River Opening - Kawabiraki

This event is held on rivers all over Japan from early July to early August, as a memorial service for those who have drowned and as a water god festival to pray for the prevention of drowning. It is held on rivers all over Japan. The Ryogoku River Opening on the Sumida River in Tokyo is particularly famous, and since the mid-Edo period, elaborate firework displays have become popular and have drawn many visitors. Even after the Meiji period, it has been a popular summer sight in Tokyo. However, it was suspended in 1962 (Showa 37) for reasons such as traffic safety, and was revived in 1978 as the Sumida River Fireworks Festival, which is held a little upstream. Currently, it is held on the last Saturday of July, but in the Edo period, it was held on May 28 (lunar calendar). This day was said to bring "tiger rain" in connection with the death of the Soga brothers in battle, and it can be inferred that the event was established based on some kind of belief related to water. The summer festival at Shijogawara in Kyoto also included the Gion Goryoe festival during this period, and the river opening in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, was primarily a memorial service for Kawamura Magobei, who carried out the Kitakami River diversion project, and a memorial service for those who drowned. This is the time of year when the heat increases and people spend more time in the water, and as epidemics and water accidents increase, river festivals and water god festivals are held all over the country, but many of the river openings are thought to have originated from riverside festivals that aimed to ward off water disasters and hold a memorial service for the souls of those who died in accidents, and they became associated with the summer breeze, and then incorporated the gaiety of fireworks and other celebratory displays, gradually becoming popular tourist events.

[Noriaki Tanaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

納涼開始を祝い楽しむとともに、水難者の供養や水難防止祈願の水神祭をも兼ねた行事。各地の河川で、7月上旬から8月上旬にかけて行われる。なかでも東京・隅田(すみだ)川の両国川開きは有名で、江戸中期以降趣向を凝らした打上げ花火が人気をよんで、多くの人出をみるようになり、明治以降も東京の夏の景物詩としてにぎわった。しかし交通安全などの見地から1962年（昭和37）以降中断し、78年に隅田川花火大会として復活、それまでよりすこし上流で行われるようになっている。現在では7月最終土曜日の行事であるが、江戸時代には5月28日（陰暦）に行われていた。この日は曽我(そが)兄弟の討ち死にに関して「虎(とら)が雨」の降るとされた日で、なんらかの水にまつわる信仰を背景にして成立した行事であることが推測できる。京都・四条河原の納涼も期間内に祇園(ぎおん)の御霊会(ごりょうえ)を含むものであったし、宮城県石巻市の川開きは、北上川付け替え工事をした川村孫兵衛(まごべえ)の慰霊祭と水難者の供養を主としたものである。暑さも募り、水に親しむことの多くなるこの時期には、疫病も増え水の事故も多発するために、各地で川祭り、水神祭が行われるが、川開きの多くは、これら水の災厄を祓(はら)い、事故者の霊の供養をしようとする川辺の祭りが納涼の風と結び付き、さらに打上げ花火などの華やかさを取り入れて、しだいに観光行事化し盛んになったものと思われる。

［田中宣一］

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