Etchuyatsuo parade float festival

Overview

The Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival is a traditional festival held annually on May 3 in the central district of Yatsuo Town, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. This festival symbolizes the merchant culture of Yatsuo Town, which flourished during the Edo period through the trade of silk, Japanese paper, and other mountain products. Six elaborate floats known as hikiyama are pulled through the streets by young men dressed in matching happi coats, accompanied by elegant music from shamisen, flutes, and drums.

The festival is renowned for the magnificent decorations of the hikiyama and the contrasting appearances they present during the day and at night. During the daytime, visitors can admire the intricate details of the floats, which are adorned with masterful lacquerware, metal engraving, and wood carving. At night, the floats are transformed into lantern floats, illuminating the hillside town like a castle of lights, creating a magical atmosphere as they are paraded through the streets until late at night.

History and Origin

The origin of the Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival is said to date back to 1741, the first year of the Kanpo era. According to tradition, during the annual festival of Yatsuo Hachiman Shrine, the Kamishinmachi district created a flower float and decorated it with Hina dolls and amateur theatrical performers granted by Maeda Masatoshi, lord of the Toyama domain. This is considered the beginning of the festival. Subsequently, the Higashimachi, Nishimachi, Imamachi, Suwamachi, and Shimoshiinmachi districts also created floats, and competition among them led to increasingly luxurious and elaborate designs.

During the Edo period, Yatsuo Town prospered as a distribution center for mountain products such as silkworm eggs, raw silk, Japanese paper, and charcoal. The town's wealth was so substantial that it was called the go-nando, or financial storehouse, of the Toyama domain, at times accounting for more than 60 percent of the domain's revenue. The merchants of Yatsuo used their accumulated wealth to create floats decorated with extravagant carvings, metalwork, lacquerware, and goldsmithing.

The six floats currently owned by the six districts of Kamishinmachi, Suwamachi, Higashimachi, Imamachi, Shimoshiinmachi, and Nishimachi are the centerpieces of the festival. Each float measures approximately 6.8 to 7.5 meters in height, 2.5 meters in length (about 5.5 meters including the front and rear poles), 2.75 meters in width (between wheels), and weighs about 4 tons. They are two-story platform-style floats with an eight-ridge roof, and decorative metal fittings called yoraku hang from the four corners of the roof, producing a pleasant sound as the floats move.

The carvings on the floats represent the pinnacle of craft arts from the Etchu region, featuring works by master artisans from Inami wood carving, Johana lacquerware, and Takaoka metal engraving. Numerous carvings decorate the floats, including the large carving at the rear of the lower level, the kenkeshi at the rear of the upper level, eight panels on the four sides, eight small panels beside the pillars, and the balustrade. These carvings are all vividly colored, and the floats are considered a comprehensive exhibition of Etchu's artistic crafts.

Highlights

Structure and Detail of the Floats The six floats have a two-tiered structure, with the upper tier featuring four pillars draped with curtains bearing the crest of each district, housing a sacred doll. These dolls were crafted by doll makers from Kyoto and master Buddhist sculptors of the Toyama domain, adding a layer of dignity. A magnificent castle-like roof adorns the top of the upper tier, and the yoraku fittings hanging from the four corners produce a gentle chime as the float moves.

Hikiyama Bayashi Music Inside the lower tier, behind bamboo blinds, musicians play the hikiyama bayashi, a traditional festival music ensemble using drums, flutes, and shamisen. Each district has over a dozen different pieces, played according to different scenes and occasions. This music enhances the atmosphere of the festival as the floats are pulled through the hilly town, adding vibrancy and elegance.

Lion Dance and Portable Shrine The parade is led by a lion dance, followed by a portable shrine, and then the floats. Early in the morning, after ceremonies at each district's community hall, the sacred dolls are transferred to the floats. The lion dance, portable shrine, and floats gather at the approach to Monmyo-ji Temple. At 8:30 a.m., a lion dance dedication is performed by Kagamimachi, and at 9:30 a.m., the portable shrine and the first float depart, led by the lion dance.

The Majestic Sight of Floats on Slopes Yatsuo Town is characterized by many steep slopes and narrow streets, making the sight of the floats navigating these inclines one of the festival's greatest attractions. When ascending a steep slope, assistants called hashira-gakari attach support ropes to the four pillars of the upper tier to prevent them from tilting, pulling from the upper side of the slope. This coordinated effort between human strength and technique is the essence of this long-standing tradition.

