[Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture] Over 1 million people attended during the period! Hachinohe Sanja Taisai, which originated from the festival at Ogami Shrine

When you think of summer festivals in Aomori Prefecture, many people probably think of the Aomori Nebutama Festival, but Hachinohe City also has a large-scale summer festival that is representative of Aomori called the Hachinohe Sansha Taisai

This article will unravel the history of the Hachinohe Sanja Taisai Festival.

What is Hachinohe Sansha Taisai?

The Hachinohe Sansha Taisai is a festival that originates from the Ogami Shrine festival held in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture from July 31st to August 4th every year.

The three shrines of the Sansha Taisai Festival refer to Ogami Shrine, Shilla Shrine, and Shinmei Shrine , all located Several gorgeous festival floats are paraded through the center of Hachinohe city on a different route every day as parishioners of the shrine (the reason will be explained later).

In 2004, it was designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property as the ``Hachinohe Sanja Taisai Dashi Festival'', and in 2016 it was designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Originated from the festival of Ogami Shrine located in Hachinohe City

Horeizan Ogami Shrine, located in Hachinohe City, is said to be the oldest shrine in Hachinohe City, and its history dates back approximately 1,000 years to the late Heian period, and although the information is vague, it is said to be a ``tradition''. If you trace what remains, it is said that its origins go back even further into the past.

The festival began in 1720 during the Edo period, when the people of Hachinohe, who were suffering from a poor harvest, prayed to Horei Daimyojin (currently Kokujinja Shrine), the general guardian of the Hachinohe domain, for improved weather and a good harvest. It seems that the autumn harvest was successfully completed.

For this reason, the following year, in 1721, the mikoshi was handed over to Chojayama Kokuzo-do (currently Chojayama Silla Shrine) as a token of gratitude for the bountiful harvest. This festival is said to be the beginning of the Koku Shrine Mikoshi Togyo Festival, which is the predecessor of the Hachinohe Sansha Taisai Festival, and later the townspeople followed the mikoshi procession by dancing and offering floats, leading to its current form. It is said that

Although it declined during the Meiji period, it was revived with the addition of Shinra Shrine and Shinmei Shrine processions and giant floats.

Around the middle of the Meiji period, the festival declined due to various problems, including costs, caused by the war.

In 1881, Tamon Osawa, the mayor of Hachinohe Town at the time, had a mikoshi procession from Chojayama Shilla Shrine take part in the Oki Shrine festival in order to rebuild the town, and in 1886 he received an offer from the parishioners. For this reason, the mikoshi procession at Shinmei Shrine has also been added.

By enlarging the scale, the festival spread the recognition that it was a festival for all of Hachinohe, and was successfully revived. For this reason, the ``Hachinohe Sansha Taisai'' was born as a joint annual festival of the three shrines.

Hachinohe Sansha Taisai Festival schedule

The Sansha Taisai Festival has a slightly unusual feature in that the route of the procession changes every day ...This is because, as mentioned above, the premise is that it is a ``shrine festival in which the mikoshi from Koku Shrine is transferred to Chojayama Silla Shrine.''

Link: VISIT HACHINOHE – Hachinohe Sansha Festival | Event schedule

Eve Festival (July 31st)

As the name suggests, the eve is the eve of the festival. There are no floats in operation, but more than 20 floats are displayed all at once in the citizen square in front of Hachinohe City Hall and in the downtown area, and each group's music is performed here and there. Its dazzling scenery is even registered as a ``Japanese Night View Heritage''.

Link: Japan Night View Heritage: Hachinohe Sanja Festival

Street (August 1st)

After the Shinto ritual and departure ceremony attended by Sanjinja Shinto priests and other related parties are held at Koku Shrine, the procession of mikoshi and floats from each shrine begins during the day (around 3:00 p.m.) and into the evening.

Following the shrine festival in which the mikoshi of Oku Shrine is transferred to Mt. Chojayama Shilla Shrine, the train departs near Oku Shrine (currently in front of Hachinohe City Hall) and travels along the city's main streets to Mt. Chojasan.

Chunichi (August 2nd)

Originally, it was the day when the annual festival was held by the chief priest of Koku Shrine who arrived at Chojayama. Currently, a cavalry ball called Kagami-ryu Kiba-dakyu, which started in 1827, is dedicated.

It is a classic sport known as ``Oriental polo,'' where players pick up balls from horseback using a cane and throw them into a goal gate. After that, a nighttime service (from 7:00pm to 9:00pm) will begin, starting from the Mikkamachi intersection and circling the city's main streets.

Return (August 3rd)

Mt. Choja This is the day when the mikoshi procession from Koku Shrine returns to Koku Shrine after the festival at Shilla Shrine, so the operation on this day is from daytime (around 3:00 p.m.) to night at Mt. Choja (now Kaji Town). Depart from nearby), go around the center and head to Koku Shrine.

After-party (August 4th)

As with the eve of the festival, there will be no floats in operation, but floats will be displayed in the citizen square in front of Hachinohe City Hall and in the downtown area.

Contents of the matrix

In addition to mikoshi processions and floats from each shrine, various local performing arts are also performed during the procession.

• Horyo Kagura : This is Horyo Kagura that has been passed down at Kokujinja Shrine, and is a Gongenmai performed by holding a lion head called ``Gongen-sama.''
• Toramai : Widely distributed along the Pacific coast of Tohoku, this dance is passed down as a belief related to fire suppression and safe navigation.
• Daikagura : A form of performing art that combines lion dance with the beliefs of Ise Jingu and Atsuta Jingu.
• Koma-odori : Koma-odori is a performing art distributed in the horse-producing region of Sanya Kamikita and northern Iwate Prefecture, and is a dance in which a model horse is fixed to the body and danced in a bouncing motion.
• Sasanoha Odori : This dance once disappeared from the Hachinohe Sanja Taisai Festival during the Meiji period, but was revived in the Heisei era based on ancient documents and other documents.
• Tekomai : Dressed in traditional costumes, a dancer walks at the front of a procession of floats while sounding a cane.
• Hanayatai (hanayatai) : It is said that these stalls were used by geishas from the Konakano and Same districts of Hachinohe City, which flourished as red-light districts, and have been participating in parades since the Meiji period.

summary

The Hachinohe Sansha Taisai Festival is based on a shrine festival and has transformed into a major festival representing the region. It's worth seeing the gorgeous floats, which are completely different from the Nebuta festival in Aomori City!

Hachinohe Sansha Festival <Information>

• Name: Hachinohe Sanja Taisai
• Event period: July 31st to August 4th every year
• Venue: Hachinohe City Center, Aomori Prefecture
• Official URL: VISIT HACHINOHE – Learn about the Hachinohe Sanja Taisai Festival