Kokufu-sai

Overview

Kokufu Festival (Kounomachi) is a historic festival held annually on May 5, the Tango no Sekku (Boy's Day), in Honjo, Oiso Town, Naka District, Kanagawa Prefecture. It is designated as a Kanagawa Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property, having received this recognition on June 23, 1978. The festival brings together six major shrines from the former Sagami Province, making it a unique gathering of deities in one location.

The festival unfolds across two primary venues. The first is Kamisoroyama, a sacred hill where the opening ceremonies take place, and the second is Oyaba, also known as Babakoen (Horse Field Park), where the main events occur. The area around Rokusho Shrine in Oiso Town was historically the site of the provincial capital (kokufu) of Sagami Province, and this festival preserves the legacy of that administrative and religious center.

History and Origins

The precise origins of Kokufu Festival remain unclear, with multiple theories existing. The "Shinpen Sagami no Kuni Fudoki Ko" (Newly Compiled Sagami Province Topography), completed in 1841, records that the festival is said to have begun during the Yoro era (717-724), although it notes the details are uncertain. References in the "Azuma Kagami" (Mirror of the East), a Japanese historical chronicle, suggest the festival was already established by the 11th century at the latest.

With the implementation of the Ritsuryo legal system, provincial governors (kokushi) were dispatched to each province from the capital. These governors were required to make pilgrimages to all major shrines within their jurisdiction. However, such pilgrimages were costly and time-consuming, leading to the establishment of soul (sosha), shrines where the divided spirits of various provincial deities were enshrined together near the provincial capital. Rokusho Shrine serves as the soul of Sagami Province, centralizing the worship of the province's principal deities.

According to one tradition, Sagami Province was formed through the merger of two earlier territories: Sagamu and Shinaga. After the merger, a dispute arose over which shrine would hold the highest rank of ichinomiya: Samukawa Shrine, the largest shrine of the former Sagamu territory, or Kawawa Shrine, the largest of the former Shinaga territory. This conflict was ritualized into the "Zamondo" (Seat Dispute), which remains the central ceremony of the Kokufu Festival today.

Originally held on February 4, the festival was moved to May 5 in 1282 during the Koan era. The festival name "Kounomachi" is a traditional reading: "ko" from kokufu (provincial capital) and "machi" from matsuri (festival). According to the traditions of Rokusho Shrine, the "Sagi no Mai" (Heron Dance) was originally performed during the Heian period to entertain provincial governors and aristocrats.

Highlights

Procession to Kamisoroyama and Chakyusai (Arrival Rite) In the morning, each of the five shrines, from ichinomiya to goninomiya, holds a departure ceremony before their mikoshi (portable shrines) set out for Kamisoroyama. Upon arrival, a "Chakyusai" (Arrival Rite) is conducted to welcome each shrine's deity. This scene evokes the image of Heian-era provincial governors traveling to pay homage to the province's gods.

Zamondo (Seat Dispute) At noon, signaled by fireworks, the "Zamondo" ceremony begins at Kamisoroyama. Within a sacred enclosure marked by bamboo, priests from Samukawa Shrine (ichinomiya) and Kawawa Shrine (ninomiya) silently approach the altar three times each, placing a tiger skin to assert their claim to precedence. After these symbolic confrontations, the priest from Hibita Shrine (sannomiya) intervenes with the phrase "Izure myonen made" (Let it be until next year), bringing the ceremony to a close. This ritual, said to have been performed for over 1,000 years, is a dramatic reenactment of the ancient dispute over shrine ranking.

Sagi no Mai (Heron Dance) At Oyaba, upon the arrival of Rokusho Shrine's mikoshi, the "Sagi no Mai" is performed on a boat-shaped stage. The dance consists of two parts, "Nagashi" and "Mairo," and within Mairo, three distinct dances are presented: the Heron Dance, the Dragon Dance, and the Lion Dance. The Heron Dance prays for peace under heaven, the Dragon Dance for bountiful harvests, and the Lion Dance for the elimination of calamities, with the boat-shaped stage recalling the Heian-era aristocratic practice of entertaining guests on pleasure boats in garden ponds.

Shintaimen Ceremony and Offering of Shukoshin When all shrines have gathered at Oyaba, an offering of seventy-five trays of delicacies from the mountains and sea is presented. The chief priests of the five shrines then offer their divided spirits, called Shukoshin, to the soul shrine (Rokusho Shrine) in a ceremony known as "Shintaimen." These Shukoshin are enshrined at Rokusho Shrine for one year as the guardian deities of Sagami Province. This ritual is interpreted as the five gods meeting their divine parent.

