Gold Mine Festival

Overview

The Kouzan Matsuri is the annual festival of Oyama Zumi Shrine, located in Shimoyama no Kami-cho, Aikawa District, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture. This shrine serves as the chief guardian deity of the Sado Aikawa Gold and Silver Mines, and the festival is held in its honor during the latter part of July on a Saturday and Sunday each year. Together with the Ryotsu Tanabata and River Opening Festival and the Ogi Port Festival, it is recognized as one of the three major festivals of Sado . The main venues are the Aikawa town area and surrounding locations, with events ranging from Shinto rituals at Oyama Zumi Shrine to the dedication of the ritual performing art Yawaragi, a procession of festival floats through the town, Sado Okesa dancing, and a fireworks display .

The festival has undergone a name change in its history. From the year 2000 to 2002, it was called Kinyama Matsuri (Gold Mountain Festival), but strong objections from local residents led to a revision, and since 2003 it has reverted to the original name of Kouzan Matsuri . The origin of the festival lies in the desire to console the workers of the gold and silver mine and to pray for the prosperity of the mine itself, a spirit that continues to be upheld to this day.

History and Origins

The origins of the Kouzan Matsuri trace back to 1605, when the first Sado magistrate, Okubo Nagayasu, established Oyama Zumi Shrine to pray for the prosperity of the gold and silver mine . During the Edo period, monthly Shinto rituals were conducted at Oyama Zumi Shrine, and officials from the Sado magistrate's office, along with mining masters from the Sado Gold Mine, would attend . It is said that a Noh stage once stood within the shrine grounds, and Noh performances were also held. However, from the middle of the Edo period, production of gold and silver declined sharply, and the town of Aikawa, which had once been home to several thousand people, declined greatly in population as the mine waned . Consequently, the festival was discontinued for a time.

After the Meiji Restoration, with the national policy of enriching the nation and strengthening the military, foreign technology was introduced and the Sado Mine was revived. In 1885, Takato Oshima was appointed director of the Sado Mine . Oshima had studied at the Freiberg Mining Academy in Germany in 1871, and drawing inspiration from the Freiberg Mining Festival he had witnessed there, he revived the local festival in 1887 . For this revival, he added processions of floats and lanterns departing from the mine and parading through the town, along with fireworks, creating a more splendid spectacle.

From 1894, the festival was fixed on July 13 to 15, but due to conflicts with the rainy season, it was changed to July 25 to 27 in 1962 . Later, in 2007, it was moved to the latter part of July on a Saturday and Sunday, which remains the schedule today. In this way, the festival reflects the history of the Sado Gold and Silver Mine, including its rise, decline, and revival.

Highlights

Shinto Ritual and Yawaragi Dedication On the morning of the first day of the festival, a Shinto ritual is conducted at Oyama Zumi Shrine, followed by a dedication of Yawaragi . Yawaragi is a ritual performing art handed down at the Sado Gold and Silver Mine, and it carries two prayers: that the hard ore may soften, and that the heart of the mountain deity may soften as well. Digging through the ore meant a constant struggle against solid rock, and where human strength alone was not enough, the miners appealed to the protection of the mountain deity. That prayer, preserved in the form of a performing art, expresses the faith of the people of Aikawa who lived alongside the mine. In performance, one figure stands at the center wearing a long beard, an eboshi hat and kamishimo attire, flanked on either side by kanahori daiku, the mine carpenters. Today the performers are sometimes employees of Golden Sado Co., Ltd., which operates the Sado Kinzan historic site, or pupils of Aikawa Elementary School, and in some years the Sado-based taiko ensemble Kodo adds its drumming to the Shinto ritual.

Children's Mikoshi and Brass Band Parade On the first day, a children's mikoshi procession is held by children from the Aikawa nursery school and kindergarten, and a brass band parade by students of Aikawa Elementary School takes place simultaneously . In the past, students from Kinsen Elementary School also participated. The children's mikoshi, with its small bearers energetically parading through the town, plays a role in adding vibrancy to the opening of the festival. It is a moment that makes one realize that the Kouzan Matsuri is supported by the children who will carry the region into the future.

Matsuri Nagashi (Float Procession) Matsuri Nagashi is one of the central events of the festival, involving a procession of floats and lanterns parading through the streets of Aikawa . This format was introduced by Takato Oshima, inspired by the Freiberg Mining Festival in Germany, and it follows a route starting from the mine and touring the town. The sight of lantern lights swaying in the night breeze against the backdrop of Aikawa's townscape evokes the bustle of the mining town in its heyday.

Sado Okesa Nagashi On the Tenryo-dori street in Aikawa, the entire town participates in the Sado Okesa Nagashi . The roots of Sado Okesa are said to lie in the Ushibukaiya-bushi from the Amakusa region, which was brought to Ogi Port in Sado by sailors of Kitamae ships and spread among the gold and silver mine workers in Aikawa . This is why Sado Okesa has a melody tinged with a melancholy not found in the original song. Only the seicho (standard) part, performed slowly with shamisen and vocals, is widely known, but in fact it has a three-part structure: the seicho, zomeki which adds flute, drums, and dance, and the up-tempo Senkojo Okesa . The opening of Senkojo Okesa goes, Ha asa mo na hayo kara kantera sagete na yo ha ariyariyasa Takato kayoi no hodo no yosa, weaving the daily life of mine workers into the lyrics, making it a folk song that strongly reflects the history of Sado Gold Mine.

