 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384 views
|
|
Erecting Onbashira Log No. 4 for Harumiya Shrine on May 9, 2004. Shimosuwa, Nagano. 春宮四之御柱297 views
|
|
Onbashira Festival. They included one woman.259 views
|
|
|
Onbashira-sai, Shimosuwa-machi, Nagano.236 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.220 views
|
|
|
This was Log No. 1 for Shimo-sha's Harunomiya Shrine.191 views
|
|
Then came the log, and a lotta dust which made it difficult to see what was going on.187 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.187 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.154 views
|
|
The Ax Man. He cuts the rope which sets the log loose down the slope.151 views
|
|
Now they descend.151 views
|
|
Billboard depicting Ki-otoshi (Log Drop) at Shimosuwa Station.150 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.150 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.147 views
|
|
|
|
143 views
|
|
141 views
|
|
Erecting Onbashira Log No. 4 for Harumiya Shrine on May 9, 2004. 春宮四之御柱141 views
|
|
The log pullers split into two.139 views
|
|
139 views
|
|
"Yoisa! Yoisa!"136 views
|
|
Log in Harumiya Shrine.134 views
|
|
Thank goodness for telephoto lenses.133 views
|
|
Now we walked back together with hundreds of thousands of people...133 views
|
|
I was forced to join this crowd.132 views
|
|
132 views
|
|
Taiko performance at Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine's Kaguraden131 views
|
|
Banners unfurled.131 views
|
|
Onbashira monument in front of Shimosuwa Station. This Onbashira log was used in the opening ceremony of the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998.130 views
|
|
Shimenawa sacred rope on Kaguraden130 views
|
|
Onbashira Log No. 1 already erected for Harumiya Shrine on May 8, 2004.130 views
|
|
|
Here is where anybody can get on the logs and play.128 views
|
|
Finally, people pulling the log appeared.126 views
|
|
Umbrella dance126 views
|
|
Hole for the No. 4 Akimiya Onbashira log126 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.126 views
|
|
126 views
|
|
126 views
|
|
So after this log came out, we were allowed to proceed to the giant slope.125 views
|
|
Parade of Nagamochi which are long chests. 長持125 views
|
|
We weren't the only ones there.124 views
|
|
We sat there for hours.124 views
|
|
Ropes to pull the Onbashira log from Harumiya Shrine.124 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124 views
|
|
Music Box Museum124 views
|
|
Parade124 views
|
|
Small support poles.123 views
|
|
Harumiya Shrine ahead.123 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122 views
|
|
We waited for the log scheduled to come down at 3 pm, but it was delayed by 2 hours...122 views
|
|
Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine 秋宮 幣拝殿122 views
|
|
122 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122 views
|
|
Harumiya has a little slope where the logs are slid down.122 views
|
|
People everywhere.122 views
|
|
Onbashira Log No. 3 for Harumiya Shrine.122 views
|
|
In front of Shimosuwa Station.121 views
|
|
121 views
|
|
Hole for the No. 2 Akimiya Onbashira log121 views
|
|
People along the small slope.121 views
|
|
The men now descend from the log.121 views
|
|
Sake is given for free.121 views
|
|
The base of the Onbashira log is reinforced by these smaller logs.121 views
|
|
|
120 views
|
|
Hole for the No. 2 Akimiya Onbashira log120 views
|
|
120 views
|
|
One Onbashira log at a rest stop.120 views
|
|
120 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.119 views
|
|
Nagamochi chest decorations119 views
|
|
Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine torii119 views
|
|
|
Entertainment stage in front of Shimosuwa Station.118 views
|
|
118 views
|
|
118 views
|
|
When the log is erected, a banner is unrolled.118 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.118 views
|
|
They waved their pom-poms and cheered all the while.118 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117 views
|
|
The crowd extended all the way to the rear. All to see the 3pm Ki-otoshi log drop.117 views
|
|
117 views
|
|
Crowded street117 views
|
|
Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine. That's a support pole for erecting the No. 1 Akimiya Onbashira log. 秋宮117 views
|
|
Harumiya Shrine torii 春宮117 views
|
|
Log standing by in front of Akimiya Shrine.117 views
|
|
117 views
|
|
Onbashira Grand Park116 views
|
|
Hole for the No. 2 Akimiya Onbashira log116 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.116 views
|
|
116 views
|
|
115 views
|
|
The banner reads, "Thank you everyone for your cooperation."115 views
|
|
This looks like Log No. 2 for Akimiya Shrine.115 views
|
|
Harumiya torii 春宮大門114 views
|
|
114 views
|
|
Ropes at rest114 views
|
|
Ax man114 views
|
|
The log can move quite fast, even with all those people riding it.114 views
|
|
114 views
|
|
Store your luggage here. Not enough lockers at the train station so they provide this service. 400 yen/day.113 views
|
|
113 views
|
|
113 views
|
|
113 views
|
|
Finally, something to photograph.113 views
|
|
They threw out free streamers and I caught one. "Yoisa! Yoisa!"113 views
|
|
Shimosuwa Station 下諏訪駅112 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112 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.112 views
|
|
Another Onbashira log makes its way through.111 views
|
|
These people are from Suwa city.111 views
|
|
Log standing by in front of Akimiya Shrine.111 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.110 views
|
|
Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine priests 秋宮110 views
|
|
110 views
|
|
The logs are pulled by people from various districts or parishes in the Suwa region including Chino, Shimosuwa, Okaya, and Suwa.110 views
|
|
110 views
|
|
Parade continues even in the rain.110 views
|
|
110 views
|
|
110 views
|
|
109 views
|
|
Log No. 4 for Shimo-sha Shrine's Akinomiya Shrine. 秋宮四之柱109 views
|
|
The Ki-otoshi slope up close. Very rough-looking. 木落とし坂108 views
|
|
People everywhere along the edge of the slope.108 views
|
|
Hiroshige's woodblock print of Takasaki (30th post town on the Nakasendo) from his Kisokaido series. 108 views
|
|
There it is, the slope.107 views
|
|
The numerous people and trees made it impossible to see the slope itself.107 views
|
|
107 views
|
|
107 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.106 views
|
|
This was my view of the slope.106 views
|
|
106 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.105 views
|
|
105 views
|
|
105 views
|
|
After the Shimekake, we walked further.103 views
|
|
It was very steep and uncomfortable to sit on, so I decided to leave this place.103 views
|
|
Go straight on this road in front of the station.98 views
|
|
There are no buses nor taxis to where we want to go.98 views
|
|
We had to wait until the 1pm Ki-otoshi log came out.95 views
|
|
|
|
