 Image search results - "seedlings" |
Taga Taisha Shrine's torii is festooned with red banners reading " Taga Taisha O-taue Matsuri" or Rice-Planting Festival. Held on the first Sunday in June at 1 pm at the shrine. MAP
|
|
Near Taga Taisha Shrine is the sacred rice paddies divided by a cross in the middle to form the kanji "ta" (田) which means rice paddy. This is the site of the rice planting festival starting at 2 pm. A 500 yen donation is required to go inside
|
|
|
Taiko drum troupe from Maibara enters the sacred rice paddy and head for the stage.
|
|
They performed the Rich Harvest Taiko Dance (Honen Taiko Odori). 豊年太鼓踊り 国指定無形文化財
|
|
The Rich Harvest Taiko Dance (Honen Taiko Odori) is an Intangible Cultural Property. Also see my YouTube video here. 豊年太鼓踊り
|
|
The music was a mixture of taiko drums, flutes, and a gong. They performed for about 30 min. 国指定無形文化財
|
|
It was a marvelous performance. Although I think it would've been more impressive if they performed on the ground beside the paddies.
|
|
At around 1:45 pm, a procession of priests and the 70 rice planters entered.
|
|
Spectator tents were set up on both sides of the rice paddy. There weren't so many people. Not all the benches were filled.
|
|
The 70 rice planters are junior high school girls in colorful costumes. They are called Taume. 田植女
|
|
Priests and taume girls enter the paddy.
|
|
Taume rice planters at the Taga Taisha Rice-planting Festival. 田植女
|
|
These girls will sing the rice-planting song. 歌女
|
|
The procession encircle the paddies.
|
|
Taume girls proceed while holding rice seedlings.
|
|
Singer with a tall flower hat.
|
|
|
The taume girls take their places.
|
|
The cross at the center.
|
|
Hat problem.
|
|
After everyone is in place, on the stage, the Oyushiki ceremony is performed to purify the sacred rice paddies. 御湯式
|
|
Oyushiki ceremony is performed to purify the sacred rice paddies during the Taga Taisha Rice-Planting Festival. 御湯式
|
|
The ceremony has a pot of boiling water.
|
|
She pours sacred sake into the boiling pot.
|
|
Oyushiki ceremony is performed to purify the sacred rice paddies during the Taga Taisha Rice-Planting Festival. 御湯式
|
|
She dips two green branches into the pot, then...
|
|
She flings the branches backward over her head, creating a spray of hot water. She did this a few times. Also see my YouTube video here.
|
|
On the lower right, the guy in blue tries to shield himself from the spray of boiling water. The crowd laughed.
|
|
Rice seedlings await.
|
|
|
Rice-planting dancers sit through the Oyushiki ceremony.
|
|
After the Oyushiki, the singers on stage start singing the rice-planting song. 御田植歌
|
|
The taume girls enter the rice paddy at about 2 pm.
|
|
|
Taume girl at the Taga Taisha Rice-planting Festival
|
|
The taume girls start to plant the rice seedlings to match the tune of the rice-planting song sung by the girls on stage.
|
|
|
They plant the rice seedlings while walking backwards in the ankle-deep mud.
|
|
Now you know why some old Japanese women crouch when they walk. They used to plant rice. Of course, these days, most rice is planted mechanically.
|
|
Besides the rice planters, there are rice-planting dancers who dance along the paddy's perimeter. They dance to the rice-planting song sung on stage. 御田植踊
|
|
O-taue odori dancers
|
|
Otaue odori dancer at Taga Taisha Rice-planting Festival (O-taue Matsuri).
|
|
The rice-planting dancers stay out of the mud. They took a break twice or so, but the rice planters had to continue non-stop.
|
|
The boys in blue on both ends are holding a string to serve as a guide for planting the seedlings in a straight line.
|
|
The rice paddy is not in a scenic location. Being next to a busy road, it was quite noisy.
|
|
I feel sorry for the launderer of the costumes after they finish.
|
|
|
Taume rice-planting girl at Taga Taisha Rice-planting Festival, Shiga Prefecture.
|
|
|
Keeping the hat on seemed to be common problem.
|
|
These two girls did away with the hat which could not stay on.
|
|
On stage, shrine maidens perform the Yuminomai Arrow Dance. 弓の舞
|
|
O-taue rice-planting dancers take a break.
|
|
|
|
The singers stopped singing and just watched.
|
|
The work continues, without the singing and dancing.
|
|
Girl planting rice, Taga Taisha O-taue Matsuri, Shiga Prefecture
|
|
Rice seedlings in hand
|
|
|
|
Nearing the end. However, they did not finish planting the entire paddy. They ended the festival at around 3 pm even though three of the four paddies were still unfinished.
|
|
Washing their hands in a bucket of water.
|
|
Washing their muddy feet.
|
|
At 3:10 pm, they started to leave the rice paddy.
|
|
Taume rice planting girls leave the rice paddy.
|
|
|
|
Unfinished work.
|
|
This paddy is unfinished, but looks pretty neat.
|
|
This unfinished paddy looks pretty messy. I think they should've finished planting all the paddies before ending the festival. Only one of the four paddies was completed.
|
|
The shrine priests and taume girls return to Taga Taisha Shrine.
|
|
|
|
Muddy pants. Passers by exclaimed, "Look at their feet!"
|
|
|
The shrine priests and taume girls return to Taga Taisha Shrine.
|
|
The Taiko Drum troupe from Asahi, Maibara pose for a photo in front of the taiko bridge at the shrine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
