Red demons dancing festival

At one of typical rural villages in Japan, the village people won't like to be called like that, but the Toyone village is just the place. And, extremely unique festival is held every year. The festival is called 'Flower Festival' or in the Japanese expression, 'Hana Matsuri'. 

Village people wearing masks, or wearing traditional clothes dances in front of an alter. Every 2nd to 3rd of January, from 4 pm at 2nd to 3 pm at 3rd, almost 24 hours, the festival is held. From the first dance to the last dance which is held next afternoon, so many dances are demonstrated by a few dancers or at most 10 dancers. To our surprise, audience sometimes enter the dance performance. Because, for the village people, it's not appreciation but collaboration.


What kind of dances are displayed?

Its name 'Hama-matsuri' or a flower festival is so much different from our expression, they are demons' dances. The dancers wear 'demons' masks and costumes. This festival continues 24 hours, and it is consisted of a series of so many dances. So, sometimes cute children wearing beautiful costumes dance. 
And, other time, young adults or adult dancers continue to dance. Audiences are appreciating these dances, but we gradually notice they are waiting an appearance of the main dancers namely 'demons'. When a demon appears, audiences' attitude changes dramatically.

Once a demon appears in front of audiences, many demons join the circle of dancing people little by little. Demons' dances are mainly quite rough, and sometimes they stop moving and stare at the audiences. And other moments, they dance violently, and sometimes swing around axes. We are so much amazed, but village people know how demons behave and they act the next moment. They approach close to demons sometimes, and when demons dance aggressively, they keep a distance from demons. Because they experienced many festivals, so they know what would happen.  

This festival is continuing at a very few communes in the Toyone village and the Toei town. These communes have facilities for the festival in each domain. 
In the center of the facility, approximately 5 meters to 5 meters earth floor named 'Maido' is placed. In this place, ceremonies and dances of 'Hama-matsuri' are displayed. At the very day, a big cauldron is placed at the center of this place and water in it is boiled by a bonfire. Surrounding area is dancing space, and audiences seem to be prohibited to enter this area. However, after the festival continuing, many villagers enter this area, so there would be a kind of unspoken rule. 

A big cauldron is placed in the center

According to a tourist guiding brochure, festival ceremonies are held as follows. The first dance named 'Jigatame' or 'Preparation' tells the start. And, other dances mainly consisted of several youths continue one after another. In other moments, young children dance lovely with the help of adults, who just entered an elementary school or belong to a kindergarten.

At times, audiences join the performances. Furthermore, sometimes dancers interact with audiences. For example, dancers hit audiences with huge 'Sakaki' leaves during a dance, in this timing, villagers get their arms around the situation. They gather into the ground and are willing to be beaten by the leaves. This action is supposed to be a spelling for good health or something like that. There isn't any explanation out there. By contrast, villagers comprehend by tacit understanding. We wonder how this festival cooperates with villagers' life. 

Dancer hits audiences

Meanwhile, many villagers surround the dance field, and it becomes difficult to find the dancers. We find a dancer wearing red clothes, and he has demon mask! It seems like villagers hide demons behind them from true tourists like us. Demons have several characters and they perform differently according to their characters. However, first appearance of a demon is midnight, we can't wait for every demons dancing. So many tourists already give up to wait the appearance of demons. We are even better than them, but we also give up the tour when we find several demons dancing. 

After that, according to a guide book, demons exchange questions and answers with villagers. And, hot water in the cauldron is sprinkled, and Japanese traditional lion dance is performed. We leave the festival site before these ceremonies.

Why they call it the flower festival?

We find an answer, village people might not agree our opinion, but...．
'Flower' means their children. There are many specious logic, but their only purpose for the festival is to show off their children dancing in front of men of influence in the village. This understanding is very personal and not authorized.  

Young children's dance

This festival's heroes are demons, but many of them are kids demons. When we investigated several academic books, this festival is related to monks training in the mountains. Villagers reproduced these mysterious monks as demons, some demon had good character, and others tried to exchange questions. 
According to one authority, this festival had been held approximately 600 years ago. And around 100 years ago, an academic survey was conducted in these communes, and Japanese people paid great attention then. However, time goes on, contents of festivals would be changed now.  

Youths' dance

It's hard to visit the Toyone village in Aichi prefecture. When we travel from Osaka, we use the Shinkansen super express from Shin-osaka station to Toyohashi station. Travel time of this line is around 100 minutes, and frequency is 2 lines an hour.

Up to this station is fine, but the next train does not arrive at our destination. 
We have to get off the train at midway point named 'Urakawa' station, and there is no train available any more. So, as an idea, we will call a taxi instead. 
Travel time from Toyohashi station to Urakawa station is also around 100 minutes, but frequency is almost 1 line an hour but a little bit more less.

Whatever we start early morning from Shin-osaka and choose better trains, we may arrive at Urakawa afternoon. Moreover, if we find a taxi soon, we need an extra hour to arrive our destination. This village is located quite far from the train line.

Mysterious name and quite unique demon masks have taken on a life of its own. Actually, very few people know how the festival is held. No wonder about that. Traveling time to the destination would be a little over half day, the festival starts at night, it continues all night long, and the main event starts midnight. Furthermore, there is no accommodation near the facility for the festival. Visitors should stay up all night. If they conserve their power, there would be another long time trip go back to their home. 

One more thing, this festival is held at the beginning of January, so the temperature of the midnight time is severe cold especially in the mountainous area. 

This phantom festival is still untouchable for ordinary people.