Midsummer with the Ancestors: Wakasa Town

The town of Wakasa-cho lies on the coast of Fukui Prefecture, looking out on the Sea of Japan. In the old days, the town thrived as a key hub on a highway connecting the region with Kyoto. Each year in August, a traditional dance known as Rokusai Nenbutsu is performed by people in this town. The ceremony, which dates back over 700 years, is held to mark the midsummer Obon holiday, when the ancestors are believed to return to their former homes. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, rakugo artist Cyril Coppini meets the local people who are keeping alive this tradition, to ensure that generations to come will continue to welcome the spirits of their forebears.

Wakasa Rokusai Nenbutsu

Rokusai Nenbutsu is a dance with Buddhist chanting that is done in many parts of Japan. In Wakasa-cho, the dancing is accompanied by gongs and drums. This is thought to be the form of the dance closest to the way it was originally performed when it was first introduced around 700 years ago.

Mukae Mandai

This traditional ceremony is held to guide the spirits of the ancestors back to their hometown, welcoming them with torches and Buddhist nenbutsu chanting.


 

Kumagawa-juku

Kumagawa-juku flourished as a post town on the ancient Mackerel Highway, which was used to transport seafood products to the ancient capital, Kyoto. Since 1996, the town has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

Access

To reach Wakasa-cho from Tokyo, it takes about two hours to Kyoto Prefecture by Shinkansen bullet train. From there, it's another two hours by local train to Kaminaka Station.

Transcript

00:00

"Journeys in Japan"

00:08

Wakasa-cho is a town that lives on the coast of the Sea of Japan.

00:14

Since the old days, the people here have performed

00:16

a traditional form of dance in mid-summer.

00:29

It's our custom to perform the Rokusai Nenbutsu around our community.

00:35

I used to take part when I was young.

00:40

The ceremony is held to mark the Obon season,

00:43

the time when it's believed the spirits of the ancestors returned to their former homes.

00:52

Cyril Coppini from France is a performer

00:55

of Rakugo traditional comic storytelling.

00:59

This time, I came to Wakasa-cho and I heard that

01:02

here, in this part of Japan, there are many, many events related to Obon.

01:07

And I'm wondering why Obon is so important for Japanese people

01:11

and that's what I'm going to try to discover together with you.

01:16

Welcome!

01:19

On this edition of "Journeys in Japan,"

01:22

Cyril meets with the townspeople who are preserving their traditions,

01:27

so that future generations can continue to welcome back the spirits of their forebears.

01:35

Midsummer with the ancestors: Wakasa Town

01:46

Wakasa-cho lies in Fukui Prefecture,

01:49

some 500 kilometers west of Tokyo.

02:06

Here, in Wakasa-cho, there is a specific event related to Obon.

02:11

It's called Rokusai Nenbutsu.

02:15

Let's have a chat with the locals to learn more about it.

02:18

Let's go.

02:23

Cyril's first stop is this community hall in the Miyake neighborhood.

02:30

Good evening. Sorry to disturb you.

02:38

Please come in.

02:43

Tanaka Hiroyuki is the head of a group

02:45

that's working to preserve the local traditions.

02:49

Please tell me about your Rokusai Nenbutsu.

02:53

It's a traditional event held during the Obon holiday.

02:57

In this neighborhood, it's been performed by our children since the old days.

03:02

Please have a look at these photos.

03:08

Rokusai Nenbutsu is a form of dance with Buddhist chanting

03:12

that's performed in many parts of Japan.

03:30

In Wakasa-cho, the dance is accompanied by gongs and drums, as well as chanting.

03:35

This is thought to be the form of the dance closest to the way

03:38

it was originally performed some 700 years ago.

03:56

What makes the "nenbutsu" special in this community is that here,

04:00

fourth to ninth-grade children take part in the dance,

04:03

as it goes from house to house in the local community.

04:08

There are various ideas as to why this community includes children in their dance.

04:14

The most prevalent view is that it's done

04:16

because it helps develop them as responsible members of the community.

04:24

However, there are no children to be seen at this day's practice.

04:30

That's because an important announcement has just been made.

04:35

I can only see grownups here today. Aren't the children going to practice as well?

04:40

Because of the spread of COVID,

04:44

it was decided that only adults will take part this year.

04:53

We were all ready for the children to perform. But the virus has been spreading very rapidly.

05:00

For the children in our district, Obon is all about Rokusai Nenbutsu.

05:05

This year it won't be the same.

05:08

If this situation continues for several years,

05:11

our children won't get to practice Rokusai Nenbutsu in the future.

05:18

It will be hard for them to learn when they're older.

05:23

I hope the pandemic eases off soon, so our children can join in again.

05:44

Tamai Hisataka's daughter

05:45

was one of the children who were due to perform this year.

05:53

My daughter was keen to take part.

06:00

I'm sure she was looking forward to it.

06:03

It's disappointing. This year is her last chance to take part.

06:08

- Her last chance?
- That's right.

06:12

Could I speak with your daughter?

06:16

Alright.

06:18

Thank you.

