Shingo Yabe: How Festivals Have Embraced Change

Festivals are generally thought of as a form of Japanese traditional culture that has been passed down continuously from generation to generation since ancient times. However, in reality, it is no exaggeration to say that there is no festival that has never experienced change. For example, when people hear the phrase "festivals of Tokyo," many likely think of mikoshi (portable shrines). Indeed, if you visit the Sanja Matsuri in Asakusa or the Kanda Matsuri in Kanda today, you will see numerous mikoshi. These mikoshi can be broadly divided into two types: miya-mikoshi, which are managed by the shrine, and machi-mikoshi, which are owned by the parishioners' neighborhoods. Most of the mikoshi seen at festivals are machi-mikoshi carried out from these neighborhoods. However, the practice of parading machi-mikoshi in Tokyo festivals is not that old; it is said to have begun after the 40th year of the Meiji era (the late 1900s).

So, what did the parishioners of Tokyo, and before that, Edo, do? People used dashi (floats) and costume processions called tsukematsuri, as well as various tsukurimono (decorative displays). According to the "Toto Saijiki" (Record of Annual Events in the Eastern Capital) published by Gesshin Saito in 1838 (Tenpo 9), the Sanja Matsuri during the Edo period was held every other year on March 17 and 18, and on the 18th, floats and tsukematsuri were sent out from 31 neighborhoods—though counting the neighborhoods listed in the "Toto Saijiki," the number appears to be 30 rather than 31. Furthermore, in the Sanno Matsuri of Hie Shrine in Akasaka and the Kanda Matsuri of Kanda Myojin, which were considered the largest festivals in Edo, up to 56 floats appeared in the former and up to 40 in the latter. These two festivals were also called Tenka Matsuri (Festivals of the Shogunate) and were reviewed by the Shogun.

On the other hand, responsibility for the tsukematsuri in the Sanno and Kanda festivals was determined by rotation or lottery. The neighborhoods in charge for that year would present costume processions of the Korean embassies, displays of the head of Shuten-doji (the demon defeated by Minamoto no Raiko and his followers), or displays of the elephant that came to Japan in 1728 (Kyoho 13). These flamboyant tsukematsuri seem to have captured the attention of the people of Edo. However, precisely because they were so flamboyant, their number and scale were restricted during the Kyoho and Kansei Reforms. Regarding the state of the Kanda Matsuri in 1791 (Kansei 3), which is thought to have been held during the Kansei Reform period, the following entry can be found in the "Bukō Nenpyō" (Chronology of Edo) for September 15 of that year.

September 15th. Kanda Festival. Aside from the floats, there is only Dai-kagura, spinning tops, and children's sumo. A satirical poem from this time: "The festival is like a celebratory clear soup with only fish fins; with only floats, there is nothing worth seeing."

The 15th day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar was the day of the Kanda Matsuri. In that year's festival, the tsukematsuri were regulated due to the influence of the reforms, and there was likely nothing worth seeing. The sentiment of the Edoites—that such a festival is not interesting—comes through clearly.

As the modern era began, the nature of festivals underwent a major transformation. First, the tsukematsuri disappeared—it is said that the last time a tsukematsuri appeared in the Kanda Matsuri was in 1887 (Meiji 20)—and as mentioned above, the floats were gradually replaced by machi-mikoshi. Regarding the reason why floats were no longer paraded, it is commonly said that it was because power lines were strung throughout the streets of Tokyo, but some point out that this was not the decisive factor, and that financial issues were likely a larger problem. In any case, from the late Meiji era onward, the mikoshi became the main attraction of Tokyo festivals. Does this mean that festivals declined? Not at all. People continue to enjoy festivals as much as ever.

Festivals are not solely about honoring history and passing down what was received from previous generations to the next. It is quite possible that the existing way of doing things must change due to shifts in the social environment. In such times, rather than clinging to past protocols and jeopardizing the execution of the festival, it may be better to respond flexibly to the demands of the era. Actions in a festival, such as pulling a float or carrying a mikoshi, can never be done alone. In that sense, a festival is a preeminently social phenomenon that relies on the cooperation of people. Changing a festival to ensure its survival can be seen as maintaining the connections between people.

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