Dosojin Festival in Nozawa 道祖神祭り

道祖神は’村境や辻などで災厄や悪霊の侵入を防ぐ神とされ、また子供の成長、子だから祈願などの対象として祀られている民間信仰の神。この神を石像などに刻んで村境などに祀り、この祭りとして小正月に火祭りが行われる。とりわけ野沢温泉の道祖神祭りは壮大な規模で知られる。
Dosojins are a folk deity believed to ward off danger near village borders and crossroads. Their stone statures are usually enshrined at village borders. These deities are also worshiped for bringing fertility and children's growth. Here in Nozawa Onsen there is a fire festivals held every January 15th that is dedicated to them. In particular, Nozawa-Onsen's Dosojin festival is famous for its spectacular flaming size.
じゃ～ん、道祖神の中でも野沢の道祖神。1月15日に向けて毎日ご飯をお供えします。ビラ野沢は外人さん宿なので、今日はフレンチトーストに紅茶とフルーツ、、、、。きっと道祖神達も初めての洋食？？！
This is Nozawa's Dosojin. We always feed them a little bit of breakfast in an offering. today we fed them French toast! Probably this is the first western food these gods have ever had! I hope they liked it!
高さ７ｍほどの道祖神の社殿(全体では１８ｍともなる）を1月15日の昼までに完成させます。The magnificent, tall shrine pavilion of Dosojin is about 18 meters high. They built it all up each year by the 15th of January!
地元の人がお正月に飾った門松などを焼きます。 Local people bring their new year decorations such as 'Kadomatsu' and burn them.

さて、1月15日の夜、道祖神の歌とともに厄年の代表6名が火元である河野家からの火を大たいまつにつけ社殿を攻撃。火消し役として42歳の厄年の男性軍は社殿にあがり、25歳の男性軍は下で構えます。Six representatives from among the people at climacteric ages (25 and 42) receive the original flame from the Kono family. The flame is started by striking metal on flint. Then it's kindled into a fire which they use to light huge torches. The fire is brought to the festival site while people sing Dosojin Songs. All the torches are light from this looked after fire. Then the locals take the burning torches try to attack the pavilion. The role of extinguishing the fires is taken by the people at climacteric ages; those who are 42 years old defend the upper part of the pavilion, while 25 year-old defend the lower part.
火がどんどん近付いていきます。　The fire is getting closer and closer!
ファイヤ～～～～～～On no get off quick the fire has come!!!
野沢温泉では長男が生まれると初灯籠を作る習慣があり、高さ９ｍ余りの上半分が杉の木、下半分がミズナラの材を使い最上端には御幣、その下には笠、家紋の入った垂れ幕、その内側に風鈴を付けた丸堤灯と白扇やようらくを吊るし、次に絵を描いた菱灯籠。その下のお椀型にひらいた割竹には上出作った花が結びつけられ、その中に万灯籠が下げられます。一番下には近所や親類の子供たちの書き初めが。1月11日には灯籠まるめといって大宴会。15日には大勢で道祖神の歌を歌いながら祭場へ運ぶ。また会場に建てられた初灯籠は、初子の健全な成長を願って炎上する社殿に奉納され、天高く燃え上がる！At Nozawa Onsen, when the first boy is born to a couple, the family builds a 'first lantern' decoration, Lantern decorations are hung around a nine-meter pillar, of which the upper half is made of cedar and the lower half is a kind of beech wood. Starting from the top and extending toward the bottom are hung, a sacred cloth and an umbrella- shaped cover, from which a cloth with the family's crest is hung. Behind the cloth, under the cover , hung a round lantern with bells, a white folding fan, and a hanging cloth decoration.
Next is hung a diamond-shaped lantern decorated with pictures, followed by split bamboo strips covered with paper flowers, which hang off the central pillar to form a bowl shape. Beneath this arrangement are numerous lanterns. At the bottom there are pieces of New Year's calligraphy written by local children and children of relatives. On January 15th, the first lantern decorations are carried to the festival site by a crowd of people singing Dosojin songs and wooden Dosojin statues are made for praying that the first born son will grow up healthy and have a happy marriage. From the evening of January 14th until midday on the 15th, the Dosojin evening festival is held. On the 15th, People visit and pray at the shrine pavilion at the Dosojin site.


いやはや、年に1度のイベント。凄い迫力でした！この野沢温泉の道祖神祭りは日本三大火祭りの一つで平成6年には重要無形民俗文化財に認定されたんです！
It was just amazing. Nozawa-onsen Dosojin fire festival is one of the 3 biggest Japanese fire fiestival! Everybody enjoyed it very much!!