06:38

This was supposed to be your last year taking part. How do you feel about that?

06:47

We were all looking forward to performing, but that's not going to happen now.

06:53

We didn't want to miss out in our last year.

06:57

The kids were all ready and waiting to take part.

07:03

Do you ever practice together at home?

07:06

No, not at home.

07:11

I've been practicing with the other children. We'd copy what the older kids showed us to do.

07:17

Also, all the children in the same grade get together and teach each other.

07:23

The younger kids follow the older children around the houses, and are given snacks.

07:33

So when they reach fourth grade, they're all keen to start.

07:38

To be honest, I wanted her to take part this year.

07:44

I hope the age limit will be extended,

07:51

so that all children who want to take part can join in.

08:12

I'm still in Wakasa-cho

08:14

because there is another specific event related to Obon.

08:19

This one is called Mukae Mandai.

08:22

What kind of event is it?

08:24

Let's check it out.

08:42

Hello.

08:48

Kubo Hiroshi is the head of a family

08:51

that traces its history back over 200 years.

08:55

You've prepared a lot of food here. What will it be used for?

09:01

This is for my ancestors who will return for Obon.

09:10

The ceremony for welcoming the ancestor spirits is called Mukae Mandai.

09:16

The first step is to set up the altar to welcome them.

09:22

We do this every year. It's something we've always taken for granted.

09:26

But recently, we've heard from our neighbors that

09:31

few other families prepare their altars like us now.

09:48

Only vegetables and fruit are placed on the altar.

09:52

Meat or fish are never used as Buddhist offerings.

09:59

Obon is the time when our ancestors return home.

10:04

We light torches to guide them to our houses. It's an event called Mukae Mandai.

10:20

When the preparations inside their home are ready,

10:23

the family starts to set up torches outside.

10:35

A total of 13 torches are readied,

10:39

one for each of the Buddhas that protect the spirits of the deceased.

10:46

We recite the nenbutsu chant which has been handed down in our community since the old days.

10:53

The Mukae Mandai ritual consists of both nenbutsu chanting and the lighting of the torches.

11:01

The community comes to pay its respects to the ancestors, while we chant the nenbutsu.

11:09

Everything is now set for the Mukae Mandai.

11:20

In the old days, Wakasa-cho was a thriving post town

11:24

on the old mackerel highway,

11:26

the route that connected the ancient capital, Kyoto, with the Sea of Japan Coast.

11:31

There are still many reminders of those days.

11:36

This is Kumagawa-juku,

11:39

a typical street of ancient Japan.

11:44

It's typical but something is missing.

11:49

Can you guess what?

11:54

Yes, there are no electric cables.

11:59

You know, this kind of street is pretty rare now all over Japan

12:04

and I'm wondering why there are no electric cables,

12:07

so I'm going to check it out.

12:09

Let's go together.

12:19

This museum was set up to commemorate the history of Kumagawa-juku.

12:24

It was formerly the Kumagawa Village Office.

12:34

You must be Mr. Miyamoto.

12:36

- That's right.
- I'm Cyril. Nice to meet you.

12:43

Miyamoto Tetsuo is the head of a special committee set up to reinvigorate the district.

12:49

Miyamoto was born and raised here.

12:52

Although he left the town to work, he returned after he retired.

13:02

It's amazing! There are no cables at all.

13:10

You used to have them, didn't you?

13:13

This is how the town looked when it was designated as a preservation area.

13:20

The road was paved in the usual way, with concrete here and there.

13:28

You can see the electricity cables, too.

13:33

In 1996, Kumagawa-juku was designated as a preservation district.

13:39

Miyamoto and his colleagues worked with the local authorities to bring back the old townscape,

13:44

removing utility poles and burying the power cables.

13:50

However, the aging population has led to many homes being left empty.

13:55

The town is encouraging younger people to move into those homes.

13:59

We have to create the right environment so younger people can make a living here.

14:05

That's the only way to preserve our cultural assets.

14:08

Younger people come up with innovative ideas that would never occur to old folks like us.

14:30

This building is 150 years old.

14:33

It's been refurbished and now houses a gallery.

14:37

Tobinaga Nao is a potter.

14:40

She moved here from Kyoto to open the gallery in 2019.

14:46

Besides ceramics, she displays a range of

14:48

traditional crafts made in the Wakasa-cho area.

14:54

Why did you open a crafts gallery like this?

15:00

The Wakasa-cho area has various crafts, but they're not widely known.

15:07

I want to help spread the word to people

15:11

who are visiting here from other places.

15:20

So you're also an information hub?

15:23

Exactly. Kumagawa-juku was a post town on the route to Kyoto,

15:28

so it used to be connected to many places.

15:36

Tobinaga can also introduce visitors to the local artisans.

15:44

He said it's OK to visit him.

15:47

- Thank you.
- It's a craft known as Wakasa Agate.

15:49

I've never seen a craftsman working with agate before.

15:55

- You'll enjoy it.
- Thank you.

15:58

These items are made of agate, a type of quartz.

