Date : August 7, 2016
Tsurugashima City (Sunday, August 7, 2016)：Suneori Amagoi, Traditional Rain Praying Ceremony Held Every Four Years
post date : 2016.08.03
※Application closed.
※This Press Event is only for foreign journalists in Japan.
※This event is planned and sponsored by Tsurugashima City with the FPCJ providing support for the application process.
Tsurugashima City in Saitama Prefecture holds the traditional ceremony Suneori Amagoi in August every four years, in the same years as the Summer Olympics. This year, it will be held on August 7. Suneori Amagoi is the only ceremony to pray for rain still extant in Saitama Prefecture, and it is the largest-scale rainmaking ceremony in Japan.
Around 300 adult men carry the Ryu-jin (dragon god) made of straw and bamboo (length of 36 meters, weight of about 3 tons) on their shoulders through the streets of the city for over 2 kilometers into Kandachiga-ike (pond) . After diving into the pond, the Ryu-jin rampages, and men pray for rain. It is an impressive scene, overwhelming those who see it.
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<Details of the coverage>
The history of Suneori Amagoi can be traced back to the Edo period (1800s). The Suneori area in Tsurugashima City was an agricultural area, and people believed that praying for rain at Kandachi-jinja (shrine) which is close by Kandachiga-ike always succeeded. The villagers all worked together to conduct the ceremony in times of drought.
However, because of the post-war urbanization, the reduction of farmers and the inflow of new residents, finally Suneori Amagoi came to an end in 1964.
Within this context, in 1975 local residents established the Suneori Amagoi Preservation Society to promote local unity, and Suneori Amagoi was carried out again in 1976. Strong communal bonds are still passed on today by cooperation in preparing materials such as growing wheat or harvesting bamboo, and in making the Ryu-jin. Since the Kanto region especially has a serious shortage of water this summer, Suneori Amagoi, the symbol of rain and revival of local unity, is attracting a great deal of attention.
＜Reference＞
■For more information about ‘Suneori-amagoi’ (Tsurugashima City Website）：
http://www.city.tsurugashima.lg.jp/page/page003737.html
■‘Suneori-amagoi’ youtube：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxun4jpYj7w
■‘Suneori-amagoi’ youtube (cartoon)：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAwihrdh8JA
■Live streaming of ‘Suneori-amagoi’ (Aug. 7)：http://www.ustream.tv/channel/
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<Itinerary>
※FPCJ will inform the participants of detailed information at a later date.
This press event is scheduled to include cover the praying ceremony at Shirahige-jinja, the procession of the Ryu-jin and the rainmaking ritual at Kandachiga-ike, and an interview with Tsurugashima City Mayor, Yoshiro Fujinawa about how people in Suneori are passing down Amagoi.
Mayor of Tsurugashima City,
Yoshiro Fujinawa
■Date： Sunday, August 7, 2016
■Participation fee ： Free of charge
(Transportation fee and other costs are the responsibility of participants)
■Participants： Application closed
(If the number of applicants exceeds the maximum number of participants, we may limit the number of participants from each nation)
■Language： Japanese (Interpreter for English will accompany)
■Note： Tsurugashima City, Tsurugashima Industrial Tourism Festival Management Committee, and the FPCJ will not be liable for any inconvenience, trouble or accidents that might occur during this event.
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< How to apply > ※This Press Event is only for foreign journalists in Japan.
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