Kirk here. I saw an interesting segment about an unusual festival in Yatsushiro – Funatori Shinji – on this evening’s RKK news. I was pleased to see the person pictured referred to as “a local resident” (地元の人) rather than as a visitor from a foreign land. She commented on the festival in fluent Japanese, but my guess is that she’s probably from an English-speaking country (perhaps a reader of this page?). It’s nice to see a person who has taken up residence here recognized as a member of the local community. :)
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/rkk/1143685?display=1
Here’s an English translation of the text of the video (first half only):
Title: “‘It’s not just a bizarre festival’: The ‘Funatori Shinji’ returns after 5 years - We asked a university professor specializing in folklore!” Date: Monday, April 29, 2024, 18:27 In Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, there is a festival called “Funatori Shinji” (Crucian Carp Catching Ritual) with a history of over 800 years. Local people refer to this festival as a “bizarre festival,” and we investigated behind the scenes. The Funatori Shinji, held today (April 29), is being held for the first time in 5 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The men throw the crucian carp (funa) out of the pond to offer them to the spectators. The executive committee of this festival, which prays for a bountiful harvest, is… Mr. Masaomi Mori (68), Funatori Shinji Executive Committee “It’s a bizarre festival! I don’t think there’s any other festival that’s so blunt.” This ritual originates from a legend that when Ishikawa no Sukune visited Kyushu to suppress rioters, the weather was bad and he couldn’t obtain seafood, so local young men caught crucian carp in a pond and offered them to him. Mr. Mori: “The feeling of gratitude has been cherished and blended into the activities in nature. I think there’s the weight of history that has continued for hundreds of years.” It’s not just a bizarre festival We asked Professor Yusaku Yamashita (58) of Kumamoto University, who specializes in folklore, about the beginning and significance of the festival. Prof. Yamashita: “In spring, they clean the waterways and the pond, which is the water source, to improve the flow of water. Rice farming is about to begin. You have to work hard. I think there were various meanings, such as celebrating and praying to the gods for a good harvest.” Prof. Yamashita emphasizes that the Funatori Shinji is not just a bizarre festival. Prof. Yamashita: “Bringing things that Japanese people usually ate into rituals and celebrating together is not so much a bizarre festival, but rather an event that is part of the agriculture that the people of this region have been working hard on, and the joy of the people engaged in agriculture.” Especially in Yatsushiro, where there are many reclaimed lands, the connection with river fish and crucian carp is strong, and it is said that this has been passed down as a tradition to the present day.