16:03

There have been craftsmen working with agate in Wakasa-cho

16:06

for over 1,200 years.

16:19

Uenishi Soichiro is keeping the agate tradition alive.

16:24

However, the number of craftsmen in the town has declined.

16:28

Uenishi is now the only agate artisan left in Wakasa-cho.

16:33

What made you take up agate as a craft?

16:41

I don't come from a family of agate craftsmen.

16:45

I used to be an instructor for introductory craft courses,

16:50

and one time I saw a real artisan demonstrating this craft.

16:57

I thought I should give it a try, so I could explain it better to customers.

17:01

That's how I took it up.

17:06

Uenishi has something he wants to show Cyril:

17:10

semi-finished agate items from a workshop that is now closed.

17:21

I can learn a lot from these unfinished pieces left by the artisans of the past.

17:29

There's no one here I can turn to for advice, but I can learn from the history of this craft.

17:35

I'd like our town to become a thriving center for agate ware.

17:45

(Many people who have moved away from Wakasa-cho like to return to the town during the Obon holiday.)

17:55

(They come back to pay their respects to the ancestors.)

18:06

(They offer prayers not just to their own forebears, but to those of everyone in the neighborhood.)

18:44

The day has arrived for the Mukae Mandai remembrances.

18:48

Kubo has made all the preparations to welcome his ancestors.

18:54

He places offerings of food on the altar,

18:57

including homemade dishes that were favorites of his departed family members.

19:11

At 5 p.m., Kubo and other local representatives parade through the streets.

19:16

The sound of the drums announces to the local community

19:19

that the Mukae Mandai ceremony is starting.

19:29

The torches are lit to guide the ancestors' spirits back to their homes.

19:54

Reciting the nenbutsu chant,

19:57

the villagers start to pray beside a small stream.

20:04

It's believed that the spirits have to cross a river to come home.

20:09

The villagers offer prayers of gratitude

20:11

for the safe return of their forebears.

20:29

The spirits of the ancestors

20:31

are thought to alight on the torches they hold in their hands.

20:35

Once they've carried the torches back to their homes,

20:38

the flames can be transferred to candles.

20:50

What are your thoughts now?

20:52

This tradition has been passed down through numerous generations.

20:56

I'm determined to keep it alive, to pass it on to future generations.

21:23

Now that the spirits of the ancestors have returned,

21:26

it's time for the Rokusai Nenbutsu to start,

21:29

even though the children will not be taking part.

21:45

The time is 5:15 now,

21:48

and the event Rokusai Nenbutsu is about to begin.

21:51

This is my first time, so I'm really excited about it.

22:10

Usually, the Rokusai Nenbutsu performers

22:13

go around to all of the 80 or so households in the district.

22:17

But this year, once they have performed at the temple, they will go just to one house

22:22

where a family member has died during the past year.

22:45

The Rokusai Nenbutsu participants arrive at the house.

23:37

The performance this year feels very different

23:40

without children and without onlookers.

23:44

But even so, the neighboring families come to watch the Rokusai Nenbutsu.

24:22

Well done. How do you feel now?

24:28

I feel relieved that it's over for this year.

24:35

The way you performed here, would the children have done it the same way in usual years?

24:40

That's the way it's done when visiting people's homes.

24:45

This year was disappointing.

24:47

But we hope the children will be able to perform again from next year.

24:51

Yes, next year they should be allowed to!

25:07

I hope you enjoy the show.

25:09

Personally, I did a lot.

25:11

I was really happy and also surprised to see how the young generation

25:16

is taking care of places traditional like Kumagawa-juku

25:22

and doing as a new business, it was very interesting.

25:27

Regarding Rokusai Nenbutsu, of course,

25:29

it is a shame that the children couldn't participate this year

25:33

but it was very interesting to see how the adults, how the seniors

25:38

are making efforts to have them participating

25:42

and to communicate to them the tradition.

25:46

So I hope I will be able to come again to Wakasa-cho

25:49

because I learned a lot and also, I had a lot of fun.

26:06

To reach Wakasa-cho from Tokyo,

26:09

it takes about two hours to Kyoto by Shinkansen Bullet Train.

26:13

From there, it's another two hours by local train to Kaminaka Station.

26:31

In Kumagawa-juku, visitors can arrange

26:34

to stay overnight in traditional Japanese-style houses.

26:38

This house has a bedroom upstairs, plus living, dining and kitchen areas,

26:42

and can accommodate up to five people.

26:47

Tokioka Sota was the first person from outside the town

26:51

to offer rentals in old homes.

26:58

It's a way to offer visitors a deeper experience that brings them closer to the local culture.

27:08

If we can't offer visitors this extra level, it will be hard for us to grow our business.

27:13

He's also developed a line of food items

27:16

based on ingredients produced within Fukui Prefecture.

27:23

This mustard is mixed with the seeds of a variety of turnip only grown in this area.

27:29

Because the seeds are only available in limited amounts,

27:32

he's encouraging the local farmers to grow more of them.

27:43

I think it's very good.

27:46

Wow! It's very good.