On Wednesday, October 8th, our university held an open lecture entitled "Talking about the Hakata Gion Yamakasa - From Stillness to Movement" at Okusu Arena 2020.
The special lecturer was Kiyozo Takita, the 9th chairman of the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Promotion Association, who introduced the history and appeal of the Yamakasa through a dialogue with Professor Tsuyoshi Suematsu of the Department Faculty of Collaborative Regional Development Department of Regional Development. On the day of the event, there were also exhibits unique to the Yamakasa, such as the hand towels, long happi coats, and sashes that were actually used, and participants were given easy-to-understand explanations.
In addition to the Shinto rituals related to the Yamakasa, Mr. Takita touched on the many hardships caused by disasters such as the earthquake, and the women who play an important role in supporting the Yamakasa. He spoke passionately, saying, "Yamakasa has clearly defined roles for each generation, and the wonderful thing about it is that balancing work and studies with participating in it helps people grow and develops a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. We wanted to spread this appeal to the world, so we have also shown it overseas. Because we have a responsibility to pass on our history, we feel that we must change the festival to suit the times."
Professor Suematsu touched on a wide range of topics from a historical and cultural perspective, including the influence of the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism seen in Yamakasa, the influence of the town name reorganization project, and the remnants of the old calendar that can be seen on June 1st every year, when the ban on wearing long happi coats is lifted. He said, "Yamakasa is a wonderful festival that involves multiple generations and allows each person to feel a sense of growth by taking on a role. In order to ensure that Yamakasa will continue to exist in the future, it is important to consider what to preserve and what to change."
Participants shared their thoughts, saying things like, "It was a very fulfilling time. I'm already looking forward to watching next year's Yamakasa," and "I've been interested in Yamakasa, so it was great to hear such valuable stories from the two of you."
Our university's public lectures are open to a wide range of people, from children to the elderly, and are held throughout the year in order to give back to society the intellectual property gained from the university's education and research.
Anyone can participate, so please feel free to apply.
For details of the public lectures, please click here.
[Department Department of Regional Development, Industry-Academia Co-innovation and Research Promotion Headquarters]
