Onbashira
mihashira onbashira japanese 御柱 honorific prefix 御 onmi 柱 hashira pillar four wooden post pillar stand four corner local shrine lake suwa area nagano prefecture historical shinano province japan largest famous set onbashira stand four shrine make suwa grand shrine complex custom onbashira replaced every six traditionally reckoned seven year year monkey tiger chinese zodiac suwa shrine occurs onbashira festival 御柱祭 onbashirasai also function symbolic renewal shrine building festival sixteen specially chosen fir tree felled transported mountain erected four corner shrine festival participant ride onbashira slid mountain dragged shrine raised festival reputation dangerous japan due number people regularly injured killed riding log festival last several month consists two main segment yamadashi satobiki yamadashi traditionally take place april satobiki take place may yamadashi portion cancelled due ongoing covid pandemic satobiki still scheduled begin may known today suwa grand shrine suwa taisha 諏訪大社 originally two distinct site made four individual shrine honmiya 本宮 maemiya 前宮 comprise upper shrine kamisha 上社 located modernday city suwa chino southeastern side lake suwa respectively spring shrine 春宮 harumiya autumn shrine 秋宮 akimiya town shimosuwa opposite northern side lake make lower shrine 下社 shimosha shrine deity known either suwa daimyōjin takeminakata worshipped since antiquity god wind water well patron hunting warfare latter capacity enjoyed particularly fervent cult various samurai clan middle age upper shrine dedicated suwa daimyōjin consort goddess yasakatome worshipped lower shrine like others among japan oldest shrine kamisha honmiya two shrine shimosha honden building normally enshrines shrine deity instead upper shrine object worship sacred mountain behind honmiya sacred rock 磐座 iwakura upon suwa daimyōjin thought descend shrine former high priest ōhōri 大祝 considered physical incarnation god later joined two buddhist structure longer extant since meiji period stone pagoda shrine inner sanctum known tettō 鉄塔 iron tower sanctuary bodhisattva samantabhadra fugen—suwa daimyōjin considered manifestation bodhisattva—on sacred mountain meanwhile lower shrine object worship sacred tree sugi tree harumiya yew tree akimiya unlike today originally far fewer building precinct kamisha honmiyas case medieval record instance indicate shrine sacred area worship hall haiden stand featured torii gate god dwelling place iwakura demarcated kind fence kakusu 格子 four shrine suwa shrine complex surrounded four corner large wooden pillar known onbashira pillar currently made momus fir tree trunk though wood tree larch japanese cedar also used past largest set four onbashira measuring jō shaku approx meter high designated first pillar ichi hashira 一の柱 remaining three pillars—the second pillar 二の柱 ni hashira third pillar 三の柱 san hashira fourth pillar 四の柱 yon hashira—are five jō approx four jō five shaku approx four jō approx respectively onbashiras girth traditionally determined measuring uncut tree circumference eye level medōri 目通り actual thickness log used may vary largest onbashira recent history term girth akimiyas ichi hashira used festival shōwa aside large onbashira suwa shrine smaller onbashira also erected branch shrine throughout country onbashira also found many local shrine historical suwa district see picture left origin symbolism onbashiras origin original purpose shrouded mystery variously interpreted among thing relic much larger structure kind barrier boundary marker cf korean jangseung totem pole even symbolic substitute rebuilding entire shrine complex scholar meanwhile consider practice erecting sacred pillar derive ultimately prehistoric tree worship citing remains wooden pole slab discovered various jōmon period site apparently ritualistic context potential parallel suwa onbashira onbashira chinese philosophy possible influence chinese theory five element concept earthly branch ceremony erecting onbashira—at least upper shrine—have observed instance ritual roughly reflects element cycle generation wood begets fire fire begets earth earth begets metal upper shrine onbashira made tree mountain east associated element wood brought shrine located south fire lake suwa north water order replace old onbashira earth taken brought hachiryū shrine former village chūkaneko 中金子 金 meaning metal part suwa city