Achi Shrine, which has watched over Kurashiki’s central area, including the Bikan Historical Area, holds various festivals throughout the year.
Among them, the “Autumn Grand Festival,” held every October, is said to feature a large procession of mikoshi (portable shrines).
Another essential part of the Autumn Grand Festival is Suinkyo.
Suinkyo wear masks depicting elderly men and women, and are striking figures who tap passersby on the head with red fans. It is said that being tapped on the head by a Suinkyo will make you wiser, bring good things your way, or lead to happy events.
At the 2024 Autumn Grand Festival, a hands-on event where you can become a Suinkyo will be held.
Here, we introduce this rare Suinkyo experience, available only on this occasion.
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.
What Is the “Suinkyo Experience”?
The Suinkyo Experience will be held in conjunction with Achi Shrine’s Autumn Grand Festival on Sunday, October 20, 2024.
Suinkyo wear masks called “jiji” and “baba,” and on the day of the festival, they walk around town carrying red fans. They are figures who gently tap passersby on the head with their red fans, spreading happiness.
For this “Suinkyo Experience,” participants will first learn from members of the Kurashiki Suinkyo Preservation Society about the history and culture behind the origins of Suinkyo. After that, they will learn Suinkyo movements, put on the costume and mask, and transform into a Suinkyo before heading to the Bikan Historical Area.
The experience of wishing people happiness and tapping passersby with a fan is a rare opportunity available only on this occasion.
The participation fee is 3,500 yen (tax included), and interpretation services can also be arranged for international visitors as an optional extra. For details such as the day’s schedule, check Takahashigawa Travel’s booking page. Capacity is limited to six people, so we recommend booking early if you’re interested.
About Suinkyo
The history of Suinkyo goes back a long way, to the early Edo period.
Long ago, an elderly couple were too old to take part in a local festival, so they asked a doll maker named Yanagi Heiraku to make masks of a “jiji” and “baba” to represent them. It is said that Suinkyo began when young people wore the masks and attended the festival on the couple’s behalf.
Over time, the role of Suinkyo gradually changed.
During the Meiji period, Suinkyo directed traffic for children approaching the mikoshi. To prevent accidents and injuries, they kept people away from the mikoshi and sometimes even tapped children with their fans to guide them.
The children who were tapped would run away, shouting the taunt, “Suinkyo, Suinkyo, you rotten pickled scallion!” Sometimes they would even get their revenge.
The back-and-forth between Suinkyo and the children may have been one of the festival’s familiar sights.
At some point, Suinkyo came to be loved by residents as a familiar character and became a bringer of happiness. Today, they appear at Achi Shrine’s Spring Grand Festival and Autumn Grand Festival.
The Suinkyo Experience is organized by TAKAHASHIGAWA TRAVEL, which plans sightseeing tours around Kurashiki City. It is a locally rooted travel company offering a wide range of tours that showcase Kurashiki’s lesser-known charms.
We spoke with Yasuda Yumi of TAKAHASHIGAWA TRAVEL about how the event came about.
Interview with the person in charge
How did you come up with the Suinkyo Experience?
Yasuda (surname only hereafter)
TAKAHASHIGAWA TRAVEL is a travel company based here in Kurashiki, so we plan tours that let people enjoy experiences they can only have in Kurashiki.
The idea for the Suinkyo Experience came from our company president, Hara, who told us, “Suinkyo only exist in Kurashiki.” With the cooperation of the Kurashiki Suinkyo Preservation Society, we were able to put together this hands-on event.
Actually, we held a trial Suinkyo Experience during the Spring Grand Festival in May 2024. The participants really enjoyed it, and I wanted more people to have the chance to try it.
When people think of taking part in a festival, they may picture carrying a mikoshi, but Suinkyo are a culture unique to Kurashiki, so this really was an “experience you can only have in Kurashiki.”
