Prefectural Festival - Agata Festival

Japanese: 県祭 - あがたまつり

The annual festival of Agata Shrine in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, is held from June 5th to the early morning of the 6th. It is known as the "strange festival in the dark." Originally held on May 6th of the lunar calendar, it consists of a morning offering ceremony (Asami-ke), an evening offering ceremony (Yuumike), and a late-night Bonten procession. At around 11pm, in the darkness after all the lights are turned off, a Bonten made of bamboo with paper streamers attached in a sphere about 2m in diameter is carried to the shrine along with a male and female lion mikoshi, and returns to the shrine at around 1am. During the procession, the Bonten is vigorously spun around in front of the old Daiheiden (official hall), and people also tear off the paper of the Bonten and fight over it, which used to be a time of people exchanging insults. In addition, the festival is also called the "seed-giving festival" because men and women sleep together in houses along the road while waiting for the procession, and it was said that if one accompanied the procession for three years, various wishes would come true. Two days later, on June 8th, a large offering ritual is held in which a large offering that has been entrusted with warding off epidemics is released into the Uji River. (→ Darkness Festival)

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

6月5日から翌 6日の未明にかけて行なわれる京都府宇治市県神社（あがたじんじゃ）の例祭。「暗闇の奇祭」として知られる。もとは旧暦 5月6日の祭りで，午前中の朝御饌（あさみけ）の儀，夕刻の夕御饌（ゆうみけ）の儀と深夜の梵天渡御からなる。午後11時頃，灯火をすべて消した暗闇のなか，青竹に紙垂を直径約 2mの球状に取り付けた梵天が，雄獅子神輿，雌獅子神輿などとともに御旅所に渡御し，午前1時頃神社に戻る。渡御の際には，旧大幣殿前などで梵天を勢いよく回転させる「ぶん回し」が行なわれるほか，梵天の紙をちぎって人々が奪い合うことも行なわれ，その際にかつては悪口の言い合いもあった。また，沿道の家々で男女が雑魚寝して渡御を待つことから種もらい祭りの名もあり，3年間渡御にお供すれば諸願がかなうともいわれていた。2日後の 6月8日には，悪疫を託した大幣を宇治川に流す大幣神事が行なわれる。（→暗闇祭）

出典　ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典について　情報

<<: Akadama Port Wine

>>: Akadama Cheese - Akadama Cheese