Kakunodate Yama Festival Coming Up on Sep. 7 - 9

The biggest traditional festival in Semboku City is coming up next week! Every year, Kakunodate Town’s fall festival, Yama-buttsuke （やまぶっつけ）, is held on September 7th – 9th. The festival originally combined two annual religious ceremonies at Shinmeisha Shrine and Yakushido Temple, and it has been celebrated for more than 350 years!

Young people representing each neighborhood community pull a Dashi float around town. When the float faces with another community group in the middle of a street, they crash to negotiate over the right of the way. The traditional music and dances intensify the energy during the fierce crash, which would last for hours as if it could go on all night long!

The festival’s customary schedule is as follows:

September 7 :

The Yama (floats) visit Shinmeisha Shrine from 16:00

September 8 :

Floats visit the Satake-kita Residence for a performance from 10 a.m.

September 8- 9 :

Visits Yakushido Temple and crashes.

(Crashes according to the fixed schedule and also when the floats meet on a street.)

Dos and Don'ts at Yama Festival

There are several things that we as spectators need to keep in mind upon watching Kakunodate's Yama Festival. Knowing the following will help you to enhance the enjoyment.

NO CROSSING BEFORE THE PERFORMERS—When the Yama Floats are performing for family homes, businesses, and most importantly, the deities at the holy site, do not cross in front of the performers. If you want to take pictures, do it from the sides. Or ask for a permission, if you want the front. Crossing the front is considered against the traditional rule and extremely impolite.

NO DAMAGING THE IMPORTANT PROPERTIES— Pretty universal, right? Do not vandalize the important cultural properties including the buildings and the floats. Note that Kakunodate is designated by the national gorvenment as a Important Preservation Districts. It means you are prohibited to spit your gum, smoke, and litter in the area (especially on Bukeyashiki-dori, the Boulevard of the Samurai Residences.)

NO HUSTLING, NO RUSHING THE CRASH --As you see in the videos, a crash participants are required patience and physical endurance for extended hours. They also need to pay meticulous attention to every detail of the surroundings. No wonder they get pretty tensed up! Also, note that the massive float can seriously injure people. If things go wrong, one could lose a life.

The chargd-up participants could appear intimidating. The long hours of no significant change could irritate the participants and so are you. You might feel like yelling at them to hurry up.

But that could add more fuel to the fire! We need to remain calm and keep in mind that a sudden change could put them at risk at any moment. Stay cool.

DO RESPECT and ENJOY:

There are certain traditional ways fixed in this festival. We need to respect and follow their ways. After all, what makes the Kakunodate Yama Festival more attractive is how the tradition is kept alive. So let it be... and LET US ENJOY!

Crash of Floats on Day 2 and 3

Yama-Butsuke Festival in Kakunodate Area was last week. The locals say, “Kakundoate people live by the festival and for the festival.” The preparation for the coming year starts as soon as it ends this year—Yes, some literally count down the days till the next year.

Kakunodate's Yama Festival is held September 7th-9th every year.

The 3-days event reaches its climax after the dark. As the sun sets, you start to hear the sounds of setta, traditional festival sandals with metal soul, and the heart-lifting o-hayashi (お囃子） music. Let the excitement begin!

Almost everyone is dressed up in the traditional costume.

“Butsuke” means a crash-- so its name, Yama-Butsuke is what the festival is all about. The crashes be seen on Day 2 and 3. The difference is Day 2 is scheduled for the tourists, whereas Day 3 is unpredictable—all happens as a means of koushou, a negotiation.

Crashes on Day 2 are previously announced to the public, so that the tourists could catch a glimpse of the crash. The floats are pulled with ropes on the sides by the hikite (“pullers”) people.  It is quickly done but guarantees you to catch a sight.

Day 3 is, on the other hand, not scheduled. Because all the Yama floats have completed the required visits—to the Shinmeisha Shrine, the Yakushi-do Temple, and the Lord of Satake— all the floats have equal rights of the road. This is why the floats crash.

A map to show you the location of each float.

While the float performs a family home, the men discuss the route to take.

Note that crashes on Day 2  so unpredictable on whereabouts so that it does not guarantee you with a sight. Sometimes floats confront for hours but end up not crashing. Plus, these real crashes could take up the entire night. It sure requires a great deal of patience.

