Shinjo Matsuri Festival and its Dashi Float Ritual
24-26 August, Shinjo (Yamagata prefecture)
Shinjo Matsuri Festival’s Dashi float ritual is the parade of floats from each area in the city center during the annual festival of Tozawa, Tenman, and Gokoku shrines.
One of three shrines, Tenman shrine was the shrine for the guardian deity of the local lord Tozawa family. The other two shrines, Tozawa and Gokoku Shrine originally did not have parishioners because Tozawa Shrine was built in the castle with Gokoku Shrine to enshrine Masanori (the first lord of Tozawa family) and Sanemitsu (the 11th lord).
The float’s decorations represent the famous scenes of traditional Kabuki drama or folklore. Except for the wheels and the basement, the floats are newly created every year. Each town’s Dashi-wakaren (the neighborhood association for the creation and parade of the float) discusses the theme of the float, and around two months before the festival, they build a temporary house for the process of building a new float such as assembling the flamework, sticking paper, and creating dolls. They are the important processes for considering changes and developments of festival float rituals in Japan.
Unlike other float rituals, this float festival was established by the local lord in the relatively modern era and was run also by the lord until Meiji period. It can be recognized as the rare and special origin of float rituals in Japan.
- Organizer:
- Shinjo Matsuri Jikko Iinkai
- Contact Details
- 〒996-0022
- Yamagata Shinjo Sumiyoshi-cho 3-8
- Shinjo Matsuri Jikko Iinkai
- TEL：0233-22-6855
- Website
- Shinjo Matsuri Offical site
- http://shinjo-matsuri.jp/
