Yesterday (September 16) and today (September 17) are the Danjiri Festivals in Kishiwada, Osaka. I used to go to the festival often when I lived in Kishiwada, but now I live a little far away and don’t have the energy to go, so I mostly watch the live broadcast on YouTube. The thing that surprised me the most when I moved to Kishiwada was the strong feelings that the residents have for the Danjiri. In July and August, you can hear the sounds of the flutes and drums of the ohayashi music from the Danjiri sheds day and night. There are nightly gatherings at the community center nearby. I had a middle school student who was good at sumo, and in spite of invitation by local high schools known for their strong sumo wrestling, he turned them down because he couldn’t do Danjiri. It’s true even if you watch it in person, but even if you watch it on Youtube, the enthusiasm that comes through is extraordinary. The Kishiwada Danjiri Festival is a major autumn event with a history of over 300 years. It is a major event that brings together people from the community to carry around a Danjiri that costs over 100 million yen each. It is also a major event that arouses a sense of community that is being lost.

昨日(9/16)と今日(9/17)は大阪岸和田市のだんじり祭りです。岸和田市に住んでいる頃はよく見物に行ったものですが、今は少し離れた所に住んでいますし、行くだけの元気もありませんので、もっぱらYoutubeのライブでの見物です。岸和田市に移り住んだ時に一番驚いたのは、住民のだんじりに掛ける思いの強さです。7、8月ともなれば、朝晩、だんじり小屋からお囃子の笛や太鼓の音が聞こえてきます。近くの公民館には毎晩灯が灯っていて寄り合いがあります。教えていた中学生に相撲の強い子がいて、地方の相撲の強豪校からお誘いがきても、だんじりができないからと断った子もいました。直に見ていてもそうですが、Youtubeを見ていても、伝わってくる熱気は只者ではありません。300年の歴史があり、一台一億円以上もするだんじりを地域ごとに持ち、地域の人達が総出で駆け巡る岸和田のだんじりは初秋の一大風物詩であり、失われつつある地域の連帯感を呼び起こす一大イベントでもあります。