Hinamatsuri

Families with young girls display decorated "hina ningyou" or hina dolls on a 5-tier base which is often covered with red curpet. Some dolls are dressed in traditional clothing. The snacks also follow a set of customs. Rice crakers and diamond shaped mochi cakes of sticky beaten rice are set out with sushi and white sake.

In some parts of Japan, people celebrate Hina Matsuri by making paper dolls and placing them in the river. This practice is called "Nagashi Bina" and was originally done to keep evil spirit away.

Traditionally, dolls are passed from mother to daughter and taken with them when they get married, this custom is still observed.

Gion Yamagasa

Yamagasa was started in the kamakura Period in 1241 by the lead Priest of Shouten Temple. AT the time, a plague was spreading throughout Hakata and it was believed that a new ritual would help. He was carried on a wooden float through the city, splashing water and praying to cleanse the people. These practices are very similar to what we see today.

Yamagasa is held from the 1st to the 15th of July. During this time, many decorated floats known as "Kazariyama" are displayed throughout Fukuoka and Hakata area.
They make for good photos and more are made each year. One is displayed year round at Kushida Shrine.
The ritual climaxes on the 15th when smaller floats (Kakiyama) are run through the streets as fast as the participants can carry them and splash water in a time trial along a 5 km course.
The only prize for the fastest time is pride typically, only men carry the floats, shouting "O-shoi" as they run.
The floats leave the starting line 5 minutes apart, making for an exciting time.

In 2016, Yamagasa was registered on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list with another four floats in Kyushu.

Kabuki

Kabuki originated in the early Edo period in Kyoto. A woman named Okuni of Izumo first performed it as an original dance. This custom was maintained and became modern Kabuki. Kabuki dance was later performed by only men.
Kabuki performs on a wooden revolving stage. During the performance actors often make poses when emotion peak. We call this art of posing "Mie" and some Actors are quite famous and popular for it.
An actor in a male role covers his face in white make up with red lines. This style is called "Kumadori". For those in female roles, they still use the white make up, but they do not use the red lines, they only use red on their lips. The female roles are played by men called "Oyama".
Some Actors are quite well known and respected for their female roles.
The stories used for Kabuki are often traditionally set in the Edo Period and have been performed for hundreds of years.
Recently a new form of Kabuki, called Super Kabuki has become popular. They use new stories from modern Japanese popular culture.
The most recent is based on "One Piece" a popular Japanese comic.
In Fukuoka you can see Kabuki at Hakataza（博多座）in February, June and November.

Nou・Kyougen

Nou and Kyougen originated in the art of music, dance and mimic play called dengaku and sarugaku in the Muromachi era. They are completed by Kanami and Zeami(father and son).
Nou and Kyougen are a traditional Japanese performance art that predates Kabuki. Nou tends to be serious art is done in classical Japanese. There are 260 musical scores used in traditional Nou plays. The "hayasi" (one or more instruments) ensemble play an assortment of drums and flutes. "Utai" or the vocal portion, is sung in a chanting style.
The Actors wear ornate to be treasures and passed down from generation to generation.

In Fukuoka Nou is performed at the Noubutai theater located in Ohori Park. The stage is made up of a 6m square called a Hon butai and a walkway is known as the Hashikagari. Noubutai is made by Honbutai(about 6m square)and "Hasikagari"(it looks like corridor).
A Nou performance is often a collection of smaller plays. A standard performance often takes about 1 hour and consists of 2 nou stories with as shorter, comedic play named Kyougen in between.

In Fukuoka you can see Nou and Kyougen at the Ohori Kouen Nougakudou.
(Nou theatre)

Flower Arrangement

Ikebana is the art of traditional Japanese flower arrangement originally related to religious ceremonies. Flowers were originally arranged where gods were welcomed or used as offerings at Buddhist altars.
When the tea ceremony became popular in the 16th century, flowers are arranged in tea ceremony rooms. There are now three major ikebana school Ikenobo, Ohara, and Sogetsu.
Moribana is upright style of Ikebana. This arrangement in the shape of three points of shin(center), soe(support), and hikae(overall balance),which indicate heaven(leader),earth(subordinate),and man(one to keep harmony in between)respectively. These three elements are called sansei (harmony between nature and man).

Chikuzen Biwa

The Biwa is a musical instrument that was played by blind priests.
The Biwa was improved in the middle of the Meiji period by Kyokuou Tachibana to create a new style of music.
This was the start of Chikuzen Biwa, culminating in a performace before the Emperor (Tennou), giving it a place in high culture.

In Fukuoka, Chikuzen Biwa is very popular with female artists, and the instruments were produced at the same level as Hakata dolls, a famous craft in the area during the Meiji period.

The most famous female chikuzen biwa performer is Kyokuen Nakamura belong to Chikuzen Biwa Asahi Kai. She was born in 1917 and was quite famous during the Shouwa period. She was a big star in Fukuoka. She continued to perform until the age of 95.（Now she is 101 years old） She has passed her skills to play along to many in this area, so Chikuzen Biwa is still used today.

Please watch videos of this cultural art linked on our Home Page.

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