Osaki Hachimangu’s Dontosai- the Sendai’s New Year Festival of fire /大崎八幡宮松焚祭（どんと祭） – 仙台の御神火まつり

On January 14^th, Sendai becomes the center of a really special festival. If you walk around downtown you will start seeing people wearing “Sarashi”- similar to loincloth, biting a paper while marching around the city ringing a bell. It might sound a strange combination, plus in the middle of winter it is not the best to wonder naked around Sendai. But there is a reason. The reason comes back over 300 years of traditions of purification and wishing for a healthy year as well as profits in your job. This is the “Osaki Hachimangu Shrine’s Dontosai Festival” and it is one of the most important festivals in Sendai during winter.

1月14日に仙台では特別な祭りが開催されます。仙台の中心市街地を歩いていると、さらしを着て、口に「含み紙」をくわえた人々が鐘を鳴らしながら練り歩く光景を目にします。真冬の仙台のまちなかを裸で歩くなんて奇妙に思われるかもしれませんが、これには理由があります。約300年前から伝わってきた一年の無病息災・商売繁盛の加護を得るための祭を行なっているからです。この祭は仙台で最も大切な冬まつり「大崎八幡宮松焚祭（どんと祭）」です。

In this post, you can learn about the traditions behind the festival, the meaning of the elements part of it and recommendations to enjoy it as a viewer and also as a participant of this tradition!

今回は、この松焚祭（どんと祭）の歴史、伝統、儀式と衣装の意味をご紹介し、祭に参加する人、見物する人におすすめと大事な情報をお伝えします。

Sagichou in Hyogo Prefecture/兵庫県の左義長

First let’s talk about the history of this festival. It is not clear when this tradition started, but it is sure that it has over 300 years of history, going back as far as the Edo period. This part of the Japanese tradition of the “Sagicho 左義長” or “Dontoyaki どんと焼き” that are festivals of fire that happen on the “Koshogatsu 小正月- Little New Year’s Day” a smaller celebration on New Years that was popular during the Edo Period. During the “Sagichou” big wooden structures are built and lit on fire which creates the “Goshinbi 御神火- Holy fire” to communicate with the gods. Inside the “Goshinbi” people throw their New Year’s decorations such as the “Kadomatsu 門松” or “Shimenawa しめ縄”, the first written kanji of a year called “Kakizome 書き初め”, the amulets called “Shinsatsu 神札” to pray for a year without illness, stability and security for the family and rich harvest during that year.

まずは松焚祭（どんと祭）の歴史を紹介します。起源はあまり明らかになっていませんが、約300年前の江戸時代から続いていると言われています。小正月の日に行なわれた「左義長」や「どんと焼き」が起源とされているようです。「左義長」は木で組んだものを1月14日の夜に燃やすと、神様と通じるたき火「御神火」になります。「御神火」でお正月に使用した門松、しめ縄、書き初め、神札などを燃やして一年の無病息災・家内安全を祈ります。

Gojinka at Osaki Hachimangu Shrine/大崎八幡宮神社の御神火

At Osaki Hachimangu Shrine in Sendai, the tradition has become a festival different from the “Sagicho 左義長” being called “Matsutaki Matsuri 松焚祭”, but the name which everyone recognize it is with the nickname that is called “Dontosai どんと祭”. It is important to tell that there are many “Dontosai” festivals all around the Tohoku Region, but the main one is the one that happens at Osaki Hachimangu Shrine.

仙台の大崎八幡宮では「松焚祭」といい、おなじみの名称は「どんと祭」です。東北地域の周辺で様々な「どんと祭」が開催されていますが、一番有名なのは大崎八幡宮で行われる松焚祭です。

Osaki Hachimangu shrine’s Matsutaki Matsuri has a history of over 300 years, but the first recordings about this festival are around the year 1849 in a book called “Sendai Nenchu Gyoji Taii- The Sendai’s Annual Events Summary” where it is mentioned briefly that as a festival happening in recent year. Additionally, on the 1850 picture scroll “Sendai Nenchu Gyoji Emaki- Sendai’s Annual Events Picture Scroll” there are drawings of people on the “Hadaka Mairi” costume which makes it clear that is related with the festival. The name “Dontosai” started to be use around 1907 (Year 40 of the Meiji era), and during the Taisho Era the name “Dontosai” spread out because it was a popular term used in newspapers around the time.

大崎八幡宮の松焚祭は300年以上歴史があり、最古の記録は1849年に書かれた「仙台年中行事大意」で少なくとも近世末期に行なわれていたとされています。また1850年の「仙台年中行事絵巻」には祭に関係がある「裸参り」の衣装の人々が描かれています。「どんと祭」という愛称は1907年(明治40年)に初めて使用され、大正時代に新聞社がこの名前をよく用いたため、だんだん市民にもこの愛称が使われるようになりました。

Difference between the costume of the “Hadaka Mairi” between Men and Women/男女の裸参り衣装

The popularity of this festival is the traditional costume of the “Hadaka Mairi 裸参り” which can be translated as “Naked Pilgimage.” The participants of this pilgimage will go almost naked to this event. The dressing is composed of: a white “Hachimaki 鉢巻 – headband” and a white “Sarashi さらし – waist band and loincloth” that are rolled up around the head and body of each one of the participants, also they wear “Tabi 足袋 – white socks” and “Waraji 草鞋 straw sandals” in their feet. The participants bite a piece of paper called “Fukumi Kami 含み紙” as a way of preventing breathing in the God of the “Goshinbi.” They also hold a bell on their right hand and a “Chochin 提灯 – paper lantern” on their left hand. On the tradition behind the “Hadaka Mairi” there is also the traditional “Mizugori水垢離 – purification bath made with icy water,” but in the actual “Donto Sai” this part of the ritual can be ignored.

