July 14, 2009

• Yamakasa 2009 - documenting, not endorsing

  From July 11 - Yamanarashi

  This festival began during an epidemic in 1241.  A high ranking priest was carried about the city on a platform and holy water was sprinkled on him along the way to drive away the sickness.  The Yamakasa festival developed from this event.  In 1979 it was declared to be a Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

  A Yamakasa is a portable shrine of sorts that is carried along a race route by teams of men from different parts of the city.  There are two types of Yamakasa.  Kazariyamakasa are mainly decorative, and are placed in different parts of the city to be admired by the public.  These are 16 meters (17.5 yards) high.  Kakiyamakasa are about 6 meters (6 yards) high and weigh close to a ton.  These are carried in a race in the early morning hours on July 15. 

  The pictures below were taken on July 12.  The teams practice carrying the Yamakasa along the race route.  A disclaimer about the "uniforms" - These are not indecent or offensive, but rather traditional Japanese mens' wear for manual work or military service.  Sumo wrestlers wear similar attire during bouts.  Times have changed, and western style clothes have been adopted, so these traditional forms of dress are seen only on special occasions.

  

  People are filling old bathtubs and huge buckets with water to fling onto the racers.

  

  

  This fellow has his team's uniform, but is apparently not racing this year.

  

  Everyone gets in on the act!

  A Yamakasa comes through!  The fellow with the hose was getting a bit aggressive, so I decided to move to a drier location to prevent getting soggy cameras.

  

  Here come another Yamakasa!  The kids come through first, because the actual Yamakasa is very heavy and dangerous to handle.

  

  Here it comes, and water is flung.

  

  Hmm, is this a consultation of sorts?  Later we learn that there has been an injury along the route.  One of the carriers was caught between the Yamakasa and a pole and has been taken to the hospital with a shoulder problem. 

  

  Here comes another team!

  

  The rider cheers the carriers on and helps them to maintain their pace.

  

  

  Here comes the next team!  The Yamakasa are decorated with figures from myth and history.

  

  

  

  

  The rider in back changes

  

  The men are now going to carry a Kazariyama, and tell everyone to stand back in case it falls over!

  

  Before carrying it they lower the top level down into the main body.

  

  This is safer to carry.

  Here they are actually carrying this monster.  The man in the glasses pushes everyone back, including me, but I keep filming anyway.

  

  Here is another Yamakasa, and the character is Jiraiya, a ninjya of old who has the power to use frogs as his assistants.

  

  Everybody practiced enough?  The race is only a couple of days away!

  To be festive or not to be festive...?  It is a difficult question.  Yamakasa began as a shrine festival that has turned into a sporting event of sorts, but it is still definitely a shrine festival.  There are some who would say that I should have nothing to do with it because it is tantamount to participating in the worship of demons that takes place at the shrines.  One Christian acquaintance is even doing a prayer walk around the Yamakasa race course.  But this is obviously Japanese culture that the Japanese evaluate in a very positive light.  Where does one draw the line in rejecting what is in opposition to the God of the Bible?  The prayer walker gives me the impression that she may be rejecting her culture based on a bit of prejudice.  She is a relatively new Christian and may also need time to sort out and reconcile her beliefs to what goes on around her.  Or it may be that I am the one who lacks spiritual sensitivity in these areas.  When you get right down to it, none of it is pleasing to God.  She said one of the Yamakasa was gross because it was decorated with snakes, frogs and a demon.  I don't have any qualms about snakes or frogs, and if she had done a bit of checking, she would have found out that the figure was not a demon, but a fellow from a ninja fairy tale.  Other figures adorning the Yamakasa include historical or mythical figures, local talent and cartoon characters, none of which could really be called demonic.  I understand her dislike of the festival, but at least let it be informed dislike and not unexamined prejudice.  If I am presenting Yamakasa, I am only documenting what takes place.  We need accurate information in order to have any kind of discussion about anything.  It is hard for me to draw a line.  Perhaps that fact should bother me.

  Yamakasa in Kushida Shrine - Kushida-iri - July 15

  

  I have suddenly been given a free ticket to attend the start of the Yamakasa race at the starting point in Kushida Shrine!  I never imagined I would actually be able to see this, and was excited having this once in a lifetime chance.  I head down Meiji Dori Street on my trusty bicycle at 1:30AM.  Taxis are lined up in Tenjin (downtown Fukuoka) to take people home from a late night of whatever.  The seats in Kushida Shrine's temporary arena open at 2:00AM, and we are asked to be in our seats by 3:00. 

  

  Here is one of the shrine entrances, so let's go to our seat.

   

  I take a seat in the very back row.  This way I can stand up to take pictures without disturbing anyone.  I debate whether to take video or still pictures, and wish that I had four hands to operate two cameras.  The Yamakasa racers will be competing to see which team can carry the portable one ton shrine around the pole the fastest before they go out to the streets for the rest of the race.

   

  It is about 4:30 AM and the racers gather in the arena.

  The first Yamakasa comes in and stops as everyone sings the traditional song that begins the race.

  

  The next one comes in and speeds around the pole!

  ...and the next team, and the next!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I really wanted four arms for both video and still photos!

  

  

  

  

  

  One team out, and the next team in!

  

  

  

  

  

  The racing Yamakasas have all gone out to continue on the race course, but there is one more to come, a large Kazari or decorative Yamakasa.  These huge versions were carried through the streets before the advent of tram and electric power lines, but as they would become entangled, smaller versions that could be safely carried through the streets were made.  This is the same large Yamakasa in the previous entry, except that the top is raised to full height.

  Here are the race results!

  流	タイム
  東流       Higashi  28 min. 41 sec.	２８分４１秒
  中洲流   Nakasu 33 min. 22 sec.	３３分２２秒
  西流        Nishi 30 min. 52 sec.	３０分５２秒
  千代流     Chiyo 28 min. 23 sec.	２８分２３秒
  恵比須流   Ebisu 30 min. 40 sec.	３０分４０秒
  土居流     Doi 31 min. 00 sec.	３１分００秒
  大黒流     Daikoku 29 min.23 sec.	２９分２３秒

  I would have loved to have had the chance to take more pictures of the street race, but I can't be everywhere, and it is all over pretty quickly.  If you want to see more there are pictures to see in last year's "Go Somewheres" of the street race.

  I am glad to have been able to see this, but I have also been up ALL NIGHT and have to catch a 12 noon flight to Tokyo.  There is a saying that comes to mind:  You are a fool if you don't climb Mt. Fuji once, and a fool if you climb it twice.  This seems applicable here.

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