Nada Fighting Festival (Nada No Kenka Matsuri), Hyogo

There are so many festivals called “festival month” in Banshu in October. Especially Himeji’s “Nada Fighting Festival” is widely known as one of the three major festivals in the Kansai region.
This “Nada Fighting Festival” is an autumn festival held at Matsubara Hachiman Shrine in Shirahama-cho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture. This name comes from the fierce clash of “Mikoshi” (portable shrines).
The majestic festival floats parade, in which the Mikoshi three confession and the fancy festival floats of the old seven villages compete vigorously, takes place over two days. This festival, which started from the Muromachi period, is designated as an important intangible folk cultural property and has become known throughout the country as well as overseas.
Every year 150,000 visitors from all over the country visit and enjoy the power to meet each other so intensely that the shrines are broken.
When Samurai, who ruled the area during the North and South Dynasty, rebuilt the Matsubara Hachiman Shrine that was destroyed by the war, he donated 200 bags of rice to celebrate the completion. It is said that the origin of this festival is that the villages and children of the seven villages who were delighted carried it and lined it up to Mt. The festival is organized by the seven old villages, and the district that corresponds to the “Neriban”, which takes turns every year, takes on Mikoshi. On the first day of “Yoimiya” (eve of a festival vigil), there are “Yassa” and the “miyairi” (ending event of a festival with the portable shrines being carried into the shrine) of Mikoshi style stalls. “Yassa” is a brilliant festival floats that weighs 2 tons. Starting at about 9 am, seven stalls enter the palace in order and compete in the middle of the crowd for the parade technique.
It is finally the second day of the “Hon Miya” main shrine. Ujiko (Shrine Parishner) will complete a ceremony on the nearby shore early in the morning. Parade the three Mikoshis to Mt. Otabiyama, lift them high and hit each other, so hard that the shrine is broken!
At the Nada Fighting Festival, unfortunately, paid festival seats like regular festivals are not sold to general tourists.
Basically, only the locals can sit on the curb seat. Among them, it seems that only those who have been invited or those who have been selected by lottery.
Mt. Otabiyama’s “Parade Site” and “Matsubara Hachiman Shrine Front” are set up for the crosspieces, and local people who can use the crosspieces can see the festival from the best angle.
So, general tourists will have to stand from a little far to see live.

An autumn event that represents the area

The Nada Fighting Festival (Nada No Kenka Matsuri), which has been popular since being told that “Nada Festival to be seen at least once,” is popular as a brave festival where the Mikoshi (portable shrine) and the Festival Car collide with each other. This is a historical ritual crowded with visitors of around 150 thousand people each year. This is a festival of Matsubara Hachiman Shrine in Himeji city, three Mikoshi and seven festival cars go around the city, it is not unusual for the casualties to appear, it is a powerful festival. It is an autumn event that represents the area.

It is tremendous force, as it is called “fighting festival”

The best attractions are “Neriawase” which will be held at the foot of Mt. Otabi on the second day. It is said that it will be in accordance with God ‘s will by breaking Mikoshi violently, so they break each other’ s Mikoshi. Therefore, it will be a unreservedly fierce battle. It is tremendous force, as it is called “fighting festival”.

The appearance that men carry the heavy festival cars is very impressive

It is said that the state of this collision is expressing that “warships anchored at the port at the time of a war are shaken by waves and collide with each other” or “the oysters attached to the ship were rubbed together and dropped off”. Also, not only the mikoshi but also the appearance that 80 to 90 men carry festival cars which are said to have weights of 2 to 2.5 tons is very impressive.

Please be careful not to be crushed when you visit

The Nada Fighting Festival is the fierce festival in which deaths have appeared in the past. When you visit, let’s not too close to the mikoshi. Especially when the “Neriawase” at the foot of Mt. Otabi, the surrounding roads are very crowded and intense movement of the mikoshi is dangerous so please be careful not to be crushed.

Why do not you actually visit and experience the power

This festival with intense impact is one of the leading quarrel festivals in Japan. The special shinto ritual that hits a mikoshi and the brave appearance which gorgeous festival cars compete violently is famous enough not only from Japan but also from the world. There is no doubt that people who see for the first time are always overwhelmed by their power. Why do not you actually visit and experience the power.

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