hand, Gion Matsuri, Aoi Matsuri, and Jidai Matsuri are considered the three major festivals in Kyoto. Gion Matsuri attracts huge crowds to see the procession of huge dashi (山車, matsuri floats) and mikoshi (神輿, portable shrines), while Aoi Matsuri and Jidai Matsuri attract crowds to see the procession of people dressed in period costumes. The Aomori Nebuta Matsuri and the Tokushima Awa Odori are large, historic festivals in local cities that attract more than 2 million visitors each year, and more than 1 million visitors each year, respectively. According to a 2022 survey, they ranked first and second, respectively, in recognition in Japan, with the Gion Matsuri in third place. There are also many Japanese festivals in which the kami are prayed to for a good harvest of rice and other crops. In agricultural festivals, different ceremonies are held in each of the four seasons, and festivals are classified into different types, such as otaue-matsuri (御田植祭) and aki-matsuri (秋祭り), according to their significance. In general, festivals held in the spring pray for a good harvest for the year, festivals held in the summer pray for rice and crops to be free from pests and storm damage, festivals held in the fall offer gratitude for the harvest, and festivals held in the winter pray for a good harvest in the new year. Many secular and modern festivals are also held, with the Sapporo Snow Festival attracting 2.73 million visitors in 2019. == Festivals (matsuri) related to agriculture == There are many Japanese festivals in which the kami are prayed to for a good harvest of rice and other crops. These festivals are divided into various types according to their significance and ritual practices, the most representative of which are as follows. Typical spring festival practices are minakuchi-sai (水口祭) and otaue-matsuri (御田植祭). In minakuchi-sai, on the day of planting, soil is piled at the water intake of the rice field , seasonal flowers and twigs are placed, and sake and baked rice are offered to the mountain kami. During otaue-matsuri, young women called saotome (早乙女) enter the rice field to plant rice seedlings and pray for a good harvest. Typical summer festival practices are mushi okuri (虫送り) and amagoi (雨乞い). In mushi okuri, torches are lit at night and straw dolls with pests tied to them are floated or thrown into the river to pray for the repulsion of pests, while in amagoi, dances are dedicated to kami and fires are lit to pray for rain. The typical fall festival practices are niiname-sai (新嘗祭) and aki-matsuri (秋祭り). In niiname-sai, new grains are offered to the kami at the imperial court and at Shinto shrines throughout Japan to thank them for the harvest, and in aki-matsuri, farmers in rural villages thank the kami of the rice fields and send the kami back to the mountains. The typical winter festival practices are sagichō or dondoyaki (左義長 or どんど焼き) and taasobi (田遊び). In sagicho or dondoyaki, kadomatsu (門松) and other New Year's decorations are burned and mochi are roasted and eaten over the flames, and in tasaburi, farm work is simulated in the Shinto shrine hall (拝殿, haiden) to pray for the next year's kami harvest. == Local festivals (matsuri) ==Matsuri (祭) is the Japanese word for a festival or holiday. In Japan, festivals are usually sponsored by a local shrine or temple, though they can be secular. Festivals are often based around one event, with food stalls, entertainment, and carnival games to keep people entertained. Some are based around temples or shrines, others hanabi (fireworks), and still others around contests where the participants sport loin cloths (see: Hadaka Matsuri). There are no specific matsuri days for all of Japan; dates vary from area to area, and even within a specific area, but festival days do tend to cluster around traditional holidays such as Setsubun or Obon. Almost every locale has at least one matsuri in late summer/early autumn, usually related to the paddy harvest. Notable matsuri often feature processions which may include elaborate floats. Preparation for these processions is usually organized at the level of neighborhoods, or machi. Prior to these, the local kami may be ritually installed in mikoshi and paraded through the streets. One can always find in the vicinity of a matsuri booths selling souvenirs and food such as takoyaki, and games, such as Goldfish scooping. Karaoke contests, sumo matches, and other forms of entertainment are often organized in conjunction with matsuri. If the festival is next to a lake, renting a boat is also an attraction. Favorite elements of the most popular matsuri, such as the Nada no Kenka Matsuri of Himeji or the Neputa Matsuri of Hirosaki, are often broadcast on television for the entire nation to enjoy. === List of famous matsuri === === Sapporo Snow Festival (Hokkaido) === Sapporo Snow Festival is one of the largest festivals of the year in Sapporo, held in February for one week. It began in 1950 when high school students built snow statues in Odori Park, central Sapporo. The event is now very large and commercialized. About a dozen large sculptures are built for the festival along with around 100 smaller snow and ice sculptures. Several concerts and other events are also held. === Lake Towada Snow Festival === This lake festival is held in the beginning of February. Held in the town of Yasumiya, this festival is on the south side of Lake Towada (near the wooden statues). This festival is open all day, but at 5 pm one can enjoy activities such as going through a snow maze, exploring a Japanese igloo, and eat foods from Aomori and Akita prefectures. There is a fireworks show and events held on an ice stage. === Aomori Nebuta Festival === This festival is held annually and features colorful lantern floats called nebuta which are pulled through the streets of Central Aomori. This festival is held from about August 2–7 every year. This event attracts millions of visitors. During this festival, 20 large nebuta floats are paraded through the streets near Aomori JR rail station. These floats are constructed of wooden bases and metal frames. Japanese papers, called washi, are painted onto the frames. These amazing floats are finished off with the historical figures or kabuki being painted on the paper. These floats can take up to a year to complete. There is a dance portion of this festival. There are haneto dancers and they wear special costumes for this dance. Everyone is welcome to purchase their own haneto costume that they may too join in on the fun (Mishima, Aomori Nebuta Festival). === Nango Summer Jazz Festival === This event is held every year. Thousands of artists from all over Tohoku and even further regions come to Nango to perform. This is the largest open-air jazz concert held in Tohoku region. This festival began in 1989, in a small venue indoors. There was such a large response from the fans that it was expanded into a large annual festival. One must purchase tickets for this event (Bernard, 2007). This summer jazz festival does not cost anything but potential members of the public still need to receive a ticket to enter the event. === Cherry blossom festivals === Japan celebrates the entire season of the cherry blossoms. There are festivals in nearly every region of Japan, and some locations, food is available or a park may be decorated with lanterns. Some locations of cherry blossom festivals include:Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival in Okinawa. This festival takes place from late January – mid February Matsuyama Shiroyama Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Matsuyama-city, Ehime. This festival takes place early April. Matsue Jozan Koen Festival in Matsue-city, Shimane. This festival has a feature of illuminating the cherry blossom trees at night. This festival takes place late March-early April. Tsuyama Kakuzan Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Tsuyama-city, Okayama. Japanese tea ceremonies and music performers are held at these festivals. This festival is held early-mid April. Takato Joshi Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Takato-machi Ina-city, Nagano prefecture. The trees in this region have pink blossoms. This festival is held early April. Takada Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Joetsu-city, Niigata prefecture. This festival is held early-mid April. Kitakai Tenshochi Cherry Blossom Festival in Kitakami-city, Iwate. This festival is held mid April-early May. Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival held in Hirosaki Koen Hirosaki-city, Aomori prefecture. This festival is held late April-early May (Mishima, Cherry Blossom Festivals 2010). == Outside Japan == Following the Japanese diaspora, many places around the world celebrate similar festivals, often called matsuri. Brazil hosts the largest nikkei population in the world and some Brazilian cities host matsuri such as São Paulo and Curitiba. The United States host the 2nd largest nikkei population in the world and some American cities host matsuri such as Los Angeles, San Jose and Phoenix. Wales has adopted the term matsuri to name their yearly drift festival. It uses the Japanese name to show the sports Japanese heritage. The event takes place over 2 days at the Anglesey Track, and has been annual for 6 years. == Nationwide festivals == === Fixed days === Seijin Shiki: Coming of Age Day (second Monday of January) Hinamatsuri: Doll Festival (March 3) Hanami: Flower Viewing (late March to early May) Hanamatsuri: Flower Festival (April 8) Tanabata: Star Festival (July 7) Shichi-Go-San: festival day for children aged seven, five and three (November 15) Ōmisoka: New Year's Eve (December 31) === Multiple days === Setsubun: division of season (beginning of each of the four seasons) (February 3) Ennichi: temple fair (holidays related to Kami and/or Buddha) === Bunka === Japanese Cultural Festival === New Year (正月, Shōgatsu) ===Date: January 1–3 (related celebrations take place throughout January) Other Names: Oshōgatsu (O is an honorific prefix) Information: New Year observances are the most elaborate of Japan's annual events. Before the New Year, homes are cleaned, debts are paid off, and osechi (food in lacquered trays for the New Year) is prepared or bought. Osechi foods are traditional foods which are chosen for their lucky colors, shapes, or lucky-sounding names in hopes of obtaining good luck in various areas of life during the new year. Homes are decorated and the holidays are celebrated by family gatherings, visits to temples or shrines, and formal calls on relatives and friends. The first day of the year (ganjitsu) is usually spent with members of the family. People try to stay awake and eat toshikoshi soba, noodles to be eaten at midnight. People also visit Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Traditionally three are visited. This is called sansha-mairi. In the Imperial Palace at dawn on the 1st, the Emperor performs the rite of shihōhai (worship of the four-quarters), in which he offers prayers for the well-being of the nation. On January 2 the public is allowed to enter the inner palace grounds; the only other day this is possible is the Emperor's birthday (February 23). On the 2nd and 3rd days acquaintances visit one another to extend greetings (nenshi) and sip otoso (a spiced rice wine). Some games played at New Year's are karuta (a card game), hanetsuki (similar to badminton), tako age (kiteflying), and komamawashi (spinning tops). These games are played to bring more luck for the year. Exchanging New Year's greeting cards (similar to Christmas Cards) is another important Japanese custom. Also special allowances are given to children, which are called otoshidama. They also decorate their entrances with kagami mochi (two mochi rice balls placed one on top of the other, with a tangerine on top), and kadomatsu (pine tree decorations). A later New Year's celebration, Koshōgatsu, literally means Small New Year and starts with the first full moon of the year (around January 15). The main events of Koshōgatsu are rites and practices praying for a bountiful harvest. === Doll Festival (雛祭り, Hina-matsuri) === Date: March 3 Other Names: Sangatsu Sekku (3rd month Festival), Momo Sekku (Peach Festival), Joshi no Sekku (Girls' Festival) Information: This is the day when families pray for the happiness and prosperity of their girls to help ensure that they grow up healthy and beautiful. The celebration takes place both inside the home and at the seashore. Both parts are meant to ward off evil spirits from girls and women. Young girls and women put on their best kimono and visit their friends' homes. Tiered platforms for hina ningyō (hina dolls; a set of dolls representing the emperor, empress, attendants, and musicians in ancient court dress) are set up in the home, and the family celebrates with a special meal of hishimochi (diamond-shaped rice cakes) and shirozake (rice malt with sake). === Hanami (花見) ===Date: April Other Names: Hanami (flower viewing), Cherry Blossom Festival Information: Various flower festivals are held at Shinto shrines during the month of April. Excursions and picnics for enjoying flowers, particularly cherry blossoms are also common, as well as many drinking parties often to be seen in and around auspicious parks and buildings. In some areas the peach blossom, the traditional flower of Japan (the Cherry being a symbol from the Edo period symbolizing the Samurai culture), is viewed as well though these flowers earlier than the Cherry. In some places flower viewing parties are held on traditionally fixed dates. This is one of the most popular events during spring. The subject of flower viewing has long held an important place in literature, dance, and fine arts. Ikebana (flower arrangement) is also a popular part of Japanese culture and is still practiced by many people today. Some main things people do during this event are games, folk songs, folk dance, flower displays, rides, parades, concerts, kimono shows, booths with food and other things, beauty pageant, and religious ceremonies. Families go out during weekends to see the cherry blossoms, and participate in the many festivals and activities. === Hanamatsuri (花祭り) === Date: April 8 Other Names: Flower Festival Information: Hanamatsuri celebrates the birth of the Buddha. On this day, all temples hold 降誕会 (Gōtan-e), 仏生会 (Busshō-e), 浴仏会 (Yokubutsu-e), 龍華会 (Ryūge-e) and 花会式 (Hana-eshiki). Japanese people pour ama-cha (a beverage prepared from a variety of hydrangea) on small Buddha statues decorated with flowers, as if bathing a newborn baby. The tradition of bathing the Buddha originated in China and was introduced to Japan where it was first held in Nara in 606. Lion dancing is also a major tradition practiced during Buddha's Birthday and has become associated with the festival in Japan. === Tanabata (七夕) === Date: July 7 / August 5–8 (Sendai) Other Names: The Star Festival Information: It originated from a Chinese folk legend concerning two stars-the Weaver Star (Vega) and the Cowherd Star (Altair)-who were said to be lovers who could meet only once a year on the 7th night of the 7th month provided it did not rain and flood the Milky Way. It was named Tanabata after a weaving maiden from a Japanese legend, named Orihime who was believed to make clothes for the gods. People often write wishes and romantic aspirations on long, narrow strips of colored paper and hang them on bamboo branches along with other small ornaments. === Japanese Floating Lantern Festival (灯籠流し, Tōrō nagashi) === Date: July 19 Information: One traditional custom to mark the end of the Bon Festival. Small paper lanterns containing a burning flame are either set afloat to a river, lake or sea or they are let go and float away into the night. Their light is intended to guide the way for deceased family members' spirits. Usually the person who lets the lantern go will write a message on the side. === Bon Festival (盆, bon) === Date: August 13–16 Information: A Buddhist observance honoring the spirits of ancestors. Usually a spirit altar (shōryōdana) is set up in front of the Butsudan (buddhist altar) to welcome the ancestors' souls. A priest may be asked to come and read a sutra (tanagyō). Among the traditional preparations for the ancestors' return are the cleaning of grave sites. The welcoming fire (mukaebi) built on the 13th and the send-off fire (okuribi) built on the 15th and 16th are intended to guide the ancestor's spirits back to their permanent dwelling place. === Momijigari (紅葉狩) === Date: October- Information: The Japanese tradition of going to visit scenic areas where leaves have turned red in the Autumn. The tradition is said to have originated in the Heian era as a cultured pursuit. === Pocky no Hi (ポッキーの日) === Date: November 11 Information: The Japanese tradition of buying and eating Pocky sticks. === 7-5-3 Festival (七五三, Shichi-Go-San) === Date: November 15 Information: Three- and seven-year-old girls and five-year-old boys are taken to the local shrine to pray for their safe and healthy future. This festival started because of the belief that children of certain ages were especially prone to bad luck and hence in need of divine protection. Children are usually dressed in traditional clothing for the occasion and after visiting the shrine many people buy chitose-ame (thousand-year candy) sold at the shrine. === Preparation for the New Year and Year-end fair === Date: late December Other Names: Year-end (年の瀬, toshi no se), Year-end Fair (年の市, Toshi no Ichi) Information: Preparations for seeing in the new year were originally undertaken to greet the toshigami, or deity of the incoming year. These begin on December 13, when the house was given a thorough cleaning; the date is usually nearer the end of the month now. The house is then decorated in the traditional fashion: A sacred rope of straw (shimenawa) with dangling white paper strips (shide) is hung over the front door to prevent evil spirits from entering and to show the presence of the toshigami. It is also customary to place kadomatsu, an arrangement of tree sprigs, beside the entrance way. A special altar, known as toshidana (year shelf), is piled high with kagamimochi (flat, round rice cakes), sake (rice wine), persimmons, and other foods in honor of the toshigami. A fair is traditionally held in late December at shrines, temples or in local neighborhoods. This is in preparation for the new year holidays. Decorations and sundry goods are sold at the fair. Originally these year-end fairs provided opportunities for farmers, fisherfolk and mountain dwellers to exchange goods and buy clothes and other necessities for the coming year. === Ōmisoka (大晦日, Ōmisoka) === Date: December 31 (New Year's Eve) Information: People do the general house cleaning (Ōsōji) to welcome coming year and not to keep having impure influences. Many people visit Buddhist temples to hear the temple bells rung 108 times at midnight (joya no kane). This is to announce the passing of the old year and the coming of the new. The reason they are rung 108 times is because of the Buddhist belief that human beings are plagued by 108 earthly desires or passions (bonnō). With each ring one desire is dispelled. It is also a custom to eat toshikoshi soba in the hope that one's family fortunes will extend like the long noodles. List of festivals in Japan Abare Festival Culture of Japan Naked festival Japanese calendar Jinjitsu and Nanakusa-no-sekku Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, D.C. Kōhaku maku Sakai Matsuri == Further reading == mothra.rerf.or.jp::hiroshima::about matsuri an external article covering the topic 2008 Ministry of Land, I. T. (n.d.). 2008 Chitose-Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival. Retrieved August 6, 2009, from Yokoso! Japan Weeks: http://www.yjw2008.jp/eng/info.php?no=241 Bernard, S. (July 11, 2007). Nango Holds Summer Jazz Festival. Retrieved August 9, 2009, from About.com: https://web.archive.org/web/20110612014351/http://www.misawa.af.mil/news/story_print.asp?id=123060239 Gianola, D. (February 3, 2008). Chitose Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival. Retrieved August 6, 2009, from VR Mag: http://www.vrmag.org/issue29/CHITOSE_LAKE_SHIKOTSU_ICE_FESTIVAL.html Archived November 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Japan-Guide.com. (n.d.). Sapporo Snow Festival. Retrieved August 6, 2009, from Japan-Guide.com: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5311.html MisawaJapan.com. (n.d.). Lake Towada Winter Festival. Retrieved August 6, 2009, from MisawaJapan.com: http://www.misawajapan.com/festivals/others/towada_winter.asp Mishima, S. (n.d.). Aomori Nebuta Festival. Retrieved August 9, 2009, from About.com: https://web.archive.org/web/20090227134339/http://gojapan.about.com/cs/tohokuregion1/a/aomorinebuta.htm Mishima, S. (n.d.). Cherry Blossom Festivals 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2009, from About.com: http://gojapan.about.com/cs/cherryblossoms/a/sakurafestival.htm Archived November 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Primack, Richard B.; Higuchi, Hiroyoshi; Miller-Rushing, Abraham J. (September 2009). The impact of climate change on cherry trees and other species in Japan. Biological Conservation. 142 (9): 1943–1949. Bibcode:2009BCons.142.1943P. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2009.03.016. == External links == Official sites Festivals all over Japan—Japan Atlas List All Japanese Festivals in the United States Japan National Tourist Organization (photo library) UNESCO Intangible Heritage : Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan – UNESCO Matsuri sites Matsuri Festival in Phoenix, Arizona Matsuri Photos of Shinto shrine (English version) Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia Archived January 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Matsuri Calendar(Japanese) Private initiative sites/galleries JCITI.COM about Nagoya, see festivals section. Reggie.net Archived 2023-04-01 at the Wayback Machine—photographs of Neputa floats in Hirosaki. Description of the Odawara Omatsuri festival—archived. The Digital Matsuri Project—Japanese festival videos Public sites/galleries Matsuri Brisbane photographs, State Library of Queensland

Abare Festival

Japan

Abare Festival is a Japanese festival commonly known as the Fire & Violence Festival. It takes place in Ushitsu of Noto Peninsula and is dedicated to the Yasaka Shrine. The festival takes place every year in July on the first Friday and Saturday of the month. == Summary == Abare Festival is commonly referred to as the Fire & Violence Festival. Visitors can watch kiriko (キリコ, Noto's unique illuminated lantern floats) and mikoshi (みこし, portable shrines) being carried through the streets, eat festival foods, hear taiko drums and see many people dressed in their summer festival wear (ゆかた). The kirikos and mikoshis are first blessed by priests and sake is poured over them and into the mouths of the men who carry them. From this point onwards, sake flows freely all night long. The kiriko are sponsored by neighborhoods within Ushitsu and are usually carried by local residents, or former residents., The festival is held on the first Friday through Saturday of July every year (previously on July 7 and 8) as the first Noto kiriko festivals, which are held all over Noto, Ishikawa from July to September. Abare festival is dedicated to Yasaka Shrine in Ushitsu. After kiriko are showcased in town streets, 40 giant kiriko are gathered at the pier, where huge bonfires are set, with melody of taiko drums, gongs, and flutes around the fire. The purpose of this festival is to hustle bravely and violently as its name indicates. It is said that the more violently people behave, the more god will delight as this rampage represents enshrined Susanoo no Mikoto, who is known as a destructive deity. == Detail == On the first night, Friday, of the festivities the Mikoshi and about 40 Kiriko make their way through the streets of Ushitsu (a village inside of Noto Town) and finally gather in front of the city hall to weave around large bonfires resting on the top of large poles. Groups of men (and rarely women) work together to carry the large wooden Kiriko while children sit atop it playing drums and flutes. The men often carry the Kiriko so close to the suspended bonfires that they suffer minor or major burns from the falling sparks. The children usually wear wet towels draped over their heads to protect them from the sparks. On the second night, Saturday, the Kirikos once again weave their way around town but the main attraction is the wooden Mikoshis that are carried (by about 12 men) down the main street to be blessed. The men carrying the Mikoshi continually thrash it against the ground and grind it into the asphalt of the street, doing their best to break it as much as possible. After passing 3 different checkpoints where they stop to pray, receive blessings, and drink sake; the men will throw the Mikoshi off a small bridge (roughly 7 meters tall) into a small river that runs through the middle of town. The men will then jump into the river and bash the Mikoshi against the bridge's concrete support beam while splashing one another. Handling the Mikoshi these way means following the divine will, hence such rough handling is actually a manner of prayer. After that they will take the Mikoshi a short way up the road to a second river and throw the Mikoshi off the side of the road into the second river. At this point they will bash the Mikoshi up against a hard bit of the road to attempt to further shatter the top of the Mikoshi. At the second river, a bonfire, which has been lit above them, showers sparks and flaming debris down upon their heads as they attempt to destroy the Mikoshi. The men vigorously splash one another to protect themselves from the fire. Then the men will retrieve the Mikoshi from the river and take it to Yasaka Shrine, a Shinto Shrine (じんじゃ). In front of the shrine there is a large bonfire on the ground in which they will repeatedly throw the Mikoshi and then retrieve it afterwards, when they believe that they have properly destroyed the Mikoshi they will take it through the gate of the shrine where the priests will judge if it has been properly destroyed. If the priests decline to take the Mikoshi into the shrine, the men will return to throwing it in and out of the bonfire and smashing it upon the ground before returning it to be inspected by the priests once more. Eventually the priests will accept the Mikoshi into the shrine. This happens twice, the first wooden Mikoshi being destroyed between 10:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. and the second between 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. Despite the name, the Fire and Violence festival is safe to attend for all ages. The 12 men destroying the Mikoshi are the only ones that are in any danger of physical harm. == Origin == Abare Festival originated around 1665 to counteract violent epidemic raging in Noto, Ishikawa. Local people invited Gozu Tenno from Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto and held a big religious ceremony to pray for calming down of the epidemic. Then a big bee came from somewhere and stung people one after another. People who were stung were soon cured from the epidemic so that the delighted local people visited Yasaka Shrine carrying Kiriko. Gion Matsuri Noto, Ishikawa List of festivals in Japan == External links == Noto Abare Matsuri

Akita Kantō

Japan

The Akita Kantō (秋田竿燈まつり) is a Japanese festival celebrated from 3–7 August in Akita City, Akita Prefecture in hope for a good harvest. Around two hundred bamboo poles five to twelve metres long, bearing twenty-four or forty-six lanterns, topped with gohei, and weighing up to fifty kilograms, are carried through the streets by night on the palms, foreheads, shoulders, or lower backs of the celebrants. The festival is first referred to in a travel diary of 1789 The Road Where the Snow Falls (雪の降る道). It is one of the main festivals in Tōhoku, along with the Tanabata festival in Sendai, the Aomori Nebuta Matsuri festival, and the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival in Yamagata. The Akita Kantō festival was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1980. == History == This festival originated from Neburi Nagashi which was held for ridding illness and maliciousness in summer. It already existed in the Horeki Period (1751–1764), in the middle of Edo era. Yuki no huru michi (The road where it snows) written by Soan Tsumura in 1789 is regarded as the oldest document which described Neburi Nagashi. It describes that Neburi Nagashi was held on 6 July of the lunar calendar and introduced as the original tradition of Akita. Also, Neburi Nagashi was an annual event to pray for good harvests and artistic progress. In the Neburi Nagashi around Akita city, people decorated silk trees and bamboo grasses with strips of paper on which they had written their wishes. Then, they walked around the city with them and floated them downstream. In Neburi Nagashi, people combined candles and lanterns. This instrument for Neburi Nagashi became called Kanto. The present official name of the event was first used by Tetsusaku Okubo in 1881, when he suggested the idea of entertaining the Meiji Emperor with the Kanto performance to those who were in charge of hosting the Emperor during his visit to Akita. Since the lunar calendar changed to the solar calendar in 1872, the Kanto festival was compelled to be held one month earlier. However, the number of Kanto, which had been 50 in 1900, had dramatically decreased due to changes of festival’s schedule and its site. The numbers of Kanto which participated in the Kanto festival in 1905 were only 4 or 5 and this situation made the future of the festival uncertain. Emperor Taisho visited Akita and appreciated Kanto performance in 1908. Also a soft drink factory started to advertise its beverages on Kanto’s lanterns in 1909. These two events helped the restoration of Kanto festival. Then, the festival’s schedule changed to the lunar calendar again to avoid the rainy season and the number of visitors increased. In 1931, the Kanto Society, which managed the Kanto Skill Festival (Myogikai), was founded. Although Kanto festival was canceled between 1938 and 1946 due to the Second World War, it resumed after the war. The Kanto Festival Executive Committee was established in 1966. While the Kanto Society had been managing the Kanto Skill Festival, the Kanto Festival Executive Committee was in charge of the operation of the Kanto Festival. Triggered by the First Kanto Performance overseas in San Diego, US, in 1976, the Kanto began to be performed in various countries. The date of the festival had changed three times. At present, the Kanto festival is held from 3 to 6 August every year. == Features == Kantō literally means a pole with lanterns and is made from bamboo poles and rice paper lanterns, which hang from horizontal bars. When Kantō was invented, the lantern was hung in the garden. To convert it into a portable lantern, the dwarf bamboo that had been used for the lantern legs was replaced by longer bamboo. The main bamboo pole of Kantō is called Oyatake. All bamboo used for the main poles of Kantō are produced in Japan and are quite thick. Also, the regulations on thickness and the space between joints of the root are very strict. Thus people who pick bamboos must select suitable bamboos to produce Kantō. The combined bamboos with main bamboo are called Yokotake. A number of lanterns are suspended from each Yokotake. The bamboo added to lengthen Oyatake to extend the height of Kanto during a performance is called Tsugidake. Kantō is classified into four categories; Oowaka, Chuwaka, Kowaka and Youwaka. The size, height and weight are regulated. (Table1) == Skills and contests == The techniques of Kanto are collectively called Myogi. There are 5 categories of Myogi; Nagashi, Hirate (hand), Koshi (hip), Kata (shoulder) and Hitai (forehead). Performing groups, each consisting of 5 members, show these 5 techniques, one at time.Nagashi Performers support Kanto for other performers to add Tsugitake. They keep it on their palms and balance with their fingers.Hirate (hand) Performers hold Kanto up higher. Then they add Tsugitake and keep it on their palms.Koshi (hip) Performers hold Kanto with their fingers. Then they move it on their palms onto their hip. They bend the upper part of the body toward the side and balance with their legs.Kata (shoulder) Performers keep Kanto on their palms of the dominant hand and make a straight line from the pivot leg to Kanto. Then they lift it higher.Hitai (forehead) Performers hold Kanto with their fingers. Then they move it to their palms and put it on their foreheads. They keep this posture with their arms spread. The contest to compete with techniques of Kanto is called Myogikai or the daytime Kanto. The aim of Myogikai is improving the skill of the Kanto as a whole by showing the Society members' skills to public and studying each other's skill. Following this aim, performers maintain the unification and systemization of Kanto festival by upgrading their skills. Myogikai consists of team and individual competitions and performers who clear the preliminary can reach the final. Although both of them are judged in different ways, they compete in accuracy of skills, beauty of the posture and stability of Kanto. Since 1989, the skills competition has been complemented by musical performance. The rules for performance are strict. Time constraints are imposed for each skill and performers must perform in a circle which has a diameter of 6 meters. After all competitions, the winner in each competition is awarded a prize by Kanto Executive Committee. The night performance is a main event of Kanto festival. It is held in Kanto Oodori (one of the main streets in Akita city). During the night performance, performers don't compete against each other in skills and entertain visitors by showing their skills and illuminated Kanto. More than 230 Kanto are raised at the same time of the sound of flutes. Matsuri Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Japan List of Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties == External links == Akita Kanto MatsuriNHK

