| Hakata Gion Yamakasa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Observed by | Hakata,Fukuoka |
| Type | Religious |
| Begins | 1 July |
| Ends | 15 July |
| Date | Month of July |
| Related to | Fukagawa Matsuri,Sannō Matsuri,Tanabata |
Hakata Gion Yamakasa (博多祇園山笠) is aJapanese festival celebrated from the 1st until the 15th of July inHakata,Fukuoka. The festivities are centred on theKushida Jinja. The festival is famous for the Kakiyama, that weigh around one ton and are carried around the city as an act offloat-racing. The festival is believed to be over 770 years old and attracts up to a million spectators each year. It was designated anImportant Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 1979.[1][2][3] The origin of the festival is believed to date back to 1241, when the founder ofJoten-ji temple, monkEnni had people carry him around the town on a float, while praying in order to get rid of the plague which is considered to have been successful.[4] The sound of the Yamakasa has also been selected by theMinistry of the Environment as one of the100 Soundscapes of Japan.[5][6]
Thefloats, called Yamakasa, are divided into two groups. The Kakiyama are the smaller, carryablefloats, that are raced through the town, while the Kazariyama are stationaryfloats, that are built up to 13 metres high and often depict historic or mythical events of Japanese culture.Originally the Kakiyama and Kazariyama were one and the same, with the large floats being carried through the city. However the Yamakasa were split up in 1898 when the electrical power lines in Hakata became too common for large Yamakasa to be carried through the streets.
Hakata, once its own city, merged with Fukuoka in 1876. The festivities are mostly based in Hakata.
Hakata was divided into seven districts byToyotomi Hideyoshi in 1586/1587. Some of these districts have changed names and exact boundaries multiple times; they still see themselves as the original seven districts. Soon after the division, carrying the Yamakasa through one's own district became a competition for speed. Today, the main event, the Oiyama, is a race between the districts.
The districts are Higashi-nagare, Nakasu-nagare, Nishi-nagare, Chiyo-nagare, Ebisu-nagare, Doi-nagare and Daikoku-nagare.
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