Fireworks Display Fireworks are launched in the latter part of the festival. In the past they were set off from a barge on Aikawa Bay, and later from Kasugazaki to the south of Aikawa, but in recent years the launch site has been moved to Aikawa Beach Park. Approximately 500 fireworks, centered on starmine barrages, light up the summer night sky. The fireworks display is held at the earliest time among Sado's summer festivals .

Shiokaze Relay Marathon On the second day, the Shiokaze Relay Marathon is held, in which participants pass a sash along a course on the coastal road of Aikawa . This marathon is a regular event as part of the festival and is open to general participants. As an event that combines sports and festival, it provides enjoyment for both participants and spectators.

Event Information and Access

• Date: Held annually on the latter part of July on a Saturday and Sunday (check the official website for the latest schedule and availability)
• Location: Oyama Zumi Shrine, Aikawa town area, and Aikawa Beach Park (fireworks launch site) in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture
• Access from Ryotsu Port: From Ryotsu Port (about 1 hour 7 minutes by jet foil from Niigata Port), take the Niigata Kotsu Sado bus on the Main Line for about one hour, and get off at Aikawa
• Access from Ogi Port: From Ogi Port (about 2 hours 40 minutes by car ferry from Naoetsu Port; not in service in winter), take the Ogi Line bus, transfer at Sadowa Bus Stop, and then take the Shichika Kaigan Line bus to Aikawa
• Inquiries: Kouzan Matsuri Executive Committee Office, TEL 0259-74-3515
• Official Website: https://www.s-nets.info/sado.kouzan/
• Admission: Free for the fireworks display (no paid seating); participation fee required for the Shiokaze Relay Marathon
• Parking: Available (check the official website for details)
• Organizer: Kouzan Matsuri Executive Committee

Surrounding Area Information

The Aikawa district flourished as the center of the Sado Gold and Silver Mine and is a town rich in history. Around the festival venue, there are many historical sites and tourist facilities related to the Sado Gold Mine. The Sado Gold Mine was one of Japan's major gold and silver mines, with mining continuing from the Edo period through to the Showa era. Today it operates as the tourist facility Sado Kinzan, managed by Golden Sado Co., Ltd., where visitors can tour the mine tunnels. In July 2024 the Sado Island Gold Mines were inscribed on the World Heritage List, but what was inscribed were the mining ruins such as the Aikawa-Tsurushi Gold and Silver Mine, not the Kouzan Matsuri itself. A visit during the festival period will deepen one's understanding of the mining culture experienced at the festival.

Additionally, Ryotsu Port is about a 30-minute drive from Aikawa. Around the port, there are restaurants offering Sado's seafood and accommodation facilities. Sado is famous for its fresh seafood, and tasting local fish dishes during the festival is one of the pleasures of the trip. Squid and crab dishes are particularly well-known as representative delicacies of Sado.

Furthermore, in the southern part of Sado City, there is the Shukunegi district, which has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. This village flourished as a port of call for the Kitamae ships, and its history is connected to the Ushibukaiya-bushi, which was brought by those ships and became the root of Sado Okesa, sung at the festival. Visiting this area in conjunction with the festival allows one to experience the multilayered culture created by Sado's sea and mining industries.

Related Information

• Three Major Festivals of Sado: The Kouzan Matsuri is counted among the three major festivals of Sado, along with the Ryotsu Tanabata and River Opening Festival and the Ogi Port Festival . Each festival has different origins and characteristics, enlivening Sado in summer.
• Takato Oshima: The person who revived the Kouzan Matsuri in 1887 after being appointed director of the Sado Mine in 1885 . Drawing on his experience studying in Germany, he is credited with transforming the festival into a more splendid event incorporating fireworks and floats.
• Origin of Sado Okesa: A folk song that is said to have originated from the Ushibukaiya-bushi of the Amakusa region, brought to Ogi Port in Sado by Kitamae ship sailors and spread among the gold and silver mine workers of Aikawa . In the Taisho period, the Tatsu Namikai, a folk song preservation group in Aikawa, recorded it, and the name Sado Okesa was adopted, leading to a major hit.
• Yawaragi: A ritual performing art of the Sado Gold and Silver Mine, praying that the hard ore and the heart of the mountain deity may both soften. It is dedicated after the Shinto ritual at Oyama Zumi Shrine and is passed down to the present day.
• Oyama Zumi Shrine: The chief guardian deity of the Sado Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine, established in 1605 by the first Sado magistrate, Okubo Nagayasu . It is the central venue of the Kouzan Matsuri and is crowded with many visitors during the festival period.
• Senkojo Okesa: The fastest-paced part of the three-part Sado Okesa . The lyrics include specific proper nouns such as Takato kayoi, singing on the history of the mine.

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