Our company and the Kurashiki Suinkyo Preservation Society have also been connected for some time. Every year during the festival, we provided a place for Suinkyo to rest. We knew that the members of the Kurashiki Suinkyo Preservation Society were working hard to pass on the tradition and promote it, so we hoped this event would help raise awareness of Suinkyo, even in a small way.
How do people react when they encounter Suinkyo?
Yasuda
Many local people know about Suinkyo, so a lot of them would say, “Please tap me,” and offer their heads themselves. Tourists were surprised at first, too, but when they saw others being tapped, they offered their heads as well.
Sometimes parents would bring their children over, saying, “Please tap this child, too.” Tapping the head of a crying child who had been dragged over against their will… it’s kind of like a lion dance, isn’t it?
The children’s reactions varied. Some ran up shouting, “It’s Suinkyo!” while others were so frightened by the appearance that they cried just from coming close. Suinkyo didn’t tap children who were crying; they used their fans to gently stroke them instead.
We heard that you also took part in the spring Suinkyo Experience, Ms. Yasuda. What did you think of it?
Yasuda
I thought being a Suinkyo was truly an extraordinary experience.
When I put on the Suinkyo costume and wore the jiji and baba masks, I felt as if I had become someone—or something—other than myself. It was a lot of fun tapping all kinds of people with the fan and bringing them good fortune, and it made me feel positive, too. It has an extraordinary quality you could never experience in everyday life.
Another thing that left an impression on me was the reactions of international visitors. Some people cannot have their heads tapped for religious reasons, so I realized it’s important to respond carefully while watching how each person reacts.
How would you like people to enjoy Kurashiki through the Suinkyo Experience?
Yasuda
I think people will enjoy not only the experience of “becoming a Suinkyo and walking around town,” but also learning about Kurashiki’s culture and history.
At this event, there will be time for members of the Kurashiki Suinkyo Preservation Society to teach participants about Suinkyo.
How Suinkyo came about and how they changed over time, and how the tradition has been passed down. They will explain everything in detail, so I think participants will make new discoveries and come away thinking, “So this is what Kurashiki is like.”
I hope people will enjoy the whole culture of Suinkyo, an experience they can only have in Kurashiki.
What kinds of people would you like to take part?
Yasuda
I’d recommend it not only to tourists, but also to people who live in Kurashiki.
I’d also love for people from overseas to try it. It would be fun to have a cultural exchange between people from overseas and Japan, so I’d like to experience being a Suinkyo together and share our impressions.
If you were tapped by Suinkyo or chased around by them as a child, it might be fun to become a Suinkyo yourself this time.
By the way, the current secretary-general of the Kurashiki Suinkyo Preservation Society apparently also has childhood trauma from being chased around by Suinkyo!
Finally, do you have a message for our readers?
Yasuda
For those who have lived in Kurashiki for a long time and were chased by Suinkyo as children, I hope you’ll become Suinkyo this time and create memories that will stay with children.
Also, even within Kurashiki City, there may be people who don’t know about Suinkyo, so please take this opportunity to experience the festival at Achi Shrine.
Let’s make the festival even more exciting together! We look forward to receiving your applications.
From the Writer
In fact, I also took part in a Suinkyo experience held in May 2024.
Walking through town as a Suinkyo, I found that people I passed greeted me without being wary, and I realized that Suinkyo are a familiar part of the community. Of course, it was fun to exchange with many people, but it felt good to spend time wishing for other people’s happiness.
Members of the Kurashiki Suinkyo Preservation Society also seem to appear at festivals throughout the city. I have also encountered Suinkyo at the venue for the 2024 Mabi-Funao Soodori Dance Festival. They seemed like the kind of people whose mere presence brought good fortune.
Suinkyo have been loved in Kurashiki for many years. Why not try this traditional experience, available for just one day?
Suinkyo Experience Information
| Name | Suinkyo Experience |
|---|---|
| Date | October 20, 2024 (Sunday) From 1:00 p.m. until around 4:10 p.m. |
| Location | 2-5-1 Tsurugata, Kurashiki City |
| Website | TAKAHASHIGAWA TRAVEL |
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