10 December 2025
Rehearsal for the Wakamiya Onmatsuri
As a festival to pray for abundant harvests and the well-being of all people, the Wakamiya Onmatsuri has been held continuously for nearly 900 years and is one of the Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties of Japan. The festival is held every December at a major shrine in Nara Prefecture and includes a variety of ritual entertainments.
For the upcoming event, I’ve been given the honor to act as the Hinotsukai, an important role in the ritual. The role is said to have originated when the regent Fujiwara no Tadamichi suddenly fell ill on his way to the festival and therefore had one of his attendants represent him instead.
The ritual involves intricate movements, and so in preparation for the festival I’ve been practicing here and there, every day, as work allows. Recently I visited the Kasuga Taisha Shrine for a rehearsal. It was my second rehearsal, but the first time to put on the traditional court attire (sokutai) that I will wear in the actual performance. Not only the outfit itself, but having to carefully move around in such unfamiliar clothing made the rehearsal so much more intense than my usual practice.
I will continue working to master the ritual until the day of the performance, so that I can play the part to the best of my ability.
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