Kokushi Hobei and Saikyoyo Following the Shintaimen ceremony, the mayor of Oiso Town, acting as kokushi (provincial governor), presents offerings to the five shrines in a ritual called "Kokushi Hobei." Finally, the chief priest of Rokusho Shrine makes a circumambulatory visit to each of the five shrines in the "Saikyoyo" ceremony, marking the formal conclusion of the main rituals. These rites preserve the liturgical forms of the Ritsuryo-era governor's official shrine circuit.

Chimaki (Rice Cake Throwing) Ritual At Hibita Shrine, shrine parishioners repeatedly lift and drop a straw bale filled with small rice cakes onto the ground. Once the bale breaks, the rice cakes are scattered among the gathered crowd, and it is believed that eating these cakes will protect one from illness. This ritual is said to preserve a 1,300-year tradition dating back to the Hakuhō period, with the small rice cakes considered the prototype for the modern kashiwamochi (rice cake wrapped in oak leaf).

Event Information and Access

• Event Date: Annually on May 5. Check the official website for the latest schedule and confirmation of event status.
• Location: Kamisoroyama and Oyaba (Baba Park), Honjo, Oiso Town, Naka District, Kanagawa Prefecture.
• Access: Take the JR Tokaido Line to "Oiso Station." Alternatively, take a bus to "Kokufushinshuku" bus stop, followed by a 5-minute walk.
• Admission: Viewing from the roadside is free. The availability of paid reserved seating varies by year; refer to official announcements.
• Organizer: Rokusho Shrine (Address: 935 Kokufu Honjo, Oiso Town, Naka District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Phone: 0463-71-3737).
• Parking: Temporary parking may be available near the site, but space is limited. The use of public transportation is recommended.

Surrounding Area Information

Oiso Town is a historic community facing Sagami Bay, and the Kokufu Honjo area, where the festival takes place, was once the site of the provincial capital of Sagami. The old Tokaido road, accessible on foot from Oiso Station, is lined with historic buildings and landmarks. Notable sites include Oiso Joyama Park and the former residence of Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, offering glimpses into the Meiji and Taisho eras.

May, when the festival is held, is a pleasant season with fresh sea breezes from Oiso Beach. Restaurants near Oiso Port serve local seafood, making it a good place to visit after the festival. The town also has several shrines, including Rokusho Shrine, one of the six participating shrines, making shrine visits a rewarding activity.

Nearby cities include Hiratsuka and Ninomiya, with easy access to Hiratsuka Hachimangu Shrine and Samukawa Shrine, both participants in the Kokufu Festival. Hiratsuka offers shopping and cultural facilities, suitable for combined festival and sightseeing trips. Oiso itself is a quiet town blending residential areas with historical scenery, providing a relaxed atmosphere even outside the festival period.

Related Information

• The Kokufu Festival was designated a Kanagawa Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property on June 23, 1978.
• The six participating shrines are: Ichinomiya Samukawa Shrine (Samukawa Town); Ninomiya Kawawa Shrine (Ninomiya Town); Sannomiya Hibita Shrine (Isehara City); Shinnomiya Sakitori Shrine (Hiratsuka City); Goninomiya-kaku Hiratsuka Hachimangu Shrine (Hiratsuka City); and Sosha Rokusho Shrine (Oiso Town).
• These six shrines are collectively referred to as "Ruisha."
• The festival consists of two main parts: the "Zamondo" at Kamisoroyama and the "Shintaimen," "Kokushi Hobei," and "Saikyoyo" ceremonies at Oyaba.
• The Zamondo is traditionally interpreted as a ritualized depiction of the ranking dispute between Samukawa Shrine and Kawawa Shrine.
• At Oyaba, competing festival music performances are held, with floats from the Rokusho Shrine Taiko Preservation Society, Kawawa Shrine (Chayahonjin Bayashi Preservation Society), Hibita Shrine (Sannomiya Nadeshiko Hayashi Kai), Sakitori Shrine Bayashi Taiko Preservation Society, Hachiman Bayashi Taiko Preservation Society, and Nijuyonkencho Wakamiya Hachiman Preservation Society. Sakitori Shrine also dedicates a Sato Kagura performance.
• In the past, a marketplace for farming tools was held at Oyaba on festival day, where buying tools was believed to bring a good harvest; today, general vendor stalls are more common.
• According to Rokusho Shrine's tradition, the Heron Dance was originally performed for Heian-period provincial governors and aristocrats.
• The small rice cakes used in Hibita Shrine's Chimaki ritual are made by steaming and pounding glutinous rice flour, then shaping them by hand, and they are considered the origin of the kashiwamochi.

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