This site is a web media that delivers all kinds of trivia, from sightseeing and gourmet spots in the six Tohoku prefectures to local, customs, and history.
[Yamagata Prefecture] The roots of Yamagata Hanagasa are in Obanazawa! “Yasshomakasho” is the chant of workers born from the embankment construction work.
[Yamagata Prefecture] The roots of Yamagata Hanagasa are in Obanazawa! “Yasshomakasho” is the chant of workers born from the embankment construction work.
Hanagasa Festival is known as one of the six major festivals in the Tohoku region . Its trademark is the hats decorated with safflower, the prefectural flower of Yamagata.
"Yasho Makasho" the Hanagasa Ondo is a pleasant phrase that you will never forget once you hear it. Folk songs always feature interjections and calls. Many of these are expressed using onomatopoeia, and "Yasho Makasho" is one of them.
It can be said that there is always a hidden meaning and historical background behind it. Of course, there is truth in the folk song Hanagasa Ondo that should be passed down. Let's trace the roots of the Hanagasa Ondo chant
Learn about the Hanagasa Festival!
The Hanagasa Ondo Parade began in 1963, and the Hanagasa Festival began two years later, in 1965. For three days every year, from August 5th to 7th, Hanagasa decorated with safflowers light up the night of Nanokamachi Street in Yamagata City.
The festival is characterized by the vibrant dances of dancers wearing flower hats, accompanied by the familiar chant of "Yasho Makasho," led by a float modeled after Zao Daigongen. Over 100 dance groups participate every year, so over the three days you can see more than 10,000 flower hats decorated with safflowers
The total number of spectators is over 800,000, and the excitement of the parade is said to rival that of the Awa Odori dance in the west. Incidentally, the vibrant safflowers adorning the flower hats Mogami safflowers a specialty of the Murayama region.
It originated in Obanazawa City , located in the northeastern part of Yamagata Prefecture. Obanazawa is also famous for its watermelons. Some people may think of Yamagata City, where the Hanagasa Festival is held, but it was actually born in Obanazawa City.
The embankment construction of Lake Tokura, which led to the creation of the Hanagasa Ondo
Lake Tokura , located in Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, is the birthplace of Hanagasa Ondo . In fact, Lake Tokura is closely related to the birth of Hanagasa Ondo.
Lake Tokura today
At the time, the main sources of water for agricultural use in this area were rainwater and spring water, but it was thought that a stable water source was necessary to ensure a reliable harvest of agricultural products
Towards the end of the Meiji period, rice prices began to rise, and rice paddy reclamation projects became popular. Taking this opportunity Takamiya Tsunetaro took the lead in planning the construction of a large pond capable of supplying water to over 300 hectares of rice paddies. This is how Lake Tokura was born.
Construction period: September 27, 1919 (Taisho 8) to May 27, 1921 (Taisho 10)
Size: Area 26ha, circumference 5,600m, depth 5.6m, water storage capacity 720,000m2
Even during droughts, Lake Tokura is capable of irrigating 4,230 hectares of rice paddies for about 45 days, making a significant contribution to the future agriculture of this area
Lake Tokura＜Information＞
Name: Lake Tokura
Address: 999-4212, Futofukuro, Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture
Google Maps
So what is the relationship between Lake Tokura and Hanagasa Ondo? The truth is finally revealed!
Background of Hanagasa Ondo ~Dontsuki Song~
It is said that the road to the completion of Lake Tokura was a difficult one. Although the construction was hard work, many workers gathered because of the high wages. About 300 people worked on it each day, and a total of 70,000 people were involved until it was completed
The wages were 1 yen 30 sen for men and 80 sen for women, which was quite high for the time
The roots of Hanagasa Ondo lie in the workers who were engaged in building the Tokura Lake embankment, and the call of "Yasho Makasho" was exactly what they were shouting!
The earth pounding work that became the origin of the Hanagasa Ondo
Sketch of an octopus pounding the foundation stones. Source: Wikipedia
The specific tasks of embankment construction were for men to break up the mountain with hoes and carry the soil using mokko and trolleys. Women were responsible for compacting the soil by tying 10 ropes to a 60kg stone (called a turtle) and raising and lowering it. The work of compacting the soil that these women performed was called "dontsuki.
Dontsuki song (now Hanagasa Ondo)
the "Dontsuki Song" was sung during the pounding work .
It is said that in order to avoid danger while working, everyone kept in sync and kept in rhythm. It was also thanks to the Dontsuki song that the workers were able to enjoy the hard work. The Dontsuki song was created through a public contest, with as many as 400 to 500 lyrics submitted
The reason why so many lyrics were proposed was that good ones were given rewards and sweets. The joy of "Dontsuki Uta" is in the combination of work and fun, and since it gave birth to the Hanagasa Ondo we know today, you can even sense the spirit of the people involved in the construction of Lake Tokura's embankment
The "Dontsuki Uta" is a song that has been written in many different poems, but the intonation has remained unchanged since 1919, making it a wonderful piece of traditional culture
Hanagasa Dance was born as a way to protect from the rain during construction work
The year after the Dontsuki song was created (1920), construction workers improvised a choreography using the sedge hats
The dance is characterized by the incorporation of gestures used during the construction of Lake Tokura. For example, the movement to protect from the rain and sun during work is represented by swinging a hat around. The work of carrying earth is represented by carrying a hat on both shoulders
Depending on the place where the workers worked, many dances were created for each village, but currently only five schools of dance have been handed down: Kamimachi, Terauchi, Harada, Akuto, and Nakizawa
The start of the Hanagasa Dance Parade
During the autumn festival in August 1921, a hat dance was performed to the tune of "Dontsuki Uta" to celebrate the completion of Lake Tokura. This was the beginning of the current "Hanagasa Odori Parade." The hats were adorned with the trademark safflower paper flowers, and this decoration is still used today
The truth behind the chant "Yasho Makasho"!
"Yasho makasho" is an important call in the Hanagasa Ondo. Without this, the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival would not exist
Behind the folk song Hanagasa, which was born from the Dontsuki song, lies a hidden story of the workers involved in the construction of Lake Tokura's embankment. The Dontsuki song was sung by the workers while pounding the soil. In the middle of the song, they would shout "Yoi yasa, yoiyasa."
After Lake Tokura was completed, this call was changed to "Yasho-makasho."
The meaning of Yassho Makasho has multiple origins,
In Obanazawa dialect, it means "Let's water the rice fields."
It means "Let's do it, let's leave it to us"
When Lake Tokura was completed, the "Hanagasa Dance" was performed at the annual festival of Suwa Shrine, and the meaning of the dance is "Leave it to the shrine."
So, it seems there are several theories
lastly
How was it?
Lake Tokura and the Dontsuki song. These two are the fruits of the efforts of workers who work hard while praying for a bountiful harvest. The Dontsuki song, Hanagasa Ondo, is a traditional culture that should continue to be passed down forever
Yamagata Hanagasa Festival＜Information＞
Name: Yamagata Hanagasa Council
Location: Yamagata city center (Tokamachi, Honmachi, Nanukamachi Street to Bunshokan)
Event period: 3 days from August 5th to 7th every year
![Mogami safflower](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/30121446_m-1-150x150.jpg.webp ""Mogami safflower" certified as a Japanese heritage and Japanese agricultural heritage [Yamagata Prefecture]")
