（県央）秋田市萱ケ沢地域

（県央）秋田市萱ケ沢地域 / Kayagasawa in Akita City

令和元年8月14日 / August 14th, 2019.

秋田市萱ケ沢地域で、天明元年（1781）から続く「萱ケ沢番楽（秋田市無形民俗文化財）」。その番楽保存会の行事のひとつ、「門祓い」が、お盆の8月14日に行われました。

Kayagasawa Bangaku (designated as Akita City Intangible Cultural Heritage) is a tradition that dates back to 1781. (Bangaku is a type of kagura, Shinto music and dance, practiced by ascetic monks living in the mountains of in the Tohoku region, especially in Yamagata and Akita.)

集落のほぼ中央にある鷲泉寺で舞いを奉納した後、1日かけて約70軒の民家を一戸ずつまわります。4kgもある獅子頭を持って歩くのは大変な作業。それでも、「玄関先で待ってくれているのを見ると嬉しいし、やる気が出る」と、玉の汗を流す番楽保存会のみなさんの姿はかっこよかったです！

One of the rituals by the Bangaku conservation group, Kadobarai, was held on August 14th during the obon week. After the practitioners performed a dance at Jusenji temple, located in the middle of town, they proceeded to the houses. They spent a whole day visiting each of some 70 families in the community. It is hard work to keep walking with the 4kg lion head.

“I feel happy when I see people waiting for us at the door. It keeps us going,” says one of the members. They were shedding beads of sweats. They looked really cool.