The , held in Kishiwada, Osaka

Kishiwada, Osaka

is a city located in Osaka, Japan. Founded November 1, 1922, the city is well-known for its Danjiri Matsuri.-History:The oldest evidence of life in Kishiwada is the Mayuyama Kofun . The most popular origin story of Kishiwada dates from the 14th century...

, is one of the most famous Danjiri Matsuri

Danjiri Matsuri

Danjiri Matsuri are cart-pulling festivals held in Japan. The Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri is probably the most famous.-The danjiri cart:Danjiri are large wooden carts in the shape of a shrine or temple. The carts, often being crafted out of wood, are very ornate, with elaborate carvings...

 in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

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History

The festival began in 1703 when the Daimyo

Daimyo

is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...

 of Kishiwada, Okabe Nagayasu (岡部 長泰), prayed to Shinto

Shinto

or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...

 gods for an abundant harvest at Fushimi Inari-taisha

Fushimi Inari-taisha

is the head shrine of Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines....

, Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

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Summary

The Danjiri festival is divided principally into two festivals. The first is held in September and is the more famous of the two. The second occurs in October, is less famous but involves more Danjiri. The September Festival is itself divided in two. Again, the more famous is the Kishiwada danjiri centering around the Castle and runs from the Nankai line down to the seaside. The other Danjiri festival occurs in Haruki Town and centres around Nankai Haruki Station. The September Festival involves 34 Danjiri. In October the towns between the Nankai line and the mountains hold their own Danjiri Festivals. These involve 47 Danjiri and centre around the JR stations of Kumeda, Shimomatsu and Higashi-Kishiwada.

The city has 81 large wooden carts, each holding a portable shrine or danjiri.

Schedule

From 2006, Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri is held on the Saturday and Sunday before Respect for the Aged Day

Respect for the Aged Day

is a Japanese holiday celebrated annually to honor elderly citizens. A national holiday since 1966, this was previously held on September 15. Beginning in 2003, Respect for the Aged Day is held on the third Monday of September due to the Happy Monday System....

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Personal roles

• Sponsor (世話人 sewanin)
• "Young head" (若頭 waka gashira)
• Pulling team (組 kumi)
• Cartwright (大工方 daiku gata)
• "Young man group" (青年團 seinen dan): usually 16–25-year-old people who play musical instruments such as the taiko
  Taiko
  means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
  
   (drum) and Kane
  Kane (musical instrument)
  The is a type of bell from Japan.Often accompanying Japanese folk music, or Min'yō, is a dish-shaped bell called a . It is often hung on a bar, and the player holds the bell in place with one hand, and beats the Kane with a specialized mallet with the other...
  
  (bell).