 Most viewed - Hitachi-Otsu Ofune Matsuri Boat Festival 常陸大津の御船祭 |
Hitachi-Otsu Ofune Matsuri fishing boat festival is Kita-Ibaraki's biggest festival, held only only once every five years on May 2 and 3 as the grand spring festival of Sawawachigi Shrine (佐波波地祇神社) in Otsu-cho, Kita-Ibaraki, Ibaraki Pre93 viewsHeld by local fishermen to pray for abundant fish and maritime safety. These photos were taken on May 3, 2019.
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Ofune being dragged over wooden pallets.90 views
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Unique Shinto festival where they drag a sacred fishing boat across land instead of water. The boat has no wheels. All other boat festivals have the boat sailing on water, but not this one.85 views
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They drag the boat 20 meters at a time. After each drag, they have to move and place the pallets ahead of the boat. The route is 1,200 meters long, and it takes 5 hours to reach the end.81 views
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The friction between the boat hull and pallets makes it smoke each time the boat is dragged. The pallets are scorched.78 views
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This festival was originally a portable shrine procession on the sea via boat going around the bay. But the boat's start point was filled in, so the boat procession was then held on land instead since 200 years ago.77 views
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47 views
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Thank You Club45 views
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The boat crew welcome the portable shrine before it is loaded aboard.45 views
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Back of ofune boat.43 views
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Sardines42 views
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My video of Kita-Ibaraki's Ofune Matsuri boat festival.41 views
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The boat hull has small center ridges that keep it standing upright. It's also designed not to topple over when rocked.41 views
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Shuttle bus back to JR Otsuko Station. Shuttle bus stop was near the start point a few hundred meters from the corner.41 views
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JR Otsuko Station platform.41 views
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The festival originally used an actual fishing boat. But now this wooden boat was built especially for the festival.40 views
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Before dragging the boat, they violently rock the boat side to side.40 views
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The boat is tilted to one side when it is dragged. It creates less friction and makes it easier to drag.40 views
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They turned the boat 90 degrees in one drag.40 views
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On the May 2 festival eve, the boat is pulled from east to west along 1,200 meters in the center of town without the portable shrine aboard.39 views
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Boat is 15 meters long, 4 meters wide, and weighs 5 tons. It becomes 2 tons heavier when the portable shrine (1 ton) and crew and musicians board.39 views
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39 views
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Boat crew waiting for the portable shrine to be loaded on the boat, which then becomes a "sacred boat."39 views
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39 views
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After being paraded around town all morning, the portable shrine arrives near the boat.39 views
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Ahead of the boat, wooden pallets called "soroban" are laid on the road for the boat to be dragged on.39 views
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When dragging the boat, the men have to run over the wooden pallets and take care not to trip and fall.39 views
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Dragging the boat over the wooden pallets.39 views
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39 views
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This corner is the most crowded spot. Many people leave after seeing this corner turn.39 views
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The bow has this shed for the portable shrine to be loaded on. Festival was designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property (重要無形民俗文化財) in 2017.38 views
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Paitning of a monkfish, a delicacy of Kita-Ibaraki.38 views
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Group photos in front of the boat.38 views
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After being paraded around town all morning, the portable shrine arrives near the boat.38 views
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They use about 100 soroban wooden pallets (ソロバン) made of Japanese oak tree, a hard wood. Each weighs 20 kg.38 views
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Pallets are ready for the next drag.38 views
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The route has one 90-degree corner where the boat is turned. This is a festival highlight and many people crowd this corner.38 views
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JR Otsuko Station38 views
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JR Otsuko Station platform.38 views
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White ropes to pull the boat on the road.37 views
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The boat rests on wooden pallets called "soroban." It is dragged on a bed of soroban pallets.37 views
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This was the first Ofune Matsuri to be held in the new era of Reiwa.37 views
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Removing in the boat railingsbefore people boarded.37 views
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Looks like the boat captain.37 views
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Picking up the pallets.37 views
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Turning the boat 90 degrees.37 views
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Getting ready for the rest of the straight route.37 views
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On the May 3 main festival day, the boat is dragged along the same route west to east with the portable shrine and shrine priests aboard.36 viewsThis boat is here at the start point on May 3, 2019.
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The ofune wooden fishing boat is painted with local fish.36 views
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The festival participants belong to different fishermen's groups indicated by their shirt. They are from a group called Fudo-maru.36 views
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Most boat musicians are local kids.36 views
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36 views
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Boat is pulled by a 200-meter white rope, 7 cm thick. About 200 to 300 people pull the boat.36 views
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There are men on both sides of the boat who rock the boat before the drag. When the boat moves, they hang on to the boat.36 views
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After the drag, they pick up the pallets and lay them in front of the boat on the road ahead.36 views
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Narrow streets make it crowded.36 views
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36 views
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On May 3 from morning, they parade the mikoshi portable shrine bearing Sawawachigi Shrine's god for maritime safety.35 views
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Boat musicians and crew board the boat via ladder.35 views
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Three shrine priests are among the 40 people onboard. It's pretty rough to be rocked often. Motion sickness is possible.35 views
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35 views
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The festival used to be held by local fishermen, Now held by Hitachi-Otsu Ofune Matsuri Preservation Society (常陸大津の御船祭保存会) with most of the men being fishermen or their descendants.34 views
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The portable shrine is loaded on the boat.34 views
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34 views
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JR Otsuko Station has its entrance modeled after the Rokkakudo Pavilion on the Izura Coast.34 views
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33 views
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They turn the boat by dragging the stern of the boat. They had a rope tied to the rear part of the boat.33 views
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The festival started to be held every 5 years from 1975. The boat has to be repaired after each festival and the money could not be secured more often than every 5 years.32 viewsThe boat is normally displayed at a fishing museum named Yo-soro (よう・そろー) in Kita-Ibaraki.
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32 views
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32 views
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