custom hammering ornamental sickle nagikama tree selected become onbashira also linked idea element metal overcoming wood sickle thought pacify cut violent wind associated wood element cf suwa daimyōjin wind god generating relationship wood fire connection suwa deity also seen medieval document known suwa shichū 陬波私注 associate suwa daimyōjins birth later disappearance year yang wood horse kinoeuma 甲午 horse associated south direction fire timing onbashira festival fall zodiac year tiger monkey rebuilding upper shrine hōden treasure hall see noon—the hour horse—are seen corresponding concept three unity 三合 chinese sānhé japanese sangō four five element assigned three branch sign representing birth 長生 peak 帝旺 burial 墓 zodiac sign tiger horse associated birth peak aspect fire suwa shrine onbashira festival officially known shikinen zōei mihashira taisai 式年造営御柱大祭 lit great festival periodic building shrine mihashira popularly reckoned year history suwa daimyōjin ekotoba written claim custom reconstructing zōei 造営 shrine edifice year monkey tiger started reign emperor kanmu late th early th century early heian period one legend concerning suwa daimyōjin claim appeared general sakanoue tamuramaro appointed emperor kanmu subjugate indigenous emishi northeastern japan thanksgiving god miraculous assistance tamuramaros campaign imperial court said decreed establishment various religious ceremony suwa shrine according suwa daimyōjin ekotoba periodic rebuilding zōei 造営 structure every six year upper lower shrine treasure hall hōden 宝殿 shrine mikoshi kept decreed perpetual duty eidai kayaku 永代の課役 whole province shinano inhabitant various district province responsible organizing event indeed case shrine experienced period decline sengoku period ekotoba describes preparation rebuilding thus onset spring governor kokushi shinano would appoint official collected necessary fund populace checkpoint toll booth seki 関 set provincial road exchange mifu 御符 official certification stamped sacred seal upper lower shrine rebuilding shrine undertaken artisan assembled across province thousand people assigned task erecting onbashira place one two thousand pillar due exorbitant amount money required project local traditionally avoided postponed special occasion like marriage comingofage ceremony even funeral year addition observance event proper time considered essential failure obey taboo thought incur divine punishment upheaval sengoku period threatened suwa shrine religious rite indeed shrine ceremony would lost oblivion warlord takeda shingen staunch devotee suwa deity took step revive performance fully conquered whole shinano province shingen issued order reinstitution religious rite kamisha shimosha zōei one tenshō eldest son oda nobunaga nobutada led army takedacontrolled shinano burned upper shrine suwa ground shrine destroyed invasion subsequently rebuilt schedule two year later tenshō year yang wood monkey introduction bakuhan system edo period effectively ended perpetual obligation periodically rebuilding shrine replacing onbashira imposed whole province shinano since duty became sole affair village suwa aka takashima domain shrine around edo following meiji period raising onbashira gradually turned grand festival overshadowing zōei thought current practice associated event may influenced rebuilding ceremony practiced ise shrine later half period viewing gallery built huge crowd gathered witness festival establishment state shinto meiji restoration changed religious landscape suwa union shinto buddhism existed shrines—as place japan—was brought end control upper lower shrine merged single institution turned local priestly family government onbashira festival underwent massive change formerly task procuring raising onbashira assigned different village every time via mutual agreement decided lottery used henceforth determine village assigned onbashira given festival village upper shrine jurisdiction currently district modernday city chino suwa town fujimi village hara still allotted respective onbashira via lottery day responsible village lower shrine onbashira soon decided away lottery festival instead permanently assigned particular village particular onbashira arrangement continues day lower shrine iconic kiotoshi wherein onbashira slid steep hill kiotoshizaka men attempt ride originated meiji period onwards unlike upper shrine speciallydesignated