The floats crash then pulled by the hikite group. A great team work!

The groups keep on cheering up while the hours long pulling continues.

One of the exciting moment when the Yama floats unbalances.

As you can see in the videos, the crash and pull can take be very slow and abrupt at the same time. You will need a great deal of patience but still, it is one of the most exciting festivals in Japan in which  tradition is strongly kept. There are a few things that we want you to keep in mind. But all in all, just come over and enjoy it with us.

A Performance at Yakushi-do Temple

The Final of three missions to be achieved during the Yama Festival in Kakunodate is a visit to the Yakushi-do Temple (薬師堂).

The Yakushi-Do Temple (薬師堂）in Kakunodate Area

The Okiyama ("Placed Yama") is seen in front of the temple during the festival.

A doll on an Okiyama

The Yakushi-do’s history can be traced back a thousand years, when Kakunodate Area was under the control by the Tozawa Clan. There was a small shrine that was rumored as beneficial for a medical purpose (薬師). When the Lord of Tozawa suffered from an eye disease, he had come to this small site. After a pray, his disease was cured, so that he donated an oratory here. More wishes had come true since then, so Seiju (成就), or “wish-fulfilling” was added to its name.

On derivation of the religious site

Over a thousand years, the Yakushi-do Temple has been a familiar site for the Kakunodate locals. They have called it, “O-Yakushi-San”.

The Yama floats are required to visit here either on the Day 2 or 3-- Day 2 of Yoi-Matsuri (宵祭り), Evening Festival : Day 3 of Hon-Matsuri (本祭り), the Main Festival. This tradition is designated by the national government as an Important Intangible Cultural Property.

Basically, the visit has the same routine as at the Shinmeisha. The float is placed before the torii gate; the hikite (“pullers”) group proceeds to the main shrine and receive purification and a prayer, while the dancers perform for the dedication; when done, the float is moved and the baton is passed.

A Yama float arrives.

It shifts its space to upright to the main shrine.

The purification and a prayer in a ceremony.

Meanwhile, the dancers perform on the Yama front.

The street is full of floats and the spectators.

The narrow street is full of people.

One thing, though, is that after the completion of these missions, the privilege rule will lose its effectiveness; therefore, the floats are to negotiate over which float takes the route and which to yield. If disagree, the moment of decision would come.

Ladies and gentlemen-- Our next post is the moment of Yama-Buttsuke, the Crash of Floats.

Kabuki Dolls on the Yama Floats

The fall festival in Kakunodate took place last week, September 7th to 9th.

Kakunodate Town, Little Kyoto of the Tohoku Region, has been the mecca for the travelers who seek for a get-away in a rural historical town.

Satake-Joran on the Day 2 would be a great day for see-and-compare.

The main attraction of the festival is, without a doubt, the Yama floats. Now, it is translated as “a float”, as in a mikoshi (神輿) or a "portable shrine" that is commonly seen in Japanese festivals; however, the floats in Kakunodate, Yama (山車) literally translates into “a mountain vehicle” – as in a heavy dray transporting goods and people.

Knowing what are on a Yama would help you understand the complexity of traditions and enhances the entertainment upon following a Yama. Agree?

So here it goes:

The most attractive figure on a Yama float is—if not the dancers—the dolls (ningyo;人形) on the butai (舞台) stage where dances and leaders stand. Depending on the Yama, the dolls are made every year or preserved for the coming years. The dolls are so intricate that they appear as if breathing—the locals stresses, “The dolls are the most important creation in which the deities are said to be embodied.”

The dolls are created by traditional craftsman that remains only a few in Town today. Some are so well-crafted that carefully preserved and handed down over several years. Making dolls starts as early as May. The dolls must illustrate a famous scene from a Kabuki theater.

Take for an example:

Seibu Group （西部）

A scene of Kotobuki-Shiki-Sanban-So (寿式三番叟)

Seibu（西部）group's Dolls on the front Stage of Yama.

Sanbanso

Sanbanso (三番叟) is an act of Kabuki (歌舞伎) that is performed at a celebratory rituals to wish for the peaceful society and long expectations. It originally derives from an Okina (翁), an act from a Noh, Classical Japanese Musical Theater.

In this particular scene, the Sanbanso performs a “Suzumai”（鈴舞い）, or the Bell Dance. The bells signify an ear of rice. By shaking the bells, the prosperity and good harvest for the year is said to be achieved.

