Yuji Honma: Energizing Local Tateyama Through Festivals

"Will we have 'Yawatanmachi' this year?" This is a conversation frequently exchanged among local friends as the Obon season approaches.

In my hometown of Tateyama, there is a festival boasting a history of over 1,000 years. It is the Tsurugaya Hachiman Shrine Autumn Festival, known as the "Awa Kokushi-sai," and is affectionately called "Yawatanmachi" by locals. Designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Chiba Prefecture, it is the largest festival in the Awa region, attracting over 100,000 visitors every year. The festival features four floats, one boat-shaped float, and ten portable shrines (mikoshi), enveloping the entire town in excitement.

The "spirit of love for one's hometown" that has become the axis of my life was nurtured through this festival. It began when I was in the first grade of elementary school, invited by a classmate living next door to join the drum practice for Rokken-cho. When I was young, the resonance of the two-hour practice sessions stayed in my chest and ears, and I was so absorbed that I would move my hands as if drumming even while asleep. I have continued to be involved in the festival every year without fail, and when I returned to Tateyama via a "U-turn" in 2017, I took on the major role of "Wakashu-gashira" (youth leader). Having completed that role, I now support the younger generation as a "Kogashira" (assistant leader).

In this article, I will examine from five perspectives why local festivals like "Yawatanmachi"—which have continued for over 1,000 years but are not necessarily widely known—are essential elements for future community development.

The main festival takes place over two days in the second week of September. However, in reality, the preparation is the core of the festival. In Rokken-cho, the first meeting is held around August 20th, and drum and dance practices are held every night at the shrine. Young people create flowers to decorate the entrances of each household and go around selling them to every house in the neighborhood. Furthermore, they string sacred straw ropes (shimenawa) along the paths where the floats pass and solicit donations. By continuing these activities, one can understand changes in the community firsthand. A shop closes, a lot becomes vacant, or a new store opens. Festival preparation serves as a reliable indicator for measuring the current state of the region.

Beyond festival preparations, annual events centered around the shrine support community ties. There are opportunities to be involved with the shrine throughout the year, such as cleaning activities, the "Genki ni suru Matsuri" (Energizing Festival) in November, and mochi-pounding or drum performances for visitors during the New Year holidays. Since the shrine management organization and the neighborhood association overlap, a system is formed where festival participants naturally take part in general community events. Many also join the volunteer fire department, and the festival plays a role in thickening the layers of local society. I feel that the accumulation of daily activities nurtures an intangible power that protects the region.

The depth of connections centered on the festival makes one truly feel the saying, "A near neighbor is better than a distant relative." With comrades who sweat together and share the same values, one can consult about work or life. This comrade-like relationship, bound not by family or self-interest but by the simple purpose of "energizing the neighborhood festival and passing it on to the next generation," possesses the power to enrich one's life. Even those who have moved outside the region often return home during the festival season to reconnect with old friends. The festival has the power to reconnect people across generations and positions.

As local government finances become strained, there is a need for mechanisms to maintain regions without relying solely on public assistance. The people who carry the festival do not receive rewards; rather, they take pride in creating the festival while even bearing participation fees. This attitude can be transformed into the power to proactively engage in local disaster prevention and life safety. While the formation of community management organizations is being explored in various places, the festival system, which already possesses multi-layered connections, can be seen as a pioneering model. The festival is the best place to cultivate the spirit of self-help and mutual assistance.

A sense of belonging to the region and the "spirit of love for one's hometown" that motivates a U-turn are naturally nurtured through the festival. By being involved in festivals and community events from childhood, one becomes sensitive to changes in the town and deepens their attachment to the region. A significant difference in feelings toward the region arises depending on whether one is involved in the festival. A festival where one can continue to be involved while changing roles as they age is an irreplaceable device for continuously nurturing the spirit of love for one's hometown. Its significance as a place for "human resource development" that produces the people who support the region is extremely large.

In recent years, urban redevelopment and the construction of new buildings have been progressing in many areas. However, does this truly lead to regional richness? It is not new things that can be made with money, but rather the buildings and cultural resources created by the accumulation of time that are the source of a region's identity. By finding value there, we can create unique charms that cannot be imitated elsewhere.

Festivals and their histories exist all over Japan. The elements I learned from the Tateyama festival are things that should be rediscovered precisely because we are in an era of population decline, and they hold the potential to become the driving force for community development. Using the identity of the land as a weapon, I want to energize Japan as a whole from the local regions. I believe that inheriting the pride and joy of the region for the future is the first step toward building a sustainable society.