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305 January 5 6780 $.- # – Generally begins on midnight of New Years Eve but         œ  “    the month at every shrine and temple. In terms of the number of visitors, the big 3 in the Kanto area (Eastern Japan) are Meiji Jingu (Tokyo), Naritasan Temple (Chiba) and Kawasaki Daishi (Kanagawa). In the Kansai area (Western-central Japan) they are Fushimi Inari (Kyoto), Sumiyoshi Taisha (Osaka) and Ikuta Jinja (Hyogo) 3rd | Tamaseseri Matsuri, Hakozakigu, Fukuoka City – Men dressed only in loincloths are doused with water as they compete for large wooden balls symbolizing the “tide rising” and “tide lowering” jewels that were a present from the Dragon King to Jingu Kogo. 5; 8 ?    one at Nishinomiya Ebisu Jinja, in Hyogo – These are festivals to the kami of good fortune, Ebisu, held around the 10th at many shrines throughout Japan. Typically, entrants gather outside the gates of the shrine from early in the morning. At Nishinomiya, the big wooden  ! •A.M., and 6,000 runners dash the 250 yards from the gate to the haiden.       “Lucky Men” (fuku otoko) for the year. 5@ 8*" == > ?    one at Kosuge Jinja, Nozawa Onsen, Nagano – Fire festivals are held throughout the          fertility festivals usually taking the form of a huge          from the previous year, brought to the shrine or temple for burning. At Kosuge Jinja, one of the  ]     š“ ›š  the so-called yakudoshi (“unlucky age”), build a large shrine of wood. Later, the 25-year-olds try to defend the shrine using long poles, as the older gentlemen try to burn it down with torches. (Hint: it always gets burned down in the end!) February 3rd | Setsubun Festival – Held at shrines and temples throughout the country. Ceremonies and performances are held, climaxed by packets C A L E N D A R O F M A T S U R I (FESTIVALS) This is a very brief list and description of some typical and especially interesting matsuri all around Japan. Some appear in the book under their respective shrines but most do not. The days on which some festivals are held varies each year because they are based on the old lunar calendar, which was observed in Japan up until 1873. Also, please note that some events are not annual, therefore the years in which they are held are included. Finally, certain festivals such as New Year and Setsubun are conducted at almost every shrine and temple in the country and therefore no particular shrine is listed for these occasions. In any event, it is always best to consult the shrine or the local tourism bureau for exact dates and times. 306 CALENDAR OF MATSURI of beans being tossed to the attending crowds. The beans are later used at home to throw at the oni (devils) to chase them away (and welcome in good luck for the year). Under the old lunar calendar, Setsubun (“Seasonal Division”) was considered as New Year’s Eve. 2nd week of February, lasting for seven days | Sapporo Snow Festival. Sapporo '     ?0%% – This is not in fact a Shinto festival—though it seems like it should be. Still, it is the largest winter festival with 400 or so massive sculptures of ice and snow  &   X 8& ( = = > #? Kumano Hayatama Taisha, Kamikura Jinja, Wakayama – Hundreds of people carrying lighted torches descend the 538 stone steps ‹   " ]         ‰   festivals in Japan. March 5 65Z  8 2  2  ( # ' ?  "  $  hall), Nara City, Nara – Various preparations and austerities performed by eleven designated monks. Ten monks run around the Nigatsu-do Hall with lighted torches, dropping cinders on the crowd below, between 6 and 7 P.M. every night (eleven on the night of the 12th). This is a festival of repentance begun in the 8th century and held continuously since then. +  [  >   # 8!  0  %  % #= - > ?!  1 " ? / . ' ?+  – A festival begun in the 8th century to ward off evil spirits causing plague, the true name is Naoi Shinji (“Evil Expelling rite”). One man called the shin otoko (“god man”) is chosen to be a scapegoat while hundreds of men in loincloths try to touch him and literally “rub off” their misfortune on to him. His protectors douse the men with water in an attempt to keep him from being crushed. On the following morning, the shin otoko, carrying a “mud cake” on his back (symbolizing the impurities he has taken off of others ), is chased away from the shrine and the mud cake is buried. This is one of the most famous of many naked man festivals held throughout the winter months. 780 ( *= > #   ]3...

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