No.12 Toshogu Shrine Festival : Network2010.org

No.12 Toshogu Shrine Festival

作成日：2015年2月9日

Nagoya in the Edo period(1603-1868): ①The Okehazama ancient battlefield; ②Arimatsu to Miya post‐town; ③Miya post-town; ④Atuta Shrine; ⑤Atsuta～Furuwatari; ⑥Tachibana-cho; ⑦Osu Kannon Temple; ⑧Osu Monzencho; ⑨Shirakawa Park; ⑩Nagoya Castle Town 01; ⑪Nagoya Castle Town 02; ⑫Toshogu Shrine Festival; ⑬Horikawa River1; ⑭Horikawa River2

Toshogu festival Bugaku court dances and music

April 17 is Tokugawa Ieyasu's anniversary of a death, and the Toshogu festival is performed. From the Edo period to prewar days, Toshogu festival was called Nagoya Matsuri(festival). Bugaku court dances and music is held in the precincts of Toshogu shrine on April 16. The nine float cars and three sets of mikoshis(portable shrines) marched through Honmachidori(street) from Toshogu Shrine(inside of Nagoya Castle) to Otabisho on April 17. It is said that more than 4000 participants participated in the procession.

The founder Tokugawa Ieyasu of the Edo Shogunate(1603-1868) passed away in Suruga Castle on April 17, 1616. Toshogu Shrine was built in Nagoya Castle in 1619, in order that the first lord of the Owari domain Tokugawa Yoshinao had prayed for the repose of Ieyasu's soul. The Toshogu festival was started by second anniversary of Ieyasu's death in April 17, 1618. People exceeding 4000 persons in all with 3 Mikoshis( portable shrines) and 9 floats marched through Honmachi street to Otabisho of the Suehiro-cho. Dedication of bugakucourt dances and music was performed in the precincts of the shrine on April 16 on the previous day of the festival.Unfortunately most floats were burned down by the war devastation, and the events other than the bugakucourt dances and music were stopped.

*Tokugawa Ieyasu:He is one person of the three heroes(Oda Nobunaga,Toyotomi Hideyoshi,and Ieyasu) who carried out important work for formation of early modern period Japan.

*Otabisho:the place where the sacred palanquin is lodged during the festival