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Yamakasa: History
By: Staff
The 750 year history of the Yamakasa.
The Yamakasa is the sacred festival of Kushida shrine, the main tutelary shrine of Hakata, the ancient city that lies at the heart of Fukuoka city.
It dates back to 1241 when a priest called Shioichu Kokushi saved Hakata from a terrible plague by being carried around the city on a movable shrine and throwing water. An annual festival developed. The modern festival is for health, purity and ritual cleansing. Seven teams compete from different areas of Hakata. They are Daikoku, Higashi, Nakasu, Nishi, Chiyo, Ebisu, and Doi.
The floats:
In the modern Yamakasa there are two types of shrines - the kazariyama , which are dressed by the Hakata Doll masters with a different theme each year. These are stationary and citizens go to "view" them. The shrines that are used in the final race are smaller and sturdier and weigh about a ton.
Until quite recent times the kakiyama shrines were used in the Oiyama (the final race). Electrification of the city in the early part of the century meant that the height of the shrines had to be reduced. The kazariyama floats are about 8 metres tall and can be seen at a variety of sites throughout the city over the festival.
The origins of the Oiyama race:
In most parts of Japan shrines are paraded decorously through the streets, not raced against the clock and other teams. There are several stories as to how the Oiyama became a race about 300 years ago - the most popular of which involves a pretty young lady from a prominent family in one part of Hakata who married into a prominent family of another part. Things did not go well. Jealousy, pride - the usual human frailties - lead to the bearers of one shrine attempting to overtake another in the annual procession. A somewhat obvious and very public race ensued. From that the Oiyama developed.
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