The Golden Week has ended, and the season of fresh greenery has arrived. It is also the time for spring festivals, and various shrines are holding ceremonies.
At one of the city's most historically significant shrines, Japan's First Kumano Shrine, the spring festival was held over two days on May 18 and 19, 2024.
This time, we will introduce the Fourth Hall Roof Repair Tour held in conjunction with the spring festival, as well as efforts to preserve cultural properties for future generations.
About the "Japan's First Kumano Shrine Fourth Hall Roof Repair Tour"
Japan's First Kumano Shrine (Japan's First Kumano Twelve Shrines Gongen Shrine) is located in the Gounai area of Kurashiki City and is commonly referred to as "Kumano Shrine."
The "Japan's First Kumano Shrine Fourth Hall Roof Repair Tour" was held on the following dates.
- May 18, 2024 (Saturday)
From 4:30 PM, 5:00 PM, and 5:30 PM - May 19, 2024 (Sunday)
From 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM, and 2:00 PM
It was a rare opportunity to see the Fourth Hall of the main shrine, which is usually not visible. Additionally, there were performances of Bichu Kagura as part of the event.
I attended the tour
I arrived at the site just before 1 PM on May 19.
Since I was entering a construction site, I received a helmet at the reception and waited.
At the scheduled time of 1 PM, the tour began. This time, there were six participants, including myself.
As I went up the slope, there was scaffolding set up on the roof, allowing us to see the construction up close.
At this point, preparations were being made to replace the damaged roofing material (Hinoki bark) that was about to be removed.
Additionally, the contractor provided explanations about the Hinoki bark roofing and the current state of the roof as follows.
- More than 50 years have passed since the last roofing, and leaks have started to appear, resulting in a painful appearance with the roof being temporarily repaired with metal sheets.
- Repairs will be conducted with assistance from Okayama Prefecture and Kurashiki City, as well as contributions from parishioners and visitors.
About the Hinoki Bark Roofing
Even if you have heard of "Hinoki bark roofing," you may not know exactly what it is.
I only knew that it used the bark of Hinoki trees, but I was able to deepen my understanding by seeing models and the actual roof during the tour.
In this way, by layering Hinoki bark multiple times, a thick roof is created for the Hinoki bark roofing.
To secure the Hinoki bark, bamboo nails are used, which are driven into the base wood. Bamboo, like Hinoki, is water-resistant and does not rust like iron, making it an ideal material for roofing.
The adjacent shrine hall had completed its roofing work a few years ago, so it still looked new. Comparing it to the roof before the replacement, the difference in condition was obvious.
About the Ageya Method
For this construction, the Ageya Method was used to raise the shrine hall by 1 meter above its normal height for the work.
I heard an explanation at the site where they were actually jack-up, and they mentioned that they raised it 20 cm per day over five days to a height of 1 meter from the ground.
The purpose of this work is that when cutting the edge of the Hinoki bark roofing, it cannot be done at the normal height, so they raised it by 1 meter.
This state of raising a building to another location is called Hikiyama, and it is sometimes used for the relocation and preservation of cultural properties.
Bichu Kagura
At the same time as the tour, "Bichu Kagura" was performed by the Bichu Kagura Preservation Promotion Association, so I watched it on my way back.
In recent years, it seems to have gained attention, possibly due to the influence of anime and comedy.
The performance of "The Defeat of the Great Serpent" was being staged.
In this story, Susanoo no Mikoto defeats the Yamata no Orochi and receives the Kusanagi no Tsurugi, one of the three sacred treasures, which is a famous performance in Bichu Kagura.
There is a part where they create the poison sake to give to the great serpent, and during that scene, the unique mask-wearing sake deity "Matsuo Myojin" appears.
The dialogue, which included local and current events, was light and entertaining, resembling a skit.
Conclusion
After completing the series of tours, I received an amulet made with ancient hinoki bark as a souvenir.
Additionally, there was an announcement from the chief priest regarding the crowdfunding for the roof repair this time.
As it is an important cultural property designated by Okayama Prefecture, most of the repair costs will be covered by subsidies from the prefecture and the city.
However, it does not cover everything, and due to recent price increases and the decrease in parishioners caused by the declining birthrate, it seems they are struggling to raise the necessary funds for the repairs.
Known since ancient times as Shin-Kumano-yama, Kumano Shrine has been preserved by many people as the only shrine that retains the appearance of the ancient shrine of Kumano Hongu Taisha in Kishu (Wakayama Prefecture). I intend to contribute, albeit modestly, to connect it to the future.
Thank you for allowing me to observe the valuable cultural property preservation work.
I wish for a future filled with happiness for this ancient shrine.
Data on the Japan's First Kumano Shrine Fourth Hall Roof Repair Tour
| Name | Japan's First Kumano Shrine Fourth Hall Roof Repair Tour |
|---|---|
| Date | May 18, 2024 (Saturday) 4:30 PM, 5:00 PM, 5:30 PM May 19, 2024 (Sunday) 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM |
| Location | 684 Hayashi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Participation Fee (including tax) | Free |
| Website | Preserving and Repairing the Main Hall (Fourth Hall) of Kumano Shrine, an Important Cultural Property Designated by Okayama Prefecture |
