Taka-town, Taka-gun, Hyogo
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兵庫県多可郡多可町
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Saturday and Sunday around April 24th and 25th
4月24、25日付近の土日
Taka-town City Office/+81-795-32-4779
多可町商工観光課/0795-32-4779
In Tokubata-Tenjinsha Shrine, three gods of creation – Amenonakanushi-no-kami, Takamimusubi-no-kami, and Kamimusubi-no-kami – and Sugawara no Michizane are enshrined. During the Kyuan period (1145–1150), Minamoto no Yorimasa, a feudal lord in this area, established the shrine and enshrined these gods. However, the shrine burned down in 1267. It is reported that a farmer called Kyubei rescued goshintai (an object of worship) from the fire and was later given a revelation during a dream, and the enshrined object was transferred to the present site according to the revelation.
Tokubata-Tenjinsha Shrine consists of four areas of parishioners: Tokubata, Okunaka, Nakamuramachi, and Shigeri. Four floats from these areas had been paraded in the annual spring festival. However, Tokubata was submerged into a dam reservoir, and there are currently only three floats from three parishioner areas. The festival is held on the weekend around April 24 and 25 (former festival dates).
On the eve of the festival (first day), each float is paraded through each parishioner area in the morning, and the three of them gather in the center of the town. Then, the procession of the three floats winds through all areas. The floats visit shrines here and there in the town, where float carriers perform sashiage (lifting the float high) and neri (turning it). Today, lights on the three floats are turned on all at once at the lighting ceremony in the evening. On the eve of the festival, a portable shrine, placed in the front shrine in Tenjinsha, is attended overnight by the villagers in charge.
On the festival day (second day), the three floats head to Tenjinsha and enter the grounds of the shrine. Then, the portable shrine is brought to the shrine gate, followed by the three floats, and a Shinto ritual is performed under the gate. Again, the portable shrine and the three floats travel up the approach, and the portable shrine is returned to the front shrine. All three floats are turned all at once in front of the front shrine, which is the culmination of the festival. At the end of the festival, rice cakes are scattered, and each float is taken back to each parishioner area.
徳畑天神社(とくばたてんじんしゃ)は天之御中主神(あめのなかぬしのかみ)、高御産巣日神(たかみむすびのかみ)、神産巣日神(かみむすびのかみ)と菅原道真公が祀られている。久安年中(1145年〜)、この辺りの領主だった源頼政が社を築いてこれらの神を祀っていたが、1267年に火災で社殿が焼失してしまった。その時、久兵衛という農夫がご神体を炎の中から運び出し、その後夢で受けたお告げにしたがって、現在の場所に遷宮したと伝えられている。
徳畑天神社の氏子は徳畑、奥中、中村町、茂利の4地区であり、昔の春季例大祭では各地区から屋台が出されたが、徳畑はダムの建設によって集落が水没してしまったため、現在屋台は3地区だけとなっている。旧来の祭礼日は4月24、25日だったが、今ではその前後の土日に行われるようになった。
宵宮(1日目)では、午前に屋台が各地区を巡行しながら町の中心部に集結し、その後3台の屋台が連なって各地を巡行する。屋台は町の各所にある神社を訪れ、そこで屋台を高く持ち上げる「差し上げ」や回転させる練りを披露する。近年では夕刻になると、3屋台の電飾を一斉に点灯させる点灯式が行われる。この日、神輿は天神社の拝殿に据えられており、当番の村役員と共に一夜を明かす。
本宮(2日目)では3屋台が天神社に向かい、境内に入る。その後神輿の渡御が行われ、3屋台は神輿に続く。神輿は鳥居まで下りていき、鳥居下で神事が執り行われる。そして再び神輿と3屋台は参道を登っていき、神輿は拝殿に戻る。その後拝殿の前で行われる3屋台一斉の練り合わせが、この祭りのクライマックスである。最後に餅まきが行われた後、屋台は各地区へと戻っていく。