Previously, we have reported on the Shitaya Shrine Grand Festival and the Asakusa Shrine Sanja Festival. In this article, we would like to change the perspective a little and discuss the relationship between shrines and festivals.
When you walk through the streets of Japan, you will see everywhere, even in the little back alleys, a torii gate or some kind of worship building has been built. Do you know the total number of shrines in Japan? Even among Japanese, few people can give an accurate answer to that question.
The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology releases an annual "Survey of Religious Statistics," which estimates that the total number of shrines in 2023 will exceed 80,000, or more than 150,000 if the small facilities mentioned earlier are included. For comparison, there are 76,500 Buddhist temples, 7,000 Christian churches, 13,000 police boxes and police stations, 158,000 convenience stores, and 175,000 post boxes.
On the other hand, there are various types of festivals that are rooted in the daily lives of Japanese people, and some are organized by local governments for the purpose of regional development and town revitalization. However, as the etymology of the word "festival (matsuri)" is "enshrined (matsuru)," many famous traditional festivals are sponsored by shrines, and many of them feature floats and portable shrines, which are vehicles of the gods, going around the town.
Japan's three major festivals are the Gion Festival at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, the Tenjin Festival at Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, and the Kanda Festival at Kanda Myojin Shrine in Tokyo. In each of these festivals, floats and portable shrines (or boats in the case of the Osaka Tenjin Festival) carrying the gods make the rounds of the town.
Then, do you know the origin of the Japanese festival, which is said to be the "Amano-Iwato no Kakure" (The Hiding Place of Ama-no-Iwato) described in "Kojiki," Japan's oldest history book compiled in 712. Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess, was distressed by the wild behavior of her younger brother Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and hid in in a cave called “Ama-no-Iwato”. The world became dark and full of misfortune as a result of this, and the 8,000,000 gods and goddesses, annoyed by the situation, held a party in front of the Ama-no-Iwato. Lured by the joyous scene, Amaterasu came out of Iwato, and it is said that the festival began with a myth that the brightness of the world was restored.
With these origins, Japanese festivals are the ceremonies of the common people to express their gratitude to the gods, wishing for the stability and prosperity of the community, such as good health and a bountiful harvest. （To be continued in next article）
＜Previous Post＞
＜Next Post＞
【Column：Edo/Tokyo: Across History】 The curious relationship between shrines and temples