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[Tohoku] Strange festivals in Tohoku! ? Introducing 6 festivals that will surprise people from other prefectures

Japanese people are a festival-loving people, and there are festivals held somewhere in Japan all year round

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, festivals have been canceled in recent years, but with restrictions on movement now lifted, festivals are scheduled to be held in various locations this year

Regular festivals are fun, but did you know that there are also some unusual festivals called strange festivals?

There are strange festivals all over the country, but the Tohoku region is also home to several mysterious festivals that are known as strange festivals

This time, we will introduce some unusual festivals held in the Tohoku region

Why not give it a go just out of curiosity?

Don't underestimate this festival! The Tohoku region is full of unique festivals!

When you think of festivals, you might imagine stalls, fireworks, and portable shrines being paraded around

While such festivals are fun, there are also festivals across Japan that are far from being fun .

The same is true in the Tohoku region, where there are many strange festivals that people from other regions cannot possibly understand, and which seem to create a local excitement every year

When we hear the term "strange festival," we tend to imagine something frightening (Akita's Namahage could also be considered a festival, or rather a strange festival), but there are actually many strange festivals, ranging from heartwarming ones to the most bizarre of all .

It makes you feel a sense of curiosity, like you want to see it, but also don't want to see it

What kind of festival is a strange festival?

Strange festivals = unusual festivals with unique customs

Generally speaking, strange festivals are festivals that are rarely seen, and people imagine there being no stalls or fireworks

There are also parts that are like religious rites secretly performed by local people

There are many strange festivals all over Japan, but there are some that are known as the "Three Strange Festivals of Japan."

  • Onbashira Festival (Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture)
  • Namahage Sedo Festival (Oga City, Akita Prefecture)
  • Yoshida Fire Festival (Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture)

For people from Tohoku, Namahage is a familiar name, but for people from other prefectures, the existence of Namahage is quite strange

The Onbashira Festival is a rough festival that results in injuries every year (it is famous for the Kiotoshi event, in which many people straddle a large tree (Onbashira) and walk down a slope), and the Yoshida Fire Festival, in which more than 70 large torches are lit, is a fantastical and slightly scary festival

6 Unique Festivals in the Tohoku Region You'll Want to Experience at Least Once

Although they are not included in the top three strange festivals in Japan, there are many surprising strange festivals in the Tohoku region

Here we introduce some unusual festivals from each prefecture

[Aomori Prefecture] Staying at home

Okomori is a festival that, as the word suggests, involves "staying indoors" and at first glance it is unclear what the event involves

Okomori a festival that is passed down in Ushitaki, Sai Village, Shimokita Peninsula , where local residents gather at shrines and temples late at night in the middle of winter.

"Food!"
"Shrimp!"

It is said that the custom involves screaming ``I'm hungry!'' while continuing to eat rice and soup

The actual details of the event are unknown to anyone outside of the Ushitaki district, even within Sai Village .

Although it's an interesting and unusual festival, it doesn't seem like it would be easy to participate in

Reference: All of Aomori (Staying at home at night)

[Iwate Prefecture] Awashima Konsei Magwai Festival

It's a festival with a rather indescribable ring to it, but the Awashima Konsei Magwai Festival is held in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture every year in late July.

This festival is said to be one of Iwate Prefecture's most unusual, and in the hot summer sun, a female temple deity and a male temple deity perform a sexual ritual in the Nakatsugawa River, praying for a bountiful harvest and prosperity for descendants

If I were to explain only this part, it would give off an indescribable impression that children shouldn't watch, but what exactly do they do? It's a festival that even adults are curious about

a unique festival that has been passed down since ancient times , so if you're interested, why not come and see it?

Reference: Festival Day (Awashima Konsei Magwai Festival)

[Akita Prefecture] Tojin Gyoji (Unity of People Event)

The "Unification Event" is introduced as a unique festival in Akita Prefecture .

It's hard to imagine what it's all about just from the name, but although the main festival of this unifying event is on July 7th, the entire festival takes place over the course of a year

The scale of the festivals varies

The festival combines the story of the "slaying of the Yamata no Orochi" with the belief in the water god that is passed down among the farmers and fishermen around Lake Hachirogata, and is held jointly by Tenno Town and Oga City

This festival takes place over the course of a year , and is unlike anything else you'll see (although a year is a long time, including preparations), but you'll be able to feel the extraordinary passion of the local residents.

Reference: Oga Navi (Unifying Events)

[Miyagi Prefecture] Flooded by the Yonekawa River

The Yonekawa Water Festival is a fire prevention event held in Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, on the first day of the horse month in February every year

Only men from the area are allowed to participate in this event, and they wear a straw costume called Mizukaburi over their naked bodies, smear charcoal on their faces, and visit shrines in the area to pray for fire prevention .

What makes this event so unusual is that the parades involve splashing water on the houses and roofs along the route, and it is said that if it is held on any day other than the first day of the horse month, it will not serve as a fire prevention measure and could actually cause a fire

Please come and see the "Yonekawa Water Splashing," which is registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Reference: Tome City (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage "Yonekawa Water Splashing")

[Yamagata Prefecture] Human Shogi

One unique festival in Yamagata Prefecture that we would like to introduce the Tendo Cherry Blossom Festival Human Shogi, .

Human Shogi is already known as a major festival, but when you think about it, the idea of ​​playing shogi with humans as pieces is quite incredible

The sight of warriors and ladies-in-waiting dressed in armor and kimonos playing as pieces under the direction of famous professional players can only be described as a spectacular sight.

Reference: Web Tourism Tendo (68th Tendo Cherry Blossom Festival)

[Fukushima Prefecture] Takahata Tenmangu Shrine Lie Festival

Fukushima Prefecture has a rather strange festival called the "Uso Kae Festival."

This festival is based on a legend that tells of a time when a visitor to Takahata Tenmangu Shrine was attacked by bees and the bird "Uso" drove them away

This event is held during the Little New Year period in January and again in April, and involves purchasing auspicious wooden carvings of "usodori" birds

It is known as a festival that attracts many people, as it is said that the disasters and misfortunes that will occur in the year will be turned into "lies" and replaced with good things

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT
What is the "Liar Festival" in Iizaka Town? With the hope that disaster will be turned into a lie [Fukushima Prefecture]
https://jp.neft.asia/archives/6844
Takahata Tenmangu Shrine, located in Iizaka-cho, Fukushima City, in northern Fukushima Prefecture, holds the "Uso Kae Festival" twice a year. It is held with the hope of turning all misfortune into lies and turning them into good things. Many people visit the festival in search of special charms that can only be obtained at the festival. This article provides an introduction to the Takahata Tenmangu Shrine Uso Kae Festival and explains how to visit. What is the Uso Kae Festival? The Uso Kae Festival is a Shinto ritual held with the hope of turning all the bad things of the previous year into lies and turning them into good things. Visitors are given a wooden charm in the shape of a bullfinch (Uso). The bullfinch charm is said to take the place of all the bad things of the past year...
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Reference: Nishine Shrine and Takahata Tenmangu Shrine (About the Usokae Festival)

Summary | Come see this strange festival and feel the emotions that people put into it!

We introduced some unusual festivals held in the Tohoku region

Strange festivals are important events for the people who live in the area, and are festivals that will continue to be passed down into the future

When we hear the term "strange festival," we tend to think only of its impact, but it is also important to understand the thoughts of our ancestors and those who inherit it that were put into the festival

There are many festivals, from those that are easy to participate in to those that are difficult to participate in, but if you have the opportunity, why not try to see some unusual festivals?

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