Suga Shrine Taisai

Overview

The Suga Shrine Taisai is a festival of Suga Shrine held in Kashiyama-cho, Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture. Also called the "Kashiyama Float Festival," its four festival floats and festival music are designated intangible folk cultural properties of Okazaki City (former Nukata Town). It is now held on the second Sunday of April each year.

History and Origins

According to oral tradition the festival originates in the Edo period, and an 1875 record, the "Sairei-ki," describes its appearance at that time. Originally held as a Gion festival in the sixth lunar month, it moved to April 14 from the late Meiji era and in recent years is held on the second Sunday of April.

There was once no storehouse for the floats, which were dismantled and kept on the stage of Suga Shrine; but a fire in 1893 burned the stage and reduced all the floats to ashes. The four floats of today were newly built or purchased from elsewhere after 1895. The parishioners form six groups, with two groups—"Hara" and "Miyakita-ichi," "Kawase" and "Naka," "Shono" and "Nyuno"—serving as the year's stewards every three years. In 1982 the festival floats and music were designated intangible folk cultural properties.

Highlights

The highlight is the four distinctive floats. The "Ryujin float" (Hara group) bears carvings of Tenaga and Ashinaga on the two pillars of its front section. The "Hoo float" (Shono group) was purchased in 1909 from a float used at the Nomi Shinmeigu Grand Festival. The "Ebisu float" (Naka group) is a gorgeous work with gold leaf on its gable board and mother-of-pearl inlay around the door and lower carvings. The "Irifune float" (Nyuno group) was built in boat form in the Meiji era using a lower section that escaped the fire, and was later rebuilt. In addition, the "Hana-gumi" of Kawase and Miyakita-ichi join with a charaboko float decorated with cherry-blossom artificial flowers. The day begins with raising banners in the morning, after which the floats, sacred implements, and portable shrine proceed in a line; at the turnaround point of Shinmeigu, the steward groups perform festival music in a rite called "Goshoran," and after the miyairi the festival concludes with signal fireworks and a mochi-throwing.

Event Information & Access

It is held on the second Sunday of April each year. The venue is Suga Shrine in Kashiyama-cho, Okazaki City, and the area around Shinmeigu, the turnaround point. Located in a mountain village of the Nukata district east of central Okazaki, access is mainly by car.

Around the Venue

The Nukata district, where Kashiyama-cho lies, is a nature-rich mountain village in eastern Okazaki, an area that still preserves the historical character of mountain-village life. Central Okazaki is home to Okazaki Castle associated with Tokugawa Ieyasu and is known as a producer of Hatcho miso. One can tour the history of the castle town of Okazaki together with the traditional events of the Nukata countryside.

Related Information

• Month: Second Sunday of April (spring)
• Prefecture: Aichi (Chubu)
• Venue: Suga Shrine (Kashiyama-cho, Okazaki City) and around Shinmeigu
• Origin: Edo period (Gion festival in the 6th lunar month, moved to April in late Meiji)
• Cultural property: Four festival floats and festival music (Okazaki City intangible folk cultural property, designated 1982)

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