September

Japan is famous for its traditional festivals, most of which involve parades, dancing, and performances. Every prefecture has its own festivals, and Kumamoto is no exception. If you are in Kumamoto between September and November, look out for the following autumn festivals. Fujisaki Hajimangu Festival One of the biggest Kumamoto festivals in the autumn calendar is the festival of the Fujisaki Hachimangu Shrine, which is a Shinto festival that runs for five days in September. The main event is a series of parades that take place on the last day. The first parade is a procession of portable shrines, the second a re-enactment of samurai, and the third involves Shinto priests riding decorated horses chased by their followers. The last of the three parades has been controversial for a couple of reasons. One is because the followers chasing the horses shout “boshita, boshita”, believed to originate from the phrase “horoboshita” – meaning “Japan destroyed Korea”. As this is upsetting to those of Korean descent, the cry has been changed to “dookai, dookai” since 1990. Another controversy relates to the nature of the chase, which relates to a Buddhist ritual of releasing animals to the fields (later adopted by Shintos). Some…