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Passionate October for Banshu Festival Fanatic Women!
Hi, I am Neneyan. I love festivals. I am going to tell you how much we,
Himeji/ Banshu women love festivals.
◆Ring tone are Taiko drums and the mobile phone strap are drumsticks
Every October when the autumn festival season starts, the first person who comes to my mind is Hiroko.
When I met her for the first time and mentioned that I am from Himeji, she said, 'Oh, its festival are really cool' and shared her passion about festivals.
She always wears very cute clothes. It has been over 30 something years since she debuted at the autumn festival at the age of 6 months old.
She passionately talked about her deep love about the festivals, but I am sorry to say that I couldn’t understand it!
She is young, so I assumed her mobile phone strap is a shiny crystal key chain, but...
Her ring tone are the festival taiko drums and the mobile phone strap is of miniature taiko's drumsticks and the part of a headband.
She currently works in Osaka, but when October, the month of autumn festivals starts she always comes to the Banshu region in between her works. Spending 3 hours to come and back forth for sometimes only for half an hour... I cannot understand the logic of it!
'Aren't you getting tired?' I asked, but it does not bother her at all. She said, 'What are you talking about? I am a shrine parishioner!'
The autumn festivals she definitely attends are Aga Shrine (17-18th October) and Tsuda Tenmangu (second Saturday in October).
Aga Shrine
http://www.agajinja.jp/masturi/
Tsuda Tenmangu
◆Played a taiko drum on a yatai which is supposed to be restricted for women!
Hiroko is a shrine parishioner of Aga Shrine.
In her area, the rule is that primary school aged girls can be sit on the yatai.
The reason being, that until their first period comes, they are not considered women.
This is her back then! Really cute!!!
Her recommended thing to check out is the (sacred) votive wooden tablet ('ema' in Japanese) at the front shrine ('Haiden' in Japanese ) in Aga Shrine.
'Look, this is the way you play a Taiko drum. The way you raise this arm...'
She passionately continued to talk about this and that, but honestly, I did not understand the difference.
However, her love and passion for the festival was fully conveyed.
When we are at primary school, boys tap the desk by a pencil to pretend it’s a Taiko drum.
When boys get excited about the festival, they put one of us onto the desk and others pick up the desk by its legs and shouting 'Yoiyasa!’ Just like you do in the festival.
Sometimes a boy on the desk falls down and they are told off by a teacher.
We call it a 'gifted education of the festival' It is in our DNA.
She described a scene which is not that special in her area.
The women from 'Hamate' area (meaning coastal area) of Himeji where festivals are active, all experienced this. Wow, scary!
Does this story make you think, 'If their autumn festivals in Himeji/ Banshu region are so great, shalln’t I go?' In that case, please come in October!
◆You might come across nearly naked men on the train!?
On festival day, many men only wearing loincloths take trains from their local stations.
Of course, us locals all are used to it, but friends who visit Himeji for sightseeing get all freaked out whenever they come across these men. It must be very shocking for them!
Many wonder what they do when they need to go to the toilet!
I have been wondering about this myself, so have asked this question.
You need to skilfully slide it to the side and you can urinate!!
Sounds exciting. Or do they take off their loincloths for the toilet.
We call people who carry the yatai or mikoshi (different type of portable shrines) katsugite or neriko.
Many neriko drink sake instead of water from morning till night.
They carry such a heavy weight during the day, so sake is their fuel !
If you come across happy people with red faces and loud voices, please keep cheering them along.
◆Young women get together with shiny eyes and wives are ultra busy
Festival day is the day when just your normal classmates or men from the neighbourhood suddenly look handsome.
That’s why around the yatai, you can find many young women who come to take photographs! They are extremely cute.
Women are super busy.
Depending on the areas, there are so many things to organise without a break: ordering lunch boxes and sake, entertaining guests, looking after families, etc.
Women are the power behind the festival.
They say it is not as bad as in the past and things are easier nowadays. It is incredibly gratifying that the women keep on smiling and tirelessly support the festival behind the scenes.
Whenever festivals take place, I hear women saying 'I wish I were born a man just for this occasion.'
A specialty of the festival is Shako (mantis shrimp) and Konoshiro sushi (gizzard shad - a type of herring).
One year my friend invited me to Nada Kenka Matsuri (Nada Fighting Festival) which takes place every 14th-15th October.
He invited me to the viewing stand seat and even treated me to lunch.
I just cannot be thankful enough.
(* Highlight of the Nada Fighting Festival! Many people want to see the yatai-shaking action and go to the arena. Many people ask: "Do they sell tickets for the seats?" No, unfortunately not. On the day of the 15th, the arena bleacher seats that spread out around the arena, are all inherited by the local families for generations. It's almost like a holy site and if you want to sit there, you'll need to be invited by one of the locals.)
◆The most important day of the year is a day of the festival!
I love the scene of people greeting each other with big smiles saying 'What a fantastic festival it was!' and '364 more days to go for the next festival.' after the highlight of the festival with full energy at main shrine finishes.
What? It just finished???? Already talking about next year?
'364 more days to go.'
As soon as the autumn festival just finishes, the countdown starts for a next year in Banshu.
Please come and visit our festivals in Himeji next year and for many more years to come!