Aomori Nebuta Matsuri

Japan

The Aomori Nebuta Matsuri (青森ねぶた祭, Aomori Nebuta Festival or simply Aomori Nebuta) is a Japanese summer festival that takes place in Aomori, Aomori Prefecture, Japan in early August. The festival attracts the most tourists of any of the country's nebuta festivals, and is counted among the three largest festivals in the Tōhoku region. It was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1980, and as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan by the Ministry of the Environment in 1996. Nebuta refers to the float of a brave warrior-figure which is carried through the center of the city, while dancers wearing a unique type of costume called haneto (ハネト) dance around in time with the chant Rasserā (ラッセラー) (shortened dialectal version of irasshai, calling visitors and customers to watch or join). In the local dialect, participation in the festival is inquired using the verb haneru (ハネル, ex. 今日もハネル? or Are you going to haneru today?), which was derived from the Japanese spelling of the haneto costume and the verb haneru (跳ねる, bounce). == Origin and history ==The most widely known explanation is that the festival originated from the flutes and taiko that the future early 9th century shōgun Sakanoue no Tamuramaro used to attract the attention of the enemy during a battle in Mutsu Province. In 1962, the Tamuramaro Shō (Tamuramaro Prize) was created around this explanation to be awarded to the festival's best group participant, an award later renamed the Nebuta Taishō (grand prize). However, it is unlikely that Tamuramaro actually conducted military expeditions in what is currently Aomori Prefecture, so this explanation is considered to be a legend. The festival most likely evolved out of traditional Shinto ceremonies like Tanabata. Another explanation involves the etymology of the word Nebuta (ねぶた). Aterui (阿弖流為), a general from the Tōhoku region, united the Emishi people who had been chased out of their native territory and defeated Ki no Kosami's army of 50,000 at Kitakami River to advance all the way to Fuji, Shizuoka. This army battled Sakanoue no Tamuramaro's forces for over 12 years, but was ultimately defeated. Aterui was captured and taken to Osaka Prefecture, where he was granted an audience with the ruler before being beheaded. Aterui's severed head was shown off to the public, and his family and followers still remaining in the Tōhoku region were forced to dig large holes where they were buried alive. Dirt was thrown over these graves, and those who surrendered to the Japanese forces and became slaves were instructed to stomp over the dirt. This event is said to be the origin of Nebuta (written 根蓋 in kanji), as Aterui's followers were sent back to their roots or to the world of the dead (根) with the dirt as a covering (蓋). According to this episode, the dancers stomp the ground while carrying the float of Sakanoue No Tamuramaro on their shoulders.During the Edo period and Meiji period, the act of carrying a large lantern float like the Nebuta was often banned by the government due to the potential fire hazard it posed to the surroundings. This ban was also put into place during World War II, but was lifted in 1944 as an effort to boost morale during the waning years of the war. Corporations began to sponsor the creation of the floats in the post-war period, and a strong emphasis was placed in expanding local tourism through the festival. The light source within the float was originally a candle, but was eventually changed to incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs powered by portable generators and rechargeable batteries. The frame of the floats also changed from bamboo to wire, lowering the risk of fire considerably. Nebuta floats also grew larger with time, but urban obstacles such as footbridges, power lines, and traffic lights only allowed their width to increase significantly. The floats often feature images of kabuki actors, various types of gods, and historical or mythical figures from Japanese or Chinese culture, but modern Nebuta floats may also feature famous regional personalities or characters from television shows (especially the annual historical Taiga drama aired by NHK). A museum dedicated to the Nebuta Festival, Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse, opened in 2011, providing an experience of the festival all year round for those who cannot come to the festival in August. == Organization ==The festival is held every year from August 2 to August 7, where the float is carried through the city during the evening from August 2 to August 6, and during the daytime on August 7. A fireworks show is held on the evening of the final day while the float is carried into the sea. == Processional route == The float is carried through the area surrounded by National Route 4, Shinmachi Street, Kenchō Street, and Aomori Heiwa Park. In the past, the floats started off one at a time from the intersection between National Route 4 and Kenchō street, and continued along the course in the clockwise direction. However, this caused the narrow Shinmachi Street to become overcrowded with festival participants, and the floats became unable to progress during the busiest parts of the festival. The route was changed to round the area in a counter-clockwise direction in order to solve this problem. The starting point was shifted to the intersection between Shinmachi Street and Yanagimachi Street when the building housing the floats changed locations. Despite all of these changes, the finishing point of the route continued to be overcrowded with participants, preventing the festival itself from coming to a close. Two of the main streets in Aomori City are blocked off during the Aomori Nebuta, creating significant inconveniences for citizens if the procession does not finish on time. An increased number of karasu-zoku (see below) added to this problem, as these vandals tended to gather at the tail-end of the procession to cause disruption. Therefore, in 2001, all of the floats were pre-placed around the city and began their procession all at once and ended all at once at the signal of fireworks. The route was also changed back to the clock-wise direction. This caused there to be no beginning or tail-end to the procession, allowing the procession to flow more smoothly. This method also led to a decreased number of karasu-zoku and other vandals. However, the procession is always held in its original format on the final day of the festival. == Participation ==Each processional group individually organizes the basic elements of the nebuta, such as processional order, creation of floats, and marching-band musicians. Other important factors include the children who pull the floats with ropes (in most cases, the floats are carried along by other means, and the children are just there for show), and the haneto dancers. Anyone, including tourists, can participate in any of the processions as a haneto as long as they are wearing the proper costume. The costumes are sold in supermarkets and department stores all across the prefecture, and a full set (excluding the flower hat) can be purchased for around 5000 yen. Costumes can also be rented at some places along the processional route. The best processional group is awarded the Heisei (heisei year) where the year number is placed after Heisei. This award was first created as the Tamuramaro Award in 1962, but was changed to its current name in 1995 because people thought it odd to have Sakanoue no Tamuramaro's name in the award (Tamuramaro is perceived as a ruthless conqueror by the Tōhoku people). In 2001, an incident involving 4,000 members of the Japanese Karasu-zoku (カラス族, lit. crow tribe) subculture launching fireworks, led to a number of attendees leaving the festival. Because of this, there was increased police surveillance in the following years. == Nebuta in other cities ==The floats from the Aomori Nebuta were taken to the Hakodate Ika Odori festival in 2007. This was done as part of a friendship agreement between the two cities, and the Ika Odori led the float procession on the final day of the festival during the previous year's festival (August 7, 2006). The floats have also been invited every year to Shibuya, Tokyo, where the festival has taken place annually in September since 2005. Other nebuta festivals take place in over 30 other villages and cities across Aomori Prefecture. The largest of these are the festivals in Hirosaki, Goshogawara, Kuroishi, and Mutsu. There are also many instances across Japan where the nebuta floats are included as part of a larger festival. The nebuta also made its way to Seoul, South Korea for the first time in September, 2005, and to the United States in August, 2007, 2009 and 2010, as part of Nisei Week in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California. List of festivals in Aomori Prefecture 100 Soundscapes of Japan == External links ==Official website (in Japanese) Official website An organization preserving floats used during the festival (in Japanese) Aomori Nebuta Matsuri at Google Cultural Institute

Asakusa Samba Matsuri

Japan

Awa Dance Festival

Japan

The Awa Dance Festival (阿波踊り, Awa Odori) is held from 12 to 15 August as part of the Obon festival in Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku in Japan. Awa Odori is the largest dance festival in Japan, attracting over 1.3 million tourists every year. Groups of choreographed dancers and musicians known as ren (連) dance through the streets, typically accompanied by the shamisen lute, taiko drums, shinobue flute and the kane bell. Performers wear traditional obon dance costumes, and chant and sing as they parade through the streets. Awa is the old feudal administration name for Tokushima Prefecture, and odori means dance. == History ==The earliest origins of the dance style are found in the Japanese Buddhist priestly dances of Nembutsu-odori and hiji-odori of the Kamakura period (1185–1333), and also in kumi-odori, a lively harvest dance that was known to last for several days. The Awa Odori festival grew out of the tradition of the Bon Odori which is danced as part of the Bon Festival of the Dead, a Japanese Buddhist celebration where the spirits of deceased ancestors are said to visit their living relatives for a few days of the year. The term Awa Odori was not used until the 20th century, but Bon festivities in Tokushima have been famous for their size, exuberance and anarchy since the 16th century.Awa Odori's independent existence as a huge, citywide dance party is popularly believed to have begun in 1586 when Lord Hachisuka Iemasa, the daimyō of Awa Province hosted a drunken celebration of the opening of Tokushima Castle. The locals, having consumed a great amount of sake, began to drunkenly weave and stumble back and forth. Others picked up commonly available musical instruments and began to play a simple, rhythmic song, to which the revelers invented lyrics. The lyrics are given in the 'Song' section of this article. This version of events is supported by the lyrics of the first verse of Awa Yoshikono Bushi, a local version of a popular folk song which praises Hachisuka Iemasa for giving the people Awa Odori and is quoted in the majority of tourist brochures and websites. However, according to local historian Miyoshi Shoichiro, this story first appeared in a Mainichi Shimbun newspaper article in 1908 and is unsupported by any concrete evidence. It is unclear whether the song lyrics were written before or after this article appeared.Some evidence of the festival's history comes from edicts issued by the Tokushima-han feudal administration, such as this one dating from 1671:1. The bon-odori may be danced for only three days.2. Samurai are forbidden to attend the public celebration. They may dance on their own premises but must keep the gates shut. No quarrels, arguments or other misbehaviour are allowed.3. The dancing of bon-odori is prohibited in all temple grounds.This suggests that by the 17th century, Awa's bon-odori was well established as a major event, lasting over three days—long enough to be a major disruption to the normal functioning of the city. It implies that samurai joined the festival alongside peasants and merchants, disgracing themselves with brawling and unseemly behaviour. In 1674, it was forbidden for dancers or spectators to carry swords (wooden or otherwise), daggers or poles. In 1685 revelers were prohibited from dancing after midnight and dancers were not allowed to wear any head or face coverings, suggesting that there were some serious public order concerns. In the Meiji period (1868–1912) the festival died down as the Tokushima's indigo trade, which had financed the festival, collapsed due to imports of cheaper chemical dyes. The festival was revitalised at the start of the Shōwa period (1926) when Tokushima Prefectural authorities first coined the name Awa Odori and promoted it as the region's leading tourist attraction. == Song ==The song associated with Awa Odori is called Awa Yoshikono and is a localised version of the Edo period popular song Yoshikono Bushi. Parts of it are sung, and others are chanted. The origins of the melodic part have been traced to Kumamoto, Kyūshū, but the Awa version came from Ibaraki Prefecture, from where it spread back down to Nagoya and Kansai. The lyrics of the first verse are: Awa no tono sama Hachisuka-sama ga ima ni nokoseshi Awa OdoriWhat Awa's Lord Hachisuka left us to the present day is Awa Odori The song is usually sung at a point in the parade where the dancers can stop and perform a stationary dance — for example a street intersection or in front of the ticketed, amplified stands which are set up at points around the city. Not every group has a singer, but dancers and musicians will frequently break out into the Awa Yoshikono chant as they parade through the streets:The dancers also chant hayashi kotoba call and response patterns such as Ayattosa, Ayattosa, Hayaccha yaccha, Erai yaccha, erai yaccha, and Yoi, yoi, yoi, yoi. These calls have no semantic meaning but help to encourage the dancers. == Dance ==During the daytime a restrained dance called Nagashi is performed, but at night the dancers switch to a frenzied dance called Zomeki. As suggested by the lyrics of the chant, spectators are often encouraged to join the dance. Men and women dance in different styles. For the men’s dance: right foot and right arm forward, touch the ground with toes, then step with right foot crossing over left leg. This is then repeated with the left leg and arm. Whilst doing this, the hands draw triangles in the air with a flick of the wrists, starting at different points. Men dance in a low crouch with knees pointing outwards and arms held above the shoulders. The women's dance uses the same basic steps, although the posture is quite different. The restrictive kimono allows only the smallest of steps forward but a crisp kick behind, and the hand gestures are more restrained and graceful, reaching up towards the sky. Women usually dance in tight formation, poised on the ends of their geta sandals. Children and adolescents of both sexes usually dance the men's dance. In recent years, it has become more common to see adult women, especially those in their 20s, dancing the men's style of dance. Some of the larger ren (dance groups) also have a yakko odori, or kite dance. This usually involves one brightly dressed, acrobatic dancer, darting backwards and forwards, turning cartwheels and somersaults, with freestyle choreography. In some versions, other male dancers crouch down forming a sinuous line representing the string, and a man at the other end mimes controlling the kite. == Awa Dance Festivals elsewhere == Kōenji, an area of Tokyo, also has an Awa Dance Festival, modeled on Tokushima's, which was started in 1956 by urban migrants from Tokushima Prefecture. It is the second largest Awa Dance Festival in Japan, with an average of 188 groups composed of 12,000 dancers, attracting 1.2 million visitors. The Japanese production company Tokyo Story produced a version of Awa Odori in 2015 in Paris by bringing dancers from Japan in order to promote Awa Odori and the Japanese matsuri culture abroad. == In popular culture == Awa dance is a 2007 Japanese movie starring Nana Eikura. The festival is also prominently featured in the 2007 movie Bizan starring Matsushima Nanako. The novel series and anime Golden Time prominently features lead cast members along with their friends in their college club, the Japanese Festival Culture Research Society, performing the Awa dance multiple times during the story. Posters representing popular anime characters practicing the Awa dance are also printed every year for the festival. They featured Fate/stay night, for example, in 2014. In the 1994 Studio Ghibli film Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko (released as Pom Poko in English-speaking countries), during the scene where the film's tanuki use their transformation magic to put on a parade of yokai, part of their display includes a procession of tiny Awa dancers. Tourism in Japan Yosakoi == Notes == Miyoshi, Shōichirō (2001) Tokushima Hanshi Tokuhon Wisniewski, Mark (2003) The Awa Odori Trilogy in Awa Life, published by TOPIA (Tokushima Prefecture International Association) de Moraes, Wenceslau (1916) Tokushima no bon odori. House, Ginevra (2004) Dancing for the Dead, Kyoto Journal Issue 58. == External links == === Official Japanese sites === Awa Odori by the Japan National Tourist Organization Japan Atlas - festivals by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (click 19 for Awa Odori) Koenji Awa Odori official site === Japanese === Awa Dance homepage by www.awaodori.net (Japanese) Awa Odori blog (Japanese) Golden Time official anime website === English/English translation === Awa Dance homepage by www.awaodori.net (English translation by Google) Awa Odori by web-japan.org Dance of Fools: Awa Odori Festival, Japan by www.pilotguides.com Archived 2012-05-17 at the Wayback Machine Japanese Line Dance? by www.country-dance.com (many pictures) Dyeing to Dance: an English Translation by Mark Wisniewski Official homepage of Tokyo Ebisuren, a Tokyo-based classical style Awa Odori team (English site, contains pictures and video) Awa Odorian - Awa Odori related blog by an experienced performer (English site, contains pictures and behind the scenes insight) Awa Odori Paris 2015 - home page of Awa Odori Paris 2015 (English & Japanese site) Awa-Dance in Koenji Sui-ren official website (English site, contains pictures and information) === Audio and video === Awa Odori dance video (Japanese) Awa Dance Festival in Tokushima Archived 2015-05-26 at the Wayback MachineNHK

Awa no Tanuki Festival

Japan

The Awa no Tanuki Festival (阿波の狸まつり) is a festival held each year in early November in Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture. == Overview == The Awa no Tanuki festival was first started in 1978 with the aims of promoting local culture, and has since grown into Tokushima's main Autumn festival. In 2006, the event saw good weather for all three days it was held, and the coincidence with a public holiday drew over 260,000 visitors. This is roughly the same size as the population of Tokushima City. While the festival is popularly known as the 'Tanuki Festival', Tokushima has been home to many tales of the tanuki since long past. Several of these tales talk of the interaction between tanuki and the local town residents, with the tanuki often acting as positive, changing forces. It should come as no surprise, then, that the tanuki was chosen as a symbol to energise local culture in this way. At current, the event's main grounds are the Aibahama Park grounds in Tokushima City, and the Tokushima Arts Foundation for Culture becomes a place for sale of local regional produce from around the prefecture. Several of the large industries in Tokushima hold events over the three days of the festival, and special stages are open for karaoke competitions, Awa Odori, Awa Puppet Theatre and other local cultural traditions as well. The festival is particularly popular with children. The festival is officially run by the 'Furusato Carnival Executive Committee', but receives large assistance from the prefecture.

Bōnenkai

Japan

A bōnenkai (忘年会, literally forget the year gathering) is a Japanese drinking party that takes place at the end of the year and is generally held among groups of co-workers or friends. The purpose of the party, as its name implies, is to forget the woes and troubles of the past year, and hopefully look to the new year, usually by consumption of large amounts of alcohol. A bōnenkai does not take place on any specific day, but they are usually held within December. Bōnenkai are observed by parties of friends or co-workers or sponsored by a company or business office for their employees. Bōnenkai are not part of the New Year shogatsu celebration which lasts until 3 January; they are instead a way of ending the year through a group celebration. The tradition started in the 15th century during the Muromachi period as gatherings to express thanks. At that time, the parties were known as nōkai (納会, great achievement gathering). By the 18th century, they had become known as bōnenkai, or year-end parties. Bōnenkai are seen as times for bureikō (無礼講) or letting one's hair down and not worrying about the boss/employee formal relationship or the rank and age divisions. When a business decides to have a bōnenkai, they take into account several things before planning a party. Some of their concerns are to ensure that enough of the employees and management will attend. They also try to set a generalized cost of no more than 5,000 yen per person; this is used to cover the cost of the party and to not discourage employees from attending a party that is too expensive. Some companies pay the entire cost of the party and will at times opt to not have the party at a traditional izakaya (restaurant and drinking places where the majority of bōnenkai are held) and instead have it on the business premises and save a lot of money in the process. == History == Since the late 16th century, banquets and parties have been held with similar intentions as the modern-day bōnenkai. On the 30th of December, groups of samurai lords would gather to observe what they called The Forgetting of the Year. It consisted of typical upper-class activities like writing and reciting poetry, and was followed by a large feast. These types of parties did not become commonplace in the regular populace of Japan until the abolishment of the feudal ruling system in the late 19th century. Around the same time period, a story written by Japanese author Tsubouchi Shōyō entitled 忘年会 was published in a newspaper. It depicted one of these parties, which featured boisterous discussion, prolific drinking, and entertaining Geishas. In post-occupation Japan, the lifetime employment systems established by some companies incorporated many company-organized events, one usually being an end-of-the-year Bōnenkai in December. Shinnenkai, New Year gathering in January

Bunkyo Tsutsuji Matsuri

Japan

Chagu Chagu Umakko

Japan

Chagu Chagu Umakko (チャグチャグ馬コ) is a horse festival in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Held on the second Saturday in June, approximately one hundred horses with colourful fittings and bells parade depart from Onikoshi Sozen Shrine(ja) in Takizawa to Morioka Hachiman-gū. The term chagu-chagu is an onomatopoeic expression for the sound made by the horses' bells. In 1978 the festival was recorded as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property. In 1996 the sound of the bells of the Chagu Chagu Umakko was selected by the Ministry of the Environment as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan. Matsuri List of Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties 100 Soundscapes of Japan == External links == (in Japanese) Chagu Chagu Umakko

Chichibu Night Festival

Japan

The Chichibu Night Festival (秩父夜祭, Chichibu Yo Matsuri) is an annual festival held between 2 and 3 December in Chichibu, centred at the Chichibu Shrine The festival has been held for over 300 years, and has been described as a Japanese UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage item. In March 2020, the Time Out magazine described the Chichibu Night Festival as one of Japan's big three float festivals, along with the Gion Festival in Kyoto and the Takayama Festivals in Gifu.

Children's Day (Japan)

Japan

Children's Day (こどもの日, Kodomo no hi) is a public holiday in Japan which takes place annually on May 5 and is the final celebration in Golden Week. It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness. It was designated a national holiday by the Japanese government in 1948, but has been a day of celebration in Japan since ancient times. Children's Day has officially been a day to wish for the happiness of both male and female children since 1948, but its origin, Tango no Sekku, was a day for boys from the Kamakura period in the 12th century to the mid-20th century, and the customs of Children's Day still retain vestiges from that time. == History == The day was originally called Tango no sekku (端午の節句) – one of the five annual ceremonies held at the imperial court – and was celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon in the Lunisolar calendar. Tango no Sekku was originally a day for women to purify the house by thatching the roof with irises, which were believed to be effective in repelling evil spirits, and for women to rest their bodies, but it was changed to a day for boys in the Kamakura period (1185–1333) when the samurai class took control of the government. The reason for this was that the iris was a plant that represented the samurai because its leaves were shaped like the blade of a Japanese sword, and the word shōbu (尚武), which means to value military affairs, had the same pronunciation as iris (菖蒲) and was therefore considered an auspicious plant for the samurai. Since this period, yabusame (Japanese horseback archery) was held on May 5 as a way to ward off evil spirits. The custom of displaying mini Japanese armor and kabuto (helmets) on Children's Day, called Gogatsu Ningyo (May doll), has its origins in the Kamakura to Muromachi periods (1333–1573). Samurai used to take their armor, kabuto, and Japanese swords out of their storage boxes in May before the rainy season to take care of them. Since this was the time of the Tango no Sekku, they began to display armor, kabuto, and Japanese swords in the hope of protecting their children. During the Edo period (1603–1867), Tango no Sekku celebrations became extravagant, and samurai households began to display samurai dolls (Musha Ningyo, 武者人形) in addition to real armor, kabuto, and Japanese swords. Ordinary households began to display paper kabuto. The custom of bathing in the bathtub with irises on May 5 began in this period. The custom of decorating koinobori (carp streamers) on Children's Day originated in the Edo period (1603–1867). During the Edo period, samurai households began to decorate their yards with nobori or fukinuke (吹貫) flags, which were colored with mon (family crests) to represent military units, during Tango no Sekku. The nobori and fukinuke were then merged, and the first koinobori appeared in Edo (now Tokyo). The colorful koinobori as we know them today became popular from the Meiji era (1868–1912). After Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar, the date was moved to May 5. Until 1948, Children's Day was known as Boys' Day (also known as Feast of Banners), celebrating boys and recognizing fathers, as the counterpart to Hinamatsuri, or Girl's Day on March 3. In 1948, the name was changed to Children's Day to include both male and female children, as well as recognizing mothers along with fathers and family qualities of unity. In the Showa era (1926–1989), the popularity shifted from samurai dolls to miniature armor, and since the 21st century, miniature kabuto have become popular, probably due to the size of Japanese houses. == Celebration == On this day, families raise the koinobori, carp-shaped windsock (because of the Chinese legend that a carp that swims upstream becomes a dragon and flies to Heaven, and the resemblance of the waving windsock to swimming fish), with a black carp for the father, a red or pink for the mother, and one carp (usually blue, and sometimes green and orange too) for each child. Traditionally, when celebrated as Boys' Day, the red koinobori was for the eldest son with blue and additional colors for younger brothers. In modern times, Japanese families usually display miniature Japanese armor and kabuto called Gogatsu Ningyo (May doll) on Children's Day. These dolls are usually made in the style of ō-yoroi or dō-maru popular in the Heian (794–1185) and Kamakura periods (1185–1333), which is more showy in appearance than the tōsei gusoku style armor of the Sengoku period. There are also kabuto made to fit the size of a boy's head that can actually be worn. The formal Gogatsu Ningyo is displayed on a tiered shelf with a yumi (bow), tachi (long sword), Japanese war fan, and jingasa (samurai hats). Until the Edo period, samurai dolls were more common than miniature armor and kabuto, and the Japanese folk heroes Momotarō, Kintarō, Ushiwakamaru, Benkei, Emperor Jinmu, and Shoki were often chosen as subjects. Kashiwa mochi (sticky rice cakes filled with red bean jam and wrapped in oak leaves) and chimaki (sticky sweet rice wrapped in an iris or bamboo leaf) are traditionally served on this day. The oak leaf used for kashiwa mochi is said to be a tree whose old leaves do not fall off until new leaves appear, and is considered a good-luck charm representing prosperity of offspring. Since irises are believed to have medicinal properties and to ward off evil, they are used for various purposes on May 5. For example, people would take a bath with irises in the bathtub, soak thinly sliced iris roots or leaves in sake and drink it, or put irises in thin washi (Japanese traditional paper) before putting it in their pillows and going to bed. Shichi-Go-San Children's Day Double Fifth Tết Đoan Ngọ == External links ==Kids Web JapanVideo on Children Day in Fukushima, Japan Video on Children Day in Coffs Harbour, Australia

Chrysanthemum Day

Japan

Chrysanthemum Day (菊の節句, Kiku no Sekku) is one of the five ancient sacred festivals of Japan. It is celebrated on the 9th day of the 9th month. It was started in 910, when the Japanese imperial court held its first chrysanthemum show. Chrysanthemums are the symbol of the Imperial House of Japan. A popular custom of the Chrysanthemum Day festival is to drink sake with chrysanthemum petals in it. Another tradition is to lay cotton wool over individual chrysanthemum blooms to soak up the dew overnight. The chrysanthemum dew, which is believed to have healing powers, is wiped onto the face. Japanese calendar

