Global Ilk Magazine Issue #2 || Onbashira | Page 16

SHIMO-SUWA

Onbashira is one of the most
anticipated festivals in all of
Nagano and it’s surrounding
prefectures. Not only because it
happens every six years but
because participating brings
honor to one's city, one's family
and the gods. During this
festival, the streets are full, the
trains are packed; all in
anticipation for the Kiotoshi. With
this massive crowd comes a lot
of free Sake (sah-keh) a
traditional Japanese alcohol
made from rice. The town turns
into something like a fair in
America, with candied and fried
greasy food galore, the selling of
quirky goods that may never be
used and others that will be kept
as handmade treasures.
Banners and signs stream the
sky in every direction and
watching people swim past each
other is a spectacle in it of itself.
We attended the Yamadashi
part of Onbashira at the Lower
Shrine in Shimo-Suwa. Upon
getting off of the train we began
the trek up the hills and were
eventually greeted with the
chatting of “Yoisa! Yoisa!"
(meaning "fight, fight") As we
kept up the mountain the amount
of people multiplied and we
eventually saw the Onbashira
being hauled down a sloped city
street. With trumpets blaring,

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ONBASHIRA
Yama
dashi

people chanting and the Kiyari
being sung at a high octave,
we knew the fun was about to
begin. (Kiyari, is the traditional
chant of the Onbashira festival.
Male and female singers train
for months to prepare for the
resoundingly high pitched
song.) As we walked up we
were met with beautiful
flower dancers choreographed
to enchanting traditional
Japanese music. We were also
delighted to be offered a
tremendous amount of free
sake. Many refer to Sake as
Japanese wine but the ABV of
Sake is 15-20, measuring much
higher than a typical wine.
The process of making Sake
actually makes it more similar
to a beer than a wine. Once
met with the log we watched
as people pulled the ropes,
dragging it down the street.
Each group had sections, men
in bright red were to use sticks
and direct and steer the log, left

or right. The men in deep blue
were directors and pullers of the
log, those in luminous yellow
were the force closest to where
the rope connected to the log
and were pulling with all their
might. Then we saw the man in
white standing atop of the log.
He was the lead rider. The man
taking the lead for the ride down
the hill. The first riders (there are
16, one for each log) are chosen
by the people to take the
position of honor. Accepting
shows courage and allows for
the men to represent their city
and their family. People say, the
first person on the log always
falls off and is the one most
likely to die… who knows if it is
true BUT we were ready to see
someone fly high. As we were
met with chants, we did what
anyone else would... we joined
in, pulling the log, chanting along
as we prepared to wait in the
crowded woods to see the
Koitoshi and cheer as bodies
flew down the hill.

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