 Most viewed - Shimosuwa 下諏訪町 |
But my camera captured the log going down, even though I could hardly see it. Onbashira Festival, Shimosuwa, Nagano. 木落とし坂 春宮一之柱348 views
|
|
Erecting Onbashira Log No. 4 for Harumiya Shrine on May 9, 2004. Shimosuwa, Nagano. 春宮四之御柱250 views
|
|
Onbashira Festival. They included one woman.216 views
|
|
Onbashira-sai, Shimosuwa-machi, Nagano.201 views
|
|
Shimosuwa Station on May 8, 2004. Here for the final three days of the Onbashira Matsuri's climax, the Satobiki when they haul the Onbashira logs to the Shimo-sha Shrines (Akimiya and Harumiya) and erect them.200 views
|
|
|
|
This was Log No. 1 for Shimo-sha's Harunomiya Shrine.167 views
|
|
Then came the log, and a lotta dust which made it difficult to see what was going on.165 views
|
|
The only woman on the log. After this log-raising, I had seen enough. This No. 1 log offered the best view of all the four Akimiya logs.162 views
|
|
It was over after a few seconds. We walked for an hour from the train station and waited hours for just a few seconds of mostly dust.135 views
|
|
Now they descend.134 views
|
|
The Ax Man. He cuts the rope which sets the log loose down the slope.131 views
|
|
Everything is done with great fanfare, with these men riding on the log as it slowly rises by a system of cables and pulleys.130 views
|
|
The log heading to the Shimekake resting place. If you don't like crowds, don't see this festival. Also see photos of Shimo-sha Satobiki.129 views
|
|
Billboard depicting Ki-otoshi (Log Drop) at Shimosuwa Station.128 views
|
|
|
|
120 views
|
|
Log in Harumiya Shrine.119 views
|
|
The log pullers split into two.117 views
|
|
Erecting Onbashira Log No. 4 for Harumiya Shrine on May 9, 2004. 春宮四之御柱117 views
|
|
116 views
|
|
116 views
|
|
"Yoisa! Yoisa!"115 views
|
|
Shimenawa sacred rope on Kaguraden113 views
|
|
I was forced to join this crowd.111 views
|
|
Now we walked back together with hundreds of thousands of people...111 views
|
|
Onbashira Log No. 1 already erected for Harumiya Shrine on May 8, 2004.111 views
|
|
Thank goodness for telephoto lenses.110 views
|
|
Taiko performance at Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine's Kaguraden110 views
|
|
Banners unfurled.110 views
|
|
Onbashira monument in front of Shimosuwa Station. This Onbashira log was used in the opening ceremony of the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998.109 views
|
|
109 views
|
|
This is May 9, 2004, the second day of Shimo-sha Shrine's Satobiki. Shimo-sha Shrine consists of two separate shrines called Akimiya and Harumiya.108 views
|
|
107 views
|
|
107 views
|
|
Hole for the No. 4 Akimiya Onbashira log106 views
|
|
Ropes to pull the Onbashira log from Harumiya Shrine.106 views
|
|
Parade of Nagamochi which are long chests. 長持105 views
|
|
Harumiya has a little slope where the logs are slid down.105 views
|
|
The bridge is normally closed to the public. In the old days, this bridge marked Harumiya Shrine's sacred area where even warlords had to get out of their palanquin or get off their horse out of respect before proceeding further. 下馬橋105 views
|
|
Here is where anybody can get on the logs and play.104 views
|
|
So after this log came out, we were allowed to proceed to the giant slope.104 views
|
|
Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine 秋宮 幣拝殿104 views
|
|
People everywhere.104 views
|
|
Onbashira Log No. 3 for Harumiya Shrine.104 views
|
|
Music Box Museum104 views
|
|
In front of Shimosuwa Station.103 views
|
|
Nagamochi chest decorations103 views
|
|
Small support poles.103 views
|
|
Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine. That's a support pole for erecting the No. 1 Akimiya Onbashira log. 秋宮103 views
|
|
103 views
|
|
Harumiya Shrine ahead.103 views
|
|
|
Finally, people pulling the log appeared.102 views
|
|
Umbrella dance102 views
|
|
On the way to Harumiya Shrine, you see this bridge. It is a rest stop for the Akimiya Onbashira log procession. 下馬橋102 views
|
|
The men now descend from the log.102 views
|
|
Sake is given for free.102 views
|
|
The base of the Onbashira log is reinforced by these smaller logs.102 views
|
|
101 views
|
|
We sat there for hours.100 views
|
|
|
100 views
|
|
Harumiya Shrine torii 春宮100 views
|
|
100 views
|
|
They waved their pom-poms and cheered all the while.100 views
|
|
After walking for 30 min., we reached this place called Shimekake, a resting place for the logs which had been hauled from the mountains. This is Log No. 2 for Akinomiya Shrine. 注連掛99 views