Coming of Age Day

Japan

Coming of Age Day (成人の日, Seijin no Hi) is a public holiday in Japan held annually on the second Monday of January under the Happy Monday System. It is held in order to congratulate and encourage all those who have already reached the age of maturity between April 2 of the previous year and April 1 of the current year, and to help them realise that they have become adults. Festivities include coming of age ceremonies (成人式, seijin-shiki) held at local and prefectural offices, as well as after-parties among family and friends. == Overview == On June 13, 2018, the age of maturity was lowered for the first time since it was established. According to the new law, which came into force in 2022, a citizen is considered an adult with the onset of full 18 years. Note that Coming of Age Day and the ceremony itself are not directly linked to changes in the legal status of young people. For example, adult status becomes effective on the 18th birthday, with some exceptions; both men and women can marry and are released from parental authority. At the same time, they are released from the various family and social restrictions imposed on minors. As adults, they become eligible for contracting on their own. As before, drinking and smoking are allowed at age 20, and the right to vote and to obtain a driver's license for passenger vehicles begins at age 18 (16 for motorcycles). == History == Coming of age ceremonies have been celebrated in Japan since at least 714 CE, during the reign of Empress Genmei when a young prince donned new robes and a hairstyle to mark his passage into adulthood. Rituals to celebrate adulthood have existed since ancient times, such as Genpuku (changing to adult clothing) and Fundoshi-iwai (loincloth celebration) for boys and Mogi (dressing up) and Keppatsu (tying the hair up) for girls. Cultural anthropology and folklore studies treat such ceremonies as rites of passage (initiations). === Genpuku ===Genpuku (元服) is a Japanese coming-of-age ceremony which dates back to Japan's classical Nara period (710–794 AD).[1] This ceremony marked the transition from child to adult status and the assumption of adult responsibilities. The age of participation varied throughout history and depended on factors such as sex, political climate, and social status. Most participants were aristocratic children between the ages of 10 and 20, and most descriptions of genpuku focus on the male ceremony rather than the female ceremony due to the exclusion of women from politically important court positions and warrior status. Important changes in clothing and hairstyle typically denoted this transition, for both men and women. Youth and children were often synonymous, and a period of adolescence was not often present throughout the periods in which traditional genpuku flourished. The etymology of the word, which is atypical, reflects the major points of genpuku ceremonial format; in this case gen (元) means head and fuku (服) means wearing. The ceremony is also known as kakan (加冠), uikōburi (初冠), kanrei (冠礼), shufuku (首服), and hatsu-motoyui (初元結). ==== General ceremonial format ==== Genpuku was traditionally considered a major rite, an important ritual affecting life course in which a child exchanged his childhood status for an adult status, and continues from the Nara (710–794 AD) into the Tokugawa period (1603–1868). The ceremony was usually backed by an older society member of political importance, and included the exchange of a childhood name for a new adult name (烏帽子名, eboshi-na), the adoption of adult hairstyles and clothing, and the assumption of adult responsibilities. Genpuku was undergone by both males and females, but was differentiated by ceremonial dress, with men receiving signifying headgear such as a ceremonial court cap (冠, kanmuri) or samurai helmet and women receiving, instead, a pleated skirt (裳着, mogi). The population, and members of the population, participating in genpuku depended largely upon both which historical time period the ceremony took place in and the kind of government that was in place at the time. Specific ceremonial formats are built around specific constructions of class, rank, and time period. ==== Child roles as preparation for adult roles ==== Since aristocratic children between the ages of 10 and 20 took part in genpuku in order to assume adult status and responsibilities, the role of the aristocratic child was to prepare for adult life. For both male and female children, studies in the Heian period began between ages three and four, usually under the supervision of a wet nurse and perhaps her husband. Children of these ages were taught about key court ceremonies, Buddhist doctrine, and proper ethics. At the age of seven they moved on to more formal learning, specifically studying the skills needed to navigate court life and to succeed in court positions. Skills included, but were by no means limited to, handwriting and calligraphy, and were mainly an education requirement for male children; however, the education of girls was important as well. The ultimate goal of children, whether they were male or female, was to successfully carry on their family's tradition and reputation. Proper education for girls was tied to successful or advantageous marriage, or their future ability to maintain a wealthy patron within the court. ==== Nara and Heian periods (710–1192) ====The earliest official record of genpuku in Japan dates back to the Nara period (710–794 AD), and the ceremony itself is based on an earlier Chinese custom in the Tang dynasty. Beyond the Nara, the ceremony flourished throughout the aristocratic Heian period (794–1185 AD), the last classical period in which Japan was governed by an aristocratic court. Children during Heian were not recognized as officially gendered before genpuku, and were said to have remained near the gods as children of the kami. As children of the gods, those who had not undergone genpuku were often seen as youthful mediums and were some of the primary performers of ritual exorcisms. In addition, clothing and attire of childhood were ungendered and it was not uncommon for male children to wear makeup often as wakashū. In the period between early childhood and genpuku, boys were classified as wakashū.During these periods, primarily male members of the aristocracy between the ages of seven and fifteen engaged in genpuku. The ceremony was generally a precursor to obtaining court cap and rank. Parents chose when to hold their children's genpuku based on a number of factors, including the arrival of a suitable opportunity, the child's readiness for court service, the presence of one or more influential court backers, and the parents' ability to finance the ceremony. Once it was deemed an appropriate time for a child to undergo genpuku, a variety of preparations were made for the upcoming ceremony. The child had to acquire a capping parent, usually a person of influence, who would help the child don the ritual clothing of adulthood, most significantly a ceremonial court hat (kanmuri). Both the capping parent and the biological parents made preparations for the ceremony, but the capping parent was more active in making arrangements. The genpuku ceremony itself almost always took place in the evening on a predetermined auspicious day, either at the residence of a kakan (dignitary) or at the Shishinden (Kyoto Imperial Palace). When the capping ceremony was held for the son of a Counselor or Consultant, the capping parent was most often a kakan and the ceremony took place at the kakan's residence. When the ceremony was held for an Emperor or Crown prince, the current Emperor would sometimes cap the initiate within the Shishinden. The capping parent was joined by another important ceremonial participant, either the Nokan (if an Emperor was undergoing the ceremony) or a Rihatsu, who loosened the childhood coiffure, cut the ends of the hair, bound the head with a fillet, and otherwise prepared the boy to receive the cap. After the capping, the child retreated to a private room to exchange his ungendered wide-sleeved childhood robes for adult male robes. The transition from child to adult was complete, and feasting followed closely thereafter. Genpuku and adult status were accompanied by marriage eligibility, gendering, a removal from the male erotic gaze within court, the abandon of makeup use for males, and the opportunity to obtain court rank. Girls engaged in genpuku as well, although the particular ceremonial rituals were more commonly referred to as mogi. For women, as for men, the ceremony revolved around the presentation of adult clothing; however, women were presented with a pleated skirt, not a court cap. Girls participating in mogi coming-of-age ceremonies traditionally blackened their teeth, shaved their eyebrows, and applied makeup. In addition, their long unbound hair was tied on top of their head in an adult hairstyle. ==== Age of the samurai (1185–1868) ====In 1185 AD the aristocratic court government of classical Japan was forced to coexist with a warrior-administration, ushering in the Age of the Samurai. Just as the sons of aristocracy underwent the ceremony of genpuku to signify their adulthood, so did the sons of warrior nobility. The central feature of genpuku throughout this time period was the placing of a samurai helmet, rather than court cap, by a high status warrior. Adult samurai received their swords and armor at this time. After going through genpuku, youths were expected to do adult labor, and samurai-class men acquired full warrior status and were expected to fight in open battle. In addition, youths gained the right to marry, and to officiate at shrine ceremonies. The ceremony acted to bind youth to the previously mentioned high status warrior. Often this practice was used to confirm and solidify the social status of samurai families. For example, a samurai family of lower status might, through the ceremony of genpuku, become tied to a higher status family. The lower status son would then act as a retainer to the higher status warrior to whom he was tied. After genpuku, warrior sons were accepted as full adults and welcomed to a career in the warrior-administration. The average age of genpuku varied over time. For example, throughout the Tokugawa period (1603–1868), the age at which children underwent genpuku depended upon whether there was unrest. Full-fledged warriors were expected to take part in battle, so during the unsettled first years of the Tokugawa period, parents delayed genpuku until their sons were full-grown, at around 20 years old. However, as the country became more peaceful, a transition period resembling adolescence emerged. Young boys underwent genpuku and trained to be warriors under an older warrior, but did not engage in war. War acted as a sort of consummation following genpuku, solidifying societal acknowledgement of full adult warrior status. As the long peace continued, the appropriate age to transition from child to adult was lowered in response to dynastic pressures to marry and produce heirs. Boys could not marry until they came of age, so the adolescent phase vanished. By the 1700s the average coming of age of samurai-class boys was at 15 to 17, and in the early to mid-1800s it dropped to an average of 13 to 15. ==== Muromachi period (1338–1573) ==== During the Muromachi period, a period set within the Age of the Samurai, genpuku gradually spread from the samurai class to include men and women of lower ranks. Within the less wealthy, genpuku was used as a way of acknowledging an entrance into occupational roles, often in the form of apprenticeship. Boys of farming families and the artisan class came of age at 15 to 17, an age that had more to do with their ability to do adult work and take on adult social responsibilities than with their readiness for marriage or war. As a result of the new meanings tied to the ceremony and work, the once solid transitions between childhood and adulthood were lost within the artisan and merchant classes. Adulthood was put off in order that youth could acquire more or new skills related to their future occupations, resulting in the re-emergence of a period resembling adolescence. === Warabi Town, 1946 === Today’s form of the Japanese Coming of Age Ceremony has roots from the Youth Festival held in Warabi Town (currently Warabi City), Kitaadachi County, Saitama Prefecture on November 22, 1946, shortly after Japan’s defeat in World War II. At the time, when Japan was in a state of despair due to the defeat, Shojiro Takahashi, then the leader of the Youth League of Warabi Town (later the mayor of Warabi City), hosted a youth festival in order to give hope and encouragement to the young people who would bear Japan's future. The festival was held in a tent on the school grounds of Warabi First Elementary School (currently North Warabi Elementary School), which included the Adulthood Ceremony. This ceremony spread throughout the country and became the present Coming of Age Ceremony. In Warabi City, it is still called the Adulthood Ceremony. On the Coming of Age Day in 1979, the city erected a monument to mark the birthplace of the Coming of Age Ceremony in Warabi Castle Site Park and commemorated the 20th anniversary of the promotion to a city and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Coming of Age Day. === The first holiday === Inspired by Warabi’s youth festival, the Japanese government promulgated and enacted the National Holidays Law in 1948, to be held every year on January 15. The official holiday aimed to realise the passage from youth to adulthood, and to celebrate and encourage young people embarking on their adult lives. In 1949, January 15 was designated as the Coming of Age Day to congratulate and exhort young people to become adults and live independently. Since then, the Coming of Age Ceremony has been held on this day in most regions of Japan. Later, with the 1998 revision of the National Holidays Law, the Coming of Age Day was moved to the second Monday of January in 2000. This amendment is called the Happy Monday System because it makes a long weekend (Saturday – Monday). In addition, according to a survey conducted around 2018, Nagoya City and Morotsuka Village in the Higashiusuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture also claim to be the birthplace of the Coming of Age Ceremony. Japan's low birth rate and shrinking percentage of young people, coupled with disruptions to some ceremonies in recent years (such as an incident in Naha in 2002, when drunken Japanese youths tried to disrupt the festivities) and a general increase in the number of 20-year-olds who do not feel themselves to be adults have led to decreased attendance of the ceremonies, which has caused some concern among older Japanese. In 2012, the decline continued for the fifth year in a row, with a total of 1.22 million adults celebrating the holiday in 2012 – under half of the participants seen at its peak in 1976, when 2.76 million adults attended ceremonies. This was the first time it has declined below the 50% threshold. Japan lowered the age of adulthood in 2018 from 20 years of age to 18 which took effect in 2022. This change has caused confusion on the status of the holiday, and raised concerns among the kimono industry which profits from the garments worn during the ceremonies. == Ceremonies ==Coming of age ceremonies (成人式, Seijin-shiki) mark one's ending of coming of age (age of maturity), which reflects both the expanded rights but also increased responsibilities expected of new adults. The ceremonies are generally held in the morning at local city offices throughout Japan. All young adults who turned or will turn 18 between April 2 of the previous year and April 1 of the current one and who maintain residency in the area are invited to attend. Government officials give speeches, and small presents are handed out to the newly recognized adults. During the ceremony, guest speakers give lectures, and commemorative gifts are presented. It is not sponsored by the Japanese government but by each municipality independently. Therefore, although the school-age system, which determines the eligibility for participation, is the same everywhere, some municipalities hold the event on days other than the Coming of Age Day. The age of adulthood was lowered from 20 to 18 on April 1, 2022. However, some municipalities continue to set the age eligible for participating in the ceremony at 20, while others have lowered it to 18. Many women celebrate this day by wearing furisode, a style of kimono with long sleeves that hang down, and zōri sandals. Since most are unable to put on a kimono by themselves due to the intricacies involved, many choose to visit a beauty salon to dress and to set their hair. A full set of formal clothing is expensive, so it is usually either borrowed from a relative or rented rather than bought especially for the occasion. Men sometimes also wear traditional dress (e.g. dark kimono with hakama), but nowadays many men wear formal Western clothes such as a suit and tie more often than the traditional hakama. After the ceremony, the young adults often celebrate in groups by going to parties or going out drinking. The ceremony often takes place in the city hall or school's gyms. There are some special cases such as the ceremony having been held at Tokyo Disneyland since 2002. === Date === The ceremony is commonly held on the Coming of Age Day, but there are regional variations. Some municipalities hold it during Golden Week (a week from late April to early May when Japanese holidays follow one after another), Obon (days to honor one's ancestors), or January 1–3. For example, in Niigata prefecture in 2017, no city held it on the Coming of Age Day (January 8); two were on January 7, and all others were during March, April, May, or August. It is because these areas have high snowfall, and many young people are out of town and do not come back until Golden Week or Obon. Many ceremonies were canceled or postponed in 1989 due to the death of the Emperor, and in 2020 due to the Corona pandemic. === Eligibility === Initially, eligible people to participate in the Coming of Age Ceremony were those with birthdays between the day after the Coming of Age Day of the previous year and that of the current year. So for the Ceremony held on January 15, 1999, participants must have been born after January 15, 1980 (19 years ago), until January 14, 1981 (18 years ago). However, recently (especially since the introduction of the Happy Monday System), the school-age system has become more common. In the Japanese school system, a grade consists of students born between April 2 of a year and April 1 of the subsequent year. Today, those who legally become adults between April of the previous year and March of the current year are eligible to participate in the ceremony. This new practice caused a problem. If the eligibility for the Coming of Age Ceremony is based on the school age, those born after the Coming of Age Day and before April 2 must attend the Ceremony a year later than their peers. Consequently, they can find fewer friends to celebrate with at the Ceremony.Due to the Happy Monday system, there were some people who were still 19 years old at the Coming of Age Ceremony for the year, but they would become 21 years old at the Ceremony of the following year. For example, as shown in the January 2001 calendar, a person born on the second Monday, January 12, 1981 was still 19 years old on the Coming of Age Day (January 8, 2001), but the same person became 21 years old on the Day in 2002. The same problem occurred for those born between January 10–13 in 1992 and January 9–13 in 1998. Additionally, in Sapporo City, Hokkaido and Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, the calendar year system was used in which those who reached their 20th birthday between January 1 and December 31 of the past year were eligible to participate in the Coming of Age Ceremony. This system has been switched to the school-age system since 2000, however. Until the 1960s, more than half of the new adults were working youths who had already entered society. However, since the 1970s, the number of students entering universities and vocational schools has increased, while the number of junior high school and high school graduates finding employment has decreased. Consequently, the ratio of students (rather than working youth) to all new adults has been increasing year by year. The Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications estimated the population of new adults in January 2020 to be 1.22 million. Its percentage in comparison to the total population had been below 1% for 10 consecutive years. The participation of people from other countries, such as technical intern trainees and international students, has also been increasing. In 2020, Shiogama City, Miyagi Prefecture sent out invitations in Indonesian, Vietnamese, English, and Easy Japanese. The city had 30 foreign-born participants in 2019, about 6% of the total participating adults. === Business === In recent years, fewer Japanese people have worn kimonos. Since many participants wear expensive kimonos for the Ceremony, the kimono industry promote kimonos. However, because kimonos are so expensive, many participants end up renting them or using those handed down from their mothers. The Ceremony is also a good opportunity for the beauty industry, which dresses, makes up, and hairdos for the attendees. They host makeup workshops for those who begin wearing makeup earnestly and sell cosmetic products. Even photo studios, where attendees take commemorative pictures after being decorously dressed, will focus on advertising. Competition for customers has become zealous in related businesses. In 2018, Harenohi, a company that sells furisode (long-sleeved kimono) in Yokohama and other cities, abruptly shut down its business on January 8, the Coming of Age Ceremony day. This incident caused an uproar because those who had made reservations to purchase or rent a furisode from the company were unable to wear it, and some had to cancel their participation in the Ceremony. === Problems === According to the public opinion survey conducted by the Yokohama City Board of Education in March 2004, among minors, new adults, and people in their 20s, approximately 20% to 30% viewed the Coming of Age Ceremony as an event like a reunion where friends meet again. Furthermore, 20% of the women in their 20s or younger responded that the Ceremony is an event where new adults meet in formal suits and festive clothes. This result suggests that the event’s purpose and the target group’s expectations are divergent. In this survey, 82.7% of high school students and minors said that they wanted to participate in the Ceremony, while 17.2% said they did not. Among high school students and minors, the most common reason for not participating was “not interested in the content,” at 36.8%. While more than 50% of high school students, minors, and new adults answered that attractions such as concerts by singers were necessary, half of them also answered that introductions of guests such as mayors and politicians were unnecessary. The Yokohama City’s proposal determines that such components make the Ceremony lengthy and impoverish the content. == Risshi-shiki == Risshi-shiki (立志式) is a ceremony held in school for students who have turned 15 years of age; literally establishing aspirations ceremony, in which children stand in front of the school and declare their goals for the future. Guan Li, the Chinese coming-of age ceremony Secular coming-of-age ceremony == Notes == In premodern Japan, ages 15, 16, 17, etc. corresponded roughly with modern Japanese and Western ages 14, 15, 16, etc. The average age of genpuku was therefore 15 to 18 in premodern Japanese reckoning, and 14 to 17 in modern reckoning. == External links == The Tale of Genji – Contains a description of genpuku during the aristocratic Heian period

Cultural festival (Japan)

Japan

Cultural festivals (文化祭, Bunkasai) in Japan are annual open day events held by most schools, from nursery schools to universities at which their students display their artistic achievements. People who want to enter the school themselves or who are interested in the school may come to see what the schoolwork and atmosphere are like. Parents may also want to see what kind of work their children have been doing. The festivals are usually open to the public, especially at high schools and universities. == Definition == According to the curriculum guidelines of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, cultural festivals are part of special activities and are defined as events which aim to use the results of everyday learning to heighten motivation. The cultural festivals are parts of regular lessons in elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools, so the students are obligated to attend for graduation. In universities, the cultural festivals are placed as extracurricular activity, so attendance is not required. Traditionally, most schools hold festivals on or around Culture Day (November 3), a Japanese national holiday. Normally it is held on a Saturday or Sunday; sometimes even both. == Name == Cultural festival (bunkasai) and university festival (daigaku-sai) are common nouns in Japanese, so particular names of cultural festivals depend on each school. For example, the festival at the University of Tokyo, Komaba Campus is named Komaba-sai. === Names === === Variations === The school festivals of junior high schools and high schools may also sometimes be called gakuensai (学園祭), gakuinsai (学院祭), or gakkōsai (学校祭). == Function == Festivals are held to display the students' learning, but many people visit a festival as a recreational diversion. Alumni often take the opportunity to visit schools they once attended. Food is served, and often classrooms or gymnasiums are transformed into temporary restaurants or cafés. Dances, concerts and plays may be performed by individual volunteers or by various school clubs, such as the dance club, the literature club, the orchestra club, the band club, and the drama club. Cultural festivals are intended to be a fun event, but are also the only opportunity each year for students to see what life is like in other schools. They are also intended to enrich people's lives by increasing social interaction and fostering community ties. == Cultural depictions == Cultural festivals are frequently depicted in anime and manga. For example, the climax of A Silent Voice (2016) takes place at the bunkasai. List of festivals in Japan == External links == Media related to School festivals in Japan at Wikimedia Commons

Culture Day

Japan

Culture Day (文化の日, Bunka no Hi) is a public holiday in Japan held annually on November 3 for the purpose of promoting culture, the arts, and academic endeavor. Festivities typically include art exhibitions, parades, and award ceremonies for distinguished artists and scholars. == History == Culture Day was first held in 1948, to commemorate the announcement of the post-war Japanese constitution on November 3, 1946. November 3 was first celebrated as a national holiday in 1868, when it was called Tenchō-setsu (天長節), a holiday held in honor of the birthday of the reigning Emperor—at that time, Emperor Meiji (see also The Emperor's Birthday). Following Meiji's death in 1912, November 3 ceased to be a holiday until 1927, when his birthday was given its own specific holiday, known as Meiji-setsu (明治節). This was subsequently discontinued with the announcement of Culture Day in 1948. == Current practice == As Culture Day exists to promote the arts and various fields of academic endeavor, local and prefectural governments typically choose this day to hold art exhibits, culture festivals, and parades. For example, Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture holds the annual Feudal Lord's Parade (箱根大名行列, Hakone Daimyō Gyōretsu) to exhibit Edo period clothing and costumes. Primary and secondary schools often have a culture festival on or near this day. Since 1936, the award ceremony for the Order of Culture has been held on this day. Given by the Emperor himself to those who have significantly advanced science, the arts or culture, it is one of the highest honours bestowed by the Imperial Family. The prize is not restricted to Japanese citizens, and for instance was awarded to the Apollo 11 astronauts upon their successful return from the Moon, as well as literary scholar Donald Keene. == Events == The Order of Culture is held at the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will decorate the self-defense ships moored at bases and general ports. An art festival sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs is held around Culture Day. Some museums and galleries offer free admission and various events. The All Japan Kendo Championship, held at the Nippon Budokan, is broadcast live on NHK General TV. In addition, this day is considered to be a sunny day with a high probability of sunny weather. It is statistically one of the clearest days of the year. Between 1965 and 1996, there were only three years with rain occurring in Tokyo on Culture Day.

Daimokutate

Japan

The Daimokutate (題目立) is a recitation show that is performed at Yahashira Shrine in Kami-fukawa village, near the city of Nara . The Shinto Temple in Kamifukawa has a tradition of accepting a 17-year-old boy as a member of a religious organization that carries out religious ceremonies at the temple. The acceptance of a boy into the organization at the temple is an acknowledgment that the child has become an adult. == The performance == Young men, aged 17 (If there are not enough boys aged 17 years, boys who are not yet 17 years old or are over 17 years old are also included in the performance) stand in a semi-circle dressed in samurai clothes and carrying bows. One by one, they are called to the centre by an old man who reads the name of a character in the tales of the feud between the Minamoto and Taira clans. There is no musical accompaniments. When all twenty-six characters have spoken, the youths rhythmically stamp their feet and sing offstage. Originally a rite of passage at the age of seventeen to mark the formal acceptance of the eldest son into the community of the twenty-two families of Kami-fukawa, the Daimokutate is now performed annually in mid-October by young men of various ages and from many different families. Unique in Japan as a dramatic performance without acting or music, the Daimokutate is an important marker of identity and plays an indispensable role in maintaining solidarity in this mountainous town. == History == The Daimokutate was performed around the end of the Muromachi period. Daimokutate is the last living example of a tradition of reciting in sanctuary performed by ordinary people, attested for the first time in a document of 1534. Documents collected by the folklore specialist Hosen Jungo between 1953 and 1955, have been preserved, but it is likely that the repertoire was much larger. Daimokutate was inscribed in 2009 on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.

Danjiri Matsuri

Japan

Danjiri Matsuri are cart-pulling festivals held in Japan. The Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri is probably the most famous. There are other Danjiri Matsuri held in the City of Kobe and Haruki Town, but they are less popular and spectacular. The highlight of the Festival is a race between floats representing different neighborhoods. == The danjiri cart == Danjiri are large wooden carts (danjiri guruma) in the shape of a shrine or temple. The carts, often being crafted out of wood, are very ornate, with elaborate carvings. Towns with danjiri festivals in them have different neighborhoods, each with their own guild responsible for maintaining their own danjiri cart. The cart is kept in storage for most of the year. As the festival approaches, the danjiri cart is prepared with elaborate flower arrangements, prayer cards, ornaments, and religious consecrations. They also make a special song every year. It is believed that spirits or gods reside in the danjiri. The person on the roof of the Danjiri cart controls the direction of movement and performs a traditional fan dance. == Festival preparation == Town guild members spend a considerable amount of time to prepare for the festival. Meetings and consecrations are held at shrines days before the festival. The carts themselves must be readied for pulling, as they are stored partly disassembled in warehouses. The carts are consecrated for the big event, and they are decorated in various ways. For decorations, flags, prayer cards, fresh flower arrangements, and in some cases even lanterns are used. The taiko (drum) and Kane (bell) used to play the town danjiri rhythm are loaded onto the cart, and the musicians selected to ride the danjiri practice for months in advance. The ages of the selected musicians can vary from old veterans of the festival to children as young as four years of age. == The festival == The days of the festival vary from year to year and from town to town, although it is usually held in autumn, in late September or October. On the day(s) of the festival, members of the town guilds pull their danjiri through the streets of the town, wearing their guild happi coat and head-band. The event is accompanied with the commotion of the participants pulling the cart, as they yell their kakegoe or signature shout, equivalent to the English heave-ho! Adding to the atmosphere is the danjiri rhythm played on drums and bells throughout the cart pulling, which can be heard from street blocks away. In towns with many guilds, the danjiri matsuri consists of various danjiri crisscrossing the streets at the same time. The festival usually ends in the danjiri gathering at an appointed place and having a religious ceremony. == Variations == The way in which the festivals are celebrated vary from town to town. The danjiri carts can vary in size and decorative style. Some are large and tall, others are relatively small. In some towns, the danjiri are pulled slowly through the town until they get to their destination. In other towns, the danjiri are pulled as fast as the people can pull it. This results in a difficulty turning the cart at corners, sometimes resulting in the cart falling over and killing someone. It is said that at least one person dies in the danjiri festival of Kishiwada every year. It is common for danjiri to hit and damage buildings when they careen around a corner, and for this reason shop owners may buy Danjiri Insurance. The Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri is probably the most famous Danjiri festival, with its fast danjiri and very animated guild leaders that ride up on top of the danjiri, hopping and dancing as the danjiri moves faster and faster. It attracts thousands of spectators every year. == Gallery == Danjiri Matsuri at Ōtori taisya Shrine in Nishi-ku, Sakai, Osaka Danjiri Matsuri in Tsukuno area, Nishi-ku, Sakai, Osaka == External links == City of Kishiwada

