The rice ears in the paddies are shining gold, and with 2024’s new rice beginning to appear on supermarket shelves, you can feel the signs of “autumn’s harvest.”
Many shrines hold annual festivals to give thanks for the harvest to the gods who protect the fields.
Indeed, lately, when walking around town, I often see notices that say “〇〇 Shrine Annual Festival.”
At Ko Hachimangu Shrine, on a hill in Kojima, Kurashiki City, an annual grand festival is held on the second Sunday in October and the day before. To the accompaniment of “shagiri” festival music, danjiri floats parade through the district.
I visited the shrine’s negi (assistant priest) and the Konishi Danjiri Preservation Society to learn about the highlights of Ko Hachimangu Shrine’s annual grand festival, which is said to have featured danjiri floats since the end of the Edo period.
The information presented here is current as of when this article was published in October 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Ko Hachimangu Shrine
Ko Hachimangu Shrine is located in Shimonomachi, Kojima, Kurashiki City. Since ancient times, it has been revered as the guardian deity of the present-day areas of Kojima Kaminomachi, Shimonomachi, Tanokuchi, and Karakoto in Kurashiki City, and as a spiritual refuge for local residents.
A pair of wooden lion statues, designated as Okayama Prefecture Important Cultural Properties, have been dedicated within the shrine grounds. Ko Hachimangu Shrine is also said to be associated with a legend about storks. Today, it is worshipped as a guardian deity of industry and protection from misfortune, as well as for safe travel by land, sea, and air, and safe childbirth.
Ko Hachimangu Shrine’s Annual Grand Festival
The Ko Hachimangu Shrine Annual Grand Festival is the shrine’s autumn festival. It consists of the following:
- A mikoshi procession in which the sacred object travels between Ko Hachimangu Shrine and the otabisho (temporary shrine) in the district
- A festival in which nineteen danjiri floats and a sendairoku enliven the district and the grounds of Ko Hachimangu Shrine to the accompaniment of festival music (hereafter referred to as “shagiri”)
The festival is held over two days, on the second Sunday in October and the day before. In 2024, it is scheduled to be held on Saturday, October 12, and Sunday, October 13.
On the first day, Saturday the 12th, the danjiri floats and sendairoku parade through their respective neighborhoods. On the second day, Sunday the 13th, the mikoshi procession and the danjiri floats and sendairoku departing from each district enliven the shrine grounds from morning until night with shagiri performances.
Please see the image below for the scheduled times for the mikoshi procession and the danjiri floats and sendairoku to enter and leave the shrine grounds on Sunday the 13th.
Mikoshi Procession
The mikoshi procession is a religious ceremony held every year on the second Sunday in October.
After the departure ceremony, the mikoshi carrying the sacred object leaves Ko Hachimangu Shrine at 8:20 a.m. and travels through the parishioner districts, where ceremonies are held at the otabisho. There are two otabisho: on the eastern route, the procession goes to Karakoto, and on the western route, it goes to Kaminomachi. In 2024, it is scheduled to take the western route to Kaminomachi.
Danjiri Floats and Sendairoku
Danjiri are floats carrying musicians who play the shagiri (excluding the flute). They are 1.4–1.7 meters tall and 1.9–3.4 meters wide at the sides. They are said to have arrived in the Kojima area from the Kansai region along with the arrival of Kitamaebune trading ships at the end of the Edo period.
The Sendairoku of the Kayakari District was newly built and revived in 1992. It is 2.5 meters tall and weighs about 700 kilograms, and is carried by 40 people.
On the day of the festival, 200–400 people from each district are expected to pull the floats through their neighborhoods and into the grounds of Ko Hachimangu Shrine. In 2024, 18 danjiri floats and one sendairoku will take part.
| District | Number of danjiri floats and sendairoku |
|---|---|
| Kaminomachi District | 5 Kasahoko, Sankyo, Anzai, Yamagiwa, Uchida |
| Shimonomachi District | 9 Kayakari (sendairoku), Waida, Katahiki, Asama, Konishi, Okikuma, Horie, Okakuma, Tawa |
| Tanokuchi District | 5 Minato, Oku, Oka, Meiji, Nishiakashi |
Danjiri floats vary in appearance from district to district, and the carvings on their roofs are particularly distinctive. The many auspicious carvings, including phoenixes, Ebisu, and mitsudomoe (three comma-shaped swirls), are breathtaking, so be sure to take a look.
