Snow Festival

This festival is held from January 14th to 15th at Izu Shrine in Niino, Anan Town, Shimoina County, Nagano Prefecture. It is also called "Niino Snow Festival." The name "Snow Festival" comes from the fact that snow is seen as a sign of a good harvest, and snow is always necessary for the festival. Originally it was called the Nizen Temple Festival or the Dengaku Festival, and before the Meiji period, the resident monks of Nizen Temple, which is the head temple of Izu Shrine, also participated. The participants of the festival are parishioners, and there are organizations called Uchiwashu, Wadeshu, Hira, Godatsu, and Ichiko, who play specific roles. Previously, events such as the O-Masadori (transfer of ritual implements and masks from Izu Shrine to Suwa Shrine), the Kasa-hi (putting up umbrellas) to prepare the ritual implements, and the Otaki-iri (purification ceremony) ceremony were held from January 11th to 13th, but now all of these are held on the 13th. In the afternoon of the 14th, the shrine makes a sacred pilgrimage from Suwa Shrine to Izu Shrine, where performances such as Hirudengaku, Ronmai, Manzairaku, Senmyo, Jun-no-mai, and Nakahira-no-mai are held in the Kaguraden and worship hall, after which a large torch made from New Year's decorations collected from the shrine grounds is set up and lit, and the dance moves to the garden. Various performing arts such as "Saiho", "Honza Dengaku", "Modoki", "Niiza Dengaku", "Kyoman", "Ushi", "Okina", "Matsukage", "Shojikire", "Kaido Kudari", "Kanba", "Tengu", "Hachiman", "Shizume", "Kaji", and "Taasobi" are performed throughout the night. The Yuki Matsuri is a Shusho-e style Shinto ritual that combines Kagura, Dengaku, Mengata dance, and Taasobi, and these performing arts are valuable historical materials in the history of performing arts. It is a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

[Nobuo Watanabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長野県下伊那(しもいな)郡阿南(あなん)町新野(にいの)の伊豆神社で1月14日から15日にかけてに行われる祭り。「新野の雪まつり」ともいう。雪祭の名は、雪を豊年の予兆とみて、かならず雪がなければならぬとされているところから出ている。もとは二善(にぜん)寺のお祭、田楽(でんがく)祭などとよばれ、明治以前は伊豆神社の別当寺である二善寺の住僧も携わった。祭りの参与者は氏子で、内輪衆(うちわしゅう)、上手(わで)衆、平(ひら)、後立(ごだつ)、市子(いちこ)という組織があって特定の役を勤める。以前は1月11～13日に、祭具や仮面を伊豆神社から諏訪(すわ)神社へ移すお面おろし、祭具の整備をする笠(かさ)張り、禊(みそぎ)をするお滝入りなどの行事があったが、現在はすべて13日に行っている。14日午後に、諏訪神社より伊豆神社へ御神幸をして、神楽(かぐら)殿や拝殿で「昼田楽(ひるでんがく)」「論舞(ろんまい)」「万歳楽(まんざいらく)」「宣命(せんみょう)」「順の舞」「中啓の舞」などがあり、次に境内の正月飾りを集めてつくった大松明(たいまつ)を立て、火をともし、庭の舞に移る。「さいほう」「本座田楽」「もどき」「新座田楽」「競馬(きょうまん)」「牛」「翁(おきな)」「松影」「しょうじっきれ」「海道下り」「神婆(かんば)」「天狗(てんぐ)」「八幡(はちまん)」「しづめ」「鍛冶(かじ)」「田遊(たあそび)」などの諸芸能が夜を徹して行われる。雪祭は、神楽、田楽、面形(めんがた)の舞、田遊などが結び付いた修正会(しゅしょうえ)風の神事で、これらの諸芸能は芸能史の貴重な史料となっている。国指定重要無形民俗文化財。

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