Festivals and folk traditional culture across the country are in trouble because of the effects of the novel coronavirus. It is important to brainstorm so that these traditions will not disappear.
Three major festivals in the Tohoku region -- the Aomori Nebuta Festival, the Akita Kanto Festival and the Sendai Tanabata Festival -- have been canceled. Many of the 33 float festivals, registered on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage, have been either cancelled or scaled down.
This is a major blow to local economies because glamorous festivals have contributed to tourism by foreign visitors to Japan. However, because these festivals draw crowds, it is difficult to hold them and prevent infections.
It will also be impossible to change detailed schedules of festivals easily, and thus it cannot be helped to cancel them even though it is a tough decision.
There are some cases where events are not open to the public and rituals only are performed by relevant people. Let this opportunity lead to a review of the original meaning of festivals.
Many summer festivals were held to ward off plagues and floods. Fireworks, many of which have been canceled one after another, are believed to have included a meaning of prayers to console the dead.
Every year, people gather, each sharing the same spirit. at a certain time of the year to dedicate performing arts such as dance. Festivals have become an important occasion to boost the vitality of the community.
Today, people's lifestyles have changed and it is difficult for them to be aware of the religious aspects. In rural areas, where the population is aging, concerns have been raised over the survival of festivals. However, at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake, it has been reported that shishimai traditional lion dances gave evacuees energy.
The important thing is to maintain community bonds until festivals resume. As a cornerstone of the local community, it is necessary to devise measures that do not rely only on people who are directly involved in the festivals.
The Kyoto Gion Festival, which has canceled the Yamahoko Float Processions, will expand its support network through a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for its activities via the internet. There is also an online movement to promote exchanges of shishimai in various regions. That may be useful as a reference for modern methods.
Cultural facilities such as museums play an important role. The Minamisoma City Museum in Fukushima Prefecture has posted a Soma Nomaoi Sugoroku game on its website for people's enjoyment. While this year's Soma Nomaoi has been scaled down, the whole process of the event is well explained in the game.
To deepen understanding of the next generation, it is important to cooperate with schools.
The government considers festivals and folk performing arts as intangible cultural properties and offers assistance in conducting research, compiling records and repairing tools. There is also a subsidy system to promote their utilization as a regional cultural heritage.
There will be cases where festival organizers cannot carry out their events as applied. It is hoped that the government will grasp detailed information through local governments and provide flexible support for future initiatives.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on June 28, 2020
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
