Mikoshi Festival (Matsuyama’s Fall Festival)

Posted on May 15, 2007 by Jamie

Autumn is a very popular time to hold festivals throughout Japan - the autumn colors are breathtaking. Matsuyama (in Ehime prefecture) holds its Fall Festival (aki matsuri) in early October. It is also known as the Mikoshi Festival. Mikoshi is a portable shrine, which can come in many sizes. I got to carry a children’s mikoshi, which takes about 10 kids to carry. An adult mikoshi needs closer to 60 men to carry!

The mikoshi are brought to a Shinot shrine so that the kami-sama (god) can enter the mikoshi. Then the mikoshi are carried around the neighbourhood brining good fortune to local businesses and homes.

If that was the entire festival, it would still be fun. However, in Matsuyama (and many other places in Japan) there is a large mikoshi battle! In the early morning, at dawn, many mikoshi gather in a large open area. Each mikoshi has a team, and the men all wear matching hapi (festival coat) and tabi(足袋) Traditional split-toed socks for use with sandals. (special socks). With 60 men carrying the mikoshi and another 60 or so cheering on their teammates – most are drunk of course – it can be very rowdy! The team leader usually stands on top of the mikoshi while it’s being carried.

After each team is introduced, they break open some barrels of sake and have a toast. Then each team gets ready to duel. The men raise mikoshi up onto their shoulders, and the leader beats the side of the mikoshi shouting taunts to the opposing team. They often chant “wasshoi wasshoi wasshoi” as they move the mikoshi, and taunt their opponents with “mottekoi mottekoi” which loosely translates to “bring it!” Then in a split second the two mikoshi charge at each other and smash into each other. It becomes a sort of sumo match – where they try and push the one team past a certain point.

Almost every year someone is killed during this festival. Even the spectators are not entirely safe. If you are in the middle of large crowd (possibly thousands of people) and the mikoshi battle pushes into the crowd, and as everyone gets squished someone maybe get trampled. The risk is definitively part of the excitement!

Different cities and even different neighbourhoods within a city have different battle styles. Some ram them in side to side, other attack front to front, some don’t even push they just touch and then dance around in a circle. In each case, everyone has a great time.

Another part of Matsuyama’s Fall Festival, is a lot like Halloween. Children go door to door the two nights before the big mikoshi battles and collect money. They also chant "mottekoi mottekoi" as they canvass the neighbourhood for money. They carry lanterns and wear a matching hapi. Later they split the money and buy what ever they want. Some buy candy (thus, very similar to Halloween), others buy video games, comic books, clothes, etc. Also, most homes have a paper lantern hanging next to their front door (which is like having a jack o lantern!)