Spirit Boat Procession
Encyclopedia
The is an event celebrated in various places in Nagasaki prefecture
, Japan
. It is part of the Bon Festival
. During the event, the souls of the deceased are mourned and sent off.
. It is done as an act of mourning by those who have lost a family member in the past year, though people who are not mourning participate as well.
As with many other Japanese festivals, people carry firecrackers and gongs, and often sound off with kakegoe
. Some boats are built up to look like festival floats, and many tourists come to see the event. Despite the atmosphere, the procession is actually a Buddhist event of mourning the deceased. At one time the boats were floated off into the ocean, but in recent years the boats are retrieved before they go out that far so as to prevent polluting the ocean.
In 2010, it was reported that more than 180,000 people had attended the event.
The boats can be built from a quantity of different supplies and no particular one is preferred. Bamboo and grass are often used, though cogongrass is popular in Saikai, Nagasaki
, and some other people use hardened corrugated cardboard. People who are mourning decorate the boat with the family crest, put a portrait of the deceased and the mortuary tablet on the boat, and also sometimes use a token that exemplifies the person (e.g. a shogi player may have a shogi piece on the boat). Those who are not mourning generally build small laced rafts, and set O-Bon lanterns, fruit or non-natural flowers on them instead. Boats made by individuals or family members are generally between 1 and 2 meters. Often boats also have a sail with sutra
s for Buddha and Kannon.
Larger boats, called moyaibune, are created and sent out by neighborhoods, local councils or organizations. Prior to the 1950s, these sort of boats were more popular, as individuals building their own boats were relatively luxurious. These boats are usually adorned with the town icon. The lights with family crests on them are each different. Moyaibune are decorated by the town icon.
In more recent years, societies have played with the classes of boats to be less traditional. These boats are discussed to as and are becoming progressively popular. An example of such a boat would be someone who liked yachts would have a yacht-shaped boat.
, a native of Nagasaki, wrote a song called Shoro nagashi that is essentially about the festival. It was recorded along with Masami Yoshida under the band name Grape and was released in 1974. At the end of 2009 Sada's father died, and in 2010 he and his family sailed a boat in honor of his father. Footage was broadcast around the country.
Nagasaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is part of the Bon Festival
Bon Festival
or just is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed...
. During the event, the souls of the deceased are mourned and sent off.
Description
The procession takes place on August 15 of every year. During the procession, people float boats which are said to be carrying the spirits of the deceased down the river. The spirits are said to be sent to SukhavatiSukhavati
Sukhāvatī refers to the western Pure Land of the Buddha Amitābha in Mahāyāna Buddhism. Sukhāvatī translates to "Land of Bliss."-In other languages:In traditional Mahayana Buddhist countries, there are a number of translations for Sukhāvatī....
. It is done as an act of mourning by those who have lost a family member in the past year, though people who are not mourning participate as well.
As with many other Japanese festivals, people carry firecrackers and gongs, and often sound off with kakegoe
Kakegoe
Kakegoe can be literally translated as "hung voice" or "a voice you hang." The "hanging" part is probably meant to be taken in an abstract sense to mean "ornament" or "decoration," as it is the same Japanese verb used when talk about kakemono. Kakegoe, therefore, refers to an auxiliary pitched or...
. Some boats are built up to look like festival floats, and many tourists come to see the event. Despite the atmosphere, the procession is actually a Buddhist event of mourning the deceased. At one time the boats were floated off into the ocean, but in recent years the boats are retrieved before they go out that far so as to prevent polluting the ocean.
In 2010, it was reported that more than 180,000 people had attended the event.
Boats
Boats called are built and hovered off into the water. The boats are said to carry the souls of the deceased on them. The boats are mainly built by people who have lost a family member in the last year, though they are also built by others.The boats can be built from a quantity of different supplies and no particular one is preferred. Bamboo and grass are often used, though cogongrass is popular in Saikai, Nagasaki
Saikai, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki, Japan.Saikai City was formed through the merger of five towns on the northern tip of Nishisonogi Peninsula on April 1, 2005: the former town of Saikai, Ōseto, Ōshima, Sakito and Seihi, all from Nishisonogi District...
, and some other people use hardened corrugated cardboard. People who are mourning decorate the boat with the family crest, put a portrait of the deceased and the mortuary tablet on the boat, and also sometimes use a token that exemplifies the person (e.g. a shogi player may have a shogi piece on the boat). Those who are not mourning generally build small laced rafts, and set O-Bon lanterns, fruit or non-natural flowers on them instead. Boats made by individuals or family members are generally between 1 and 2 meters. Often boats also have a sail with sutra
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
s for Buddha and Kannon.
Larger boats, called moyaibune, are created and sent out by neighborhoods, local councils or organizations. Prior to the 1950s, these sort of boats were more popular, as individuals building their own boats were relatively luxurious. These boats are usually adorned with the town icon. The lights with family crests on them are each different. Moyaibune are decorated by the town icon.
In more recent years, societies have played with the classes of boats to be less traditional. These boats are discussed to as and are becoming progressively popular. An example of such a boat would be someone who liked yachts would have a yacht-shaped boat.
Origin
There are various theories as to the festival's origin, though it is believed to be strongly influenced by a similar Chinese festival. The meaning of the firecrackers that are fired on the side of the road leading up to the launching place comes from a Chinese idea on how to ward off evil spirits, and by passing the boats by, they are cleansed.Song
Masashi SadaMasashi Sada
is a Japanese singer, lyricist, composer, novelist, actor, and a film producer.Sada formed the folk duo Grape with Masami Yoshida in 1972, and made debut as a recording artist a year after. The pair rose to fame owing to a hit of a song "Shourou Nagashi" composed by Sada, which peaked at the...
, a native of Nagasaki, wrote a song called Shoro nagashi that is essentially about the festival. It was recorded along with Masami Yoshida under the band name Grape and was released in 1974. At the end of 2009 Sada's father died, and in 2010 he and his family sailed a boat in honor of his father. Footage was broadcast around the country.