The Tan Tans' Life Begins

The last day of Yaya featured a day-long parade by all the 3 main concentrations. A total of 854 participants took part in this procession which started at 1pm and lasted till 6pm at the Jinja. We were treated to traditional performances... . . and the not so traditional ones. The poor shishi aka 獅子(lion) being whacked by kids from the start to the end of the parade. Cart full of tidbits! Left: Challenge for the Yaya Right: In high spirits, the men were sprayed with beer as they did a mini Yaya. Left: Final performance by the participants for the Gods at the Jinja. Right: Finally. A break. Another procession to mark the "closing door" ceremony of the matsuri. The kids were being carried on the shoulders of the adults. Not a part of the rituals but likely because the kids were tired after the full day of matsuri. And this was the archery contest where a representative from each of the 3 strongholds competed in. The one who managed to hit the bull's eye will have to go to...

Day 2 marked the actual start of Yaya Matsuri and it was than I discovered the most interesting part of this whole matsuri. Too bad that Mrs Tan Tan had to teach a conversational class and so I went to explore on my own. Of the 3 strongholds for this year, I had decided to go to Horimachi. The first impression that hit me. Drunkards! The Yaya Matsuri is basically a pushing match - groups of people clash and try to win by pushing the other group away. The smell of alcohol really hit me even though I was standing a distance away. Shortly after I reached Horimachi, the group from the other machi arrived and the challenge began. Chants of "チョウサじゃ"(pronounced jyosaja) filled the increasingly intense atmosphere. (A check with my nihongo sensei shows that it represents the "coming of adulthood" or "passing adulthood" but sadly it seems like no one really knew the real meaning of this chant during the matsuri) After the battle, the group proceeded to the port whe...

1st Feb was the first day of Owase's やや祭り (Yaya Matsuri) It's voted as one of the weirdest festivals in the whole of Japan and the Tan Tans were about to find out why. History of やや祭り Yaya Matsuri - Originated from 1549 in which Owase Jinja was part of another jinja. At the same time, Owase was an warriors' concentration where many battles took place. So, one of the feudal lords or his wife decided that the samurai should show their fighting spirit without more sacrificial of lives and mould this Matsuri where his men should participate in a friendly pushing competition without their katanas. This also helped to strengthen the physical fitness of the guys. Yaya Matsuri Duration : From 1st to 5th Feb Day : 1st day of the Matsuri - 1st Feb Time : 12midnight. Venue : 尾鷲神社 (Owase Jinja) Temp : 1 degree celsius that was not helped by the roaring wind Yes, the Tan Tans were crazy enough to go to Owase Jinja at 12midnight just to catch the first ceremony of the Yaya Matsuri - T...