Cultural Influences on 1970 s Japan

Transcription

1 Cultural Influences on 1970 s Japan A Haiku Photo Essay Volume 6 Community Events A collection of images of one of the most productive periods In Japanese history documented by vintage photos, graphics and Haiku poems FREDRIC MAY Copyright 2016

2 COMMUNITY EVENTS Several scheduled holidays and observations occur each year in all communities across Japan. Each event presents an opportunity for community members to practice the activities associated with traditional dances, celebratory crafts, dress, and rituals. There are many integrated activities in community events that require each participant s full involvement and skill to carry out their roles in the events to the best of their ability. The community strongly supports participants to succeed in their involvement. Many community events involve devotion to the Shinto and Buddhist religions. This is particularly true in the July and August festivals of Tanabata (Star) and Obon festivals. Most of the photos in this category demonstrate the seriousness with which participants are engaged as well as the fun that they experience or display. The secular activities such as Christmas, of course, do not relate to religious sentiments but do enable participants to expand their participation in annual celebratory events. The international hotels especially help guests celebrate Christmas with holiday cakes and flowers such as the poinsettia plants. The kadomatsu is a traditional Japanese New Year decoration shown in the lower right corner. Kadomatsu, placed in pairs outside of homes and businesses, are considered by Buddhists as temporary housing for kami or spirits at New Years. 3

3 Camellias in full bloom in early May during Children s Day. 7

4 Obon Dashi Matsuri Wheeled Shrines Shrines on wheels (Dashi) are usually pulled and pushed through neighborhood streets to the accompaniment of the sounds of flutes, shakuhachi, Taiko drums, bells and tambourines. The purpose is to scare evil spirits out of neighborhoods during Obon, and honor departed spirits with Obon celebrations in August. Dashi styles are unique to each area. 9

5 This four-wheeled portable shrine (Dashi) has several people in or on top of the vehicle as well as several others on the ground to guide it through the streets. Three men are playing the Taiko drums, one person plays a flute, one person acts as a shaman to scare away evil spirits, a couple of people on top to lift electrical wires over the top of the wheeled shrine, and a policeman to guide the progress to keep the vehicle from hitting cars and buildings. 10

6 Japanese festivals, Matsuri, involve more than riding the dashi through streets to chase out evil spirits. In this case pole climbing and high wire acts are a matter of course. 11

7 Close-up on Wadaiko So Drum Player and Shakuhachi flute Player 14

8 Taiko drums announce strength intimidates evil bad spirits will flee 18

9 Maybe I can play the Taiko drums next year. 19

10 Obon Matsuri Children s Omikoshi Several different groups carry appropriately sized omikoshi through the streets during the Obon festival in August of every year. Groups include children, women, and young carry different size omikoshi as shown in the photos. Religious believers carry a kami deity from the shrine through the streets to chase bad spirits out of neighborhoods. Children prepare to carry their omikoshi through the streets. 20

11 Obon Matsuri Male Teen-Ager s Omikoshi When the omikoshi rushes backward and forward while swinging side-to-side violently in the commercial areas, the guides and police work hard to prevent the sacred palanquin from crashing into plate glass store windows. This risk increases the bigger and heavier the omikoshi is. Chant Wasshoi! Wasshoi! Kami wants to be amused bounce and swing around 22

12 Obon Matsuri Women s Omikoshi Everyone takes a turn carrying the portable omikoshi. Male sake omikoshi carriers (on right) help the ladies to carry their own shrine omikoshi. Most of the ladies wrap the bare wood of the carry rails with a towel of some type of padding to make whatever part of the railing they carry on their shoulders seem a softer. 24

13 Obon Matsuri Men s Sake Omikoshi On more than one occasion I helped carry the sake omikoshi. It was heavier than any of the other types of omikoshi and weighed several tons. The omikoshi carried by 14 to 18 carriers snaked through commercial as well as residential areas. As the evening progressed, we put it down and picked it up to the chant, hoi-sa, Fus-sa, hoi-sa, Fus-sa - Fight Fussa, Fight. Once it was down at a sponsor s residence or place of business, we were served sake and beer bottoms up! We won t let your glass be empty, our hosts declared. Motoi, my friend, with fellow sake omikoshi carriers appears here on the right of the photo and in several photos in this volume. The man on the left with the sash is an omikoshi leader and guide. 25

14 The box sitting on top of a sake barrel is a white plastic bag-covered car battery to provide denki (electricity) to the bulbs lighted in the lanterns. 28

15 Push omikoshi there is no more room to push the carry will fail The team is really working hard by putting their backs into preventing a potential collision with street lights and a nearby building. The guide blowing the whistle is warning about the situation and trying to reposition the team to keep from running into the wall. Quite a few emotions shown in this photo. Could there be a situation brewing, or is it just coincidence? The policeman seems content to watch where the sake omikoshi is headed because incidents between participants were rare. 31

16 Tanabata Matsuri Star Festival The Tanabata matsuri is based on mythological stars normally separated by the Milky Way except once a year on July 7 of each year. Street art, games for kids, vendor booths, and fireworks allow community members to contribute in different ways to commemorate this festival. Majan is carried by his mother to see the Tanabata matsuri events in the streets. 33

17 Street art hanging from bamboo poles is designed around whatever the community designated as the festival theme, and made by towns people to celebrate the Tanabata (Star Festival) in July each year. 34

18 For several days during the festivals, business owners and managers temporarily set up shop in designated booths to combine celebrations with business. 35

19 This vendor booth enables festival goers to bid on and purchase sake for company parties. 37

20 Japanese Terms You Can Use Dashi four-wheeled cart on which is built a three-stage shrine or some variant, pp. 9-19, 38 Denki electricity, p. 28 Ganbatte Do your best, pp. 23, 29 Hoi-sa, Fuss-a fight Fussa, fight! Sake Omikoshi carry chant, p. 29 Kagami mochi two mochi cakes stacked and topped with a bitter orange fruit used at shrines and home shrines at New Years, p. 4 Kami Shinto gods, pp. 20, 22, 30 Kanpai toast, cheers, p.5 Koinobori - carp streamer, pp. 6-8 Kodomatsu New Years decoration consisting of three bamboo sections with pine branches tied up with twine, p. 3 Matsuri festival, pp. 9, 11, 13, 20, 22, 24, 33 Obon August festival, celebrates ancestral spirits focused on dispelling bad spirits from communities, pp Omikoshi portable shrine on rails carried through through the streets during Obon, pp Sake alcoholic rice fermented drink, pp , 37, 38 Sake Omikoshi Several very large sake barrels fastened to the omikoshi rails, pp Shakuhachi traditional Japanese wooden or metal flute, pp. 10,13, 14 Taiko drums, pp.10, 12, 13, 18, 19 Tanabata in Chinese folklore, mythological stars that are separated by the Milky Way except on July 7 when Tanabata is celebrated (also known as Star Festival), pp Wadaiko So higher pitch, smaller size drum than Taiko, pp.10, Wasshoi, Wasshoi omikoshi chant when carrying the portable shrine, p

21 Copyright 2016