| relig. |
Autumn festivals. A broad category of matsuri overlapping with natsu (summer) matsuri They are held in late summer/ autumn mainly to thank the kami for the rice or other harvest. In the past aki-matsuri were often preceded by a month of taboo or abstention (imi) which coincided with the kami-na-zuki (month without kami). Examples of aki-matsuri include the mega-no-kenka matsuri (clash of deer festival) at Matsubara Hachimangu, Hyogo on October 14-15th in which three mikoshi collide with each other as they are carried through the streets. At the Kameyama Hachiman aki-matsuri in Ikeda-cho, Kagawa, mikoshi with five layers of large cushions (zabuton) are whirled around. Notable examples of autumn festivals with public processions include the Hachinohe sanja taisai (grand rite of the three shrines - Ogami jinja, Shinra jinja and Shinmei-gu) of Hachinohe, Aomori from August 1st-3rd, in which kabuki and folk tale scenes are performed on elaborate floats. The Morioka Hachimangu matsuri (September 14-16th) features yatai floats with dolls representing Japanese heroes in a parade accompanied by drummers. In the Horai matsuri at Kinkengu jinja, Ishikawa on October 2nd-3rd, huge four-metre high "dolls" are displayed, decorated with harvest produce such as rice, chestnuts, carrots and aubergines. For shrine rites associated with autumn see Kanname-sai A Popular Dictionary of Shinto (Brian Bocking) |
