[Yamagata Prefecture] Enjoy the recommended Tohoku Six Prefecture Autumn Festival ``Yamagata Edition'', Yamagata's delicious autumn festival!

If you were asked, ``What is the first festival that comes to mind in Yamagata Prefecture?'', most people would probably answer ``Yamagata Hanagasa Festival,'' which is held from August 5th to 7th every year.

Yamagata Prefecture has the image of having many summer festivals, but autumn festivals are also held throughout the prefecture from the end of August to September, and you can enjoy them along with B-class gourmet food that tastes the autumn harvest.

We will introduce some of the recommended fall festivals in Yamagata Prefecture.

When does the "Autumn Festival" start and end?

According to the calendar, the ``Ritshu'' of the 24 solar terms runs from August 7th to the day before the ``Risshu'' of November 7th, and if this is applied to Tohoku, it would be the end of the summer festivals held in various places in early August. It's autumn.

introduces festivals held from August 7th to November as `` Autumn Festivals

What is the definition of festival?

The definition of "matsuri" listed on Wikipedia is "the act (ritual) of worshiping the gods, Buddha, and ancestors for the purpose of gratitude, prayer, or solace

On the other hand, there are ``music festivals'' and ``harvest festivals,'' which are different from the festivals held at shrines and other shrines, which have a long history and tradition, and these events where you can enjoy music and taste are also considered festivals in a broader sense.

In this article, we will introduce not only festivals but also autumn festivals that you can enjoy visiting, such as music festivals and gourmet festivals.

Murayama Tokunai Festival (Murayama City: August 23rd to 25th)

there was an explorer named Tokunai Mogami, who was originally from a poor farming family in Murayama, but was appointed by the Shogunate as an explorer of the Ezo region, and traveled to Hokkaido and Sakhalin many times

Tokunai carried out various works to deepen friendship with the Ainu people, the indigenous people of Ezochi, and one of his efforts was to build Shinmei Shrine .

Akkeshi Hayashi was passed down at Akkeshi Shrine was transmitted to Murayama, Tokunai's hometown, in 1995, and the festival began to be played as Tokunai Bayashi

About the birth of Tokunai Bayashi

Tokunai Bayashi was born in 1994 when Akkeshi Hayashi from Akkeshi Town, a friendship city, was invited to the Murayama Festival.

Akkeshi Hayashi is characterized by a brave lion dance performed to the music played from the top of the float.

Fascinated by the power of the festival, Murayama's young people performed Tokunai Bayashi, a combination of light musical accompaniment and creative dance.The number of participating groups has gradually increased over the years, with 18 groups participating in 2024.

There is no parade during the evening festival on the 23rd (Friday), the first day, but on the 24th (Saturday) and 25th (Sunday) of the main festival, there will be performances on Tokunai Bayashi on special stages and parades at three venues in the city. You can watch it.

Handmade floats and creative dance performances

The floats on which the musicians ride are handmade by various organizations every year.

The creative dance performances put on by each group are unique and worth seeing, but the one thing they all have in common is that they hold a clapper, which is used in the Sakoi Festival, in one hand and play it while dancing.

Murayama Tokunai Festival <Information>

• Venue: City/Fureai Plaza special stage, shopping street, Fureai Street, Nishiura Street, etc.
• Event period: August 24th (Saturday) to August 25th (Sunday), 2024 (Reiwa 6)　
• Contact: Murayama Tokunai Festival Promotion Association (Murayama City Commerce, Industry and Tourism Division)
• Address: 1-3-6 Chuo, Murayama City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0237-55-2111
• URL: Murayama Tokunai Festival Promotion Association official website

In the Murayama region, “cold meat soba” is available even in winter.

It is said to have originated in Kahoku Town in the Murayama region, but there are many popular restaurants in Murayama City as well, and it is a local dish that the locals enjoy even in the cold, snowy winters.

The chewy Inaka Soba is topped with a cold soy sauce-flavored chicken soup, and topped with chicken and finely chopped green onions.

Cold meat soba＜Information＞

• Contact: Yachi Niku Soba Association (within the Kahoku Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry), etc.
• Phone number: 0237-73-2122
• URL: Yamagata Prefecture official tourism website “Travel to Yamagata”

Shinjo Festival (Shinjo City: August 24th to 26th)

It is an annual festival of Shinjo Tenma Shrine in the city, and has a history of nearly 270 years since the mid-Edo period, and has been designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

It is a festival full of highlights, including a gorgeous parade of 20 floats, a mikoshi parade of 200 people, and Hagino Shikako Odori and Nitayama Shikako Odori

1756 (6th year of Horeki), Masanobu Tozawa , held a festival at Tenma Shrine, his guardian deity, for his people who were suffering from poor harvests. It's being passed on.

