There are two general
categories: matsuri, or festivals,and nenchu gyoji, or annual events.
There are two general categories of Japanese festivals and other ceremonial occasions.
One is matsuri, or festivals, and the other is nenchu gyoji, or annual events.
The matsuri are native Japanese festivals whose origin is in Shinto. They are
held every year on the same date. They are primarily local festivals, so similar
festivals held for similar reasons in different areas are held on different dates
under different names. The original reasons for the festivals are related to rice
cultivation, prayers to the gods, and the completion of the farming season. The
religious basis for a festival is sometimes difficult to see, however, because
the fun, excitement, and spectacle of a festival may hide the original intent.
The types of matsuri include those that ask for a successful harvest, those that
offer prayers of thanksgiving for a successful harvest, and those that ask the
gods to keep disasters and disease away. Some festivals feature parades of portable
Shinto shrines, called mikoshi, parades with floats, or games and such entertainment
as songs, dances, and dramas. Some include tug-of-war contests, horse races, and
boat races. The Sapporo Snow Festival in early February is designed to attract
tourists and features large ice and snow sculptures. The Hamamatsu Festival in
May has a kite-flying competition. The Peiron Festival in Nagasaki in July features
boat races with teams of 36 men. The Chichibu Festival in Saitama in December
has a fireworks display and floats with musicians and singers.
In contrast, nenchu gyoji, which are arranged seasonally, are primarily Buddhist
or Chinese in origin, though some Shinto matsuri also are included. The Buddhist
festivals are held throughout the country at about the same time. Some festivals
are derived from the Imperial Japanese court. One example is the Shichigosan (seven-five-three),
which was originally held to celebrate the growth of children -- boys aged three
and five and girls aged three and seven.
The two most important holidays during the year are New Years and the Obon Festival,
and both are nenchu gyoji. Obon is a Buddhist observance honoring one's dead ancestors.
It is held in mid-July or mid-August depending on the region. Obon is one of the
two most important holidays in Japan, with the other being New Years. Family members
usually return home from wherever they are to be together for Obon. The serious
aspect of Obon is that people visit gravesites and clean graves, but at the same
time there are also festivals, dancing in the streets, called Bon Odori, and stalls
selling food and drinks.
William Sakovich
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