Shagiri
The festival music performed at Ko Hachimangu Shrine’s festival is called “shagiri.” Said to have been performed since the late Edo period, shagiri has also been designated as an Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Five types of instruments are used in the performances:
- Shinobue flute
- Long-bodied drum
- Shime-daiko drum
- Bell
- Tsuzumi hand drum
Because the shinobue flutes need to have a consistent tone when played, each district reportedly makes them by hand, using inherited old flutes as a model.
Seven pieces of shagiri are performed to accompany movements such as starting and stopping:
- Dangire-bayashi
- Shigaraki-bayashi and Hyogo-bayashi
- Gion-bayashi
- Oyaji (agariha)
- Kagura-bayashi
- Sagariha-bayashi
- Ohyariko-bayashi
Since shagiri has no sheet music, it is passed down orally from adults to children in each district. Rehearsals reportedly begin around June, as summer approaches, in preparation for the annual grand festival.
Rehearsals in the Konishi District
With less than two weeks remaining until the annual grand festival, I went to the Konishi District to observe a rehearsal.
The Konishi District rehearses three days a week: Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. On this day, they were practicing shagiri.
In the Konishi District, children in elementary school and younger play all the instruments except the shinobue. They are taught by former members who grew up in the district. The adults teaching them also hold handmade shinobue flutes in their hands.
Around 130 people from the Konishi District take part in the annual grand festival each year. Some participants reportedly return from outside the prefecture just for the festival season. Even if it has been a while since they last played shagiri or pulled a danjiri, those who grew up in the district seem to remember the music and how to move the float by heart.
Mr. Kiyama of the Konishi District Danjiri Preservation Society said, holding a shinobue flute in one hand:
“The best thing about the Konishi District is its welcoming atmosphere. The number of residents has increased as more housing developments (newly built homes) have gone up, so I hope that people who have recently moved here will see this year’s festival and join the Konishi District danjiri community. We’ll do our best to show off the close bonds in the Konishi District and the results of our rehearsals on the day.”
he said.
After the interview, I also took a look at the Konishi District’s danjiri.
It had not yet been decorated that day. They said they would adorn the danjiri with sakaki branches and lights on the day of the festival.
Interview with the Ko Hachimangu Shrine Festival Coordinator
I spoke with Komoto Masaki, the negi (assistant priest) of Ko Hachimangu Shrine, about the highlights of the shrine’s annual grand festival and how to enjoy it.
I hear that Ko Hachimangu Shrine’s annual grand festival has long been a festival cherished by local people.
Komoto (honorific omitted)
Records indicate that the Ko Hachimangu Shrine Autumn Festival, with its danjiri floats and other attractions, has been lively since the late Edo period. However, I have heard that it was only after the Meiji period that “danjiri” and “shagiri” began to enliven the entire town as they do today. Did you know that Shimotsui was once a port of call for Kitamaebune trading ships? It seems that the culture of danjiri came to this area from the Kansai region aboard those very ships.
Since it is an autumn festival, people assume it is a celebration of a good harvest, but its actual origins are unknown. However, a “reisai” is the most important festival for a shrine, held every year without fail. At Ko Hachimangu Shrine, the tradition of the entire district celebrating in October each year has endured, so we continue to pass it down.
What are the highlights of the Ko Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival?
Komoto
First, there is the large number of danjiri. At the Ko Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival, you can see 18 danjiri, one senzairaku float, and a mikoshi. The shape and size of the danjiri and senzairaku differ from district to district, so I hope you’ll enjoy seeing those differences.
