Koshikiiwa Danjiri Festival to Be Featured on MBS “DyDo Group Japan’s Festivals” Tomorrow October 22 Friday

Koshikiiwa Shrine stands in a forest designated as a natural monument in the Rokko mountain range, an area long associated with worship of giant rocks. During the autumn festival, two danjiri floats carrying the deity are paraded through a quiet residential neighborhood to the sounds of drums and gongs. One defining feature of the festival is that it is “open to everyone.” The people who support the festival are working on various initiatives so that newcomers to the area and children of the next generation can take part with ease. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival has been scaled down, and events such as the evening danjiri procession in front of the station have been canceled. The program follows a young man in his 20s who plays an important role in steering the festival at a time when holding it is difficult. “I want people to feel safe watching the danjiri.” The program captures his efforts as he struggles between the festival as it should be and the harsh realities of the present situation. Many foreign residents have also taken part in the festival over the years. The beauty of the festival culture as they experienced it, and the value of continuing the tradition, remind us once again of the importance of local bonds that many Japanese people may have begun to forget.