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週末は快晴の川越祭りでした。Kawagoe Matsuri Festival 2014

週末は快晴の川越祭りでした。Kawagoe Matsuri Festival 2014

2014.10.19

３６０年前に始まったと言われる川越祭り。国指定重要無形民俗文化財にも指定されてる年一度の大イベントが今年も行われました。昨年は雨で散々だったのですが、今年は２日とも快晴！２１台の山車のパレードを見に来た来場者は２日で１００万人近くになったそうです。

Kawagoe Matsuri(Kawagoe Festival)was held last weekends. It is said that the festival started 360years ago, then until now, it developed its own style by people who live at the era. What’s special about Kawagoe Matsuri Festival is obviously FLOATS. This year, 21 floats were around the town this year (total 29 floats in the town) and almost million people came to see this big event for 2 days. The picture above is a battle between floats. The dancers on the small stage of the floats were battling and musicians played their original score.　Their score is very similar so keeping their own rhythm is difficult. Sometimes one musician played mistakenly the other float’s rhythm. then Whole players started going off the truck. then the battle ends. The loser let the winner move through the street first.

「ひっかわせ」と言われる山車同士のバトルが行われる夜が祭りのクライマックスなのですが、メイン通りは昼間からこんな盛り上がり。３台の山車が一度に集まってる面白い瞬間も見れました。

The Battle called HIKKAWASE. Mainly the battle are held at night but since daytime, still a lot of people were watching these floats and old historical town. But, the most important event is to EAT. always….nothing’s ever been changed.

ちょうどおかめが踊っていたのは、新富町一丁目の山車。

The dancer must wear a japanese mask called OMEN. this is OKAME, woman’s mask.

少女達の可愛らしい衣装も。山車の先頭集団を歩くのが決まりかな。私も小さい頃、こんな格好して新宿の山車を曳いた記憶が蘇ってきました。

時期が時期だけに、ハロウィンと間違っちゃった人達発見？？

It’s gonna be Halloween Festival soon, maybe they thought this is halloween!??

何百年の歴史がある山車だからこそ、古い町並みにもしっかりなじんでる。改めて川越っていいなぁ。

獅子舞に赤ちゃんの頭を噛んでもらうと、厄払いになって、しかも健康で頭がいい子に育つという言い伝えが。赤ちゃんはたいてい大泣きしちゃう。

If parents let Shishimai(lion) bite a head of a new-born baby, the baby will grow well and healthy and become really a smart kid. But actually most of babies started crying really loud.