Event
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Passing Down the Matsuri Oral Traditions
During the month of April, the quiet town of Hida Furukawa comes alive with the preparations for the annual Furukawa Matsuri (Festival) held April 19-20. The residents of Furukawa convene in their respective communities and commence the practice for the Matsuri entertainment such as the “Ohayashi,” “Karakuri,” “Shishi-mai”, and “Toukeiraku”. The evenings become quite animated as the sounds of bamboo flutes, drums, and singing fill the corners of this typically quiet town.
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Honoring the Fire Gods
In a town made of wood, fire risks are a part of daily life, and the people of Hida Furukawa are highly wary and vigilant with any fire hazards around town. One of the ways people keep the fire risks in their consciousness is through honoring the fire god, “Akiba-sama”. This may be done daily, as explained in another article “Daily Life with the Fire Gods”, and also through an annual festival called the Akiba Festival.
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Household Preparations for the Matsuri
The legendary Furukawa Matsuri (Festival) on April 19th and 20th is one of the most important days for the residents of Furukawa. It is the official day to welcome the Shinto gods into their homes. To prepare for this special day, each household goes through a hectic and busy ritual of thoroughly cleaning the house, changing the paper on the shoji screen doors, and bringing out special furniture such as Shunkei lacquer finished screen doors and elaborate folding screens made just for this occasion.
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Let the Festivities Begin!
Furukawa Matsuri is a legendary festival held annually on April 19th and 20th and is a designated Important Cultural Property of Japan. Held over 2 days in the town of Hida Furukawa, this festival is considered a must see cultural phenomenon for visitors to the Hida area.
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Celebrating the Old, Welcoming the New
In most of Japan, New Year’s is a three day holiday from January 1st to the 3rd where family and friends gather to celebrate the coming of the New Year. On New Year’s Day, families traditionally feast on “Osechi” meals where the whole meal is packed in a multi-tiered box with exquisite presentation. Streets are empty as most businesses are closed, and in contrast, the homes are crowded as families gather to feast on the “Osechi”.
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Daily Life with the Fire Gods
When you walk through town in the Hida region, you’ll notice many small Shinto shrines subtly located throughout town. These shrines are often lodged in between the houses and can be easily missed by visitors. These shrines are however, a very important part of daily life. The shrines are called “Akiba Shrines”, or the shrine of the fire gods. In Hida, the locals refer to this shrine as “Akiba-sama” to express respect and affection for the fire gods.
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400 Year Old Lion Dance
Most people associate the lion dance with Chinese tradition, but Japan has adopted its own form of the lion dance (“shishi-mai” in Japanese) as part of its tradition to honor the gods. Here in Japan, the lion dance differs from region to region. The “Kinzoujishi” dance in Takayama is no exception.
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Ancient Local Weather Forecasting Methods
In Yamanomura, where farming is affected greatly by the weather, families predicted the annual weather patterns through fortune-telling methods called the “kan-dame”. "Kan-dame" is short for “kan-dameshi”. “Kan” means cold and “dameshi” means trial, or to test.
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Memorial Service for the Insects
In the rural farming areas of Japan, “Mushi-kuyou”, or prayers to console the souls of the insects that died during the farming season are fairly common. These prayers are held annually in various areas of Japan and are often very subtle and unknown outside the local community. These events are held to pray for an abundant harvest and keep the malignant insects away from the crops.
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Less You Have, the More You Receive
In Hida, there is a strong sense of looking after one another. Perhaps it’s because the area is so abundant in resources needed for human survival (many people here have their own highly productive farm/garden and drinking water can be obtained from local springs).
