The Hyoge Matsuri 2024

The “Hyōge Matsuri” is a traditional folk performing arts festival held in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture (formerly Kagawa Town). The festival itself is designated as an intangible folk cultural asset of Takamatsu City (formerly Kagawa Town), while the ritual implements used in the festival are designated as tangible folk cultural assets of Kagawa Prefecture.

Overview: Held annually on the second Sunday of September at the Shinike Shrine (Ikemiya) in Asano, Kagawa Town, the festival originally took place on the 3rd day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. The festival is particularly renowned for its procession of portable shrines, known as “mikoshi,” and this aspect is commonly referred to as the “Hyōge Matsuri.”

The ritual implements used in the festival are crafted from agricultural products and household items. Participants in the procession, called “suppomi” (those who accompany the mikoshi), apply vibrant makeup to their faces and don costumes made from feed bags or shuro (palm tree) bark. The term “hyōgeru” in the local dialect, known as “Sanuki-ben,” means “to jest” or “to be humorous,” reflecting the playful and comical nature of the festival. At the conclusion of the procession, all the ritual implements, including the mikoshi, are thrown into the Shinike pond.

Note: The term “hyōgeru” and its English equivalent may vary, but it generally conveys a sense of playfulness and humor in the context of the festival’s name.

 

 

 

 

Event Summary

Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture

Period
September 8, 2024

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