Dengaku

Japan

Dengaku (田楽) were rustic Japanese celebrations that can be classified into two types: dengaku that developed as a musical accompaniment to rice planting observances, and the dengaku dances that developed in conjunction with sangaku. The dengaku celebrated for rice planting was performed by villagers either at the New Year or during the planting season in early summer. It was only in the 14th century that these dances were brought to the cities and incorporated into Noh theater, notably by the playwright and actor Kan'ami. The instrument of dengaku is the sasara, a wooden percussive instrument clapper, though there are other instruments that can be used. In the Eiga Monogatari, there is a detailed description of the rice-planting dengaku. After being brought to the aristocrats, dengaku flourished till the end of the Heian period (794–1185) and became the main performing art of the Kamakura period (1185–1333), as well as part of the performing arts of the Muromachi period (1336–1573). By the end of the Muromachi period, dengaku had been eclipsed by sarugaku. Today it barely survives as a folk performing art. Dengaku was closely linked with the native Japanese religion of Shinto. Ritualistic elements of this were incorporated with sarugaku to form Noh theatre. == Political aspect of dengaku == In the late 11th century, Kyoto experienced dengaku performances that attracted all classes of people, either as observers or as participants. Some of these events ended peacefully, while others descended into violence; however, all were characterized by parades of people dressed in colorful costumes while dancing and playing loud music. Dengaku started as the music and dancing that performed in conjunction with field labor called ta-asobi. This form of rural entertainment evolved during the Heian period in response to diverse social, economic, political, and cultural movements. Two types of dengaku had developed by the latter half of the period. The first was the entertainment that accompanied field labor, but with new elements: the increasingly dominant entertaining aspect and the growing interest shown by local nobles. The nobility desired to dominate rural areas, to increase crops, and thereby to boost tax income from the countryside. The second originated in the Kyoto-area temples and shrines which started adding dengaku to their sacred rites and services on account of the entertainment's growing popularity and its ability to attract large audiences. With the 10th-century urban growth of Kyoto, dengaku slowly dissociated itself from both the agricultural and religious context. For two centuries after the end of the 11th century, dengaku was the most popular form of entertainment. Its earliest mention appears in the Nihon Kiryaku, where a performance is recorded taking place at the Matsuo festival in Yamazaki in 998. In 1023, the kampaku (regent) Fujiwara no Michinaga sought to entertain his daughter Shōshi, who was the mother of Emperor Go-Ichijō. He ordered that rice-planting should be carried out so that the activity could be viewed from the pavilion of the palace where she was staying. On that day, she looked down on the farmers as they worked the field and witnessed a dengaku performance. This was a new element in that nobles were viewing the performances and enjoying the experience. Throughout the 11th century, nobility interest was evident in dengaku as a way of dominating rural culture or as pure entertainment. A new style developed, and has been called fūryū dengaku. Fūryū is a generic term for the processions that developed during the second half of the Heian period, when catastrophes repeatedly struck Kyoto and its environs. Processions were organized to placate the deities, demons, and ghosts thought responsible, characterized by the colorful costumes worn by the performers and the loud music. Dengaku was adopted by some of the most powerful shrines in Kyoto and came to be regularly performed at the goryō-e (one of the capital's main festivals and meant to appease agitated spirits). The original dengaku of the rice fields continued to flourish in rural society and in fact still survives in many agricultural areas. The fusion of the two types into a new form of entertainment originated with the developing relationship between the urban and rural societies of the time. The goryō-e festival at the Gion Shrine played a major role in bringing about this fusion. The festival was a major gathering of Kyoto citizens and peasants from surrounding villages. These assemblies, motivated by fear and superstition, easily took on a political or social perspective in times of dissatisfaction, and became a rallying point for support of future political developments. As a result, dengaku obtained a significance far beyond its original ritual, religious, and artistic merits. The end of the 11th century was witness to the end of the kampaku system of government and the beginning of the insei form. The insei system began in 1086, with the Emperor Shirakawa taking local control following his abdication. The new type of government took advantage of the public interest in dengaku shown by the growing participation of the masses in religious, political, and cultural affairs. With the Great Dengaku movement, the insei government strove to prove its independence of the kampaku system. Dengaku was an effective means to obtain that goal. == Dengaku and Folklorism == Folklorism is folklore on display, mainly for purposes of tourism or cultural preservation. The presentation of Japan's folk performing arts occur frequently out-of-context at a number of events for folk-culture and tourism where context is taken to mean local Shinto or Buddhist festivals and ceremonials. These performing arts have been divided into categories by scholars that incorporate these contexts: those known as dengaku are typically part of the late-winter or early-spring festivals to guarantee a successful agricultural cycle. Thornbury (1995) indicates that the study of folk performing arts began in the late 1920s and is an important area of inquiry both in folklore research and in research on the performing arts in general. She noted that often the studies that came out of these two fields of research had little to do with each other or the realities of the folk performing arts as they currently exist. One exception was the work of Yamaji Kōzō, which identified seven patterns to describe how performances could be rooted in communities. The seven patterns identify a historic basis for understanding the relationship between folk performing arts and associated regions: showing the significance of the folk performing arts in the cultural history of Japan. Yamaji directly mentions dengaku in the second and third patterns. Yamaji's second pattern, covering the late 12th to late 16th centuries, when provincial manors were established by the nobles and by powerful religious complexes that introduced festivals like those held in Kyoto to honor their deities. Some performers were sent from the capital but most developed locally. Yamaji refers to this period's processions with their displays of performing arts such as dengaku odori (dengaku dances). The Kasuga Wakamiya Onmatsuri, which began in 1136, is one of the best documented of Japan's folk performing arts events and is an example of this pattern. Dating from the same time period as the second pattern, the third focuses on those performing arts that were incorporated into the ceremonials of Buddhist temples established by local clans. Ennen is the blanket term for such performing arts such as dengaku odori. Performers with professional experience in these particular performing arts were hired to teach the priests and youths-in-training at the temples. A current example of this pattern is Motsuji Ennen (Iwate Prefecture). While Yamaji's analysis cannot account for every form of folk performing art, the evidence for a large portion is insufficient for certainty but it does dismiss the notion that folk performing arts are originally local creations. This is not to say that every folk performing art was born in a cultural capital: ta-asobi is one exception that is frequently mentioned. == Carnival aspect == Shuten Dōji, or Drunken Demon, is one of the most famous and popular oni legends in medieval Japanese literature. According to the legend, Shuten Dōji (overlord of the oni) and his followers were abducting and devouring young Kyoto maidens and warriors were sent by the imperial court to destroy them. The warriors, helped by attending deities, carried out this mission: rescuing the survivors and restoring peace to the land. Carnivalesque literature inverts power structures, demystifying and lampooning that which a particular culture holds serious or sacred. At one point in the legend, a group of oni disguised as a dengaku troupe emerge to entertain the warriors. A fierce stare wards them off. The general meaning of dengaku refers to all rituals related to agriculture and thus to fertility and regeneration. It could be simply described as a form of dance in which some people play musical instruments while dancing in various combinations. In the Ōeyama ekotoba scroll, two warriors visit a shrine to pray for protection and are entertained by dengaku. In the scene at villain's palace, the oni also perform dengaku. The locations of the performances are similar. The angles of the buildings are the same. The postures and costumes are identical. The oni's dengaku lampoons the earlier and more wholesome dance at the shrine: the shrine performance is for the warriors' prayers to succeed in their mission whereas the oni dengaku seeks to trick the warriors so to facilitate killing them. Dengaku is described as being welcomed by all classes for its fund-raising capacity. A monk organized a dengaku competition to raise funds for the building of a bridge. Those in attendance for the performance ranged from members of the imperial court down to commoners. All in attendance were fascinated by the dengaku until the collapse of the reviewing stand claimed the lives of people of all backgrounds. This contrast between a fertility ritual and the deaths of innocent people is important to this carnivalesque event: it represents both destruction and renewal. The growth of the performing arts was considered by part of Japanese society to be a bad omen: the sudden appearance of oni as a dengaku troupe in the story can be seen as a harbinger of Shuten Dōji's doom. It could be said that this carnivalesque ritual leads to the demise of Shuten Dōji. The defeat of Shuten Dōji brings a time of peace in Japan with renewed imperial authority and additional recognition of the warrior class. From a carnivalesque point of view, the dance is both a dance of death and rebirth. == Dengaku today == The Nachi Fire Festival is said to be one of Japan's three largest fire festivals. It is a part of the Kumano Nachi Shrine's annual festival and is officially called Ōgi Matsuri, or Fan Festival. This festival, held annually on July 14, is dedicated to the god in the precincts of Kumano Nachi Shrine. The company ACT.JT performed a dengaku dance on the terrace of Casa de Vacas in Madrid, spain with the participation of ten Spanish volunteers in a cultural exchange in 2017. This event was performed within the framework of the Spain-Japan Dual Year events. == Bibliography == Encyclopædia Britannica 2005 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD, article-arts, East Asian Encyclopædia Britannica 2005 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD, article-Kanami Encyclopedia of Shinto, article-Saru-gaku, Den-gaku

Dezome-shiki

Japan

Doi taikomatsuri

Japan

Doi taikomatsuri (土居太鼓祭り) is a festival held in Doi, Shikokuchūō, Ehime, Japan every year from the 13th to the 15th of October. It is dedicated to wishing for a good harvest. == Local shrine and taikodai == Sekigawa DistrictSensoku jinja (千足神社): Hongō (本郷) taikodai Sensoku jinja: Izumi (泉) taikodai Sensoku jinja: Uchinokawa (内之川) taikodai Sensoku jinja: Seki (関) taikodai Sensoku jinja: Kinokawa (木之川) taikodai Tenma jinja: Kitano (北野) taikodai Doi DistrictDoi jinja (土居神社): Irino (入野) taikodai Doi jinja: Hatano (畑野) taikodai Yagumo jinja (八雲神社): Doihongō (土居本郷) taikodai Idaki jinja (伊太祁神社): Idake (飯武) taikodai Kita DistrictYagumo jinja (八雲神社): Kamitenma (上天満) taikodai Yagumo jinja: Higashitenma (東天満) taikodai Tenma jinja (天満神社): Shimotenma (下天満) taikodai Kaburasaki jinja (蕪崎神社): Kaburasaki (蕪崎) taikodi Nakamura DistrictImori jinja (井守神社): Nakamura (中村) taikodai Tobu DistrictMishima jinja (三島神社): Kobayashi (小林) taikodai Ichimiya jinja (一宮神社): Yōkaichi (八日市) taikodai Murayama jinja (村山神社): Tsune (津根) taikodai Hachimandai jinja (八幡大神社): Kamiichi gosen (上市御船)

Double Ninth Festival

Japan

The Double Ninth Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday observed on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar. According to Wu Jun, it dates back to the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 AD). According to the I Ching, nine is a yang number; the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar (or double nine) has extra yang (a traditional Chinese spiritual concept) and is thus an auspicious date. Hence, the day is also called Double Yang Festival (重陽節). It is customary to climb a mountain, drink chrysanthemum liquor, and wear the zhuyu (茱萸) plant (Cornus officinalis). Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are considered to have cleansing qualities and are used on other occasions to air out houses and cure illnesses. On this holiday, some Chinese also visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects. In Hong Kong and Macau, whole extended families head to ancestral graves to clean them, repaint inscriptions and lay out food offerings such as roast suckling pig and fruit, which are then eaten (after the spirits have consumed the spiritual element of the food). Chongyang cake is also popular and incense sticks are burned during the holiday. == Origin == The origins of the festival date back as early as the Warring States period According to legend, the traditions of hiking and drinking chrysanthemum wine on this day began with the Han dynasty man Fei Changfang and his disciple Huan Jing. One year, Fei advised Huan to bring chrysanthemum wine and food and climb a mountain with his family on the ninth day of the ninth month. Huan followed his master's instructions, and when he returned home he found that his livestock had all suddenly died; if he had not climbed the mountain as instructed, the same would have happened to him and his family. An alternative origin story involves intrigue in the imperial court of Emperor Gaozu of Han. As part of Empress Lü's jealous plot against Consort Qi, the latter's maid was forced out of the imperial palace. The maid, surnamed Jia (賈; 贾), told the common people that in the palace it was customary to wear dogwood and drink chrysanthemum wine on the ninth day of the ninth month, and these customs spread more widely. In 1966, Taiwan rededicated the holiday as Senior Citizens' Day, underscoring one custom as it is observed in Mainland China, where the festival is also an opportunity to care for and appreciate the elderly. Double Ninth may have originated as a day to drive away danger, but like the Chinese New Year, over time, it became a day of celebration. In contemporary times, it is an occasion for hiking and chrysanthemum appreciation. Other activities include flying kites, making flower cakes, and welcoming married daughters back home for visiting. Stores sell rice cakes (糕 gāo, a homophone for height 高) with mini colorful flags to represent zhuyu. Most people drink chrysanthemum tea, while a few traditionalists drink homemade chrysanthemum wine. Children learn poems about chrysanthemums and many localities host chrysanthemum exhibits. Mountain climbing races are also popular; winners get to wear a wreath made of zhuyu. == Outside China == === Japan ===In Japan, the festival is known as Chōyō but also as the Chrysanthemum Festival (菊の節句, Kiku no Sekku) and it is one of Japan's five sacred ancient festivals (sekku). It is most commonly celebrated on the 9th day of the 9th month according to the Gregorian calendar rather than the lunisolar calendar, i.e. on September 9. It is celebrated at both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. The festival is celebrated in the wish for the longevity of one's life and is observed by drinking chrysanthemum sake and eating dishes such as chestnut rice (kuri-gohan) and chestnuts with glutinous rice (kuri-mochi). === Korea === In Korea, the festival is known as Jungyangjeol (중양절), and it is celebrated on the 9th day of the 9th month. Koreans would consume chrysanthemum leaves in pancakes. As the festival is meant to celebrate and cultivate good health, outdoor activities such as carrying dogwood, climbing hills or mountains for picnics, and gazing at chrysanthemum blossoms are carried out. == Gallery == Double Seventh Festival Qingming Festival, a day to visit and clean up the cemeteries Curse of the Golden Flower, a Chinese film in which the plot takes place around the Chrysanthemum Festival.

Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial

Japan

The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial (ETAT) is an international contemporary art festival held once every three years in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The festival was created by the Tokyo commercial gallery Art Front Gallery (AFG) and is directed by gallery director Fram Kitagawa. It was first held in 2000, and has since become one of Japan's largest art festivals, recurring every three years with the exception of 2021 when it was postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It takes place across six regions of the prefecture, an area known for its heavy snowfall. These six regions—which include Tokamachi, Kawanishi, Nakasato, Matsushiro, Matsunoyama, and Tsunan—together comprise the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field. Since its inception, ETAT has been designed around the close-knit relationship between humankind and nature, and its art installations are chosen and curated to effectively contribute to this narrative. == History == A plan to revitalize the rural regions of Niigata via art, titled the Art Necklace Plan, was first developed by the Niigata prefectural government in 1994, and Tokyo Art Front Gallery's Fram Kitagawa was chosen to direct the project. Kitagawa had previously spearheaded several international art exhibitions and projects. The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale was conceived as a means of highlighting the local region and enabling participation by local communities, while simultaneously being an event with an international scope that would attract visitors and artists from all over the world. The 1st ETAT took place from 20 July to 10 September 2000, and featured 153 works by 138 artist groups and individual artists, with an estimated 162,000 visitors. Since then, the Triennale has expanded considerably in scope and visitorship; the 7th ETAT took place in 2018, featuring 379 artworks by 363 artist groups and individual artists from 44 countries and regions. It experienced 548,380, a more than threefold increase from the attendance numbers at the inaugural festival. In addition, over a hundred villages participated in the 2018 festival, where the 2000 festival had 28 participating villages. The 8th and most recent Triennale took place from April to November 2022 after a one-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This iteration of festival was its largest yet, lasting over six months when previous festivals had only been approximately two months in duration. == Themes and Mission == The choice of location of the Echigo Tsumari Art Field is heavily predicated on the Japanese concept of satoyama (Japanese: 里山), which refers to the space joining mountains with arable land. This landscape serves a framework for the focus on the deeply intertwined relationship between humankind and nature, and an emphasis on humankind's continued reliance and connection to the natural landscape even in a contemporary industrial society. Through art installations scattered across the region, ETAT seeks to revitalise rural communities through a combination of tourist revenue, raising of awareness of the state of depopulation in rural communities, and the active involvement of local communities in the development and facilitation of the Triennale. To achieve these aims under the umbrella theme of the human-nature connection, the ETAT website outlines several specific subthemes that it seeks to highlight in its exhibitions and events, including community cooperation, drawing from local food, crafts, and other products from for inspiration, and desire to create a strong connection between the local and the global. One of the most famous works in the Art Field is the Tunnel of Light (Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel), designed by MAD Architects for the 2018 Triennale. For this project, the architects converted a 750-meter tunnel into an installation passable by visitors to the Art Field. The tunnel was redesigned around the theme of five elements of nature (fire, wood, earth, metal, and water), seeking to highlight these elements while simultaneously allowing visitors to view the rocky landscape in new aesthetic and sensory ways via the tunnel. At various points, depending on where they are in the tunnel, pedestrians can view the landscape through the mouths of the tunnel, portals in the wall or ceiling, observatory-like balcony spaces, reflective pools, or reflections off the metal surfaces of the tunnel. The lighting used also varies to affect the viewer's experience throughout their journey, and the aesthetic of the tunnel also changes naturally throughout the seasons to create a complex and everchanging, yet simultaneously constant visual experience that mirrors that of the natural world. The use of 'framing' the landscape via various means—whether through physical framing via portals, reflection, or lighting—is a recurring theme in the works that appear throughout the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field, such as the iconic For Lots of Lost Windows, by Akiko Utsumi and The Rice Fields, by Ilya and Emilia Kabakov. == Impact == One of the most quantitative results of the festival has been the influx of tourism to the region since the advent of ETAT, prompting studies on the positive economic impact of exhibition-driven tourism to rural areas. However, the very nature of Echigo Tsumari as an experiential site founded in nascent human-nature relationships also creates a tension, and at times contrast, with this strictly economic model of success. This has resulted in arguments that, where previously discourse on art as a means of rural revitalization has been limited to its role as an economic or practical catalyst, ETAT instead represents a refreshing departure from this narrative, intervening in the everyday life of farmers in the festival area and becoming a catalyst for social, cultural and natural change. Scholarship has framed ETAT as an environmentally-conscious counterpoint to the consumer culture that has gripped Japan and the world at large, remarking on the uniquely rural positioning of the Triennale. Scholar Brad Monsma writes that the location yields a thematic departure from the “festivals in Japan and elsewhere that are urban and centralized, linking art with international commercial development.” In contrast, he writes, “Echigo-Tsumari is rural, scattered throughout 750 square kilometres, and insistent upon the local and what cannot be commodified.” In addition to its departure from traditional conceptions of consumer culture, ETAT has garnered praise for its drift away the potentially homogenizing, urban-centric effects of globalism on the art scene. For example, in the early days of the Triennale, art historian Reiko Tomii highlighted the innovative use of site-specific installations to invite the local community to collaborate with international artists such as Cai Guo-Qiang. Similarly, Susanne Klien writes that Echigo-Tsumari “constitutes a new type of revitalization with its emphasis on human exchange and interaction of heterogeneous players in a rural setting.” At the same time, there are potential pitfalls to the model that ETAT uses to promote the local region. Klien explores both sides of this coin, citing the side effects of the “collaboration” that occurs between artists and the community during the Triennale. She contends that, despite the organizers’ efforts to create a sense of camaraderie between artists and the local and international community, these practices simultaneously have the potential to infringe upon the lifestyles and smooth operation of these rural communities, and ultimately may achieve the nostalgic romanticization of rural life expected by urban audiences rather than true glocal cooperation. More specifically, Thekla Boven has researched the repurposing of 11 defunct elementary schools in the Tokamachi region as art installation/exhibition spaces, positing that, despite the positive intentions of these interventions, in some cases the constant repurposing of abandoned buildings for use by the festival may not be the most effective use of these edifices in their local context; that is to say, what would be most useful for the local community on both an economic, social, and holistic level. While the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale is a temporary annual event, it does retain an element of permanence through the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field (ETAF), which opens to the public every spring, making it a year-round local fixture and tourist destination. The Art Field comprises a network of contemporary art museums and open air installations that seek to propel the Art Field’s mission of, in light of global environmental concerns, structuring new ways of thinking and engaging with the natural landscape through the vehicle of art. In addition, ETAF collaborates with local town and village tourism offices to create tours and recommended itineraries in the region that encourage visitors to see works from past triennales, visit local galleries, and sample regional cuisine. === Selected List of Awards === Furusato Event Award (by the Ministry of Internal Affairs)（2001） Tokyo Creation Award（Creation of Art Scene Award）（2002） Machi-tsukuri Commendation by the General Affairs Minister（2007） The 2nd JTB Culture Exchange Award - Excellence Prize（2007） The 7th All Right ! Japan Award Grand Prix （Prime Minister’s Award) （2009） New Tourism Development Category Award and Judges Special Award（Japan Association of Travel Agents）（2009） Community Building Award: Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism（2010） The 10th Eco Tourism Award Special Award（Ministry of the Environment / Japan Eco Tourism Organization）（2015） NIKS Rural Revitalisation Award (2018） GOOD DESIGN GOLD AWARD（Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award）（2018） == Selected List of Affiliated Artists/Groups == Atelier Bow-Wow + Tokyo Institute of Technology Tsukamoto Lab Stephen Antonakos Kiyoshi Awazu Christian Boltanski Casagrande & Rintala Jimmie Durham Ondekoza Thomas Eller Ann Hamilton Ilya and Emilia Kabakov Tatsuo Kawaguchi Tadashi Kawamata Tadashi Maeyama Daido Moriyama Fujiko Nakaya Min Tanaka Ma Yansong/MAD Architects Jean-Luc Vilmouth Aichi Triennale Hakone Open-Air Museum Naoshima (Art Island) Setouchi Triennale Tokyo Biennale Utsukushigahara Open-Air Museum Yokohama Triennale Kitagawa, Furamu. Art Place Japan : The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale and the Vision to Reconnect Art and Nature. English ed. New York, 2015. == External links == Official website

Ee ja nai ka

Japan

Ee ja nai ka (ええじゃないか, lit. 'isn't it good') was a complex of carnivalesque religious celebrations and communal activities, often understood as social or political protests, which occurred in many parts of Japan from June 1867 to May 1868, at the end of the Edo period and the start of the Meiji Restoration. Particularly intense during the Boshin War and Bakumatsu, the movement originated in the Kansai region, near Kyoto. In West Japan, ee ja nai ka appeared at first in the form of dancing festivals, often related to public works, rain magic, or dances for the dead. When sacred amulets were said to have fallen from heaven, thanksgiving celebrations for these amulets were added that could last for several days and effectively took whole rural and urban communities away from everyday life. Gifts were exchanged, youth groups organized mass dances which included cross-dressing, elaborate costumes, or not wearing clothes at all. To express their gratitude towards the kami or buddhas who had given them the amulets, many people went on pilgrimages to local or regional sanctuaries. The term ee ja nai ka was a refrain in popular songs performed during these activities and was therefore later chosen as their title. The phrase's meaning is also both defiant and fatalistic, and it translates as Who cares?, Why not? or What the hell?, along the lines of Who cares if we take our clothes off?, Who cares if we have sex?. The great diversity and rivalry of religious practice in pre-modern Japan helped shape the range of events. It has been suggested that religious activists, such as priests and itinerant preachers, played a major role in fabricating the amulet showers, and some suspects were even caught in the act by alert officers. Youth interested in celebrating parties, or in becoming spiritual leaders, were also suspected and in some cases convicted. Ee ja nai ka was not linked to any specific political platform, though it is often understood as a form of political protest when other ways [were] blocked, in reaction to the crumbling Tokugawa shogunate. Disappointment regarding the lack of governing political leadership, disgust at Western and Christian foreigners, and other signs of social/political critique were frequently displayed. There is no evidence for any coordinated political setup or staging of ee ja nai ka, although this was also rumoured. The movement spread across Japan, eventually descending to mob violence before coming to an end. The end of ee ja nai ka was concurrent with the beginning of the Meiji Restoration and the Western-style modernization of Japan.A British translator, Ernest Mason Satow, recalled that he had seen:Crowds of people in holiday garb, dancing and singing ii janai ka, ii janai ka ...... houses decorated with rice cakes in all colours, oranges, little bags, straw and flowers. The dresses worn were chiefly red crape, a few blue and purple. Many of the dancers carried red lanterns on their heads.In 1981, Japanese director Shohei Imamura produced his film Eijanaika, which gives a deliberately historically incorrect interpretation of the events but nevertheless catches the unstable and tense atmosphere of the age. Imamura had previously helped write the 1957 Yuzo Kawashima film on the period Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate. This era was also depicted in the 1969 Kihachi Okamoto-directed Toshirō Mifune film Red Lion. The ee ja nai ka activities, hitherto unknown as part of Japanese history during the Bakumatsu, have in recent years been included and alluded to in mainstream historical productions, such as the NHK Taiga dramas Ryōmaden and Yae no Sakura. == In popular culture == Like a Dragon: Ishin! - Appears sub story. Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto - At the beginning of episode 8 of the anime, the story involves an incident of Ee Ja Nai Ka as part of the plot. == Further reading == Wilson, George M. Patriots and Redeemers in Japan, Motives in the Meiji Restoration (University of Chicago Press, 1992). 201 pp. == External links == Transcripts of the ee ja nai ka chants

Ennichi

Japan

Ennichi (縁日, related day) is a day believed to have a special relation (en) with a particular Japanese deity. Often, it is a day when a deity is believed to have been born or left the world. In Shinto, this day is encouraged to be embraced as it is in the four affirmations of their religious code. Japanese people generally think that visiting a temple or a shrine on these holy days related to Kami and/or Buddha will bring greater fortunes than on regular days. Therefore, temples and shrines often hold festivals. At such events, there are generally a large number of food stalls selling Japanese food, such as takoyaki, okonomiyaki, grilled corn, and cotton candy.

EU–Japan Fest

Japan

The EU–Japan Fest (EU･ジャパンフェスト, Īyū-japan-fesuto) is the cultural exchange between the European Union and Japan that is arranged with the help of the EU–Japan Fest Japan Committee (EU･ジャパンフェスト日本委員会, Īyū-japan-fesuto Nihon iinkai), a Japanese organization that since 1992 has worked to create such exchanges between the year's Cultural Capital of Europe and Japan. The Fest aims to support both traditional and innovative culture. The EU–Japan Fest Japan Committee is a non-profit organization financed by European governments, the Agency for Cultural Affairs and other Japanese government institutions, and donations. Its office is in Kōjimachi, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The program for Patras in 2006 included exhibitions of architecture and photography, and dance and musical performances. Publications include In-Between, a fourteen-volume set of photographs of Europe by Japanese photographers, and European Eyes on Japan, a seven-volume set of photographs of Japan by European photographers. Vulcanus in Japan == External links == EU–Japan Fest Japan Committee The Hosts of the Cultural Capital of Europe Program for Patras In-Between European Eyes on Japan

Gobo Festival

Japan

Gobo Festival (御坊祭) is held annually on the 4th and 5 October at Shinohachiman Shrine (小竹八幡神社) in Gobo City, Wakayama, Japan. It is at least 430 years old. It is the biggest festival in the Gobo and Hidaka Districts of Wakayama Prefecture. There is an old saying that if you want to see crowds, go to Gobo Festival. One source says that around 30,000 people attend the festival. == The Festival == Nine districts from Gobo City and the neighboring Miahama Town take part in the festival: Nakagumi, Hamanosegumi, Shimogumi, Kishinogumi, Gobocho, Nayagumi, Higashisonogumi, Kasugagumi, and Kamigumi. The number of districts has varied over time, and at one point there were 10 districts, but the district called Kasugagumi no longer participates. Each neighborhood partakes in different activities, including carrying omikoshi (お神輿), or portable shrines, carrying yotsudaiko (四つ太鼓) - wooden structures which hold 4 boys playing taiko drums, playing traditional flute songs, banner raising, and performing lion dances (獅子舞). Girls carry lanterns and play the flute, while boys and men carry lanterns, play taiko, and carry the omikoshi and yotsudaiko. The ceremony on the 4th is a preliminary celebration on the eve of the festival day, known as Yoimatsuri (宵祭). In Gobo, it is referred to as the Kasazoroe Ceremony (傘揃え式). For this ceremony, each district's banners are brought together in the shrine grounds. (Banners are an important symbol of status at the festival.) After 12pm, the banners, yotsudaiko, and portable shrines enter the shrine grounds in order, and pass under the tori gate. Lion dances and servant dances are performed as an offering, and then everyone departs. On the morning of the 5th, each district's banners and portable shrines make a procession with a Shinto priest in the lead, and a Shinto ceremony is performed. After this, the procession makes a lap around town, and returns to the shrine. On years when the yotsudaiko have been built anew, the yotsudaiko also accompany this procession. When this is the case, the procession goes to the beach and the new yotsudaiko are purified in the waves. After the procession has returned to the shrine, dances such as the sparrow dance and the Kehon Dance are performed. (The Kehon Dance has been designated as the prefecture's number one abstract cultural asset.) Next, the banners, portable shrines, and yotsudaiko begin a procession outside the shrine as lion dances and the Yatsu Dance are performed inside. At the end of the night, each district's portable shrines once again enter the shrine grounds in order, although they struggle against one another to keep from entering for as long as possible. The yotsudaiko chant rainenno, rainenno nagonagori shanai, which means can't help that next year we'll be reluctant to part too. Once they have all returned to the shrine hall, the lanterns are extinguished and it is said that the ancestors' spirits return as well to the shrine as the festival ends. == Districts == Nakagumi - 中組　Nickname: Shinmachi (新町); Nakagumi's banner is meant to tell the gods that the festival has begun, and are raised right as the festival begins. Because of its special meaning, the banner is large and made to withstand strong winds. Hamanosegumi - 濱之瀬組　Nickname: Hama (濱); this district joined Gobo Festival in 1660 from Mihama Town after many members of the Shinohachiman Shrine migrated to Mihama from Gobo. Their famous yotsudaiko chant is saitekuryo. Shimogumi - 下組　Nickname: Chamen, Shimo (下); The Shimo district has the smallest number of participants. Kishinogumi - 紀小竹組　Nickname: Kishino (紀小竹); The Kishino district has participated in Gobo Festival since the Edo era. Gobocho - 御坊町　Nickname: Gobo (御坊); Nayagumi - 名屋組　Nickname: Naya (名屋); Naya district used to be a part of a different shrine called Susa Shrine, and only began participating in Gobo Matsuri in the Meiji era when Susa Shrine was combined with Shinohachiman Shrine. Higashisonogumi - 東園組　Nickname: Sono (園); Higashisono is a relatively recent addition to Gobo Festival, but they have a large turnout in participants and a reputation for being tough. Kasugagumi - 春日組　Nickname: Kasuga (春日); Kasuga stopped participating in the festival in 1955 and but rejoined in 2003. Kamigumi - 上組　Nickname: Tsubaki (椿); because Kamigumi is the last in the festival lineup, they are the last to enter the shrine grounds, and the festival won't end until they do.

