"Tabanka" Fire Festival of Daiho Hachiman-gu Shrine

There are several festivals and ceremonies in September at Daiho Hachiman-gu shrine in Shimotsuma city (Ibaraki pref. Japan). "Tabanka matsuri" feast is one of them and known of its strange customs. Young boys in white clothes run around in the shrine with big torchs in their hand. This brave ceremony is held twice, on 12th and 14th of September. The ceremony start at around 7 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m.

The photos are taken in 1996 and 1997.

Boys come out from the shrine building after Shinto mass. Curiously they thorw down small tatamis and ceramics to outside. The ceramics are taken as charm for happiness.

Straw bundles are put into bonfire.

Fire is put on straw bundles. The boys have them in hands and rush out.

The boys patting the ground with small tatami and big cap of a pot. Thus they keep the fire from diminishing. The shrine area fills with big noise of the patting and sound of taiko (u-law, 170KB). In modern japanese onomatopoeia the sound is written such as "batan batan," but in old days the sound may have been heard as "tabanka tabanka" or so.

Boys are running around the main road to the shrine building with torches. Sometimes visiters are run after.

After the event, they and priests clapp hands (u-law, 170KB). It's usual japanese custom but the rhythm is peculiar in Ibaraki prefecture.

Usual japanese clapping: OOO_ OOO_ OOO_ O___
Ibaraki style:            O_O_ O___ OOO_ O___ O___ (u-law, 170KB)

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