Global Ilk Magazine Issue #2 || Onbashira | Page 10

ONBASHIRA

What Is

Onbashira, meaning "The Honored Pillars", is a festival held in the city of Suwa, (Nagano
Prefecture) Japan. The festival happens once every six years with records of the celebration
dating back over 1200 years,with strong traditional elements that are still practiced today.
The Onbashira festival itself is heavily rooted in tradition, pride and community. The purpose
of Onbashira is to celebrate the replacement and erecting ,of the great pillars, at the Suwa
Taisha shrine. This shrine is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan and is home to the
Myoujin Kami, the brave protector of water and wind. Shintoism, meaning "The Way of the
Gods", originated in Japan and is one of the world's oldest religions. Shinto shrines are not
only places of worship but they are thought to also be the homes of the "Kami" or Shinto

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Gods. The shrines’ architecture, art and preservation of
ancient tradition are of high importance in the religion.
The shrine that Onbashira is dedicated to, the Suwa
Taisha(a.k.a. “The Greater Shrine”) is composed of two
lesser shrines: the Upper shrine (Kamisha) and Lower
shrine (Shimosha) both of which have two sites, amounting
to four total shrines. At each shrine there are four pillars
which are collectively known as Onbashira. Every six years
these pillars are replaced (figure to the left) and erected,
totaling 16 logs for the entire Suwa Taisha Shrine (The
Greater Shrine). These pillars dictate the sacred area of the
shrine as they stand at each one of the shrine's four
corners.
The Onbashira festival lasts for two months and has two
main events, carrying and riding the logs to their first
destination and erecting them at the shrines. The first stage,
called Yamadashi, literally means "coming out of the
mountains" and is the event of retrieving the pillars out of
the woods, dragging them down a mountain and through
town. Then the locals ride them down a steep hill, and finish
dragging them to the resting place. Thousands of locals join
in efforts of cutting down, de-limbing, dragging and riding
each the 16 fir tree trunks from the mountains of Suwa.
Each log is approximately 200 years old and measures 4
feet in circumference (1.2 meters), 59 feet in length (18
meters) and 8-10 tons in weight. During the festival
thousands of people dress in a traditional smock-like jacket
as they participate in the events. People of all ages can
participate.Those pulling the logs must go up and down
slopes, through narrow streets with sharp turns all while
dodging chanting spectators. Each log is harnessed by
extremely thick and equally as long ropes giving participants
something to hold on to as they pull.
The most exciting event of the Yamadashi part of
Onbashira is referred to as the Kiotoshi. During Kiotoshi
men who are previously selected sit on the log and slide
down a 35-40 degree angle sloped hill, about 115 yards
long (100m). This is the spectacle the people come from all
over the world to see. Once the log has been ridden down
the hill it is again dragged to where it will be left to rest for
nearly a month awaiting the second part of Onbashira.
The second stage of Onbashira is the Satobiki a
ceremonial erecting of the trunks in which participants,
again, sit atop of the log as it is placed upright.The chanting
begins as the log is hoisted up into the shrine and lasts until
the task is completely finished. Once all pillars have been
erected, there are lively celebrations and people take the
time to pray at the temple.

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