|
|
We weren't the only ones there.99 views
|
|
Hole for the No. 2 Akimiya Onbashira log99 views
|
|
When the log is erected, a banner is unrolled.99 views
|
|
99 views
|
|
Parade99 views
|
|
Now it's May 10, 2004, the last day of the Shimo-sha Satobiki. All four logs will erected at Akimiya Shrine on this day.99 views
|
|
98 views
|
|
People along the small slope.98 views
|
|
The banner reads, "Thank you everyone for your cooperation."98 views
|
|
98 views
|
|
One Onbashira log at a rest stop.98 views
|
|
Log standing by in front of Akimiya Shrine.98 views
|
|
The Ki-otoshi slope, and one of the icons of the festival. This is the larger slope for Ki-otoshi compared to the one for the Kami-sha Shrine in Chino. 木落とし坂97 views
|
|
97 views
|
|
97 views
|
|
Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine torii97 views
|
|
Hole for the No. 2 Akimiya Onbashira log97 views
|
|
Onbashira Grand Park97 views
|
|
Hole for the No. 2 Akimiya Onbashira log97 views
|
|
Harumiya torii 春宮大門97 views
|
|
|
|
The logs will rest here for about a month until early May when they will be hauled to the shrines for the Satobiki erection.96 views
|
|
We waited for the log scheduled to come down at 3 pm, but it was delayed by 2 hours...96 views
|
|
96 views
|
|
Crowded street96 views
|
|
96 views
|
|
This looks like Log No. 2 for Akimiya Shrine.96 views
|
|
They threw out free streamers and I caught one. "Yoisa! Yoisa!"96 views
|
|
Entertainment stage in front of Shimosuwa Station.95 views
|
|
Ax man95 views
|
|
Parade continues even in the rain.95 views
|
|
The crowd extended all the way to the rear. All to see the 3pm Ki-otoshi log drop.94 views
|
|
|
|
94 views
|
|
94 views
|
|
93 views
|
|
Ropes at rest93 views
|
|
93 views
|
|
93 views
|
|
Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine priests 秋宮92 views
|
|
The logs are pulled by people from various districts or parishes in the Suwa region including Chino, Shimosuwa, Okaya, and Suwa.92 views
|
|
92 views
|
|
92 views
|
|
91 views
|
|
91 views
|
|
All the Onbashira logs are hauled manually by human hands from when it is cut in the mountain forest. No motor vehicles of any kind is used to haul the logs.91 views
|
|
Log standing by in front of Akimiya Shrine.91 views
|
|
Finally, something to photograph.91 views
|
|
91 views
|
|
Store your luggage here. Not enough lockers at the train station so they provide this service. 400 yen/day.90 views
|
|
The log can move quite fast, even with all those people riding it.90 views
|
|
These people are from Suwa city.90 views
|
|
We waited in the rain for Onbashira Log No. 1 to be erected first at Akimiya Shrine at 10:00 am. However, we had to wait, standing up in the rain and in the crowd, for 2.5 hours before they finally started to raise the log.90 views
|
|
Another Onbashira log makes its way through.89 views
|
|
89 views
|
|
89 views
|
|
Log No. 4 for Shimo-sha Shrine's Akinomiya Shrine which already went down the big slope for Ki-otoshi (Log Drop) comes out at 1:30 pm. 秋宮四之柱88 views
|
|
Hiroshige's woodblock print of Takasaki (30th post town on the Nakasendo) from his Kisokaido series. 88 views
|
|
87 views
|
|
There it is, the slope.86 views
|
|
This was my view of the slope.86 views
|
|
Shimosuwa Station 下諏訪駅85 views
|
|
Until we were stopped here. Sign says that only people with tickets can proceed further. Yeah, we walked all this way only to be told we cannot go further. Our destination was the Ki-otoshi slope where the huge logs slide down for the Yamadashi.85 views
|
|
Log No. 4 for Shimo-sha Shrine's Akinomiya Shrine. 秋宮四之柱84 views
|
|
The Ki-otoshi slope up close. Very rough-looking. 木落とし坂84 views
|
|
We had to walk it. This was April 10, 2004, one of the days for Shimo-sha Shrine's Yamadashi when they hauled the logs from the mountain forest.83 views
|
|
We had to wait until the Ki-otoshi at 1pm was over. That's the one we wanted to see. But the place was already too full.83 views
|
|
People everywhere along the edge of the slope.83 views
|
|
82 views
|
|
After the Shimekake, we walked further.81 views
|
|
The numerous people and trees made it impossible to see the slope itself.80 views
|
|
80 views
|
|
It was very steep and uncomfortable to sit on, so I decided to leave this place.79 views
|
|
Go straight on this road in front of the station.76 views
|
|
There are no buses nor taxis to where we want to go.74 views
|
|
We had to wait until the 1pm Ki-otoshi log came out.73 views
|
|
|
|
