Ushi-oni and portable shrine crossing down Chinkabashi bridge. Ushi-oni goes in front to drive away evil spirits. (in Shimanto-shi, Kochi Prefecture)
Kotaro Yamada
– Ushi-oni (Shimanto-shi, Kochi Prefecture) –
Every year in early November, a float of a red big Ushi-oni bull-faced demon figure goes around in the Tosa area in Shimanto-shi, Kochi Prefecture. The parade is part of the Hage Tenmangu Shrine’s Autumn Festival. The unique talisman figure walks through the village, making a procession down the Chinkabashi bridge, with local villagers walking along, and acting up in the shrine, all in order to thank God after the yearly harvest in rather a dynamic way.
Hage, a home of the Hage Tenmangu Shrine, is a village located alongside the Shimanto River. Approximately 60 families living in the village all join the festival.
Ushi-oni with rugged face walks swaying its head.
The float of Ushi-oni has a gigantic basketwork body of almost five meters long. Covered with red cloth and having a monster mask on top, it’s shouldered by dozens of young villagers. The parade of the Ushi-oni, a portable shrine and scores of villagers starts at the shrine with Ushi-oni walking in front and swaying its 3-meter long head to drive away evil spirits.
Children demonstrating ritual dancing in Hage Tenmangu Shrine. All villagers have important roles to play in festival.
The procession goes across and backs the bridge and returns to the shrine. Then, young villagers demonstrate Itsu-shika dancing, Tachi dancing and Hana-tori dancing. Kimiyo Takahashi, 63, came from Imabari-shi, Ehime Prefecture, to see the festival. “It was such an impressive performance that also fits perfectly well in the long-loved beautiful natural environment of the area alongside the Shimanto River,” she said, gazing at the site.
The tradition of the Ushi-oni parade is said to have come from the southern part of Ehime Prefecture in the Meiji Era. In 1960 when the Chinkabashi bridge was completed, the parade started to go across the bridge. The festival every year is attended by a large number of visitors who came to see the rare moment of the Ushi-oni crossing the bridge.
Mitsunobu Kono, 48, a village mayor, said, “the festival is held and owned by all the villagers from young children to eldery villagers. Passing this tradition down to next generations, hand in hand, is our important mission,” he said while wiping out sweat.
Itsu-shika dancers wear masks of deer with horns. Itsu-shika dancing also came from southern part of Ehime Prefecture.
(Nov. 16, 2014)