Drums Set the Mood

Drums play varied roles in matsuri festivities. A single hearty stroke to start the event signals purification and announces to the deities that a festival has begun. Frenetic drumming can represent thunderclaps, a dragon ascending to the heavens, or a prayer for rain and a bountiful harvest. Endless rhythmical drumming is a hallmark of nenbutsu odori, dancing with chanting of nenbutsu prayers. Essential to Shintō rituals, drums are often the highlight of a matsuri. Here we present three colorful matsuri centered on taiko drums.

Morioka sansa Odori

(August 1-4, Morioka, Iwate Prefecture)

On the evening of August 1, the main street of morioka, the iwate prefectural capital, begins filling with dancers bearing large drums. It is the start of the Sansa Odori, where a total of 25,000 people participate in huge parades over four days.

Led by five young women in pink yukata, the drummers fill the wide main thoroughfare, raising their voices in a rhythmical chant. The impressive procession attracts crowds of more than one million people, who thrill to the beat of the drums. This parade is not just a present-day event for attracting tourists. It has its roots in an Edo period (1603-1868) legend about driving devils out.

Once upon a time, a demon raged through a village, and the inhabitants appealed to Mitsuishi Shrine for help in vanquishing it. The shrine deity tied the demon to the shrine’s three large boulders and had it leave a handprint there as a promise to stop harming the villagers. Rejoicing that the demon had been chased away, the villagers began singing sansa, sansa, as they danced, so the name of the modern-day Sansa Odori.

The sansa odori eventually merged with the bon odori-dances held to celebrate the midsummer Obon season, continuing over the years as a rite for expelling demons. Even today, the women leading the parade perform their first dance as an offering to Mitsuishi Shrine.

(© Haga Library)

(© Haga Library)

(© Haga library)

The June 2014 sansa Odori, held as part of recovery ef

Japan’s Vibrant Festivals: A Journey Through Tradition

Japan is a land of captivating traditions, and its festivals-matsuri-are a cornerstone of its cultural identity. These events aren’t just celebrations; they’re a window into the country’s history, beliefs, and community spirit.from energetic drumming to elaborate processions, Japanese festivals offer somthing for everyone. Let’s explore a few of the most remarkable.

Satsuma Reikon Festival

(Late August, Izaku, Kagoshima Prefecture)

The Satsuma Reikon Festival is a powerful display of endurance and regional pride. It’s a festival where drummers dance relentlessly, rain or shine. Imagine this: the dancing continues from morning until dusk, broken into 30-minute segments. Drummers and their groups move throughout the Izaku district, visiting over 30 locations over two days.

It’s demanding. Drummers often finish with blisters, but they don’t stop, even in heavy rain. After the final dance, they bow to the crowd, completely exhausted but filled with a sense of accomplishment. This festival truly showcases the strength and spirit of the hayato-the proud men of satsuma.

In pouring rain or searing heat, the drummers keep on dancing. (© Haga Library)

The dancing goes on from morning to dusk, in 30-minute segments as the drummers and their entourage move from one place to another. The festival usually lasts two days; the dancing goes on all day, with the procession visiting over 30 places in the Izaku district over that time. even if the drummers’ feet are covered in blisters, not even a downpour can stop them. After the final dance, the exhausted dancers muster their remaining reserves of strength to bow in thanks to the onlookers. This festival demands endurance, but it undeniably showcases the robustness and proud spirit of the satsuma hayato, as the men from the region are called.

The dancers keep vigorously drumming and dancing right to the end. (© Haga Library)

Hida Furukawa Matsuri

(April 19-20, Hida, gifu Prefecture)

The first day’s highlight is dynamic drumming. The second day features a parade of elaborately decorated floats. (© Haga Library)