Regular festivals at three shrines in the Shinjo Castle Ruins (Mogami Park)

There are three shrines in the Shinjo Castle Ruins: the evening festival on the 24th is held at Tozawa Shrine, the main festival on the 25th is held at Tenmangu Shrine, and the after festival on the 26th is held at Gokoku Shrine.

Every day, 20 floats roll out, and music is played throughout the city, creating a festive atmosphere.

Other highlights of the float operations include a joint Shinjo Hayashi concert at the Fureai Plaza in front of the station during the evening festival, a mikoshi parade during the main festival, and the Shishiodori dance .

Shinjo Festival＜Information＞

• Venue: JR Shinjo Station West Exit Square and other locations throughout the city
• Event period: August 24th (Saturday) to August 26th (Monday), 2024 (Reiwa 6)　
• Contact: Shinjo Festival Executive Committee
• Location: Shinjo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 3-8 Sumiyoshi-cho, Shinjo City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0233-22-6855
• URL: Shinjo Festival Executive Committee official website

What you want to try in Shinjo is “Tori Motsu Ramen”

One of Shinjo's beloved B-class gourmet dishes is Tori Motsu Ramen

This is a relatively new local dish that combines ramen with stewed chicken giblets, which have been considered a valuable protein source in mountain farming villages.

The basic dish is a light soy sauce flavor based on chicken stock, but each type of homemade noodle has its own twist, and the seasoning of the chicken giblets that go on top of the noodles and the parts used vary, making it a fun way to eat as you go.

Torimotsu Ramen＜Information＞

• Contact: Shinjo City Hall Commerce and Tourism Division
• Phone number: 0233-29-5848 (Tourism Promotion Section), 0233-29-5849 (Exchange Planning Section), 0233-29-2122 (Ecology Garden)
• URL: Shinjo City Hall official website

Shonai Festival (Tsuruoka City: October 6th)

This is the annual festival of Shonai Shrine, which was built in 1877 (Meiji 10) ruins of Tsurugaoka Castle the

Tadatsugu , the second Lord Ietsugu , the third Lord Tadakatsu, who was considered one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa; My name Tadari .

The three feudal lords from the first generation to the third generation built the foundation of the domain, and Tadanori is enshrined as a great ruler who helped restore the domain's declining finances.

home to Mishiro Inari Shrine and Tsuruoka Gokoku Shrine, which were built as guardians by the Sakai clan lords

The regular festival used to be held on August 15th, but in 2021 (Reiwa 3), it will be held in October to prevent heat stroke.

Magnificent historical picture scroll ``Shonai Clan Tradition Daimyo Parade''

Tsuruoka citizens have reenacted the Daimyo procession of the past, with about 500 people in total parading through the city, including yofuri with their unique walking style and armored warriors wearing armor.

Kurokawa Noh, a nationally designated important folk cultural property, dedicated at Shonai Shrine and the lantern float held at night on the Uchikawa River, which used to be the outer moat of the Tsurugaoka Castle ruins, are among the many highlights. .

Shonai Festival＜Information＞

• Venue: Tsuruga Castle ruins and other locations in the city
• Event period: Sunday, October 6, 2024 (Reiwa 6)　
• Contact: Shonai Shrine
• Address: Tsurugaoka Castle Ruins Enshrinement, 4-1 Baba-cho, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0235-22-8100
• URL: Shonai Shrine official website

A popular gourmet dish in the Shonai region: “Yakisoba with sauce”

It is a gourmet dish that was born out of the desire of customers who wanted the sauce to be poured on it after grilling, in order to enjoy the flavor of the sauce, which changes when cooked. Each store has a store called a famous store.

The noodles are steamed in soup, topped with meat and vegetables stir-fried in a separate pot, and topped with your desired amount of sauce.

It has a lighter flavor than yakisoba that is stir-fried with sauce, making it easy to eat even during the summer heat.

Fried noodles with sauce <Information>

• URL: TravelBook (5 popular restaurants in Shonai where you can enjoy the B-class gourmet "Atogake Yakisoba")

summary

Many areas of Yamagata Prefecture are covered in deep snow in the winter, so festivals held during the season when there is no snow are held on a grand scale.

In addition to the historic traditional festivals introduced in this article, there are also festivals where you can enjoy local cuisine, such as the `` Japan's No. 1 Imoni Festival ,'' which is fun not only to watch but also to eat.