Transformation into Lantern Floats and Night Parade In the evening, at the Jusan-seki-bashi Bridge, the carvings and decorations are removed from the floats, and they are transformed into lantern floats. Each float is equipped with approximately 400 lanterns, bringing the total for all six floats to nearly 2,500 lanterns. At 7:30 p.m., the lantern floats depart for Yatsuo Hachiman Shrine in Shimoshiinmachi, illuminating the town as they are pulled through the night.

Turning at the Shrine and Dedication The kado-mawashi, or turning of the floats as they enter the precincts of Yatsuo Hachiman Shrine for dedication, is a spectacular moment not to be missed. The skill required to maneuver the large floats through the narrow torii gate and into the shrine grounds demonstrates years of experience and expertise. The dedication ceremony expresses gratitude for the safe completion of the festival and prays for the continued prosperity of the town.

Unique Shouts and Sense of Unity When the floats are moved, the distinctive shouts of "Horikino mitsuno yokambo" resonate through the streets. The meaning of this chant is said to be uncertain, with various theories existing, but its mysterious quality symbolizes the long history of the festival. The unified efforts of the young men pulling the floats in response to these shouts vividly demonstrate the community's cohesion and pride.

Event Information and Access

• Event Date: Annually on May 3 (rain cancellation). Check the official website for the latest schedule and whether the event will be held.
• Venue: Central district of Yatsuo Town, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture
• Access (Train): Get off at JR Takayama Main Line "Etchu Yatsuo Station," then walk approximately 30 minutes, or take the town loop bus from the station to "Chomin Hiroba-mae" stop.
• Access (Car): Approximately 24 minutes from Hokuriku Expressway "Toyama-nishi IC" or approximately 25 minutes from "Toyama IC."
• Parking: Free parking available (Chomin Hiroba, Yatsuo Administrative Service Center, etc.)
• Contact: Yatsuo Tourism Association (Phone: 076-454-5138), Official Website: https://www.yatsuo.net/
• Traffic Regulations: The old town area is closed to vehicular traffic all day regardless of weather on the festival day. The central area of Yatsuo is completely closed from 6:00 a.m. to midnight.
• Admission: Free

Surrounding Area Information

The Etchu Yatsuo Tourism Center (Hikiyama Exhibition Hall) is located in Kamishinmachi, Yatsuo Town, and permanently displays the actual floats used in the festival and related materials. Opened in 1984, this facility allows visitors to closely observe the structure and decorations of the floats and learn about the history and culture of the Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival. It is a valuable spot for experiencing the hikiyama culture of Yatsuo Town even outside the festival period.

Yatsuo Town is also known as the venue for the Etchu Yatsuo Owara Wind Festival, held annually from September 1 to 3. This festival features the melancholic melodies of the Etchu Owara folk song and the graceful movements of dancers wearing deep sedge hats. The 11 branches of the Owara Wind Festival overlap with the organizations of the seven districts that conduct the hikiyama festival, indicating a close relationship between the two events.

In February, the "Etchu Yatsuo Winter Romance" event is held, featuring folk music sessions at the Etchu Yatsuo Tourism Center hall. During this event, the hikiyama and lion dance music of each district, as well as folk music invited from other areas and the Etchu Owara dance, are performed. The Etchu Owara folk song includes verses about the Yatsuo hikiyama, illustrating how the town's culture is preserved through its festivals.

Related Information

• The Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival is designated as a Tangible Folk Cultural Property of Toyama Prefecture (designated in 1965), and the six floats are protected as prefectural cultural assets.
• The parade route has two patterns, "Higashi-agari" and "Nishi-agari," which alternate every year. The order of the floats is also not fixed; the float that leads the parade one year becomes the last float the following year.
• The interior space of the floats is designed to be larger than those of other Toyama Prefecture hikiyama to accommodate the musicians playing shamisen, flute, and drums, giving the floats a somewhat cylindrical appearance.
• Festival preparations begin on April 27 with a prayer for safety, followed by setup on May 1, the main event on May 3, and cleanup on May 4, marking the completion of the entire process.
• The lower tier has bamboo blinds on the front and sides, and inside ride the kami-gakari (attendants responsible for the deity), the hikiyama-daiku (person in charge of assembly), the hashira-gakari (managers of the four pillars), and children.
• On the day of the festival, before dawn, the "fure-daiko" (announcement drum) sounds throughout the town, signaling the start of the festival.
• The pillars, horizontal beams, and wheels of the upper tier are extensively decorated with lacquerware and metal engraving, while the assembly components and rafters under the roof are adorned with gold leaf and maki-e lacquer.
• The six floats are closely associated with Yatsuo Hachiman Shrine, as the festival is held in conjunction with the shrine's annual festival, giving the entire event a strong religious character as a Shinto ceremony.

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