Visiting spots where people can marvel at the beauty of red, yellow and orange leaves neatly woven together in a breathtaking tapestry is quite a common activity once autumn sets in. However, for those who would like to dig into Japan’s rich history (and of course for those up for a little more adventure), here are some interesting Autumn festivals that would definitely sprinkle a tinge of wonder in your autumn experience:
Laugh your heart out at the Hidakagawa Warai Festival in Wakayama. Laughing is an instinct that has been taken for granted by many people in many occasions, but definitely not in this festival. This actually encourages a lot of those! During the festival, a sendatsu, a man with his face covered in white make-up, parades the streets with a bell in his left hand and a treasure box in his right together with 12 warai otoko or laughing men garbed in traditional costume carrying 12 different kinds of autumn crops skewered on sticks. They encourage the spectators to laugh with them as they shout, “Warau, warau!” This festival is said to have originated from a legend saying that a goddess named Niutsu Hime no Mikoto overslept and missed an annual gathering of the gods. Feeling terribly upset with the incident, she locked herself in the Niu Shrine and wouldn’t come out so the villagers tried to cheer her up by, as you have guessed it, laughing! This, in turn, uplifted not only the goddess but the villagers as well. This event is annually held in early October, on the Sunday following the National Athletic Holiday.
Enjoy the floats at the Autumn Takayama Festival in Gifu. This festival is regarded as one of the three most beautiful festivals in Japan together with Gion Matsuri in Kyoto and Chichibu Matsuri in Saitama. This festival, also known as Hachiman Matsuri and done at Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine, has a spring counterpart known as the Sanno Matsuri and is held at the Hie Shrine. The autumn festival is annually held on October 9-10. The highlight of the festival is the parade of 11 intricately designed floats or yatai kaikan which reflect the rich craftsmanship of the many generations of artisans living in this town.
Watch horseback riding archers at Ana Hachimangu Yabusame Festival in Tokyo. Happening on October 2 every year, this festival is one of the must-sees in Tokyo. The highlight of this festival is a demonstration done by archers, dressed in traditional Japanese attire, shooting arrows to a target while seated on a horse . In 1728, then shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune, asked the people of this town to keep on practicing yabusame as a form of prayer to the gods to heal his sick son.
Light some fire at the Kurama Fire Festival in Kyoto. On October 22 every year, villagers carrying torches march around Mt. Kurama, where Minamoto no Yoshitsune was said to have learned his sword skills from the king of the evil deities, Sojobu Tengu. At sunset, the villagers set up bonfires outside their houses and bring out their family treasures like armors and screens. Men and children then carry the torches, some of which are 80kg in weight and 5meters long, around the village. The people gather at the Yuki Shrine to worship and end the long night. This festival originated when the emperor ordered the transfer of the Yuki Myojin, one of the guardian demons of the imperial court, to the North of Kyoto after the city was hit by a strong earthquake in 940 to protect the city. When the guardian first came to Kurama, the villagers are said to have welcomed it with torches.
Walk like a daimyo at the Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu Festival in Kanagawa. This festival is conducted on Culture Day, November 3, every year at Yumoto Onsen in Hakone, Kanagawa. Almost 200 people dressed as samurai warriors, princesses, and court assistants parade around the town covering a distance of about 6km. The parade was a reenactment of a daimyo’s (feudal lord) procession during the Edo Period (1603-1858) known as the sankin kotai. As ordered by the shogun, the daimyos needed to take residence alternately in the capital for a year and in their fief the following year to ensure their loyalty. The festival parade starts at Sounji Temple at 10am and ends at Yumoto Fujiya Hotel at around 2pm. There are also marching bands and performances accompanying the daimyos and the members of their entourage.
*** Published in the September 2016 issue of the Filipino Japanese-Journal
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