Also breathtaking is the sight of the danjiri, senzairaku, and mikoshi climbing the slope of the main approach. The slope of Ko Hachimangu Shrine’s main approach is said to be 16 degrees. Most shrines with such a steep incline would, I think, install stone steps. But Ko Hachimangu Shrine maintains its earthen sloping approach because it has a tradition of danjiri, senzairaku, and mikoshi climbing the slope during the Grand Festival.
I’d also like you to pay attention to the festival music. The music passed down at Ko Hachimangu Shrine is called “shagiri” and has been designated an Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. What sets it apart from the music played at danjiri festivals in other regions is the use of the shinobue. This transverse flute is made of bamboo and plays an exceptionally refined melody.
Many people who live around Ko Hachimangu Shrine have heard the shagiri melody since childhood. As the Grand Festival approaches and they hear the melody, they feel excitement welling up from deep within. It’s something like “soul music.”
It resonates deeply with people, allowing them to reaffirm their identity and feel, “We belong here.” I hope you’ll enjoy the sound of the shagiri, too.
What makes the Ko Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival special?
Komoto
It brings generations together.
“Shagiri” is a melody passed down orally, without sheet music, from adults in each district to children. Every district wants its danjiri to look impressive, so the adults put a lot of effort into teaching the children.
Elementary school students play the percussion instruments, while adults with the necessary skills play the shinobue. Many other adults and children pull the danjiri. Each person fulfills their role to bring the danjiri together, and the adults come to recognize the children as fellow members, fostering a sense of collaboration.
There can be strict instruction precisely because we are fellow members, but I think it’s wonderful that adults and children in the community can build such a trusting relationship.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in every district, young and old, cheer on the Grand Festival on the day.
Are there any highlights to look forward to at this year’s (2024) Ko Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival?
Komoto
It’s important to us that the Grand Festival is held on the same set dates every year, so I believe there is meaning in holding the festival as usual this year. It is a festival rooted in the community, with people who have moved away for school, work, marriage, and other reasons returning for the Grand Festival. I think they come back because they enjoy the relationships built around the danjiri and shagiri.
For that reason, rather than doing something special just for this year, we will hold the festival as usual this year.
Nowadays, travel and leisure activities are commonplace, but in the past, festivals were one of the few forms of entertainment available to people. Even today, the whole community spends months preparing for the Grand Festival, looking forward to this once-a-year special occasion. I believe that continuing to hold the usual Grand Festival here in the years to come is the mission of all of us involved with Ko Hachimangu Shrine.
Finally, do you have a message for our readers?
Komoto
It’s not the kind of festival with what you might call “spectator seating,” but I hope you’ll see and experience the danjiri procession, which involves so many local people and takes place over a long period.
There will be a television broadcast on the day, but I don’t think you can truly appreciate it unless you experience it in person—the power of the huge danjiri being hauled up the steep main approach by human strength, and the force of the shagiri music. These are distinctive features of the Ko Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival that you won’t find at other festivals. Please come and see for yourself.
From the Writer
I moved from the Kanto region to Kurashiki in December 2023, and the annual festivals at local shrines felt somewhat removed from my own life. I don’t think I had ever even considered that, in a regional hub city like Kurashiki, there might be events where neighbors work together and devote themselves to practicing.
But when I actually visited Ko Hachimangu Shrine and the Konishi Danjiri Preservation Society, I was surprised by how warmly they welcomed me, saying, “We want people who are new to the area to join us, too!” I was also deeply impressed by the local adults practicing together, calling out to one another as they watched each child.
Every district must be stepping up its practice sessions in preparation for the day.
On October 12 and 13, why not visit the Ko Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival to experience its uniquely welcoming yet powerful danjiri and the live performance of shagiri, designated an Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property?
Ko Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival Information
| Name | Ko Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, October 12, 2024 (times vary by district); Sunday, October 13, around 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. |
| Location | 7-14-1 Shimonomachi, Kojima, Kurashiki City |
| Website | Ko Hachimangu Shrine |
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