Matsuri - Guide to traditional Japanese festivals from Hokkaido to Okinawa

By kevin tembouret

Discover millennia-old rituals that continue to amaze tourists from Japan and abroad alike, and the deeply-rooted beliefs and events associated with them.

From the mythical Kanamara matsuri to the fiery fireworks, from the spellbinding dances of the Bon Odori to the majestic processions of traditional mikoshi floats, plunge into the heart of festival effervescence through fascinating events.

This comprehensive guide reveals Japan's major matsuri from region to region, immersing you in their historical and cultural aspects. Explore the enchanting regions of the country, from the enchanting landscapes of Hokkaido to the major cities of Kantō or Kansai, via the captivating celebrations of Shikoku, Kyūshū and Okinawa.

This book is also your chance to discover the baffling loincloth matsuri, spectacular fire festivals and many other memorable moments. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of each festival and let yourself be transported by the magic of ceremonies handed down from generation to generation.

Whether you need this book to plan your next trip or read it for personal enjoyment, it will take you on a journey through Japan's rich culture, where tradition and modernity meet to create celebrations that are unique in the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: kevin tembouret
• Release date: Aug 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223886488

Book preview

Foreword

If you're holding this book in your hands, you're ready to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the matsuri, the celebrations that draw on the beliefs of the Japanese people.

While the disappearance of traditions is often pointed at, Japan manages to keep its many cultural, historical and religious events alive thanks to truly committed communities. We'll take a look at the most important festivals in the Land of the Rising Sun, but we'll also take a moment to understand their place in Japanese culture.

Over the next few pages and in the chapters that follow, let us guide you from region to region as you discover Japan's major matsuri. Roam the snow-covered landscapes of Hokkaidō, immerse yourself in the hustle and bustle of the big cities of Kantō and Kansai at the height of summer, then let yourself be bewitched by the captivating celebrations of Shikoku, Kyūshū and Okinawa. Each destination is a deep immersion in the country's cultural and spiritual richness.

This guide is also a unique opportunity to discover the most enigmatic matsuri, from spectacular fire festivals to age-old rituals. It's a real invitation to travel, through the festive atmosphere of each folk event.

Kévin Tembouret

Brief table of contents

Foreword

Understanding matsuri

Fire matsuri

Matsuri in loincloth

The Chubu region

The Chūgoku region

The island of Hokkaidō

The Kantō region

The Kinki region - Kansai

Kyūshū and Okinawa

The island of Shikoku

The Tohoku region

The Raihoushin

The matsuri in pictures

Table of contents

Understanding matsuri

Eight million Gods in Nature

Ancestral Japan is based on an animism called Shintoism, a belief in the forces of Nature, which includes as many deities as natural phenomena and elements. Thus, fire itself can be considered as several Gods: a God of small fire, a God of medium fire or a God of incendiary fire. The same applies to mountains or volcanoes, the sun, the moon, etc. The visible is the phenomenal representation of the mystical. The invisible and the unexplained can also be sources of mysticism, as shown by beliefs in deities who have taken up residence in space.

The relationship between men and divinities

To communicate with the Japanese gods, and thus create a link between man and deity, there were shamans and creatures capable of transmitting messages. Shamans had the power to predict the future, warn against a situation or propose protective rituals (notably the sacrifice of terracotta figures called Haniwa). The Japanese were part of the world, and didn't see themselves as being above Nature. 

As for the messengers, some are still recognizable today. One example is the fox (狐 - kitsune) that protects the rice granary of the deity Inari (稲荷). In the past, in Japan, in the hope that a higher-ranking person would lend us a helping hand, we had to make offerings to those closest to us (children, parents, allies, friends, etc.). In this way, we could convey a message while showing respect. The same applied to deities: to ask the god Inari for protection against famine in particular, it was necessary to make offerings (often rice wrapped in fried tofu, known as Inari-zushi) to fox messengers. Even today, the Japanese continue to offer food and drink to these almost deified messengers.

Towards a simplification of religion

Over time, the number of deities worshipped declined. Of course, there's no guarantee that so many gods were originally worshipped throughout the country. It's a figure that was used above all to give value to Shintoism from the very beginnings of the Japanese Empire (formerly known as Yamato, as its expansion took place with the Yamato clan from the main island of Honshū).

History meant that the many regional deities were forgotten, or relegated to the rank of creatures of folklore (妖怪 - yōkai), to make way for the worship of the Sun deity: Amaterasu (天照). When Buddhism, Chinese beliefs and Hinduism arrived in Japan, Shintoism shared its status as state religion with the followers of the Boddhisattva (not without difficulty!). Cultural influences blended, and some foreign deities were either merged with others from Shinto, or gained popularity under a different name. Such is the case of the Hindu god Avalokitesvara, who became Kannon (観音): the Goddess of Mercy in Japan.

Nowadays, Buddhist places of worship are called temples and Shinto places of worship are called shrines. You'll notice this distinction throughout this book.

Beliefs and rituals

Religious rites, however, endure. The relationship to existential questions (life, death, existence, etc.) remains unchanged, and Shintoism continues to play an essential role in social customs. Weddings are as ritualized as ever, prayers continue to be said at New Year's, and the dead are still welcomed into families during the summer festival of Bon matsuri (盆踊り, the traditional festival of the dead).

Matsuri

Matsuri. That's the word we've been waiting for. Tourists tend to associate traditional festivals with simple joyous moments, during which people put on their finest religious garb and dance to ancient music. But it's much more than that!

Take, for example, the famous Kanamara matsuri (かなまら祭り), a religious festival during which tourists (and Japanese) enjoy watching giant penises parade through the streets. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as you feast on lollipops and bananas (carved as attributes of the male and female genders) while merrily following the procession. Behind it all, there's a whole history and beliefs associated with fertility. We'll come back to this later, in a section dedicated to this festival, but the point is to open your mind to the richness of matsuri.