滋賀県米原市・山津照神社・武家奴振り・”Buke Yakkoburi” Procession at Yamatsuteru Shrine Spring Festival, Maibara, Japan
Maibara, Shiga Prefecture It is May 5, 2025, and we are at Yamatsuteru Shrine, one of the largest Shinto shrines in Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture. The history of Yamatsuteru Shrine dates back to the Nara period (AD 710 to 794), and is closely related to the Okinaga clan, a powerful clan, which is said to be descended from Emperor Ōjin, Japan’s 15th Emperor. It is said that the Okinaga clan were worshippers of the Shinto deity, Kunitokotachi-no-Mikoto. Today’s event at Yamatusuteru Shrine is the annual Spring Festival These men are dressed as “Yakkoburi” (also sometimes called “YakkoFURI”); that is, servants of samurai. Following the Shinto religious ceremony that will shortly take place, these men will walk in an unusual, stylized manner from the torii gate of Yamatsuteru Shrine to the Worship Hall, deep inside the shrine precinct. Before the procession starts, a short Shinto ceremony will take place. The priest is holding a plant known as a “sakaki” (cleyera Japonica). It is a sacred plant in the Shinto religion. In Shinto rituals, a sakaki plant is shaken over people, objects and places to purify them. It is now 10:30, time for the procession to leave. Besides the “yakkoburi”, the procession includes officials, musicians, playing traditional Japanese wind instruments, the “hichiriki” and the “shō”, and shrine maidens This is the “Buke Yakkoburi” Procession, which recreates the processions that took place during the Edō Period The main chants of the participants are “Are waisa no~sa! Kore waisa no~sa! Yakko yakko buke yakko.” Processions like this were performed when prayer tablets were taken from Aoki Shrine (located within the grounds of Yamatsuteru Shrine) and presented to the Kyoto Imperial Palace. The Yakko-furi processions were discontinued in 1871 (during the Meiji period), but revived in 1973, thanks to the “Notose Yakko Preservation Society”. The “Buke Yakkoburi” Procession is now performed during Yamatsuteru Shrine’s annual Spring festival. The procession has reached the Worship Hall, where a Shinto ceremony will now take place. Here, shrine maidens (Miko-san) have lined up to hand over offerings to the gods. The shrine maidens participating in this ritual can be seen holding leaves in their mouths. This is done to prevent them from breathing on the gods.
5月5日、米原市能登瀬の山津照神社で「武家奴振り」が行われました。これは、様式化された非常に珍しい動きの行列です。江戸時代には、山津照神社境内の青木神社から祈祷札を京都御所へ奉納する「奴振り」の行列が行われていました。「武家奴振り」は明治時代に途絶えましたが, 1973年に「能登瀬奴保存会」によって復活し、現在では毎年5月の山津照神社春例大祭で行われています。
On May 5th, Yamatsuteru Shrine in Notose, Maibara City was the venue for the “Buke Yakkofuri” Procession, a ritual with very unusual, stylized movements. During the Edo period, processions of “Yakkoburi” (servants of samurai) took place, in which prayer tablets from Aoki Shrine (located within the grounds of Yamatsuteru Shrine) were transported and offered to the Kyoto Imperial Palace. “Buke Yakkoburi” processions were discontinued during the Meiji period, but were revived in 1973 by the “Notose Yakko Preservation Society”, and is now performed every May during Yamatsuteru Shrine’s Spring Festival.
#japanesefestival #japaneseculture #祭り