Flower hat - Hana-gasa

A decorative hat worn at festivals, ceremonies, and dances. Many are decorated with paper flowers, or have bamboo sticks hanging around them with artificial flowers attached. There are many local performing arts in which people wear flower hats, particularly those in Sado City (formerly Ryotsu City) in Niigata Prefecture, Kitahiroshima Town in Hiroshima Prefecture, Shunan City (formerly Kumage Town) in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and Nobeoka City in Miyazaki Prefecture. On the other hand, there is a type of folk performing art that originates from beliefs in the gods and plague gods, in which people dance around gorgeous flower hats that are used as sacred seats. Evil spirits are possessed by the flower hats, which are then taken to the village border or the seaside, where they are burned or washed away to drive away the evil spirits.

[Mami Yamauchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

祭礼や祭り、踊りのときにかぶる装飾笠。多くは紙の造花で飾りたてたり、竹ひごなどを周りに垂らし、そこに造花をつけたりする。花笠をかぶる郷土芸能は多く、とくに新潟県佐渡(さど)市（旧両津市）、広島県北広島(きたひろしま)町、山口県周南(しゅうなん)市（旧熊毛(くまげ)町）、宮崎県延岡市のものが有名である。一方、御霊(ごりょう)信仰、疫神(やくじん)信仰に発したもので、華やかな花笠を神座として、人々がその周りを踊るものがある。花笠に悪霊を依(よ)り憑(つ)かせ、村境や海辺まで持って行き、そこで花笠を焼いたり流したりして悪霊を追い払うものである。

［山内まみ］

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