Golden Week (Japan)

Japan

Golden Week (Japanese: ゴールデンウィーク, Hepburn: Gōruden Wīku) or Ōgon Shūkan (黄金週間) is a holiday period in Japan from 29 April to 5 May containing multiple public holidays. It is also known as Haru no Ōgata Renkyū (春の大型連休, Long spring holiday series). One of Japan's largest holiday periods of the year, Golden Week often sees a surge in vacation travel throughout the country. Despite the name, only 4 days of the week are officially designated as public holidays, with workers often opting to take the full week off. == Holidays celebrated == Golden Week encompasses the following public holidays.Note that Citizen's Holiday (国民の休日, Kokumin no Kyūjitsu) is a generic term for any official holiday. Until 2006, 4 May was an unnamed but official holiday because of a rule that converts any day between two holidays into a new holiday. Japan celebrates Labor Thanksgiving Day, a holiday with a similar purpose to May Day (as celebrated in Europe and North America). When a public holiday lands on a Sunday, the next day that is not already a holiday becomes a holiday for that year. In some cases, a Compensation Holiday (振替休日, Furikae Kyūjitsu) is held on either 30 April or 6 May should any of the Golden Week holidays fall on Sunday; 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 have had Compensation Holidays for Shōwa Day, Children's Day, Greenery Day, and Constitution Memorial Day, respectively. == History == The National Holiday Laws, promulgated in July 1948, declared nine official holidays. Since many were concentrated in a week spanning the end of April to early May, many leisure-based industries experienced spikes in their revenues. The film industry was no exception. In 1951, the film Jiyū Gakkō recorded higher ticket sales during this holiday-filled week than any other time in the year (including New Year's and Obon). This prompted the managing director of Daiei Film Co., Ltd. to dub the week Golden Week based on the Japanese radio lingo golden time, which denotes the period with the highest listener ratings. At the time, 29 April was a national holiday celebrating the birth of the Shōwa Emperor. Upon his death in 1989, the day was renamed to Greenery Day (みどりの日, Midori no Hi). In 2007, Greenery Day was moved to 4 May, and 29 April was renamed Shōwa Day to commemorate the late Emperor. The Emperor's Birthday (天長節, Tenchō Setsu) was celebrated from 1927 to 1948 and it is now called The Emperor's Birthday (天皇誕生日, Tennō Tanjōbi). Emperor Naruhito's birthday is on 23 February. === Transition to Reiwa period (2019) === Golden Week in 2019 was particularly long due to the imperial transition, with the succession of new Emperor Naruhito, son of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko, who reigned as an enthronement on 1 May, and as well as designated as an additional national holiday. This day was marks an official beginning of new Japanese period, Reiwa. As of between 29 April and 5 May are already holidays, this caused 30 April and 2 May to be public holidays as well, making 2019's Golden Week at about ten consecutive days, from Saturday 27 April through Monday 6 May. === Impact of COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) === From January 2020 to September 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that the Golden Week Festival will be cancelled the celebration at the first time amid the government declared the first state of emergency to prevent the spread of virus, which extended from 7 April to 29 May. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike urged to closed all schools, universities, and colleges, and as well as businesses in Kantō region were discouraged holiday travel during Golden Week to prevent the spread of infection. Japanese residents in Tokyo were advised to stay home for Stay Home Week (ステイホーム週間, Sutei hōmu shūkan). The rebranded Stay Home Week to Save Lives ran from 25 April through 6 May. Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura urged closed schools on between 7 and 8 May, and businesses in Kansai region were encouraged to extend the holiday period through the weekend until 11 May. Also, in late April 2021, then-Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that the Golden Week Festival will be cancelled the celebration at the second time amid the government declared the third state of emergency following COVID-19 infection surge. Just two years after the cancellation of muted celebrations, Golden Week Festival has returned in Japan, which began between 29 April and 5 May 2022 (without the inssurence of a COVID-19 state of emergency (during the Omicron time in the first 18-month-period)). Although many Golden Week festivals are resumed including Hakata Dontaku, Hamamatsu Kite Festival, Hiroshima Flower Festival, and among others, which held across the nationwide for the first time since the Reiwa period begin in 2019. == Current practice == Many Japanese nationals take paid time off during this holiday, and some companies are closed down completely and give their employees time off. Golden Week is the longest vacation period of the year for many Japanese workers. === Travel === Golden Week is a popular time for holiday travel, such as many Japanese travel domestically and to a lesser extent internationally. === Festivals === The Takatsuki Jazz Street Festival is held during Golden Week. It has two days of live jazz performances with 300 acts and over 3,000 artists in 72 different locations in-and-around the center of Takatsuki in northern Osaka. === Sports === The Super GT Fuji 500 km car race is held on 4 May and has become synonymous with that date in Golden Week, but it was cancelled amid COVID-19 infection surge. Holidays of Japan Golden Week (China) Silver Week == Footnotes ==

Greenery Day

Japan

The present observation of Greenery Day (みどりの日, Midori no Hi) as a public holiday in Japan stems from the celebration of the birthday of the Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito, who lived from 1901 to 1989) on April 29 every year during the Shōwa era (1926 - 1989). In 1989, following the ascension of the Emperor Akihito to the Chrysanthemum Throne, the name of the holiday was changed from Birthday of the Emperor to Greenery Day. Officially, as its name suggests, it is a day to commune with nature and to be thankful for blessings. The day was renamed to Greenery Day to acknowledge the controversial wartime emperor's love for plants without directly mentioning his name. However, in practice it is seen as just another day that expands the Japanese Golden Week vacation. In 2007, Greenery Day moved to May 4, and April 29 was changed to Shōwa Day in accordance with a 2005 revision of the law pertaining to public holidays. The Shōwa Emperor reigned for 62 years and 2 weeks. On May 3, 1947, he became a symbol of Japan by the new constitution of the country. Golden Week (Japan) World Environment Day

Hadaka Matsuri

Japan

A Hadaka Matsuri (裸祭り, 'Naked Festival') is a type of Japanese festival, or matsuri, in which participants wear a minimum amount of clothing; usually just a fundoshi loincloth, sometimes with a short happi coat, and rarely completely naked. Naked festivals are held in dozens of places throughout Japan every year, usually in the summer or winter. == Konomiya ==One of the biggest and oldest festivals is the Owari Ōkunitama Shrine Hadaka Matsuri held in Inazawa, where the festival originated over 1300 years ago. Every year, men participate in this festival in hopes of gaining luck for the entire year. The most famous part of the festival is when the shin-otoko (神男) enter the stage and has to find a way back to the shrine, called naoiden. The participating men must try and touch the shin-otoko to transfer their bad luck to him. During the night time ceremony, all the bad luck is transferred in a charcoal coloured giant mochi. The black mochi is made with rice mixed with the ashes of the burned Omamori from last year. The mochi is then buried in a secret location in the nearby forest. The men participating only wear a fundoshi and tabi. The festival has been regarded as off-limits to women since it was first held in the town about 1,250 years ago, but organisers have allowed a group of about 40 women to take part on 22 February 2024 == Saidaiji ==The most famous festival is the Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri held in Okayama, where the festival originated over 500 years ago. Every year, over 9,000 men participate in this festival in hopes of gaining luck for the entire year.Tamotsu Yatō

Hakata Dontaku

Japan

The Hakata Dontaku (博多どんたく) is a traditional festival held annually in Fukuoka, Japan, with more than 840 years of history. It has become an important part of the lives of Fukuoka's citizens and is one of the three major festivals in Fukuoka. Following the opening night event of 2 May, a 1.2 km stretch of Meiji-dori, one of Fukuoka's busiest thoroughfares, is closed to vehicles and transformed into Dontaku Street. == Overview ==The Hakata Dontaku is an annual festival that has been held since 1962 during Golden Week, from 3 to 4 May, in Fukuoka, Japan. A typical festival features over 650 groups, including 33,000 individual performers, and draws an audience of over 2 million people during the two days. Along with Takada-jō Hyakuman'nin Kan'oukai in Jōetsu, Niigata, Hirosaki Sakura Festival in Hirosaki, Aomori, and Hiroshima Flower Festival in Hiroshima, Hakata Dontaku is also one of the most famous and biggest festivals in Japan. Moreover, it is also one of the biggest three festivals in Fukuoka (along with Hakata Gion Yamakasa and Hōjōya). The festival is hosted by the Fukuoka Chamber of Commerce and Fukuoka Tourism Association, and draws both local residents and domestic and international tourists. == Etymology == Theoriginates from the Dutch word zondag. zon means sun and dag means day, so that zondag means Sunday or holiday. Dontaku was named by the Meiji government as a holiday in 1879. The origins of Hakata Dontaku is called Matsubayashi. Matsubayashi was to celebrate the old New Year. (Lunar New Year.) It was an event of welcoming gods who bring happiness to the new year. The beginning of Matsubayashi was in Kyoto and usually people visited a lord's castle to perform a traditional dance. Since then this celebration had spread to all over the country then it came to Hakata as well. Hakata Matsubayashi started at 1179 so that Hakata Matsubayashi itself has over 840 years of history. Hakata Matsubayashi was to honor Taira no Shigemori after his death. He is known for one of the greatest samurai because he brought further benefit to Hakata by activating the trade with China. People in Hakata started Hakata Matsubayashi as the way to show him respect. This is just one story that has been told how it was started, but there are other historical stories that explain the beginning of Hakata Matsubayashi as well. The main idea of Hakata Matsubayashi during Edo period (1603-1868) was that many samurai visit Fukuoka Castle where Fukuoka han was based. Fukuoka han was the top of all samurai in Fukuoka, so samurais visited them to show respect at the time of Lunar New Year. A line to the Hakata Castle called Torimon which consisted of three Gods of fortune. After they visited Hakata han, they went around the city and visited shrines, temples, and houses of person with authority. It was like a huge celebration and citizens joined and enjoyed it by following the line or performing some dance. However, the governor banned it at Meiji 5 (1872) because the government didn't want people to waste their money on this event instead they hoped people to use more money to celebrate the emperor's birthday. Seven years later, at Meiji 12 (1879), Hakata Matsubayashi was started again and changed the name to Hakata Dontaku It has been told that not only the name but event date and style of the event were changed as well. It wasn't a celebration of Lunar New Year anymore and what people did during the festival period slightly adjusted. After all these changes, it was again cancelled at 1941 because of the war. After the war, 1946, the festival was held on 24 May. Since 1949, Hakata Dontaku is held annually from 3–4 May. == Event schedule == === 2 May === Hakata Dontaku is a 2 days event but there will be an opening night event night before the festival starting from 4:30 PM until 8:30 PM on 2 May. A group called Dontaku Tai will be performing and also people decide the Miss Fukuoka at that night as well. This show will be on RKB Mainichi Broadcastingso that people can enjoy watching this performances on TV. In order to come and see the show people need to have an entrance ticket which will be handed out 2 weeks before the event and free. === 3 May ===The first day of Hakata Dontaku. Festival will be starting with origins of Dontaku, Matsubayashi parade. 3 Gods of fortune ride horses and walk around the city of Fukuoka as original Matsubayashi did in the history. Thousands of performers will be dancing and walking down the street called Meiji street. People wear various costumes and clap with rice scoping spoons, play instruments, wear masks and so on. Streets will be full of people both performer and audiences. Beside, Hana Jidosha which is cars that are decorated with lights and flowers are also essential part of this event. === 4 May === The second day of Hakata Dontaku. Schedule will be nearly the same as the first day. There will be Hakata Matsubayashi, Parade and Hana Jidosha. Since this is the last day, there will be a finale that everyone gather and dance to enjoy the last moment of the festival. == External links == Official website (in Japanese)

Hakata Gion Yamakasa

Japan

Hakata Gion Yamakasa (博多祇園山笠) is a Japanese festival celebrated from the 1st until the 15th of July in Hakata, Fukuoka. The festivities are centered on the Kushida Jinja. The festival is famous for the Kakiyama, that weigh around one ton and are carried around the city as an act of float-racing. The festival is believed to be over 770 years old and attracts up to a million spectators each year. It was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 1979. The origin of the festival is believed to date back to 1241, when the founder of Joten-ji temple, monk Enni had people carry him around the town on a float, while praying in order to get rid of the plague which is considered to have been successful. The sound of the Yamakasa has also been selected by the Ministry of the Environment as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan. == Floats ==The floats, called Yamakasa, are divided into two groups. The Kakiyama are the smaller, carryable floats, that are raced through the town, while the Kazariyama are stationary floats, that are built up to 13 metres high and often depict historic or mythical events of Japanese culture. Originally the Kakiyama and Kazariyama were one and the same, with the large floats being carried through the city. However the Yamakasa were split up in 1898 when the electrical power lines in Hakata became too common for large Yamakasa to be carried through the streets. == Hakata districts == Hakata, once its own city, merged with Fukuoka in 1876. The festivities are mostly based in Hakata. Hakata was divided into seven districts by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1586/1587. Some of these districts have changed names and exact boundaries multiple times; they still see themselves as the original seven districts. Soon after the division, carrying the Yamakasa through one's own district became a competition for speed. Today, the main event, the Oiyama, is a race between the districts. The districts are Higashi-nagare, Nakasu-nagare, Nishi-nagare, Chiyo-nagare, Ebisu-nagare, Doi-nagare and Daikoku-nagare.Matsuri Gion Matsuri List of Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Japan 100 Soundscapes of Japan == External links == (in Japanese) Hakata Gion Yamakasa homepage (in English) Hakata-Gion-Yamakasa Portal Site: Yamakasa-Navi Hakata Gion Yamakasa Archived 26 May 2015 at the Wayback MachineNHK

Hamamatsu Kite Festival

Japan

Hamamatsu Kite Festival (浜松まつり) is Japanese festival in Hamamatsu. It is generally known to have multiple kites, along with a lot of kite battles through the days it is held. The festival also displays examples of Japanese culture through food, and general items available for purchase in merchant booths at the festival.The Hamamatsu Festival is held every year on May 3-5 in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. This is citizen festival. Also, this is one of the largest festivals in Japan, attracting approximately 2 million visitors each year. During the festival, spectacular kite-flying battles take place on the Nakatajima sand dunes, and at night the festival moves into the downtown area, where floats parade through the city. It is said that this kite flying festival began more than 460 years ago when the Lord of Hikuma Castle, who ruled Hamamatsu and the surrounding area. He flew a kite to celebrate the birth of his first son. However, there is little literary evidence to support this legend. The climate in this area is suitable for kite flying because of the strong and wild winds known as the Enshu Karakaze”. The climate is suitable for kite flying. Therefore, the custom of flying kites is to celebrate the birth of a child. This tradition is deeply rooted in the region. == Details == Tako (Kite battle） Yatai Neri Participants say Oisho, oisho! In Hamamatsu, the first son's birth celebration is Hatsuiwai(初祝い). This festival is held three days from 3 to 5 May every year.[1] === Tako ===In Hamamatsu Kite Festival, the kite battle is called Takogassen(凧合戦) and is done at Takoba(凧場). Takoba is at Nakatajima since 1967. 174 kites are there. The kite of the first son's birth celebration is called Hatsudako(初凧). Kite Battles Over 170 kites will be flown into the sky, signaled by the sound of fireworks launched over the Nakatajima Sand Dunes. The first kite to be flown is the first kite, which celebrates the birth of the first child. The firstborn child is dressed in a festival costume and is the main person to fly the kite from within his father's arms. Then, encouraged by the sound of the trumpet, many hundreds of people join in the kite battle.On May 3 At 10:00 a.m. about 170 town kites are flown simultaneously at the signal of the opening fireworks. Then the kite battle begins. The kites are called Kenka Tako (fighting kites) because they are made by cutting the other kite's string through friction by twisting hemp threads of 5 mm in thick together. === Yatai ===Yatai is also called Goden-Yatai(御殿屋台). Float Parades More than 80 neighborhood associations compete in this parade of floats to display the beauty of the Goten-yatai floats that decorate the downtown area. Children playing Japanese flutes and drums ride on the floats. The floats are elaborately decorated with many featuring spectacular carvings.As night falls, the floats depart to the sounds of the shamisen played, the flutes and drums played by children wear in festival costumes and riding on the floats. They are called the ohayashi. The festival reaches its climax when the sounds of drums and flutes echo through the night sky. === Neri ===In Takoba, they also do Neri in order to celebrate. This is called Hatsuneri(初練り). The neri is a parade that the lead person carries the neighborhood flag, followed by dozens of lantern bearers in each town. At night, they gather at Hatsuko's house during the parade. At the house where the eldest son is born, their family offers cooking to everyone in order to appreciate their kite flying. The parade is full of passion, accompanied by the sound of trumpets, drums, and the cry of Oicho, oicho. Then, they reach a fever pitch. Participants are jostling and pushing around each other with festive excitement and they form a swirling frenzy. It is called Gekineri. Brokered Homeland: Japanese Brazilian Migrants in Japan, 2002, page:118, ISBN 9780801488085. The art of the Japanese kite, 1980, Tal Streeter, Page:67 San Francisco, San Francisco Magazine, Incorporated, 1976 == External links == Media related to Hamamatsu Matsuri at Wikimedia Commons Official site (Japanese) Hamamatsu Matsuri Archived 2015-05-27 at the Wayback Machine NHK (video)

Hana Haru Festa

Japan

The Hana Haru Festival Japanese: Hana Haru Festa (はな・はる・フェスタ) is a large-scale event held each year in April in the Aibahama Park in Shinmachi Riverside, Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture. Each year celebrities such as the members of Chatmonchy, Under Graph and DEPAPEPE are invited to make appearances, and many of the famous Awa Odori dancing troupes perform displays. Events include ramen road, Awa dance, traditional craft workshops where one can make paper or pottery for free, street dancing contests, concerts, and battle of the bands. == External links == Hana Haru Festa HANA HARU FESTA 2006

Hanami

Japan

Hanami (花見, flower viewing) is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers; flowers (花, hana) in this case almost always refer to those of the cherry (桜, sakura) or, less frequently, plum (梅, ume) trees. From the end of March to early May, cherry trees bloom all over Japan, and around the second week of January on the island of Okinawa. The blossom forecast (桜前線, sakura-zensen) cherry blossom front is announced each year by the Japan Meteorological Agency and watched carefully by those planning hanami, as the blossoms only last a week or two. In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night. In some contexts the Sino-Japanese term kan'ō (観桜, view-cherry) is used instead, particularly for festivals. Hanami at night is called yozakura (夜桜) night sakura. In many places such as Ueno Park temporary paper lanterns are hung for the purpose of yozakura. On the island of Okinawa, decorative electric lanterns are hung in the trees for evening enjoyment, such as on the trees ascending Mt. Yae, near Motobu Town, or at the Nakijin Castle. A more ancient form of hanami also exists in Japan, which is enjoying the plum blossoms instead, which is narrowly referred to as umemi (梅見, plum-viewing). This kind of hanami is popular among older people, because they are calmer than the sakura parties, which usually involve younger people and can sometimes be very crowded and noisy. == History ==The practice of hanami is many centuries old. The custom is said to have started during the Nara period (710–794) when it was plum or ume blossoms that people admired in the beginning. The Japanese practice of hanami originated from the Chinese custom of enjoying poetry and wine underneath plum blossom trees while viewing their flowers, that was replicated by Japanese elites. This is supported by the fact that hanami started in urban areas rather than rural areas, that Japanese people initially admired plum blossoms like the Chinese rather than cherry blossoms, and that classic Japanese poetry does not associate cherry blossoms with merriness. By the Heian period (794–1185), cherry blossoms or sakura came to attract more attention than the plum blossom and hanami was synonymous with sakura. From then on, in both waka and haiku, flowers meant sakura. The historical text Nihon Kōki, documented the first observation of the sakura bloom in the year 812, which has been observed and recorded over the next twelve centuries. Hanami was first used as a term analogous to cherry blossom viewing in the Heian era novel The Tale of Genji. Although a wisteria viewing party was also described, the terms hanami and flower party were subsequently used only in reference to cherry blossom viewing. Sakura was originally used to divine that year's harvest as well as announce the rice-planting season. People believed in kami inside the trees and made offerings. Afterwards, they partook of the offering with sake. Emperor Saga of the Heian period adopted this practice, and held flower-viewing parties with sake and feasts underneath the blossoming boughs of sakura trees in the Imperial Court in Kyoto. Poems would be written praising the delicate flowers, which were seen as a metaphor for life itself, luminous and beautiful yet fleeting and ephemeral. This was said to be the origin of Hanami in Japan.The custom was originally limited to the elite of the Imperial Court, but soon spread to Samurai society and, by the Edo period, to the common people as well. Tokugawa Yoshimune planted areas of cherry blossom trees to encourage this. Under the sakura trees, people had lunch and drank sake in cheerful feasts.Since a book written in the Heian period mentions weeping cherry (しだり櫻, shidarizakura), one of the cultivars with pendulous branches, it is considered that Prunus itosakura 'Pendula' (Sidare-zakura) is the oldest cultivar in Japan. In the Kamakura period, when the population increased in the southern Kanto region, Oshima cherry, which originated in Izu Oshima Island, was brought to Honshu and cultivated there, and then brought to capital, Kyoto. In the Muromachi period, the Sato-zakura Group which was born from complex interspecific hybrids based on Oshima cherry, began to appear.Prunus itosakura (syn. Prunus subhirtella, Edo higan), a wild species, grows slowly, but has the longest life span among cherry trees and is easy to grow into large trees. For this reason, there are many large and long-lived trees of this species in Japan, and their cherry trees are often regarded as sacred and have become a landmark that symbolizes Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples and local areas. Famous examples include the Jindai-zakura (~2,000 years old), Usuzumi-zakura (~1,500 years old), and Daigo-zakura (~1,000 years old).In the Edo period, various double-flowered cultivars were produced and planted on the banks of rivers, on Buddhist temples, in Shinto shrines and in daimyo gardens in urban areas such as Edo, and the common people living in urban areas could enjoy them. Books from that period recorded more than 200 varieties of cherry blossoms and mentioned many varieties of cherry blossoms which are currently known, such as 'Kanzan'. However, the situation was limited to urban areas, and the main objects of hanami across the country were wild species such as Prunus jamasakura (Yamazakura) and Oshima cherry, which were widely distributed in the country.Since the Meiji period when Japan was modernized, Yoshino cherry has spread throughout Japan, and the object of hanami for Japanese people has changed to Yoshino cherry. On the other hand, various cultivars other than Yoshino cherry were cut down one after another due to the rapid modernization of cities, such as reclamation of waterways and demolition of daimyo gardens. The gardener Takagi Magoemon and the village mayor of Kohoku Village Shimizu Kengo worried about this situation and saved them from the danger of extinction by making a row of cherry trees composed of various cultivars on the Arakawa River bank. In Kyoto, Sano Toemon XIV, a gardener, collected various cultivars and propagated them. After World War II, these cultivars were inherited by the National Institute of Genetics, Tama Forest Science Garden and the Flower Association of Japan, and from the 1960s onwards various cultivars were again used for hanami.The teasing proverb dumplings rather than flowers (花より団子, hana yori dango) hints at the real priorities for most cherry blossom viewers, meaning that people are more interested in the food and drinks accompanying a hanami party than actually viewing the flowers themselves. Dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees! is a popular saying about hanami, after the opening sentence of the 1925 short story Under the Cherry Trees by Motojirō Kajii. == Hanami today == The Japanese people continue the tradition of hanami, gathering in great numbers wherever the flowering trees are found. Thousands of people fill the parks to hold feasts under the flowering trees, and sometimes these parties go on until late at night. In more than half of Japan, the cherry blossoming days come at the same time as the beginning of school and work after vacation, and so welcoming parties are often opened with hanami. Usually, people go to the parks to keep the best places to celebrate hanami with friends, family, and company coworkers many hours or even days before. In cities like Tokyo, it is also common to have celebrations under the sakura at night. Hanami at night is called yozakura (夜桜, night sakura). In many places such as Ueno Park, temporary paper lanterns are hung to have yozakura. The cherry blossom front is forecast each year, previously by the Japan Meteorological Agency and now by private agencies, and is watched with attention by those who plan to celebrate hanami because the blossoms last for very little time, usually no more than two weeks. The first cherry blossoms happen in the subtropical southern islands of Okinawa, while on the northern island of Hokkaido they bloom much later. In most large cities like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the cherry blossom season normally takes place around the end of March and the beginning of April. The television and newspapers closely follow this cherry blossom front as it slowly moves from south to north. In 2018 blossoms were scheduled to open in Fukuoka on March 21, in Kyoto March 27, in Tokyo March 26 and Sapporo May 1. The hanami celebrations usually involve eating and drinking, and playing and listening to music. Some special dishes are prepared and eaten at the occasion, like dango and bento, and sake is commonly drunk as part of the festivity. In 2020, traditional cherry blossom season events were canceled and tourists did not come to Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 peak bloom day in Kyoto, March 26, was the earliest since record-tracking began in 812. Peak blooms have been trending earlier since 1800, an example of season creep caused by climate change. == Outside Japan == Similar celebrations take place in Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, and China. === North America === ==== United States ====In the United States, hanami has also become very popular. In 1912, Japan gave 3,000 sakura trees as a gift to the United States to celebrate the nations' friendship. These trees were planted in Washington, D.C., and another 3,800 trees were donated in 1965. These sakura trees continue to be a popular tourist attraction, and every year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place when they bloom in early spring. In Macon, Georgia, another cherry blossom festival called the International Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrated every spring. Macon is known as the Cherry Blossom Capital of the World, because 300,000 sakura trees grow there. In Brooklyn, New York, the Annual Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in May, at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This festivity has been celebrated since 1981, and is one of the Garden's most famous attractions. Similar celebrations are also held in Philadelphia and other places through the United States. Another popular collection of sakura in the United States is in Newark, New Jersey's Branch Brook Park, whose over 5,000 cherry trees of 18 varieties attract 10,000 visitors a day during its annual Cherry Blossom Festival. ==== Canada ==== In Toronto, Canada the Hanami is celebrated in the many parks in the city in late April, due to the city's cold climate. Around 50 Yoshino Sakura trees have been donated to the city as symbols of international friendship and good will by the descendants of Japanese immigrants. High Park, the home of the most extensive cherry tree collection in the city, closes its streets to auto traffic to better allow for sakura viewing during the week of peak bloom. Vancouver has over 40,000 cherry blossom trees of different varieties. Queen Elizabeth Park is a popular spot to view the cherry blossom trees. === Europe ===Hanami is also celebrated in several European countries. For example, in Finland people gather to celebrate hanami in Helsinki at Roihuvuori. Local Japanese people and companies have donated 200 cherry trees which are all planted in Kirsikkapuisto. Those cherry trees usually bloom in mid-May. In Rome, in Italy, the hanami is celebrated, where are a lot of cherry trees were donated by Japan in 1959. In Stockholm there is an annual festivity in Kungsträdgården where a lot of people celebrate hanami. Paris has several stunning displays of cherry blossom trees in the Trocadero Garden, Jardin des Plantes, Parc de Sceaux, and many other spots. During the COVID-19 pandemic in England, the National Trust initiated the #BlossomWatch campaign, which was inspired by Japanese cherry blossom festivals. It encouraged people to share images of first flowers on their lockdown walks. Sakuramochi Sakurayu Sakura cheese Hana wa sakuragi, hito wa bushi Momijigari, autumn leaf viewing Tsukimi, moon viewing Fuji Matsuri Prunus Cherry Tree Park Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia List of Award of Garden Merit flowering cherries == External links == Media related to Hanami at Wikimedia Commons Hanami in Philadelphia! Information on the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia Archived 2008-03-24 at the Wayback Machine Hanami Documentary produced by Oregon Field Guide Kyotoview — Hanami In Kyoto Cherry Blossom Forecast Yearly map of blossoms in Japan

