Oyamabayashi

This is a folk performing art at the autumn festival of Kakunodate Town, Senboku City, Akita Prefecture. Over the three days of September 7th, 8th, and 9th, each neighborhood brings out its own elaborately decorated floats. The top of the float is decorated with kabuki dolls, and the bottom is covered with a curtain to serve as a seat for the musicians. The musicians consist of seven or eight people, including large and small drummers, drums, bells, flutes, shamisen, and singers. The part that juts out from the front of the float is called the mija (water house), and three or four dancers ride on it and dance alternately to the rhythm of the music. As the floats parade, the accompaniment is to the Ascending Yama (Honchoushi), Descending Yama (Sangasari), and Descending Fuji (Sangasari), but there is no singing or dancing. When the floats come to a halt, the music changes to folk songs such as "Akita Jinku," "Akita Obako," and "Choja no Yama," and the dance begins. Some floats, such as Kenbayashi and Nihondake, do not have songs. The festival, known as the "Kakunodate Festival Mountain Event," has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, and the Yama, Hoko, and Yatai Events have been registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.

[Hidezaburo Hagiwara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

秋田県仙北(せんぼく)市角館(かくのだて)町の秋祭りの民俗芸能。9月の7、8、9の3日間、各町内から思い思いに装いを凝らした山車(だし)が出る。山車の上部を歌舞伎(かぶき)人形で飾り、下部を幕で覆って囃子方の下座(げざ)とする。囃子方は大太鼓、小太鼓、鼓、摺鉦(すりがね)、笛、三味線、歌い手など7、8人。山車の前方に張り出した部分をミジャ（水屋）といって、踊り子が3人ないし4人乗って、囃子のリズムにあわせて交互に踊る。山車の行進中は上り山（本調子）、下り山（三下り）、下り藤(ふじ)（三下り）が囃され、歌も踊りもつかない。山車が止まると、『秋田甚句(じんく)』『秋田おばこ』『長者の山』など民謡風の曲に変わり踊りがつく。拳(けん)ばやし、二本竹のように歌のないものもある。祭りは、「角館祭りのやま行事」として国の重要無形民俗文化財に指定され、山・鉾・屋台行事の名称でユネスコの無形文化遺産に登録。

［萩原秀三郎］

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