area obtain wooden log lower shrine originally used tree trunk obtained different nearby mountain forest higashimata 東俣 shimosuwa established sole source lower shrine onbashira current route pass hill adopted taishō yearold tomoya nakamura 中村知也 became first known person ride onbashira slid kiotoshizaka said repeated feat subsequent five festival making local legend apparently took time others imitate nakamura photograph attached newspaper article festival distinctly show one onbashira depicted festival report logriding began appear final year world war ii japan military situation became desperate government began altering original conscription law male student age became subject draft whereas formerly exempted men —some young —were pressured serve military due lack ablebodied adult men onbashira festival shōwa performed mainly woman formerly take part proceeding older men pressed military service festival thenmayor shimosuwa tokichi takagi 高木十吉 died accident yamadashi since become customary pray safety proceeding monument dedicated memory festival shōwa first held war marked first time woman officially allowed participate event preparation festival commences process selecting tree turned onbashira mitate 見立て upper shrine case preliminary inspection karimitate 仮見立 performed two year given festival formal selection process honmitate 本見立 held year upper shrine onbashira made momus fir tree procured mount okoya okoyasan 御小屋山—part southern yatsugatake mountains—in village hara lower shrine taken forest higashimata 東俣 town shimosuwa yamadashi literally mean coming mountain sixteen fir tree usually metre ft tall selected cut shinto ceremony using speciallymade ax adz log decorated red white regalia traditional color shinto ceremony rope attached yamadashi team people drag log mountain towards shrine course log go rough terrain certain point log must skidded dropped steep slope young men prove bravery riding log weigh much ton hill ceremony known kiotoshi tree falling satobiki held month later log paraded four shrine building erected honmiya maemiya harumiya akimiya four onbashira erected building one corner log raised rope hand raised ceremonial group log bearer ride log sing perform feat ceremony performed part opening ceremony winter olympics nagano two festival important event building hoden event mark end onbashira famous yamadashi satobiki onbashira reputation dangerous festival japan led injury death participant fatal incident two men drowned log pulled across river two men noritoshi masuzawa kazuya hirata died falling height metre ft tree trunk raised ground suwa grand shrine two men injured accident organizer say occurred guidewire supporting metre ft tree gave way one man died falling tree raised shrine mishaguji suwa taisha takeminakata totem pole furukawa sadao 図説長野県の歴史 zusetsu naganoken rekishi kawade shobō shinsha isbn inoue takami interaction buddhist shinto tradition suwa shrine rambellli fabio teuuwen mark ed august buddha kami japan honji suijaku combinatory paradigm routledge isbn cite book first generic name help ishikawa shunsuke 祭りにおける「イベント」の形成に関する基礎研究 諏訪大社下社御柱祭「木落し」の事例から basic study event traditional festival case study kiotoshi onbashiramatsuri festival pdf journal nagoya university graduate school humanity japanese issn archived original pdf retrieved konishi jinichi history japanese literature volume high middle age princeton university press isbn matsui keisuke geography religion japan religious space landscape behavior springer science business medium isbn miyasaka mitsuaki 諏訪大社の御柱と年中行事 suwa taisha onbashira nenchūgyōji nagano kyōdo shuppansha isbn muraoka geppo 諏訪の祭神 suwa saijin tokyo yuzankaku shuppan tanigawa kenichi ed 日本の神々―神社と聖地〈〉美濃・飛騨・信濃 nihon kamigami jinja seichi vol mino hida shinano hakusuisha isbn turnbull stephen nagashino slaughter barricade bloomsbury publishing isbn wakita haruko creation fabricated myth medieval age examination shintoshu history engi noh play source pdf baxter james c fogel joshua ed writing history japan text transformation ancient time meiji era international research center japanese study p yamashita masaharu 訓読・諏訪大明神絵詞 一 kundoku suwa daimyōjjn ekotoba pdf annual report institute cultural science risshō university – archived original pdf retrieved yazaki takenori ed 諏訪大社 suwa taisha 銀河グラフィック選書 ginga gurafikku sensho vol ginga shobō onbashira web japanese