<Danjiri Festival>

What is Danjiri Festival ? - It will never fail to impress visiting spectators

In Kishiwada-city, there is eighty-four Danjiri that is a kind of float, and very small community that consists of about 200-1200 families possess Danjiri. Broadly speaking, each community's area corresponds to township in New England of U.S.A, and the neighborhoods within the area organize each very small community. In many case, community's name means also Japan's address e.g. 679, habutaki-chou, Kishiwada-city, Osaka, Japan. (Underlined letters are community's name. That is, there is no street name about Japan's address in principle. )

Unlike a festival float in USA, Danjiri isn't equipped with engine, each community's participants consisting of about 400-800 men have to pull Danjiri by human power for parade, and it's feature of Danjiri festival that participants run, pulling Danjiri. Moreover, Danjiri turns a corner without stopping!. (Since a thick log is attached to the rear of Danjiri, such operation is possible. Please refer to "About Danjiri itself ")

Though it's natural, when Danjri turns a corner at full speed, it is extremely hard to control Danjiri's motion. And so, if the operation don't successfully finish, because of centrifugal force, Danjiri rolls over, or crashes into building or house. (Most of accident death on Danjiri featival occur by rollover or crash at the street corners.)

Though it may be strangely impressed, participating men are very proud that they turn a corner at utmost speed without flinching, pulling Danjri. No, if anything, each community competes to each other for how fastly Danjiri can turn a corner. Many men often say that I never regret to die in Danjiri festival. (Though you might not be believed, it's real !.)

What urges to do such a dangerous festival?. Probably its answer is "The harder the achievement is, the more it would be desired, as human habits." In other words, when they turn a corner at unbelievable speed, each can feel achievement and exhilaration, and that would be the greatest motivation of taking part in Danjiri festival.

Therefore, on the world, No festival would not more capture and delight participating men's spirits than Danjiri festival. "Readiness is all " (from Shakespaer, please allow trope), this phrase necessarily isn't overstatement as for Danjiri festival. Assuming that you really view Danjiri festival, you will be able to understand!.

About Danjiri itself
the average size and weight
Height : about 3.9m, Width : about 2.5m (top), about 1.7m (bottom), Length : about 4.3m
Weight : about 4.0 - 4.5 tons
Raw material
Zelkova. In many case, One danjiri is made by one tree of Zelkova .
Costs
:about JP YEN100,000,000 - 120,000,000 (about US$1,000,000), Donation from community's families covers the costs.
Features
1. As you can guess from the size, Danjiri have very high center of gravity.
2. Craftsmen handcraft and assemble Danjiri without nailing.
3. Danjiri is decorated with many hand-carved wooden sculptures, and the theme is Samurai's battle scene in old Japan. (Because of that, Danjiri is very expensive !.)
4.How can Danjiri turn a corner ? Unlike vehicles, Danjiri's shaft does not roll, that is, only wooden wheel (raw material : pine) is rolling, and so participants can change the direction of Danjiri at the street corners by controlling the one side's wheel rolling, using wooden bar in front of Danjiri. (At the same time, other participants operate a big log in rear of Danjiri.)

History of Danjiri festival
About three hundred years ago, Nagayasu Okabe who is a feudal lord at those days built Shinto temple praying for rich harvest, and he permitted town folk to come into precincts of Castle of Kishiwada, pulling Danjiri. That is the beginning of Danjiri festival, according to investigator of local history. And so, it's the custom of Danjiri festival that participants enter into Shinto's temple and pray together with Danjiri.

[About Shinto i.e. indigenous religion(custom) of Japan.]
Though features of Shinto are veneration to Japan's Emperor as descendant of creator in Japanese myth, basing on Japan's a kind of shamanism, Shinto has no established system such as originator, religious community and tenet defined. And so, most of The Japanese don't clearly recognizes Shinto as religion. Therefore, Shinto is custom rather than religion in Japan. (For example, there are altars of both Shinto and Buddhism in most Japan's homes.)

Information
Parade Schedule of Danjiri
Please note that there is no accurate schedule about 15th on Sep due to traditional events based on Shinto, as previously stated. The average schedule in every year is as follows.
1. 14:00 - 16:00, 1st Sunday on Sep, (This parade is for preparing and training)
2. 14:00 - 16:00, 13th on Sep, (This parade is for preparing and training.)
3. 6:00 - 7:30, 9:00 - 12:00, 13:00 - 17:00, 19:00 - 22:00 ,14th on Sep
4. about 8:30 - about 12:00, 13:00 - about 18:00, 19:00 - about 23 : 00, 15th on Sep
Notices
1.Because of a great deal of spectators, you may be not able to view close to Danjiri at street corners.
2. Since Danjiri festival is dangerous to visiting spectators, there are many "No Entry Zone" around street corners. (Please strictly obey to the directions of men who make order around street corners!.)
For your convinience
1. Access to Kishiwada-city ; about 20 minutes from Kansai airport terminal via Nankai railroad. Please don't use another railroad because you will waste time.
2.Please don't stay around station of Kishiwada, because you will not be able to view many Danjiri parade.
You can view many Danjiri's parade at seaside street in Kishiwa-city, and so, please inquire of mature men who are wearing festival's uniforms as follows. Maybe inquired men will manage to indicate the street, with his gestures.

[sokaimichi wa doko desuka?] in Japanese.
[Where is sokaimichi?] in English. ("sokaimichi" is a street name in Kishiwada-city)