どんと祭の魅力は「裸参り」の伝統的な衣装です。裸参りの参加者は白い鉢巻と白いさらしを巻いて、白い足袋と草鞋を履きます。また、口に「含み紙」という紙をくわえながら、右手で鐘を鳴らし、左手で提灯を持ちます。伝統的な裸参りには、「水垢離」の儀式もありますが、現在は行なっておりません。

As this festival takes place in the middle of winter, the temperatures are really low in Sendai, with even chances of snow, so for all the participants of this festival they need to do first a health check to make sure they are in good conditions to participate. Also, women and non-Japanese that come from warm countries are allowed to wear 1 light parka so they can protect from the cold. As a mode of prevention, there are people inside the participants of the festival wearing signs that say “AED- Automated Electric Defibrillators.” They assist people that are feeling sick during the event, and in worst case scenario use the AED to save the life of the participant.

この祭は真冬に行われ、仙台では気温がとても低くなり雪が降る可能性もあるため、参加者は健康診断を必ず受けています。女性と温かい国から来た留学生と外国人は1枚羽織ることが許されています。AEDを持っている人が付き添うため、参加者の具合が悪くなったり、万が一のことが起きても安全です。

Drinking the Omiki/お神酒を飲む

For those who participate in the “Hadaka Mairi”, each procession starts from a departure point such as an office or store, and then march through downtown Sendai to Osaki Hachimangu Shrine. During the afternoon you can see different groups waving their bells and marching to the shrine all around downtown. When these processions reach to the shrine around evening, the participants first drink “Omiki お神酒 – Holy Sake” at the “Shaden 社殿 – the main building of the shrine” after the priest perform some rite for the purification of the participants. Later, they walk around the “Goshinbi” ringing their bells as the heat of the fire wraps them to fulfill the procession. Those who are not performing the “Hadaka Mairi” throw their New Year’s decorations in the fire and pray for good health and family’s safety of a year.

裸参りの参加者は会社の事務所（または店舗）などの出発地点から市内中心部を通って大崎八幡宮まで列になって歩きます。午後には仙台のまちなかや大崎八幡宮の周辺では様々な団体の行列を見ることができます。夕暮れになると行列が大崎八幡宮に到着し、まず神社の社殿でお祓いを受けてお神酒をいただきます。そして「御神火」を点灯した後、鐘を鳴らしながらその火の周りを一周します。御神火の周りを一周するのは、仙台の裸参りの特徴と言われています。裸参りをしない人は「御神火」に正月飾りを投げ入れて、一年間無病息災・家内安全を祈願します。

In Front of the Gojinka/御神火の前に

Shaden of Osaki Hachimangu Shrine During Dontosai

Since this is a really popular event, we recommend you to use a bus or a train rather than a car. When the festival reaches its peak, a lot of traffic jams occur in the area, so finding parking space can be really difficult. We recommend you to take a Sendai City bus from Sendai Station (bus stop #16) or a shuttle bus running from International Center Station to Osaki Hachimangu Shrine. There are also a shuttle bus running Izumi Chuo Station and AEON Nakayama to the shrine. Please have consideration for the participants of “Hadaka Mairi” to let them pass through the shrine first in order not to disturb the processions and rituals.

このイベントはとても人気があるので、自家用車よりもバスや電車などのご利用をおすすめします。祭のピークになると神社の周辺では交通渋滞が発生するため、駐車スペースを見つけるのがとても難しくなります。仙台駅の16番乗り場から仙台市営バスをご利用、または国際センター駅から大崎八幡宮まで運行されるシャトルバスをおすすめします。泉中央駅とイオン中山店を通るシャトルバスも運行されます。お越しの際は、裸参りの参加者を優先し、行列や儀式の邪魔にならないようご協力をお願いします。

Map of the Osaki Hachimangu Shrine during Dontosai/大崎八幡宮神社のどんと祭地図

For more information about the bus schedule, traffic control and the visitor’s pathway during the festival, please visit the following link: http://www.oosaki-hachiman.or.jp/festival/matsutaki/

バスの時刻表、交通規制、参拝順路などの情報は下記リンクをクリックするとご覧になれます。http://www.oosaki-hachiman.or.jp/festival/matsutaki/

“Dontosai” is the fire festival of Sendai. In the long and cold nights of winter, the Sendai citizens pray to the Gods through the fire for a healthy year with stability and wealth. Burning down the decorations and proceed with purifications rites it is a way to make sure you will communicate with the gods and those wishes you have will become true during the year. So, let’s light up the winter nights and enjoy the flames of “Dontosai” festival!

どんと祭は仙台の火の祭です。長く寒い冬に仙台の市民は火を通して一年の健康・安全・幸福などを神様に祈ります。お正月の飾りを燃やし清めの儀式をすると、神様に願いが届き一年の間に願いが叶うと言われています。冬の夜を輝かせ、どんと祭の火を楽しみしましょう！