Hayachine kagura

Japan

Hayachine kagura (早池峰神楽) is a ritual dance, or kagura, in Shinto ceremonies, which is composed of a series of twelve dances. It is performed on August 1 at Hayachine Shrine in Hanamaki, Iwate, Japan. These dances are performed in honor of Seoritsu, tutelary deity of Mount Hayachine, to music of containing drums, cymbals and flutes. The first six dances (Torimai Bird Dance 鳥 舞, Okina Old Man Dance 翁, Sanbasō Third Old Man Dance 三 番 叟, War God Hachiman Dance 八 幡, Mountain God Yama no kami 山 の 神 Dance, Opening Dance of the rock cave Iwato biraki 岩 戸) are ritualistic, the next five tell the medieval history of Japan and its deities (there are many different hypotheses on the constitution of the cycle of 12 dances). The dancers are masked. The final dance is performed by a shishi, a personification of the mountain god. The dances are also performed at other times of the year and outside of the Hayachine Shrine, but rarely in the full cycle, which lasts five hours. Hayachine kagura discipleship shows are performed throughout Iwate Prefecture. == History == The tradition dates back to the 14th or 15th century and would have been influenced by the practices of the yamabushi, Buddhist ascetics withdrawn in the mountains; moreover, scholars wonder about its relation with the history of the noh theater. UNESCO inscribed Hayachine Kagura on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

Hinamatsuri

Japan

Hinamatsuri (雛祭り), also called Doll's Day or Girls' Day, is a religious (Shinto) holiday in Japan, celebrated on 3 March of each year. Platforms covered with a red carpet–material are used to display a set of ornamental dolls (雛人形, hina-ningyō) representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period.: 52  == Customs == Hinamatsuri is one of the five seasonal festivals (五節句, gosekku) that are held on auspicious dates of the Lunisolar calendar: the first day of the first month, the third day of the third month, and so on. After the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, these were fixed on 1 January, 3 March, 5 May, 7 July, and 9 September. The festival was traditionally known as the Peach Festival (桃の節句, Momo no Sekku), as peach trees typically began to flower around this time. Although this is no longer true since the shift to Gregorian dates, the name remains and peaches are still symbolic of the festival. The primary aspect of Hinamatsuri is the display of seated male and female dolls (the obina (男雛, male doll) and mebina (女雛, female doll)), which represent a Heian period wedding, but are usually described as the Emperor and Empress of Japan. The dolls are usually seated on red cloth, and may be as simple as pictures or folded paper dolls, or as intricate as carved three-dimensional dolls. More elaborate displays will include a multi-tiered doll stand (雛壇, hinadan) of dolls that represent ladies of the court, musicians, and other attendants, with all sorts of accoutrements. The entire set of dolls and accessories is called the hinakazari (雛飾り). The number of tiers and dolls a family may have depends on their budget. Families normally ensure that girls and women have a set of the two main dolls before their first Hinamatsuri. The dolls are usually fairly expensive ($1,500 to $2,500 for a five-tier set, depending on quality) and may be handed down from older generations as heirlooms. The hinakazari spends most of the year in storage, and girls or women and their mothers begin setting up the display a few days before 3 March (boys and men normally do not participate, as 5 May, now Children's Day, was historically called Boys' Day). Traditionally, the dolls were supposed to be put away by the day after Hinamatsuri, the superstition being that leaving the dolls any longer will result in a late marriage for the daughter, but some families may leave them up for the entire month of March. Practically speaking, the encouragement to put everything away quickly is to avoid the rainy season and humidity that typically follows Hinamatsuri. Historically, the dolls were used as toys, but in modern times they are intended for display only. The display of dolls is usually discontinued when the girls and women reach ten years of age. During Hinamatsuri and the preceding days, girls and women hold parties with their friends. Typical foods include hina-arare (雛あられ, multi-colored rice crackers), chirashizushi (ちらし寿司, raw fish and vegetables on rice in a bowl or bento box), hishi mochi (菱餅, multi-colored rice cakes), ichigo daifuku (いちご大福, strawberries wrapped in adzuki bean paste), Sakuramochi (桜餅) and ushiojiru (うしお汁, clam soup, as clam shells represent a joined pair). The customary drink is shirozake (白酒, lit. white sake), also called lit. sweet sake (甘酒, amazake), a non-alcoholic sake. Nagashi-bina (流し雛, lit. doll floating) ceremonies are held around the country, where participants make dolls out of paper or straw and send them on a boat down a river, carrying one's impurities and sin with them. Some locations, such as at the Nagashibina Doll Museum in Tottori City, still follow the lunisolar calendar instead of doing it on 3 March. Tsurushi-Bina (吊るし雛, lit. Hanging Dolls), traditional decoration for Hinamatsuri, are lengths of coloured cords (usually in red), usually featuring decorations of miniature baby-dolls, which were originally made from leftover kimono silk (so the idea of repurposing fabric scraps is central to this craft; it is a great activity for using up leftover materials). Tsurushi-Bina are not limited to featuring miniature baby-dolls, but also flowers (i.e., camellia flower, etc.), shells, Temari balls, colourful triangles to represent mountains (such as Mount Fuji, etc.), etc., and with tassels at the bottom. == Placement == The actual placement order of the dolls from left to right varies according to family tradition and location, but the order of dolls per level is the same. The layer of covering is called dankake (段掛) or simply hi-mōsen (緋毛氈), a red carpet with rainbow stripes at the bottom. The description that follows is for a complete set. === First, top platform === The top tier holds two dolls, known as imperial dolls (内裏雛 (だいりびな), dairi-bina). The words dairi means imperial palace. These are the obina holding a ritual baton (笏, shaku) and mebina holding a fan. The pair are also known as tono (殿) and hime (姫) (lord and princess) or Odairi-sama (御内裏様) and Ohina-sama (御雛様) (honored palace official and honored doll). Although they are sometimes referred to as the Emperor and Empress, they only represent the positions and not particular individuals themselves (with the exception of some dolls from the Meiji Era that actually depict Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken). The two are usually placed in front of a gold folding screen byōbu (屏風) and placed beside green Japanese garden trees. Optional are the two lampstands, called bonbori (雪洞), and the paper or silk lanterns that are known as hibukuro (火袋), which are usually decorated with cherry or plum blossom patterns. Complete sets would include accessories placed between the two figures, known as sanbō kazari (三方飾), composing of two vases of artificial peach branches (口花, kuchibana). Generally speaking, the Kansai style arrangement has the male on the right, while Kantō style arrangements have him on the left (from the viewer's perspective). === Second platform === The second tier holds three court ladies san-nin kanjo (三人官女) who serve sake to the male and female dolls. Commonly, two dolls are standing on both sides of one seated doll, but there are people who use two seated dolls on both sides of one standing doll. The doll on the viewer's left bears a short-handled sake decanter (加えの銚子, Kuwae no chōshi). The one on the viewer's right holds a long-handled sake decanter (長柄の銚子, Nagae no chōshi). The doll in the middle carries different items in Kyoto compared with the rest of Japan. In Kyoto, the middle doll carries a small platform used in celebratory decorations (島台, Shimadai) upon which is something auspicious such as the Three Friends of Winter (松竹梅, Shōchikubai); whereas in the rest of Japan, she carries a small table (三方, Sanpō) upon which a sake cup is rested. Accessories placed between the ladies are takatsuki (高坏), stands with round table-tops for seasonal sweets, excluding hishi mochi. === Third platform === The third tier holds five male musicians gonin bayashi (五人囃子). Each holds a musical instrument except the singer, who holds a fan:Small drum (太鼓, Taiko), seated, Large drum (大鼓, Ōtsuzumi), standing, Hand drum (小鼓, Kotsuzumi), standing, Flute (笛, Fue), or Yokobue (横笛), seated, Singer (謡い方, Utaikata), holding a folding fan (扇子, sensu), standing. There are ancient sets with seven or ten musicians and at least one with female musicians. === Fourth platform === Two ministers (大臣, daijin) may be displayed on the fourth tier. These may be the emperor's bodyguards or administrators in Kyoto: the Minister of the Right (右大臣, Udaijin) and the Minister of the Left (左大臣, Sadaijin). Both are sometimes equipped with bows and arrows. When representing the ministers, the Minister of the Right is depicted as a young person, while the Minister of the Left is older because that position was the more senior of the two. Also, because the dolls are placed in positions relative to each other, the Minister of the Right will be on stage right (the viewer's left) and the Minister of the Left will be on the other side. Between the two figures are covered bowl tables (掛盤膳, kakebanzen), also referred to as o-zen (お膳), as well as diamond-shaped stands (菱台, hishidai) bearing diamond-shaped hishi mochi. Just below the ministers: on the rightmost, a mandarin orange tree (右近の橘, Ukon no tachibana), and on the leftmost, a cherry blossom tree (左近の桜, Sakon no sakura). === Fifth platform === The fifth tier, between the plants, holds three helpers (仕丁, shichō) or protectors (衛士, eji) of the Emperor and Empress: In the Kyōto style, from the viewer's left to right the dolls are:Crying drinker nakijōgo (泣き上戸) bearing a rake (熊手, kumade), Angry drinker okorijōgo (怒り上戸) bearing a dustpan (ちり取り, chiritori), and Laughing drinker waraijōgo (笑い上戸) bearing a broom (箒, houki) In the Kantō style used in the rest of Japan, from the viewer's left to right the dolls are:Angry drinker okorijōgo (怒り上戸) bearing an umbrella hat (台笠, daikasa) at the end of a pole, Crying drinker nakijōgo (泣き上戸) bearing a shoe platform (沓台, kutsudai), and Laughing drinker waraijōgo (笑い上戸) bearing an umbrella (立傘, tachigasa) === Other platforms === On the sixth and seventh tiers, various miniature furniture, tools, carriages, etc., are displayed. ==== Sixth platform ==== These are items used within the palatial residence.tansu (箪笥) : chest of (usually five) drawers, sometimes with swinging outer covering doors. nagamochi (長持) : long chest for kimono storage. hasamibako (挟箱) : smaller clothing storage box, placed on top of nagamochi. kyōdai (鏡台) : literally mirror stand, a smaller chest of drawers with a mirror on top. haribako (針箱) : sewing kit box. two hibachi (火鉢) : braziers. daisu (台子) : a set of ocha dōgu (お茶道具) or cha no yu dōgu (茶の湯道具), utensils for the tea ceremony. ==== Seventh, bottom platform ==== These are items used when away from the palatial residence.jubako (重箱), a set of nested lacquered food boxes with either a cord tied vertically around the boxes or a stiff handle that locks them together. gokago (御駕籠 or 御駕篭), a palanquin. goshoguruma (御所車), an ox-drawn carriage favored by Heian nobility. This last is sometimes known as gisha or gyuusha (牛車). Less common, hanaguruma (花車), an ox drawing a cart of flowers. == Origin ==It is said that the first time Hina dolls were shown in the manner they are now as part of the Peach Festival was when the young princess Meisho succeeded to the throne of her abdicating father, Emperor Go-Mizunoo, in 1629. Because empresses regnant in Japan at the time were not allowed to get married, Meisho's mother, Tokugawa Masako, created a doll arrangement showing Meisho blissfully wedded. Hinamatsuri then officially became the name of the festival in 1687. Doll-makers began making elaborate dolls for the festival (some growing as tall as 3 feet (0.91 meters) high before laws were passed restricting their size). Over time, the hinakazari evolved to include fifteen dolls and accessories. As dolls became more expensive, tiers were added to the hinadan so that the expensive ones could be placed out of the reach of young children. During the Meiji period as Japan began to modernize and the emperor was restored to power, Hinamatsuri was deprecated in favor of new holidays that focused on the emperor's supposed to bond with the nation, but it was revived. By focusing on marriage and families, it represented Japanese hopes and values. The dolls were said to represent the emperor and empress; they also fostered respect for the throne. The holiday then spread to other countries via the Japanese diaspora, although it remains confined to Japanese immigrant communities and descendants.Golu – a similar tradition in India Hōko (doll) – A talisman doll, given to young women of age and especially to pregnant women in Japan to protect both mother and unborn child. International Day of the Girl Child International Women's Day Japanese dolls Japanese festivals Japanese traditional dolls Karakuri puppet – Japanese clockwork automata. Public holidays in Japan Tango no Sekku Yurihonjo hinakaido – an annual trail of hina doll displays in Yurihonjo City == Further reading == Ishii, Minako　(2007). Girls' Day/Boys' Day. Honolulu: Bess Press Inc. ISBN 1-57306-274-X. A children's picture book. Murguia, Salvador Jimenez (2011). Hinamatsuri and the Japanese Female: A Critical Interpretation of the Japanese Doll Festival. Journal of Asia Pacific Studies 2.2: 231–247 Pate, Alan Scott (2013). Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll. Tuttle Publishing. == External links ==Hinamatsuri (Doll's Festival) Archived 10 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Hinamatsuri in Sado, Niigata, Japan (Doll's Festival) Video on Hinamatsuri (Hinamatsuri Girls' Day | Doll's Festival)

Hinode Matsuri

Japan

Hitachi Furyumono

Japan

The Hitachi Furyumono (日立風流物) is a parade in Hitachi city, Japan. It is held during Hitachi Sakura Matsuri (日立さくらまつり), the annual cherry blossom festival in April, and the Great Festival at the local Kamine Shrine once in every seven years in May. It is inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists as a part of Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan, 33 traditional Japan festivals. == Parade == Furyumono is a puppet show performed onstage on the floats. Each of four local communities - Kita-machi (北町), Higashi-machi (東町), Nishi-machi (西町) and Moto-machi (元町) - has their own float. During the annual festival, one community presents its parade float each year. During the Great Festival at Kamine Shrine, the four communities compete for the most skilled puppeteers and the best hospitality to the local deity. The floats are five tons in weight, 15 meters in height, and from 3 to 8 meters in width. Each of them has a five-storied stage, and on each stage puppets play a scene of one story respectively. Each puppet is controlled by three to five puppeteers manipulating the ropes. == History == The origin of the parade goes back to 1695. According to Kamine Shrine, Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the second lord of Mito Domain, appointed Kamine Shrine as the Sou-Chinju, the local tutelary shrine. People held religious festivals and dedicated floats to the shrine. In the early 18th century, a puppet show began supposedly imitating Ningyō jōruri, the puppet theater with chanted narration that was very popular in Edo and Osaka area at that time. In 1945, most of the floats were lost in the war disasters, but Furyumono was restored in 1958. In addition, the existing float was registered as the Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property in 1959. In 1977, Furyumono was registered as the Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. In 2009, it was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists with the Yamahoko parade of Gion Matsuri.　In 2016, these two parades and 31 traditional festivals were registered on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists as Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan, the representative examples showing the diversity of Japan local cultures. == Further reading == Thornbury, B.E. (1997). The Folk Performing Arts: Traditional Culture in Contemporary Japan. Suny Series in Contemporary. State University of New York Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-7914-3255-6. == External links == 日立風流物の歴史 (The history of Hitachi Furyumono) Archived 2023-12-07 at the Wayback Machine - Hitachi tourism & products Association 日立風流物 - Kotobank, the Japanese online dictionary 大祭禮, 神峰神社 (The Grand Festival, Kamine shrine) - the official site of Kamine shrine 日立市郷土博物館 (Hitachi City Museum) - the local museum, which has a permanent space for Hitachi Furyumono

Hōnensai

Japan

Harvest Festival (豊年祭, Hōnensai) is a fertility festival celebrated every year on March 15 in some locations in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Hōnen means prosperous year in Japanese, implying a rich harvest, while a matsuri is a festival. The Hōnen festival and ceremony celebrate the blessings of a bountiful harvest and all manner of prosperity and fertility. The best known of these festivals takes place in the town of Komaki, just north of Nagoya City. The festival's main features are Shinto priests playing musical instruments, a parade of ceremonially garbed participants, all-you-can-drink sake, and a wooden phallus. The festival starts with celebration and preparation at 10:00 a.m. at Tagata Jinja, where all sorts of foods and souvenirs (mostly phallus-shaped or related) are sold. Sake is also passed out freely from large wooden barrels. At about 2:00 p.m. everyone gathers at Shinmei Sha for the start of the procession. Shinto priests say prayers and impart blessings on the participants and mikoshi, as well as on the large wooden phallus, which are to be carried along the parade route.The 280 kg (620 pound), 2.5 meter (96 inch)-long, 200–250 year old Japanese cypress wooden phallus called youbutsu (陽物, lit. the male object) or ō-owase-gata (大男茎形, lit. the grand Phallus shape/ object) is carried from a shrine called Shinmei Sha (in even-numbered years) in Komaki on a large hill or from Kumano-sha Shrine (in odd-numbered years), to a shrine called Tagata Shrine (田縣神社) in Komaki, Tagata, Aichi Prefecture.When the procession makes its way down to Tagata Shrine the phallus in its mikoshi is spun furiously before it is set down and more prayers are said. Everyone then gathers in the square outside Tagata Shrine and waits for the mochi nage, at which time the crowd is showered with small rice cakes which are thrown down by the officials from raised platforms. The festival concludes at about 4:30 p.m. The venerated Shinto deities are Mitoshi (御歳神, Mitoshi-no-kami) and the female deity Tamahime (玉姫命, Tamahime-no-mikoto). Mitoshi is the son of the Shinto male deity Toshigami (年神) or known by locals as Ōtoshi (大歳神, Ōtoshi-no-kami) and grandson of the Shinto deity Susanoo. Tamahime is a princess and the daughter of Ō'arata (大荒田命, Ō'arata-no-Mikoto), the matriarch of Owari clan (尾張氏) of her husband Takeinadane (健稲種命, Take'inadane-no-mikoto) who had two sons and four daughters. After her husband's death, she returned to his hometown Arata (situated close to Komaki), encouraged to cultivate with the help of her father Ō'arata, honor and achieved his achievements. In Inuyama City, there is another festival Sunday before at Ōagata Shrine. This festival includes floats shaped like a vulva, which complement the phallic-shaped mikoshi used in the festival. Kanamara Matsuri Phallic processions == Sources == Tagata Shrine Honen Festival 田縣神社 豊年祭 (contains photos showing many of the events described above) Japan: Nothing says springtime like a penis festival (Global Post, March 16, 2010) == External links ==http://www.tagatajinja.com/index.html (Japanese; official homepage of Tagata-Jinja) Yamasa Institute Tagata Jinja - Hounen Matsuri site (English) Archived 2006-04-14 at the Wayback Machine http://farstrider.net/Japan/Festivals/HounenMatsuri/ Phallus photos and bits of info

Hyakumangoku Matsuri

Japan

The Hyakumangoku Matsuri (百万石まつり) is the main annual festival taking place in Kanazawa, Japan. The festival commemorates the entry of Lord Maeda Toshiie into Kanazawa Castle in 1583. The highlight of the festival is the Hyakumangoku Parade, which has begun on the first Saturday in June since 2007. The Hyakumangoku Parade reenacts the entrance of Lord Maeda Toshiie and his entourage into Kanazawa. The participants are dressed in 16th-century period costumes and parade around several city blocks. The name Hyakumangoku refers to rice production. Hyakuman means 1,000,000 (literally 100 10,000) and the koku is a measurement of rice production. 1,000,000 koku is around 150,000 tonnes or 5,000,000 bushels of rice. In the evening after the main parade there are Bon Festival dances starting from 19.00 h and ending late in the night. Employees from different companies wear different kimono, but anyone can join the dances. The traditional Japanese dance along the central street near Kohrinbo is a picturesque event, and the column of dancing people is several kilometers long. Tourou nagashi (灯篭流し) commences the night before the main festival. Lit Kaga Yuzen lanterns are floated down the river Asano at dusk, starting near the Tenjin-Bashi bridge. The lanterns then float under the Ume-no-Hashi bridge before finishing at the Asanogawa Ohashi bridge. Other events during the festival include tea ceremonies staged in Kenroku-en, performances of traditional arts and folk dancing, a Miss Hyakumangoku beauty contest, and a children's drum and lantern parade. == Picture gallery ==

Iga Ueno Ninja Festa

Japan

Iga Ueno NINJA Festa (Jap. 伊賀上野 NINJA フェスタ) is the annual five-week ninja-themed festival in the Japanese city of Iga (in the former province of Iga), from April 1 to May 6. Tens of thousands of ninja fans travel to Iga for ninja-inspired performances, competitions, and opportunities to practice ninja skills, organized to promote the city. During the family-friendly festival, passengers on Iga train lines dressed in ninja costumes are given free rides. Since 2001, the mayor of Iga and the city council also hold an annual session while dressed up as ninja, called the Ninja Congress (忍者議会). Iga-ryū Iga ikki Iga-ryū Ninja Museum == External links == (in Japanese) Official website of the 2007 edition (The Daily Telegraph) Japanese ninja festival (gallery)

Ishidori Matsuri

Japan

Ishidori Matsuri (石取祭) can be literally translated from Japanese as stone bringing festival. It is a festival in Kuwana, located in Mie Prefecture. The festival starts on the first Saturday of August, at midnight, and runs throughout the weekend. Every town within the central part of the city has its own 3 wheeled, highly decorative festival cart. Each cart has a large taiko drum at the back and several kane along the sides. Each town has a particular sequence for each of those instruments, creating a unique and identifying sound. Another identifying feature is the placement of the kakegoe, or shouts. Over the course of the weekend, the carts are pulled toward Kasuga Shrine for presentation, performing along the way. With over 30 carts with distinct rhythms, it has been said that the Kuwana festival is the loudest festival in Japan. == History == The festival originally started in the Edo period (1751-1764). It is believed to have originated from the custom of local worshipers selecting stones from the Machiya River to take to the local shrine. The stones were ceremoniously transported to the shrine on carts, while taiko and kane were played.In 1981, the festival was designated as an asset of intangible culture for Mie Prefecture. In 2007, it was designated as a national asset of intangible culture. == Organization and Schedule == Typically the towns are separated by age. There is a children's group, young adult group, older adult group, and senior adult group.Though each town has its own schedule of events and traditions, the following is the generalized schedule of events, with the main event being on the First Sunday of August: March 6 The order of the carts is determined by lottery. July 15-20th This is the practice time with the festival carts. On the 20th, some carts will gather together in one particular town to end the practice session in camaraderie. They can not touch the carts again until Tatakidashi (叩き出し), which is at midnight between Friday night and Saturday morning before the First Sunday of August. Around this time, there is a gender-specific competition between the young adults of each town, though not all towns choose to compete. July 20 There is a Kawarabarai Ceremony (川原祓式) at Machiya River to pray for a safe festival. Weekend before the Festival Each town readies its carts; polishing, cleaning, and setting up components. They also mark the festival path with streamers hanging from telephone lines, and otherwise prepare for the festival, though there is no drumming until Tatakidashi. 3 days before the Festival (Thursday) Bamboo is gathered to decorate the festival meeting places. 2 days before the Festival (Friday) Each age group attends their local shrine for the Okattsan Ceremony (お勝さん), which includes singing and praying. The children and adults, with the exception of the young adults, move the cart to its festival position, as was determined in March. Much later, the young adults return to the group after much drinking. 1 day before the Festival (Saturday) Friday night leads up to Tatakidashi. At midnight, all the towns are signaled to start drumming simultaneously. After playing into the early hours of the morning, the group will retire, typically meeting once more at 10am. The festival carts are paraded through their towns on this day, and once again it leads up to silence, awaiting the next Tatakidashi. Festival Day (Sunday) At 2am, there is another Tatakidashi. The taikos and kane start playing simultaneously and the carts are paraded around their town for another long night of celebration. The day is very similar to the previous one. During the day on Sunday, the young adults drink while once again the others put the cart into its specific order. Later, the young adults join in, and each town makes its way to Kasuga Shrine. == Participating Towns == The following is a list of the current participating towns: Group 1 - Uehon-Machi (上本町); Hagoromoren (羽衣連) which includes Hon-Machi (本町), Kitahon-Machi (北本町), and Higashisenba-Cho (東舩馬町); Nishisenba-Cho (西舩馬町); and Hanamachiren (花街連) which includes Kawaguchi-Machi (川口町), and Edo-Machi (江戸町) Group 2 - Miyadori (宮通), Kyo-Machi (京町), Kata-Machi (片町) Group 3 - Misakidori (三崎通); and Miyakita (宮北) which includes Kitauo-Machi (北魚町), Miya-Machi (宮町), Furo-Machi(風呂町) Group 4 - Minamiuo-Machi (南魚町), Ta-Machi (田町), and Shokunin-Machi (職人町) Group 5 - Yotsuya-Cho (吉津屋町), Kaji-Machi (鍜冶町), and Irieyoshi-Machi (入江葭町) Group 6 - Shin-Machi (新町), Tenma-Cho (傳馬町), and Kaya-Machi (萱町) Group 7 - Kasuga-Cho (春日町); Shimizu-Cho (清水町); and Takara-Machi (宝町) which includes Hoden-Cho (宝殿町), and Shinhoden-Cho (新宝殿町) Group 8 - Tera-Machi (寺町)、Tsutsumibara (堤原), Imakata-Machi (今片町), Imanaka-Machi (今中町), and Imakita-Machi (今北町) Group 9 - Higashinabeya-Machi (東鍋屋町), Nishinabeya-Machi (西鍋屋町), Kakehi (掛樋), Higashiyada-Machi (東矢田町), Nishiyada-Machi (西矢田町), Fukue-Machi (福江町) Group 10 - Umamichi (馬道); Nishiumamichi (西馬道) which includes Umamichi-Nichome (馬道二丁目), and Umamichi-Sanchome (馬道三丁目); Nishisakae-Machi (西栄町) which includes Sakae-Machi (栄町), and Nishigawara (西川原); Shinyada-ichome (新矢田一丁目); and Ueno-Machi (上野町) Group 11 - Kotobuki-Cho (寿町), Chuodori (中央通), and Higashitokiwa-Cho (東常盤町) == External links == Kuwana City's bilingual guide book in .pdf format Japan National Tourist Organization information page Hanami Web review

