Upholding Traditions through まつり (matsuri)

As the music cues, the group members of the Danjiri start to tug the ropes to get the shrine moving.

"Wow... How do they have the energy and strength to pull such a heavy cart in this hot weather?" was one of my earliest thoughts as I observed the 50-80 people tugging at a coarse rope, which was the only tool used to move the 4 ton shrine. As I watched people of all ages participating in the Danjiri festival, my ethnocentric gaijin surfaces for a moment and my prior knowledge of American festivals clouded my understanding of the nature of matsuri.

Throughout Japan, you can find many lingering old practices co-existing with the modern Japan, and among them are matsuri, which are tightly held onto by Japanese people. Most matsuri have an intense history and tradition in the ways in which they are carried out; often they are honoring a certain custom that has been upheld for decades and even centuries. The Kishiwada Danjiri matsuri I attended, began in the 18th century and was initially intended as a presentation to a god for good harvest, but continues to live on today, serving as a spirit of the older times. Some festivals have a much longer history, like the Kurama Fire Festival in Kyoto; its roots trace as far back as the year, 940, when the emperor relocated a shrine in hopes of peace. When they did receive peace, this tradition of celebrating the shrine with torches of fire was started and continues well into today. 

People admire the fire from a far with their eyes and even zoomed-in camera lenses. 

Perhaps, the thing that shocks me the most about these festivals is the amount of participation and energy of the people in their determination to carry out these sacred ancient traditions. In America, many of our festivals are a colorful display of costumes, mechanical floats, and people sitting in or walking alongside the float. If you have ever seen a Thanksgiving Parade in New York City, you will know that festivals are highly appealing and entertaining to the spectators, who are anxious to see what the next balloon float character will be. In Japan, however, it seems that the people who enjoy the festival the most are the ones involved in the festival, as spectators can easily be tired out from watching and listening to the restless movements and shouts. Furthermore, matsuri are more for the people in the festival than the spectators, who, are nonetheless, more than welcome to observe. 

Balloon of Garfield during Macy's 2004 Thanksgiving Parade.
Borrowed from: http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/citywide/thanksgivingparade/index.htm

As Japan attempts to maintain age old customs, festivals have become a way of keeping alive some traditional values and practices, which Japanese are not ready to relinquish. Although meaning "festival" in english, matsuri cannot be equivalent to many festivals elsewhere as it reflects a distinct way in which Japanese people attempt to uphold and protect their history. 

Thanking the leaders of the Danjiri group by presenting them gifts; illustrates that the festival is  a celebration for the group.

If you would like more information on the Kurama Fire Festival, please visit this site: Kurama Festival