Each float features a different Kabuki scene. The dolls significantly vary in styles and materials. Truly entertaining to see it and compare!

Iwase Group (岩瀬）

Shimo-Iwase Group (下岩瀬）

Yamane Group　（山根）

Hokubu Group （北部）

Yokomachi Group （横町）; A doll of Minamoto-no-Yoritomo on the right.

While the front dolls depicts a rather serious scene, Ushiro-Ningyo (後ろ人形), Rear Dolls are humorous! Makes you laugh.

Yokomachi Group

Shimo-Iwase Group

Hokubu Group

Otsuka Group (大塚); A Ninja!!!

Also, the Okiyama (大置山）are a massive structure of a mountain located in different parts of town. You will see a scene of Kabuki there as well.

 

Okiyama (大置山） in front of the Yakushi-do Temple (薬師堂）

Face to Face in a Negotiation

On the 2nd day of Kakunodate's Yama Festival, all the 18 groups of floats are to perform for the Lord of Satake-- called Satake-Joran (佐竹上覧）. 

Kakunodate's tourists capital, Bukeyashiki-dori (武家屋敷通り）is a street of old samurai residences where the main event of the Day 2 takes place. After each performance, the float has to head to the final destination-- the Yakushi-do Temple-- to finally complete the 3 missions of the festival.

Most floats take the same route back, so that the floats must  pass by the ones in line. The same priority rule as a visit to the Shinmeisha Shrine (神明社）applies here: The kudari floats （下り山）must give up on the privilege and yield to the nobori floats （上り山）that are on the route for a mission.

The street is crowded with people and floats.

Designated by the government as the Important Preservation District, any properties could be damaged in this district, let alone injuries in the crowd. This is when a negotiation or koushou (交渉) comes in.

Negotiators from each side scuat down face to face. They discuss in full details (e.g. timing, space) to carry out the move smoothly and by meticulous attention.

Hush-hush.. they follow the traditional rule and have specific lines of words.

Carefully and swiftly moved.

 

NO CRASH at this point since the negotiations carried out smoothly.
The excitement can be see on the Day 3.

 

Visiting the Lord of Satake, Our Governor!

Kakunodate is dubbed as Little Kyoto of the Tohoku region. The town is known for mainly 3 things: cherry blossoms, the Samurai residences, and the fall festival.

Bukeyashiki Dori in the fall is beautifully colored.

 Photo Courtesy of Semboku City. See the  Live Camera.

 Last week was the fall festival. We still have been in the post-fever haze. On the Day 2 of the Yama-Buttsuke Festival, you can check out the last two of the must-see list —the Yama floats pays a visit to the current "Lord of the Satake Clan” in the street of Samurai residences.

Lines of Yama Floats could be seen in the street.

If you are keen on geography, you might notice that Kakunodate is laid out according to the grid pattern that is quite similar to other historical towns like Kyoto. No Wonder— it is because the city was established based on the feudatory hierarchy. The castle and the higher-rank Samurai families lived closer to the Satake Family, the ruler of Akita in the Edo period. Farther down is a town of craftsman, and farmers followed along.

Back to the story. On the middle day of Yama festival, a float group is required to visit the Satake Residence on the far end of the Samurai street (Bukeyashiki-dori:武家屋敷通り). The groups then have a honorary performance before the Lord of Satake—it is called Satake-Kita-Ke-Joran (佐竹北家上覧).

The moving floats must accompany with music.

Awaits.

A float is as heavy as 2 tons.

The street is full of people.

The Bukeyashiki-dori is a boulevard that runs straight to his residence called Satake-kita-ke, literally meaning “the Satake North Residence”.

The head of the Satake family waits for all the 18 groups to perform the traditional routines. Some might  recognize the current head of the Satake Family—believe it or not—it is our own prefectural governor, Mr. Satake!!

The group performs in front of the Lord...

... and he is our governor, Mr. Satake!

The hikites sing as well.

The kabuki-themed dolls (人形）

Odorite (踊り手）

A group of hikite （曳き手） who moves the floats.

The musicians are inside the float.

O-hayashi (お囃子）music is consisted of 6 different kinds of instruments.

Here is a video to show you how Satake-Joran is done! Enjoy!