Kachiya Festival

Japan

Kagami mochi

Japan

Kagami mochi (鏡餅, mirror rice cake) is a traditional Japanese New Year decoration. It usually consists of two round mochi (rice cakes), the smaller placed atop the larger, and a daidai (a Japanese bitter orange) with an attached leaf on top. In addition, it may have a sheet of konbu and a skewer of dried persimmons under the mochi. It sits on a stand called a sanpō (三宝) over a sheet called a shihōbeni (四方紅), which is supposed to ward off fires from the house for the following years. Sheets of paper called gohei (御幣) folded into lightning shapes similar to those seen on sumo wrestler's belts are also attached.Kagami mochi first appeared in the Muromachi period (14th–16th century). The name kagami (mirror) is said to have originated from its resemblance to an old-fashioned kind of round copper mirror, which also had a religious significance. The reason for it is not clear. Explanations include mochi being a food for special days, the spirit of the rice plant being found in the mochi, and the mochi being a food which gives strength. The two mochi discs are variously said to symbolize the going and coming years, the human heart, yin and yang, or the Moon and the Sun. The daidai, whose name means generations, is said to symbolize the continuation of a family from generation to generation. Traditionally, kagami mochi were placed in various locations throughout the house. Nowadays, they are usually placed in a household Shinto altar, or kamidana. They are also placed in the tokonoma, a small decorated alcove in the main room of the home. Contemporary kagami mochi are often pre-moulded into the shape of stacked discs and sold in plastic packages in the supermarket. A mikan or a plastic imitation daidai is often substituted for the original daidai. Variations in the shape of kagami mochi are also seen. In some regions, three layered kagami mochi are also used. The three layered kagami mochi are placed on the butsudan or on the kamidana. There is also a variant decoration called an okudokazari placed in the centre of the kitchen or by the window which has three layers of mochi. Kagami mochi are traditionally broken and eaten in a Shinto ritual called kagami biraki (mirror opening) on the second Saturday or Sunday of January. This is an important ritual in Japanese martial arts dojos. It was first adopted into Japanese martial arts when Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo, adopted it in 1884, and since then the practice has spread to aikido, karate and jujutsu dojos. Noshi Daphniphyllum == External links ==

Kanda Myojin Omikoshi Togyo

Japan

Kannamesai Festival

Japan

Kannamesai Festival, sometimes called Ōmatsuri is one of the most important festivals of Ise Jingu. Held October 15-17 each year, this ritual makes offerings of the first harvest of crops for the season to Amaterasu. An imperial envoy carries the offering of rice harvested by the Emperor himself to Ise, as well as five-coloured silk cloths and other materials, called heihaku (幣帛). The festival is the culmination of a cycle of festivals that take place throughout the year, beginning in April with the Shinden Geshusai (神田下種祭) which sees the sowing of the rice seeds. This is followed by Otaue Hajime (御田植初) where seedlings are transplanted in May, harvest at the Nuibosai (抜穂祭) in September, and finally, the Kannamesai. == Overview == Kannamesai is one of the three seasonal festivals held throughout year. The festival is held before the Niinamesai at the Imperial Palace and follows the lunar calendar, taking place in the ninth lunar month and includes an imperial envoy carrying offerings of silk and other gifts. == Rituals and Ceremonies == The festival begins on the evening of October 15 with the Okitama-no-kami-sai (興玉神祭) in which a guardian kami of the shrine, Okitama, is invoked. This is followed by the Miura (御卜), a divination ritual to determine if any of the clergy participating in the festival are impure, rendering them unfit to participate. The clergy then present yuki-no-о̄mike (由貴大御饌), edible offerings in the form of fish, vegetables, water, and sake, followed by the presenting of heihaku offerings by an imperial envoy, and the rituals are completed with a kagura dance. These rituals are largely repeated twice for each of the Inner and Outer Shrines, once in the evening and once the following morning. During the festival, the Emperor performs distance worship (御遙拝, goyо̄hai) at the Shinkaden (神嘉殿), a hall in the Imperial Palace. == History == The festival may have its roots in the legend from Emperor Suinin's time in which Princess Yamatohime-no-mikoto looked for a place to enshrine the Imperial Family's ancestral spirits during which she made an offering of rice stalks in the beak of a white-naped crane. This became a true festival in 721 when Empress Genshō sent offerings called reihei (例幣) to Ise Shrine in the ninth month of the lunar calendar. The practice stopped in the Middle Ages but restarted during the Edo period. After Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873, the ninth month no longer aligned with the harvest season of rice, and the Kannamesai was moved to October in 1879 to compensate. == Notes ==

Kappa Matsuri

Japan

Kappa Matsuri (かっぱ祭り) is a Japanese festival in honor of the mythical Kappa. It is held during summer. Places where it is celebrated include Tokyo, Ushiku, Komaki, and Misawa.

Karatsu Kunchi

Japan

Karatsu Kunchi (唐津くんち; the suffix kunchi simply meaning festival) is a Japanese matsuri that takes place annually in November in the city of Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, on Japan's island of Kyūshū. == About == The event takes place on 2-4 November, when the 3rd is a national holiday in Japan called Culture Day. It is the major event of the Karatsu calendar, regularly drawing crowds of anywhere between 150,000 and 500,000 people from the surrounding area over the course of the event. The festival features daily parades of fourteen hikiyama, massive floats in the form of samurai helmets, sea bream, dragons, and other fantastical creatures, all constructed from wood, lacquer, and other materials. Each float — which stand between five and six meters, and which weigh anywhere from two to five tons — is drawn through the streets of the city by teams of bearers selected from families living in the fourteen traditional neighborhoods of Karatsu, to the chant of En-ya! En-ya! En-ya!(orYoi-sa! Yoi-sa! Yoi-sa!) and the music of taiko drummers and flutists perched on the floats' base. The event, which is coordinated by the local Shinto shrine (near which the floats are stored during the rest of the year), has been held for several centuries now; the current incarnations of the floats were constructed between 1819 and 1876. In 1980, the festival was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. == List of hikiyama == Includes the name of the float, the district it represents, and its construction date:The Red lion (赤獅子) built by the Katana-machi district (1819) The Green lion (中町の青獅子) built by the Naka-machi district (1824) The Turtle and Urashima Taro (カメと浦島太郎) by the Zaimoku-machi district (1841) It was not Taro originally but a gem on the turtle when it was first built. Samurai Minamoto Yoshitsune's Kabuto (源義経の兜) by Gofuku-machi (1844) The Sea bream(鯛) by Uoya-machi (1845) The Phoenix-shaped ship (鳳凰丸) by Oishi-machi (1846) The Flying dragon (飛龍) by Shin-machi (1846) The Golden lion (金獅子) by Hom-machi (1847) 'Takeda Shingen's Kabuto '(武田信玄の兜) by Kiwata-machi (1864) 'Uesugi Kenshin's Kabuto '(上杉謙信の兜) by Hirano-machi (1869) The Drunken ogre on Minamoto Yorimitsu's Kabuto (酒呑童子と源頼光の兜) (1869) The Lion on an orb (珠取獅子) by Kyo-machi (1875) The Tiger-headed orca(鯱) by Kako-machi (1876) The Boat of seven treasures (七宝丸) by Egawa-machi (1876) Disappeared: The black lion (黒獅子) by Konya-machi Nagasaki Kunchi Japan Atlas: Karatsu Kunchi Festival Sightseeing Japanese Festivals Fukuoka Now Event Calendar

Kawagoe Hikawa Festival

Japan

The Kawagoe Festival, officially named the Kawagoe Hikawa Festival (川越氷川祭, Kawagoe Hikawa Matsuri) is a traditional Japanese festival held annually on the third weekend of October in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture. It is Kawagoe's biggest event and the festival has more than a 360-year history. It attracts around one million tourists during the two days. The grand pageant of the festival takes place in the castle town of Kawagoe including in the old storehouse zone called Kurazukuri Zone. In 2005, the festival was designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property under the title of Kawagoe Hikawa Festival Float Event, and in 2016, the festival was put on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list as one of the Yama, Hoko, Yatai, Float Festivals in Japan. == Highlights == The biggest highlight of Kawagoe Festival is Hikkawase, or musical battles among floats. About 50 members of different neighborhoods put their respective festival floats as they walk through the down town district. When festival floats from different neighborhoods meet at an intersection or other spot, they make turn the float stage to face each other and begin to battle by performing their dance and music called Ohayashi. Ohayashi is the musical accompaniment played by five musicians namely 1 flute, 1 large drum, 2 small drums and 1 handbell. Together with dancers with a mask of a fox or a lion, they play a great performance and dancing on the stage of the float. As the music and dance grow in intensity, the float pullers and the audience shout encouragement to their performers. In the evening, the festival reaches its climax as the float pullers hold lanterns that illuminate the festival float beautifully. == Floats == The main attraction of the festival is its large fleet of gorgeous floats. There are 29 floats kept by each neighborhood in the town, and about 20 of them actually take part in the festival. The float has two remarkable features. One is Edo type double-decked float topped with a doll. The lower level is a small decorated festival stage fitted out with a roof, and the upper level is a platform with a doll on it. The platform where a doll is displayed on is like a movable, manually operated elevator, and the doll and the upper level can be stored inside the lower level's bunting behind the stage, changing its total height from 8m to 4m. The dolls have their origins in traditional Japanese culture such as Noh plays and folk stories, or are modeled from historical figures. Each float is often called by the name of the figure from who the doll was modeled from. The other feature is the stage which can revolve 360° horizontally, separately from the wheels. It is intended to make it possible for the stage to face each other when floats from different neighborhoods happen to meet in the middle of the festival and enjoy musical battles called Hikkawase. == History == It is said that the Kawagoe Festival dates back to the middle of the 17th century, when the lord of Kawagoe Domain Matsudaira Nobutsuna donated a portable shrine and other festival-related items to Hikawa Shrine, which originally had just one festival called Reitaisai to show their appreciation to good harvest. Since the 'Reitaisai' could be joined only by shrine priests, the lord concerned that the town lacked a big festival. His donation prompted the shrine to hold another festival called Jinkosaii, which was soon joined by 10 neighborhoods of the shrine. Today's Kawagoe festival consists of Jinkosai and town people's festival following the Jinkosai. The festival was gradually developed as it incorporated the style of the festivals of Edo, such as San-no Festival or Kanda Festival. These festivals called Tenka Matsuri were sponsored and attended by the shōgun (ruler of Japan) during the Edo Period, and were appealing to Kawagoe merchants. Success in boat transport on the Shingashi River linked to Edo made Kawagoe merchants prosper and gave them the opportunities to see the latest trend in Edo. These Kawagoe merchants amazed by the splendor and size of Tenka Matsuri tried to introduce Edo style to Kawagoe festival in the early 19th century. They asked the craftmen who made floats for Tenka Matsuri to make the same type of float for Kawagoe festival. Only because double-decked floats were used for Tenka Matsuri, the same type of double-decked floats were introduced to Kawagoe Festival. At Tenka Matsuri, they needed to show the floats to shōgun, the sponsor of the festival, going through the castle gate, which was not high enough by lowering its height. After the collapse of the shōgun government, festivals with floats saw a decline in Tokyo, while the Kawagoe Festival only developed further. Some districts of Kawagoe even made new floats and revolving stages were adopted for Ohayashi performance. After World War II, some neighborhoods other than the original 10 neighborhoods started to join the festival, and the number of the participating neighborhoods is increasing. Today, 29 floats are kept in the town with 28 owned by neighborhoods and one owned by Kawagoe City.

Kayu ura

Japan

Kayu ura (粥占) or Mi kayu ura (神粥占) is a Japanese Shinto divination ritual using rice or bean gruel. Traditionally, the kayu ura ritual took place on the 15th day of the first lunar month, but since the adoption of the Gregorian calendar it has been conventional to perform the ceremony on January 15; this date is known as ko-shōgatsu or Little New Year. Divination by gruel is generally used for agricultural predictions; it is presumed to predict the weather and harvests for the coming year. The ceremony takes various forms. A common practice is to stir a large pot of rice gruel (粥 (kayu)) with a split wooden stick, and to observe the number and organisation of the grains that adhere to the stick when it is removed. In another variation, known as tsutsugayu shinji, multiple hollow cylinders made of split bamboo or reeds are placed in the gruel, each cylinder corresponding to a specific month. Shinto prayers are chanted and the rice porridge is then left overnight. The following morning, the cylinders are cut open and the contents examined – the more rice that has stuck to the inside of the tube, the more propitious the harvest. If multiple tubes are used, these usually correspond to specific months of the year, and the results are recorded on a month-by-month basis. The tsutsugayu shinji variation is practiced at the Suwa Grand Shrine. Whilst rice is usually used, a porridge made from red beans (a symbol of fertility) can be substituted as an alternative. A further variation on the ritual is used in Akita, in which the gruel is not stirred but is instead smeared on a wooden pole; predictions are made based on how much rice sticks to the pole and the patterns that it makes. The oldest form of this ceremony, and the precursor to those listed above, involves a Shinto priest examining the mould that has formed on a bowl of rice porridge that has been stored in a special box for several days.

Kaze no bon

Japan

Kaze-no-Bon (風の盆) is a Japanese festival held every year from September 1 to 3 in Yatsuo, Toyama, Japan. Kaze-no-Bon literally translates to Bon Dance of the Wind. This festival, having a history of about 300 years, recently became a popular tourist attraction to the otherwise sparsely populated mountain area. The original festival was held in order to appease typhoons and allow for a bountiful harvest of rice. The festival is uniquely held at night, creating an atmosphere sometimes described as creepy by onlookers. The streets are decorated with paper lanterns, and long rows of young men and women, their faces covered by low-brimmed straw hats, dance simultaneously to melancholic music. This particular style of music is also unique to the region, using the somewhat-unknown kokyū (胡弓). A well-aged female voice and a traditional shamisen often accompanies the kokyū. The hats, worn with matching kimono, cover the dancers faces to hide them from the wrath of the god they hope to appease. One other feature of the dancers is that they are all unmarried; this originated in traditional ideas that performers involved in the festival may anger the gods through their dancing, and that to perform the dance is a form of virginal self-sacrifice. However, these are considered to be superstitious reasons, with other, more modern explanations - such as the dancers performing to meet other young unmarried people - also existing. Aside from the dance, games, trinkets and other traditional foods and services are also offered from the tiny shops lining the streets. Special Japanese paper is a popular souvenir for visitors to this festival. == External links == Owara Kaze-no-Bon Festival

Kifune Matsuri

Japan

Kinen-sai

Japan

Kinen-sai (祈年祭, also read as Toshigoi no Matsuri): 32  is a harvest festival that was celebrated every year in ancient Japan on February 4. It was held to pray for a good harvest,: 32 : 33  as reflected in its name.: 33  It is sometimes contrasted with Niiname-no-Matsuri or the fall festival.: 72  It is now celebrated yearly all across Japan including at Meiji Jingu, and Isonokami Shrine. == History == Emperor Tenmu started the festival in 675 AD. All shrines of the Engishiki Jinmyocho had to perform the ceremony. In ancient times, people held domestic rites called Kinen-sai in the February or April and Niinamesai in November. During these rites, people worshiped their ancestors, the god of food, and the hearth deity. They believed the spirits of their ancestors (Oyagami) came to them through the rice. Although agricultural in origin, it quickly developed into a general celebration of imperial power.: 34 Tribute was offered to the gods, and the ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials, although the emperor did not participate. In the Heian period, the festival declined and was celebrated only in the Department of Divinities. The festival was not longer celebrated in the late Muromachi period due to military conflict. It was revived in a form called sairō by Shirakawa house, the ruling clan of the Department of Divinities. But this form was abbreviated. Kinen-sai was fully revived in the Meiji Restoration. The Engishiki specified imperial involvement with four festivals, the Kinen-sai, the two Ōharae-shikis and Niiname-no-Matsuri for tribute.: 36  == Notes ==

Kitakami Michinoku Traditional Dance Festival

Japan

Kitakami Michinoku Traditional Dance Festival (Japanese: 北上・みちのく芸能まつり) is a summer festival held in Kitakami, Iwate, Japan, where Devils Sword (鬼剣舞), Deer (鹿踊), Tiger and other traditional dances of Michinoku, Japan's northeast region, are performed. A recent program of this festival included: Bon dance on the first day, the parade of the traditional dances on the second, and the Fireworks display over the Kitakami River on the third day. Festivals of Japan List of festivals in Japan == External links == Kitakami Michinoku Traditional Dance Festival

Koinobori

Japan

Koinobori (鯉のぼり), meaning 'carp streamer' in Japanese, are carp-shaped windsocks traditionally flown in Japan to celebrate Tango no sekku (端午の節句), a traditional calendrical event which is now designated as Children's Day (子供の日, Kodomo no hi), a national holiday in Japan. Koinobori are made by drawing carp patterns on paper, cloth, or other nonwoven fabric. They are then allowed to flutter in the wind. They are also known as satsuki-nobori (皐のぼり). Children's Day takes place on May 5, the last day of Golden Week, the largest break for workers and also a week in which many businesses, state schools, and some private schools close for up to 9–10 days for the designated national holidays. Landscapes across Japan are decorated with koinobori from April to early May, in honor of children for a good future and in the hope that they will grow up healthy and strong. The koinobori is included in Unicode as U+1F38F 🎏 CARP STREAMER. == Description ==A typical koinobori set consists of, from the top of the pole down, a pair of arrow-spoked wheels (矢車, yaguruma) with a ball-shaped spinning vane, a mounting windsock (吹流し, fukinagashi), and finally the koinobori. For the windsock above the koinobori, two main kinds are used: the five-colored windsock (五色吹流し), based on the five elements of Chinese philosophy, and patterned windsocks (柄物吹流し), often featuring a mon (家紋, family crest). The number and meaning of the carp streamers or koinobori that fly beneath the windsock has changed over time. Traditionally, the set would contain a black koinobori representing the father, followed by a smaller, red koinobori representing his eldest son. This is why, according to the Japanese American National Museum, in the traditional children's song, the red one (higoi) represents the eldest son. If more boys were in the household, an additional blue, green, and then, depending on the region, either purple or orange koinobori were added. After the government's decree that converted Boy's Day (Tango no Sekku) into the present Children's Day (Kodomo no Hi), the holiday came to celebrate the happiness of both boys and girls. As a result, the red koinobori came to represent the mother of the family and it is not uncommon for the color to be varied as pink. Similarly, the other colors and sizes of carp came to represent all the family's children, both sons and daughters. At present, the koinobori are commonly flown above the roofs of houses with children, with the biggest (black) koinobori for the father, next biggest (red or pink) for the mother, and additional smaller carps of a different color for each child in decreasing order by age. Koinobori range from a few centimetres to a few metres long. In 1988, a 100 m (330 ft) long koinobori weighing 350 kg (770 lb) was made in Kazo, Saitama. == History ==Koinobori have been in use since the 18th century. During the Edo period (1603–1867), samurai households began to decorate their yards with nobori or fukinuke (吹貫) flags, which were colored with mon (family crests) to represent military units, during Tango no Sekku. The nobori and fukinuke were then merged, and the first koinobori appeared in Edo (now Tokyo). The colorful koinobori as they are modernly known became popular in the Meiji era (1868–1912).Though originally exclusive to samurai households, they eventually reached the rest of the population. They were traditionally flown as part of the Japanese Boys' Day, with one carp for each son, while girls found a counterpart to this custom in hinamatsuri 'Doll's Day'. However, after the redesignation of May 5th as Children's Day in 1948, some families began flying koi for every child, regardless of gender. Despite this, the connection between the koinobori and male children remains, and many families still do not fly them for their daughters. The koi, known for its ability to swim upstream, represents courage, determination, and the hope that children will grow up healthily. This symbolism pays homage to the myth of longmen from the late Han dynasty, that a golden koi fish swam up a waterfall at the end of the Yellow River and became a dragon. The number of koinobori included on a pole and the variety of their colors have increased over time to accommodate more family members. They were originally made by hand-painting materials such as paper or cloth, but these have almost entirely fallen out of use in favour of synthetics, outside of some rural areas. Silk and paper models are still sold, but at a higher price than the synthetics. Related Tango no sekku traditions include kite-flying, kite-fighting, the display of samurai dolls and miniature Japanese armor and helmets (kabuto) in the home, the bathing with iris in the bathtub, the consumption of Kashiwa mochi (sticky rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves) and shōbu-sake (sake soaked with thinly sliced iris root and leaves), and, in some areas, the tradition of making young boys crawl through the koinobori for good fortune. As a tradition, throughout Children's Day, children also thank and show respect for relatives, parents, and teachers for support throughout their life. == Koinobori song == A famous koinobori song often sung by children and their families. It was published in Ehon shōka haru no maki (Picture Songbook, Spring) in 1932. The lyrics are by Miyako Kondō (近藤宮子). The composer is unknown. == Gallery == Dragon Boat Festival == External links == Media related to Koinobori at Wikimedia Commons

Kumagaya Uchiwa Festival

Japan

Kumagaya Uchiwa Festival is a yearly festival that occurs in Saitama Prefecture Kumagaya city. The festival is held for five days from July 19 to 23 annually. This festival is called Uchiwa and (matsuri), because Uchiwa, the traditional Japanese fans, were distributed to people during the festival in the Meiji era. There is total of 12 dashi; children and adults march through the streets by pulling a long and thick rope attached to dashi. Traffic is controlled during the festival. A 30-centimeter hand gong makes a big sound with musical accompaniment. Each district has dashi and competes for musical accompaniment by putting their dashi next to each other. Kids and adults play ohayashi, Japanese drumming on the mikoshi. They practice playing instruments every summer, about two months ahead of the festival. Uchiwa Festival is one of the biggest summer events in Kumagaya, along with Sakura Festival and Kumagaya fireworks festival. More than 750,000 people participate in the festival, and it is referred to as the number one festival in Kanto region. The streets are lined on both sides with stand-selling shops, which sell Yakisoba, cotton candy, Japanese candy, shaved ice, crepes, and many other kinds of foods and toys. == History == The festival first began in 1750. Mikoshi was first made in 1830 and around 1902, when merchants started to give uchiwa to customers. Around the same time, the town grew due to development of the silk industry. Each district began to buy dashi to represent their wealth; they compete which district has bigger and good quality dashi. This was the beginning of the Uchiwa festival. Many prototypes are carried from Edo and Meiji period; on March 30, 2012, the festival was designated as an intangible cultural property by Kumagaya city.

List of festivals and events in Kamakura

Japan

The city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture has many festivals (matsuri (祭り)) and other events in all of the seasons, usually based on its rich historical heritage. They are often sponsored by private businesses and, unlike those in Kyoto, they are relatively small-scale events attended mostly by locals and a few tourists. January in particular has many because it's the first month of the year, so authorities, fishermen, businesses and artisans organize events to pray for their own health and safety, and for a good and prosperous working year. Kamakura's numerous temples and shrines, first among them city symbols Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū and Kenchō-ji, organize many events too, bringing the total to over a hundred. == January == 1, 2 and 3 - Kamakura Ebisu (鎌倉えびす) at Hongaku-ji: Celebration of Ebisu, god of commerce. Young women dressed in traditional costumes (Fuku Musume) sell lucky charms made of bamboo and sake. Minamoto no Yoritomo made Ebisu the shogunate's tutelary god, but now people flock to the temple to wish for a good new year. There's a similar event on the tenth too, called Hon Ebisu (本えびす), and this time the girls distribute Fukumochi (rice cakes). 2nd - Funaoroshi (船おろし) at Sakanoshita: This event marks the beginning of the working year for local fishermen, who pray for big catches and the safety of their boats. Tangerines are thrown into the sea, boats carrying flags gather along the coast and the captain offers sake to Funadama (船霊), the boat's guardian kami. 4th - Funaiwai (船祝い) at Koshigoe: See Funaoroshi above. 4th - Chōna-hajimeshiki (手斧初式) at Tsurugaoka Hachiman: This event marks the beginning of the working year for local construction workers who, for the ceremony, use traditional working tools. The festival also commemorates Minamoto no Yoritomo, who ordered the reconstruction of the main building of the shrine after it was destroyed by fire in 1191. The ceremony takes place at 1:00 PM at Tsurugaoka Hachiman. 5th - Joma Shinji (除魔神事) at Tsurugaoka Hachiman: Festival to keep evil spirits away. Archers shoot at a target on which is painted the word devil. 15th- Sagichō (左義長}} at Tsurugaoka Hachiman: The paper decorations used during the New Year festivities are publicly burned. == February == Day before the first day of spring (usually Feb. 3) - Setsubun Matsuri (節分祭) at Tsurugaoka Hachiman, Kenchō-ji, Hase-dera, Kamakura-gū, etc. : Celebration of the end of winter. Beans are scattered in the air to ensure good luck. 11th: Daikokutōe Seiman Matsuri (大国祷会成満祭り) at Chōshō-ji temple: Ceremony during which Buddhist monks douse themselves with cold water to pray for the country's safety. == March == Last day of equinoctial week (end of the month): Dōbutsu Ireisai (動物慰霊祭) at Kōsoku-ji. The temple performs funerary rites in memory of defunct pets (dogs, cats, canaries). == April == 2nd to 3rd Sunday of April: Kamakura Matsuri at Tsurugaoka Hachiman and other locations: A whole week of events that celebrate the city and its history. == May == 5th - Kusajishi (草鹿) at the Kamakura-gū: Archers in samurai gear shoot arrows at a straw deer while reciting old poems. == June == 2nd Sunday - Goshō Jinja Reisai (五所神社例祭) at Goshō Jinja: The faithful carry a portable shrine ( a mikoshi) on Zaimokuza's streets. At about 3:00 PM the mikoshi is carried into the sea at Zaimokuza Beach. == July == From the first to the second Sunday of the Month - Koyurugi Jinja Ten'osai (小動神社天王祭) at Koyurugi Jinja: Processions from Koshigoe's five neighborhoods play music and welcome the coming of the gods. Warrior dolls are displayed along the streets and, on the last day of the festival, Yasaka Jinja's mikoshi is carried from Enoshima to Koshigoe. 15th - Sanmon Kajiwara Segakie (三門梶原施餓鬼会) at Kenchō-ji: Funeral rites take place first early in the morning under the Sanmon gate. They are later repeated expressly for the soul of Kajiwara Kagetoki. == August == From the first day of fall (usually the 8th) to the 9th - Bonbori Matsuri (ぼんぼり祭り) at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū: hand-drawn bonbori paper lanterns are submitted and exhibited on the shrine's grounds Photos of the lanterns. 10th (or following Monday if it falls on a Saturday): A full hour of fireworks on the beach in Yuigahama. == September == 14th, 15th and 16th - Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū Reitaisai (鶴岡八幡宮例大祭): Famous festival with many attractions, the most famous of which is the Yabusame (流鏑馬), or Japanese horseback archery, which takes place on the 16th. == October == October 8 and 9 - Kamakura Takigi-Nō (鎌倉薪能) at Kamakura Shrine: Noh plays are held at the shrine by the Kamakura Tourist Association. Tickets must be reserved in advance (phone number: 0467-23-3050). == November == Early November- 宝物風入 (Hōmotsu Kazeire): Treasure display at Kenchō-ji and Engaku-ji. Objects normally not visible by the public are on display for three days. == December == 16th- Gochinza Kinensai (御鎮座記念祭) at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū: Celebration of the founding of the shrine. After dark, bonfires are lighted and four maidens perform a ritual dance. == Notes == Kamakura Shōkō Kaigijo (2008). Kamakura Kankō Bunka Kentei Kōshiki Tekisutobukku (in Japanese). Kamakura: Kamakura Shunshūsha. ISBN 978-4-7740-0386-3. Kamakura Today: Annual Events (in English) Kamakura City's List of Festivals and Events (in Japanese)

Matsuri float

Japan

Matsuri float, also known as a dashi or sansha, is a type of float that is either pulled or carried during a festival in Japan. It is a general term used to refer to any float that is used for this purpose. Dashi are one of three large structures at Japanese festivals alongside Yatai, and Mikoshi. The terminology used for Matsuri floats can be inconsistent and varies by region in Japan. Some of the most common names used for these floats include Kasaboko, Danjiri, Yamahoko, Yamakasa, and Hikimono. Furthermore, Dashi and Yatai floats are sometimes called hikiyama and yama.Dashi floats (山車) are an important component of Japanese festivals, and were originally designed to look like mountains. This reflects the concept of Mountain worship, where people believed that spirits resided in the mountains. The spears and swords that adorn the tops of the dashi serve as markers for these divine spirits, and people ride on top of the dashi to help welcome the gods. Dashi have wheels and are pulled by people, and can carry passengers as well. Mikoshi is used to carry kami in a procession called Shinko-shiki. People carry the Mikoshi on their shoulders, while dashi is pulled by people. People are not allowed to ride on a mikoshi because it is only for gods.. Dashi floats can be seen in many festivals in Japan, such as the Takayama Matsuri in Gifu Prefecture and the Kanda Matsuri in Tokyo. During the Takayama Matsuri, ten dashi floats go through the city in the day and at night. The Kanda Matsuri has both dashi floats and mikoshi, with people wearing traditional clothes walking through the streets. Float (parade) Seki-juku (Tōkaidō) List of Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties Intangible cultural heritage == Sources == Hikiyama in Shinminato (Shinminato, Toyama Board of education) published in October 1981. McPherson, Sean Harland. Shifting Traditions: Architecture and Sculpture of Chita Peninsula Dashi. PhD Diss. U.C. Berkeley College of Environmental Design, Department of Architecture, 2001. Takaoka Mikurayama (Takaoka City Board of Education) 2000, published on 31 March 2000. == External links == Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan – UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage Yamaboko Yatai Event Explanation and Video (English)

Mibu no Hana Taue

Japan

Mibu no Hana Taue (壬生の花田植) is ritual of transplanting rice that is held every year on the first Sunday of June in Kitahiroshima, Hiroshima, in hopes of a good harvest. It is a traditional event. It has been designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan and is listed in the Representative List of Human Intangible Cultural Heritage of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. == Overview == Since the Kamakura period, it has been customary in western Japan for a Saotome to sing a rice planting song while singing a rice planting song, whispering with a large drum, a small drum, a flute, or a hand-made kane, in accordance with the time signature of Sasara. It is a farming ritual to worship Sanbai (Ta-no-Kami) and pray for a good harvest and good harvest, and it is also a device to enjoy the hard labor of rice planting. Eventually, the rice planting event became even more gorgeous by gathering a large number of people, and the cows that were shavings put on a saddle decorated with artificial flowers, and Saotome and others dressed up with red sashes and waistbands to create a day of hare. It is said that it got the name of Hanada Ue because of its gorgeous appearance. Mibu no Hana Tadashi is the largest rice planting in western Japan, and the Kawatoda Orchestra and Mibu no Hana Tadashi convey the tradition. In addition, due to its depth of history, it was designated as an important intangible folk cultural property of Japan in 1976, and was registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in November 2011.

