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Digital Photo Gallery 　”Poem of Mts.YATSUGADAKE”　　ＯＮＢＡＳＨＩＲＡ　Ｓｐｅｃｉａｌ

Local　Onbashira Festival  �@
Trip of the sacred huge logs of small shrine in Suwa District

［Cut down, Make-up, Repairing ］

The 1st column of Ohoshi shrine　 70 years old larch tree was decided as the 1st column 
near Hanamaki park in the middle land of Chino city. The tree 2m around was cut down by the residents.
A priest wearing white coat defined the festa with holy salt and sake wine. Kiyari singers made their
 performance. ( Aug.22,2004)



The 1st of Kidoguchi shrine　Kidoguchi shrine of Tateshina high land, Chino city chose
80 years old fir tree as the 1st column. It's very rare to choose such a big tree from 2000m 
high sea level. ( Sep.1)   People were busy making up a log to the Onbashira, and cleaning around the 
shrine for the festival. ( Sep. 13)

［ On the march ］

Kids　were the main at Ashinaga shrine, Shiga dist. of Suwa city. ( Sep. 19 )

Lake Tateshina　Onbashira was marching around the lake Tateshina, one of the popular spots of
Suwa area.( Sep. 26)

Day and Night　Tenaga shrine in Suwa city had two faces of the festival. In the daytime,
the parade was gay and cheerful. After the sunset, men with lantern in their hands gathered power 
to go up hundreds of steps to the shrine.   ( Sep. 25,26 )   

Urbane　Villagers and owners of the cottages get acquaintance with each other.  
New Onbashira, new friends ! ( Oct.17 )

［Downhill, Cross stream, X-railroad ］

Down to the rice field　It was a heavy rainy day, about 50 young guys and children of 
Kitakubo dist. in Chino city gathered and performed Kiotoshi event. ( Oct. 3 )

Cleanse　Onbashira with small stream. This is mini Kawagosi performance of Kidoguchi shrine.
( Oct. 17 ）

Cross JR Chuo-line 　We can see this performance only on here, They pull Onbashira 
powerfully to cross rout 20 road and railroad at once, then turn to left sharply. Near Kamisuwa St.( Sep. 25 )

  ◇To Home Page 　　                　◇To Kamisha-Yamadashi 
       ◇To Kamisha-Kawagoshi          ◇To  Shimosha-Yamadashi　
 　◇To Kamisha- Satobiki 　　  　　◇To 98'Onbashira Fest.     
     ◇To Shimosha-Kiotoshi 　　　　 ◇Prelude to The Festival 
◇To Shimosha- Satobiki          ◇ To Japanese edition   
◇To Kamisha-Kiotoshi              ◇To Local Onbashira Fest.�A

Komiya means local small shrine which is related with  Suwa Grand Shrine. 
So the local Onbashira festival is Komiya festival. Almost Komiya festival  were held
in the same year of the Onbashira festival of Suwa Grand Shrine. The visitor center 
said there are more than 70 small shrine in Suwa area, Okaya, Suwa, Chino, Shimosuwa, 
Fujimi and Hara district.   But there are uncountable number of Onbashira events in 
this year, 2004.  None-related shrines to the Grand Shrine or even private ones had
 given their performance.    I was interested in those local  Onbashira festival, but there
 are not so many information about the each . At the end of August, the date schedule 
of  77 local shrines became clear.  The events are held at every weekend of September 
and October.    So it was impossible for me to visit all of them.   I can only  report 11
 shrines with my camera.
Takamori suwa of Fujimi sakai , Okkoto suwa of Fujimi okkoto.
Koutaijingu of Chino kitakubo, Kidoguchi, Tateshina suwa of Chino tateshina.
Ohoshi of Chino nakamura, Ashinaga of Suwa shiga.
Yatsurugi of Suwa owada, Tenaga of Suwa sakuragaoka.
Tsushima of Shimosuwa takagi, Kumano of Shimosuwa higashiyamada.
  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　

Ver.1           Nov.19,　2004

Copy Right     A.hattori  2004.