Mikoshi

Japan

A mikoshi (神輿) is a sacred religious palanquin (also translated as portable Shinto shrine). Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when moving to a new shrine. Often, the mikoshi resembles a miniature building, with pillars, walls, a roof, a veranda and a railing. Often the Japanese honorific prefix o- (お) is added, making omikoshi (お神輿). == History == The first recorded use of mikoshi was during the Nara period. Among the first recorded uses was when in the year 749, the deity Hachiman is said to have been carried from Kyushu to Nara to worship the newly-constructed Daibutsu at Tōdai-ji. As the head shrine of all Hachiman shrines in Japan, Usa Jingū in Ōita Prefecture, Kyushu is said to be the birthplace of mikoshi. == Shapes ==Typical shapes are rectangles, hexagons, and octagons. The body, which stands on two or four poles (for carrying), is usually lavishly decorated, and the roof might hold a carving of a phoenix. == Festival and flow == During a matsuri (Japanese festival) involving a mikoshi, people bear the mikoshi on their shoulders by means of two, four, or (rarely) six poles. They bring the mikoshi from the shrine, carry it around the neighborhoods that worship at the shrine, and in many cases leave it in a designated area, resting on blocks called uma (horse), for a time before returning it to the shrine. Some shrines have the custom of dipping the mikoshi in the water of a nearby lake, river or ocean (this practice is called o-hamaori). At some festivals, the people who bear the mikoshi wave it wildly from side to side to amuse the deity (kami) inside. == Methods of shouldering == The most common method of shouldering in Japan is hira-katsugi (平担ぎ) flat carry. Bearers chant wasshoi (わっしょい) and may or may not toss and shake the mikoshi. Other methods include:Edomae (江戸前) Edo style is one famous way of shouldering observable at the Asakusa Sanja Festival. The shout is say ya, soi ya, sah, sorya... etc. The mikoshi is swayed rapidly, up and down and a little to the right and left. Dokkoi | ドッコイ is seen in Shonan in Kanagawa Prefecture. This shouldering style usually uses two poles. The mikoshi is moved up and down rhythmically, and more slowly than in the Edomae style. One shout is dokkoi dokkoi dokkoi sorya and there is a song called a Jink | lively song. Another one is Odawara style | 小田原担ぎ observed in Odawara (next to the Hakone). This is a peculiar way of shouldering in which multiple mikoshis meet and run (Holy Dash). The shout is oisah;korasah/koryasah. and there is a song called a Kiyari, a chant traditionally sung by workmen while pulling a heavy load and also by firemen. The bearers do not sway the mikoshi. In this united style, the mikoshi uses the full width of the road, moving from side to side and turning corners at full speed. Glossary of Shinto Honden Matsuri Float Sokyo Ono, William P. Woodward, Shinto - The Kami Way, Charles E. Tuttle Company, Tokyo 1992, ISBN 4-8053-0189-9 Basic Terms of Shinto, Kokugakuin University, Institute for Japanese Culture and Classics, Tokyo 1985 == External links == Mikoshi Photos of Shinto shrine (English version) Mikoshi Festival Shin'yo, in the Encyclopedia of Shinto by the Kokugakuin University

Nagasaki Kunchi

Japan

Kunchi (くんち), also Nagasaki Kunchi (長崎くんち) or Nagasaki Okunchi (長崎おくんち), is the most famous festival held in Nagasaki, Japan. From October 7–9 the presentations of the festival, which vividly reflect Nagasaki's colourful history, spill over from the three festival sites into the streets and create an atmosphere of celebration throughout the city. == Background == The event began as a celebration of autumn harvests in the late 16th century and became a shrine festival when Suwa Shrine was founded in 1614. The name kunchi is derived from the word kunichi (九日, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month of the year). The festival originally began on the seventh day of the month and lasted through the ninth day, maintained today as Okunchi's start date of October 7 and end date of October 9. According to local explanation, another purpose was to check for hidden Christians after the ban on Christianity. This is still evident today in the custom of garden showing (庭見せ, niwamise), when the presenting neighbourhoods open up their homes to public scrutiny. == Performances == One of the most famous performances of the festival is the Dragon Dance ( jaodori (龍踊り, dragon dance)), which was originally performed on New Year's Eve by the Chinese residents of Nagasaki. Rehearsals for the festival begin on June 1. The festival includes a number of other folk performing arts, including kujira no shiofuki (鯨の潮吹き, the blowing of the whale), kokkodesho (コッコデショ, drum dance), and Oranda manzai (阿蘭陀万才, Dutch dance). Karatsu Kunchi == External links == (in Japanese) Nagasaki Dento Geino Shinko-kai (in Japanese) Nagasaki Kunchi, Nagasaki Shimbun

Naha Tug-of-war

Japan

The Naha Tug of war (那覇大綱挽) is an event at the annual festival held in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. Its roots may be traced back to the 17th century. Held on Route 58, it is a battle between the East and West teams. The event draws some 275,000 attendees annually, and is preceded on the prior day with a parade celebration on Kokusai Street (also in Naha). In 1997 the event was first logged in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the largest tug-of-war event in the world. The rope weighs about 40 metric tons. The event was discontinued in 1935, and disrupted by the Battle of Okinawa, but was revived in its traditional form in 1971 to celebrate the recovery from the war and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the organization of Naha. The festival begins with men dressed in traditional Okinawan dress standing on the rope facing in opposite directions to symbolize the battle between East and West. A myriad of performances take place along the rope's length, from martial artists of varying ages, to older women performing a sort of fan-dance. It is an international event with Japanese nationals, American military, and tourists in attendance. Just before the start of the match a man dressed in the dress of the Ryūkyūan kings stands on a wooden platform hoisted in the air on the shoulders of men standing on opposite sides of the rope. The king is carried on this platform down the length of the rope, before the festival starts, and the two kings perform a ritual sword contest. The main rope, over 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in diameter, has many smaller diameter, but very long ropes extending from it, and the participants pull these during the contest. The contest lasts 30 minutes and the challenge is to pull the other team a total of 5 meters. If neither side pulls the other the 5 meters, whichever side has pulled the other the furthest wins. After the 30-minute time limit expires, one side is declared the victors, and they are allowed to climb on top of their rope to celebrate. It is customary for participants to cut apart the rope, and take a length of it as a token, and so throngs of people using tools ranging from their pocket knives, scissors and hacksaws set on the rope, cutting lengths of it to commemorate the festival. == Further reading == The article 那覇まつり (Naha matsuri) in the Japanese Wikipedia has a section on the tug of war. Japan Update has an article about fabricating the rope at http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=11489Naha’s biggest festival, extending over three full days Naha Otsunahiki Giant Tug-of-War == External links == Naha Giant Tug-Of-War Display - History and Pictures (in English)

Naki Sumo Crying Baby Festival

Japan

The Naki Sumo Crying Baby Festival (Japanese: 泣き相撲, Hepburn: Nakizumō) is an annual Japanese festival in which babies are held in the arms of sumo wrestlers in an open-air sumo ring. Two babies compete in a short match in which the first child to cry is proclaimed the winner. According to Japanese folklore, a crying baby has the power to ward off evil spirits, while a strong, loud cry indicates the child will grow up strong and healthy. == History == The Naki Sumo Festival has been held throughout Japan for over 400 years. The festival is considered to have origins in the folk belief that the loud cry of an innocent baby has the power to ward off demons or evil spirits. The Japanese proverb naku ko wa sodatsu, meaning crying babies grow fastest, is an additional source of inspiration for the festival. == Current practice ==The Naki Sumo Festival is held annually at Shinto shrines throughout Japan, most commonly on or around May 5 to coincide with Children's Day at the end of the Golden Week holiday. The specific customs and traditions of each festival vary by location, but the main focus of every festival is a ritualistic prayer for the good health of each baby and a competition between infants held in a sumo wrestling ring. A Shinto priest opens each festival with rituals to pray for the healthy growth of each baby. The staff at the shrine hand-make four-pronged kabuto helmets for each participant to wear during the crying competition and create commemorative gifts and souvenirs for the parents. Next, the crying baby competition is held outdoors in a handmade sumo ring. Two babies at a time compete in short matches, while held in the arms of professional or student sumo wrestlers. The first child to cry is declared the winner and bestowed with a blessing of good health. If both children cry simultaneously, the baby with the louder or longer cry is typically the victor. Sumo wrestlers employ a variety of techniques to encourage crying, including bouncing the baby in their arms, making loud noises and funny or scary facial expressions, and chanting Naki! Naki! Naki! (Cry! Cry! Cry! in English). In some versions of the festival, when neither baby has cried for a number of minutes, referees or judges donning traditional Japanese masks approach the babies and attempt to scare them. At the end of each match, some families and spectators yell out the phrase banzai raku meaning live long. The best-known Naki Sumo Festival is held each year in Asakusa, Tokyo, where student sumo wrestlers of the Sensō-ji temple hold the babies in their arms. When the babies begin to cry, the student wrestlers raise the babies higher in the air, which is believed to strengthen the blessing endowed on each crying child. At the Gokoku Shrine in Hiroshima, babies are dressed in kimono and seated facing one another on pillows while a sumo referee encourages the babies to cry. Eligible competitors must be between the ages of 6 months and 18 months at the time of the festival. Around 100 babies compete each year. The festival is free and open to the public; however, some shrines and temples require that parents submit an application or pay a fee to participate. Some locations are so popular that children are chosen by lottery, and parents will travel across Japan to find a place to participate. While the majority of participants are Japanese, some foreigners have traveled to Japan to partake in the festival. CNN interviewed a Japanese-American couple who flew from New York to attend the festival in Asakusa in 2010. As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, many Naki Sumo Festivals scheduled for spring 2020 were cancelled or postponed until fall. Lutz, Jaime (26 April 2014). Sumo Wrestlers Bring Babies to Tears as Part of Centuries Old Festival. ABC News. Retrieved 29 July 2020. == External links == Official website Gallery of images from Naki Sumo Festivals across Japan

National Cultural Festival

Japan

The National Cultural Festival (国民文化祭, Kokuminbunkasai) (sometimes shortened to Kokubunsai (国文祭)) is Japan’s largest cultural festival which aims to provide the Japanese public with the opportunity to present various cultural activities. There is an emphasis on activities by local performers to motivate individuals to participate in cultural activities, encourage culture, inspire the development of local culture and enrich the lives of the people. These events are hosted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the prefectural or municipal government, cultural organizations or other related organizations. == Features == Overall festival: includes an opening festival which indicates the direction of new trends in amateur cultural activities Symposiums: keynote lectures, panel discussions, and other events which explore diverse topics related to trends in Japanese culture, including amateur and regional cultural activities Genre-specific festivals: Performances, exhibitions, and other events are presented (with a focus on groups nominated by prefectural governments) in genres such as folk, orchestral and choral music, brass-band music, drama, literature, arts, dance, traditional Japanese music and every-day culture. Cooperative festivals: those complying with the objectives of the National Cultural Festival and hosted by local governments, culture-related groups, corporations and other organizations nationwide. They consist of performances, contests, festivals, exhibitions, classes, and other events. == Host prefectures == Japanese Ministry of Education Agency for Cultural Affairs The 25th National Cultural Festival Okayama 2010 == External links == Official website of the National Cultural Festival (Japanese) Official website of the Agency for Cultural Affairs Official website of the 25th National Cultural Festival Okayama 2010

Oeshiki

Japan

Ōharae-shiki

Japan

Ōharae-shiki is a Shinto ritual also known as the Great Purification. The name Oharae literally means Great Harae. The ritual was held biannually as a festival at the end of the sixth and twelfth months, but also on an ad hoc basis whenever a great purification was needed, such as after someone committed an offense, or a Daijosai or an unmarried prince or princess visited Ise Jingu or the Kamo Shrines.: 7  It is hosted annually on June 30 and on December 30. The latter is sometimes held on New Year's Eve. The Engishiki specified imperial involvement with four festivals, the Kinen-sai, the two Ōharae-shiki and Niiname-no-Matsuri for tribute.: 36  Oharae no Kotoba are prayers used in this process. It is also done at Isonokami Shrine == History == Historians state that regular Ōharae rites started at the end of the seventh century. They evolved over time, especially through the fifteenth century. These changes were linked to updates in the ritsuryō system, a set of laws and rules, in the eighth century. In the Edo period (1603–1868), Ōharae changed again. In the Meiji period (1868–1912), some parts of the old rite were reestablished. Purification became more important to prepare for this ritual and Yoori became more prominent in the Meiji restoration.: 362  == Minazuki-barae == People often mix up the Ōharae in the sixth month with Minazuki-barae (水無月祓), another purification rite that takes place at that time. However, each had its own purpose and importance in court rituals. Garland == Notelist ==

Ojima Neputa Festival

Japan

Ojima Neputa festival is held on August 14 and 15 every year at Ōta, Gunma, Ojima district, Japan. It is held at Ojima district's shopping street; people gather from neighborhood prefectures. More than 160,000 people participate every year within two days. Neputa Festival is one of the biggest events in Ota city. The festival started in Aomori Prefecture, Hirosaki city and Old Ojima town concludes a sister city alliance in 1986. It is continuing after Ota city absorbed the Ojima town in 2005. When the festival first began, it was a small festival that only opened at the schoolyard of an elementary school, and inside of Ojima park. However, as the years went by, it became bigger and bigger, and they started to control the traffic and closed 354 national highways. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry play a central role in the festival to improve one's friendship between two cities. This is how the Neputa festival tradition had taken over in Ojima. People cheer “Yaya-do”, play bass drum, record with musical accompaniment, and people march with a big fan. A highlight of the festival is the Neputa march, the gigantic 7 meters fan march with a formation making big drum sound. There are more than ten neputa fans. The festival takes place on 14th and 15 August, which is during Obon festival, this is a week where people go back to their hometown. People in Ojima decide to hold the Neputa festival on these two days because they want young people to attend the hometown festival when they come back to one's home.

Okinawan festivals and observances

Japan

This is an overview of festivals and observances found in the Okinawa Islands, Okinawa Prefecture of southwestern Japan. The Okinawan culture is noted for extreme diversity. The following list is based on south-central Okinawa, and may not be applied to northern Okinawa. Miyako and Yaeyama hold substantially different festivals and observances. Unless otherwise noted, dates are according to the traditional lunisolar calendar. The categories below (January - May and June - December) are artificial, created for ease of article navigation. == January - May observances == 31 December (solar calendar): Tusinuyuru (New Year's Eve). Amid celebration, garlic is used in different ways (according to local tradition) to banish and keep away evil spirits. ʔWakamizi, the year's first drawn water, is set out as an offering to ancestors. 1 January (solar calendar): Sjoogwachi, (Standard Japanese: Shōgatsu; New Year's Day). Local religious leaders hold first rites of the New Year. Heads of household or first sons visit relatives and the elderly to present gifts. In the homes of senior citizens, a cup of awamori is enjoyed for good luck; in some places, slices of dried squid and salt are eaten. When visiting the heads of one's family, incense is offered to ancestors. Male members traditionally make these visits; however, these days wives and children may go along as well. Most people also visit a Shinto shrine (jinja) around this time of year to make a New Year's wish and draw a New Year's fortune (omikuji) to find out about their luck in the coming year; other common Japanese New Year traditions are upheld. 4 January: Hwinukan mukee. The hwinukan goes away from the kitchen and back to his own home from December 24 to 3 January. Matrons burn incense and make offerings (awamori, rice) at the kitchen hearth to welcome him home. Especially popular on the main island. 16 January: Zuuruku Nichi (Ancestors at the New Year). One of many holidays on which extend families gather at their tomb to make offerings (flowers, incense, awamori, food) and prayers, as well as to have a picnic and commune in the presence of their ancestors. Early February: Simakusarasi (Purification of the Village). Especially popular in southern Okinawa. A cow is slaughtered, and its various parts used to ritually cleanse the community. The cow's blood is smeared with leaves onto walls and gates. Then the heart is boiled and presented at an utaki, ancient tombs, or the house of an especially old or powerful family. A rope, particularly a straw rope, is hung over paths at the edge of town to mark the reaches of the community's sanctuary and keep out evil influences. Bones of the cow are then tied to the string and the cow's meat is given out for communal consumption. 3 March (solar calendar): Hamaʔuri (Purification at the Beach). A holiday for girls and women, they often walk along the beach, and families collect shells. This is based upon the belief that walking on white sand is purifying. Some also believe that bad omens can be ignored if one walks beside the sea. Mugwort and rice cakes are eaten on this day. Early April (solar calendar): Siimii (Chin. Qing-Ming). Another Okinawan visitation of the ancestors' at the family tomb. Held at this time to appropriately begin spring and the year's agricultural work. Also celebrated is kami-usiimii, when family heads of a widely extended family all gather to commune with their common ancestors. 14 April: ʔabusibaree (Ritual to Ward Off Pests). Grass is cut along the edges of fields; rats and insects are caught, put aboard small boats, and ritually set out to sea. Late April/Early May: Jamadumi (Taboo Against Loud Noise). Between April and May, it was forbidden to make loud noises (thus cut down trees). People believed the noise would cause wind that would destroy the crops; while the noise wouldn't cause the wind, the cutting down of trees would have destroyed natural windbreaks that truly did keep the crops safe. May 4: Jukkanuhwii, Haarii/Haarei Races (Dragon Boat Races). Teams of local men race dragon-shaped boats amid rituals of tribute to sea gods. Boat races in connection with prayers to ensure good fishing have been staged since the 14th century, and today's races arose from the mixing of two traditions: the fishermen's races on the sea and the dragon boat ceremonies performed on rivers and lakes in China. Traditionally the races are held on the fourth day of the fifth lunar month, but in Naha they are now staged on May 4 (solar calendar), to match the tourist season of Golden Week. The largest races are in Naha, Itoman, and Tamagusuku; similar races are also held on any of the islands where people from Okinawa Island have settled (Yonaguni, Ishigaki, etc.). [1] [2] == June - December observances == June: Umachii/Sichuma/Sikjoma/Awa Sichuma (Harvest Festivals/Millet Festivals). Families pray together giving thanks for a good harvest and seeking future prosperity. June 25: Kasichii (Rice Offering to Ancestors). Rice steamed with red beans and offered to ancestors as thanks for a good harvest. Also may be celebrated in August. July: Sichigwachi Sichigwachi, or Seventh Month, is the Ghost Month marked with a midmonth veneration of the dead (v.s.). Marital rites and other celebrations are taboo during lunar July due to its rituals involving the presence of the dead. July: Sinugu (for men and brothers). Somewhat similar to Miyako-jima's Pāntu rite. At Ada near Kunigami Village in the northern part of Okinawa, males climb up into the mountains and pray to the mountain gods for prosperity and a good harvest. They also face the direction of the sea and call upon the sea gods for the same. Then they ritually assume the godforms of mountain deities by covering themselves with leaves and crowning themselves with red flowers. They carry branches down into the community and together purify it by waving the branches over its borders and its fields. In a rite called sakankei, the men receive ritual libations as offerings to the gods whose forms they have assumed. July: ʔunjami/ʔungami. At Shioya Bay, Ogimi Village in the northern part of Okinawa, priestesses invoke the gods of the sea for prosperity and good fishing. Some priestesses call to the gods from a place in a boat out on the water, and then assume the forms of the gods, much as the men of Kunigami assume the form of the mountain gods during Sinugu (v.s.). They return to the shore, greeted by other priestesses and hosted in a ritual tent. They make blessings and receive libation offerings, then visit area villages. Finally, the gods are seen off by local people who gather on the beach. July 7: Tanabata. Wishes are written on strips of paper and hung from bamboo trees. Families also visit graves with offerings to invite ancestors to the following week's Obon. (Ooshiro 17) July 13–15 or 16: Obon Festival featuring Eisā dancing. During Obon, ancestors are believed to gather en masse with their living relatives. Prayers and offerings such as incense, food, alcohol, and flowers are all made three times a day. Like Siimii and New Year's Eve (v.s.), Obon is a significant holiday in the ancestors worship, and the attendance of members of extended families is almost required. The first day of Obon is called ʔunkee. The family altar and memorial tablets cleaned and decked with incense, fruit, and sugarcane (uuzi) offerings. A simple offering of rice, beans, and water (minnukuu) is prepared for spirits who receive no regular attention and accompany ancestors into the home. Often offerings may spill over onto low tables set up in front of the buchidan. On the offerings may be placed a sangwaa. The family gate (zoo) is then lit with pine torch, candles, or incense. The second day (nakanuhwii) is rather uneventful. At close to midnight on the third day (ʔuukui), people have a farewell gathering for their ancestors. A large meal with the best food is presented. Then incense and paper money called ʔuchikabi (representing money for the world of the dead, like Chinese Joss paper or Hell Bank Notes) is burned. All remaining offerings are gathered and set outdoors, and ancestors are sent away. Eisā dancing traditionally ends Obon, the drums sending the ancestors away with respect and blessings. (Ooshiro 17-18) August: Shishimai Dances (Lion Dances) at harvest festivals. At various midmonth festivals around the Okinawa Islands, shishimai dances are performed to consecrate the festival ground and open the festival. A wooden lion mask and wooly-looking costume of woven and dyed banana/choma strips is worn, and the dance is performed to loud music featuring gongs, drums, bells, flutes, sanshin, and various other instruments. Some lion dances feature two or more dancers as the lion. August: Tugs-of-War. Midmonth August festivals often feature a communal tug-of-war using a giant fiber rope that can often take days to weave. The rope in Naha is over 200m long and weighs more than 40 metric tons. [3] A similar tug-of-war takes place in Korea. [4] 9 August - 15 August: Too Udui Dance (Tsuken Island, Katsuren). A men's circle dance of Chinese origin performed in traditional summer dress to the accompaniment of small hand-held drums. 10 August: Beginning of Yabu Dance Festival (near Nago). At this performance festival's roots are priestess prayers of thanks and hope concerning this year's harvest and that of the next. There are parades of dancers and various other folk performances, including formal Yotsudaki and Kumiodori dances. Similar dance festivals are held throughout Okinawa, notably on Ie-shima, who now celebrate after the harvest in November. 13 August and 15 August (every five years): Ayachi Shishi Marionette Performances at Jana (near Nakijin). A stage show is held, at the end of which a pair of shishi marionettes, a male and a female, dance and play together accompanied by sanshin and drumming. 15 August: Taa Faa Kuu Dance (in Iju in Nakagusuku). A dance of Chinese origin, performed originally at Kume but brought to Nakagusuku for performance during harvest. It is energetic and features Chinese-style costumes and props. 15 August: Masutoriya at Ueno. A traditional staff dance accompanied by harvest prayer. September: Kami Ugami (prayer pilgrimages). During September, people visit various sacred sites to pay respects to famous kami. Especially popular are areas around Nakijin (Nakijin gusuku) and Shuri Castle. 13 November: Amidusi (lowering the nets) fishing ritual on Kudaka. Priests and three priestesses pray and make offerings of alcohol and rice to sea gods in order to ensure good fishing. Seven temporary enclosures are built by the sea to provide shelter for the visiting gods. 15 November: ʔizaihoo on Kudaka Island. No longer performed due to lack of women to take on priestess roles. Performed every twelve years during every Year of the Horse. A four-day, four-stage initiation ritual, ordaining all women of the island between 31 and 40 as priestesses (v.s.). 8 December: Muuchii (Standard Japanese: mochi) Offerings. Muuchii, or rice cakes wrapped in sannin leaves, are offered to signal the beginning of winter and pray for the health of the family. Where there are children, the muuchii are tied to strings and hung, the number of muuchii tied up being determined by the child's age. Where a child has been born that year, hachi muuchii is celebrated, when the parents visit their neighbors and family to give out muuchii. The information in this article is drawn primarily from Festivals and Rituals of Okinawa, a site run by the Okinawa Prefectural government.