020.伊吹島 04.祭事・行事
020.Ibukijima Island 04.Traditional Event (Japan)

2023年5月9日

祭事・行事は、コミュニティーのもっとも栄えていた時代の記憶であり記録。500人を割った伊吹島の人口からすると、過大に見える祭事・行事の数々も、かつて4000人が住み、漁業の売上が最高40億円あった島の、もっとも勢いがあった時代を語り伝えるもの。

Traditional events are memories and records of the community's most prosperous times. The population of Ibukijima is less than 500 people now, so the number of festivals may seem excessive. However, they tell the most energetic era of the island, when 4,000 people lived there, and fishery sales were up to 4 billion yen.

10月 : 「ちょうさ」で、集落の急坂を山車の太鼓台が下って来る。
October : At the Chosa, the Taikodai of the float goes down the steep slope of the village.

旧暦の２月１日に行われ、春の到来を告げるのが「百手祭り」。江戸時代からの記録があり、厄年の男性と中学生が弓を射って、五穀豊穣や大漁を祈願します。春が進み、旧暦の３月21日になると、伊吹島独自の行事「島四国」の日。島の88体のお地蔵様を四国八十八ヶ所に見立てて、一回りすると、八十八ヶ所を回ったと同じ御利益があるというもの。特筆すべきは、参詣者への島民のお接待。弘法大師を祀る大師堂や、十数軒ある網元の加工場では、参詣者を、お菓子やパン、飲み物のお接待で歓待します。八十八ケ所詣りの四国本土と同じく、伊吹島にも参詣者を温かく迎える伝統が息づいています。

いりこ漁の解禁を前に、島には徳島から木偶回し（でこまわし）が訪れ、各網元が祀る、漁の神、木偶のヨベッサンとリョースケサンの人形を動かして、大漁を祈願します。そして、梅雨を迎えた６月、集落中央の伊吹八幡神社には茅の輪くぐりが用意され、昼と夜に、本土から招いた讃岐里神楽の太夫が神楽を奉納します。一部の演目は、すごい切れで、コンテンポラリーダンスと見紛うほどの舞。行事の締めは、神職が、豆腐と豆腐を載せたかわらけを箸でつついて壊し、ハレからケにリセットするという「モドシカグラ」。かなり凶暴な所作がすごい。

夏の盛り、いりこ漁たけなわの時期に行うのが、大漁を祈願する荒神様の祭り「港祭り」。社に祀る大きな恵比寿様（ヨベッサン）を外に出し、氏子とともに、大漁旗を掲げた船団に乗り込みます。まず、港の沖で３回転して、お社にお参りした後、近くの小島に詣で、船上で宴会。氏子が代わる代わる酒を掛け続けるので、恵比寿様はすっかり酒焼け。帰路、島の２箇所の別の恵比寿様の前で３回転し、港に戻りますが、その際、船に乗る人と、陸で見守る人がタオルを振り合い、タオルを介して、温かくつながって行きます。

そして秋は、四国では、香川から愛媛の新居浜あたりの海沿いで盛んな「ちょうさ」の季節。太鼓台と呼ばれる山車は3台で、本土に比べると少ないものの、江戸時代に遡り、歴史では香川県有数。本土の海沿いのちょうさとの違いは、１トン超えの太鼓台を巡行する経路の高低差と海上渡御。ちょうさのクライマックスは、太鼓台を腕を伸ばして持ち上げるかき比べ。関東の神輿でもおなじみですが、重量ははるかに超えているから、威勢がいい。

本土からは小さく見える瀬戸内海の島々ですが、実は、それぞれが、伊吹島のように、さまざまな祭事・行事に彩られた豊かな世界を築いていたに違いありません。課題は、人口が減少する中、どうやって維持して行くかということ、そして、生業の漁業における男女の役割分担が、祭事・行事にも映し出されているということ。

The Momote Matsuri Festival held on February 1st of the lunar calendar heralds the arrival of spring. It has a record from the 18 century, where men in unlucky years and junior high school students shoot bows to pray for a bountiful harvest and a big catch. March 21st of the lunar calendar is the day of the Shima-Shikoku (Shikoku in the island), an event unique to Ibuki Island. The 88 stone buddhist statues on the island are likened to the pilgrimage of the 88 temples in Shikoku (Shikoku Hatijyuhachikasyo). If pilgrims go around them, they will receive the same benefits as visiting the 88 temples. Worthy of mention is the hospitality of the islanders to the pilgrims. Islanders welcome pilgrims with sweets, bread, and drinks at the temple, where Kobo Daishi, the grate buddhism teacher, is enshrined, and more than a dozen Fishermen's boss's processing factories. The tradition of welcoming pilgrims warmly lives on in Ibukijima, just like on the Shikoku mainland, where the 88 Temples pilgrimage takes place.

Before lifting the ban on Japanese anchovy fishery, the Dekomawashi Wooden Doll Performance from Tokushima prefecture is taken place to pray for a big catch by moving two dolls of Yobessan and Ryosukesan, the deities of fishing enshrined by each fishermen boss house. Then, in June, when the rainy season arrives, the Chinowa Kuguri (passing through a hoop made of plants of the sedge family) is installed at the Ibuki Hachiman Shrine in the center of the village, and Tayus (dancer) of the Sanuki Sato Kagura (sacred dance), whom islanders invite from the mainland, dedicate Kagura dance during the day and night. Some of the performances are so sharp that they can look contemporary dance. The event concludes with the Modoshikagura performance, in which the priest pokes a tofu (soybean curd) and an unglazed earthenware and breaks them with chopsticks to reset the time from the special day to the normal day. Quite ferocious behavior is unbelievable.

At the height of summer, when Japanese anchovy fishery is at their peak, the Minato Matsuri Festival is held to pray for a big catch. The shrine parishioners put the big Ebisu-sama (deity of wealth) statue in the shrine outside. They and the statue board a fleet of ships with big catch flags. First, the fleet make three turns in the harbor to pray the shrine, then they visit a nearby small islands and have a party on board. Since parishioners keep pouring sake liquor in turn, the Ebisu-sama becomes drink-reddened face with sake. On the way back, the fleet also make three turns in front of two different shrines that enshrine Ebisu-sama statue on the island before returning to the port. At that time, the people, who board the ship, and the people, who watch on land, wave towels to each other, and warm interaction through the towels generates.

Autumn is the season for the Chosa, which flourishes along the coast from Kagawa prefecture to Niihama in Ehime prefecture, Shikoku. Three floats called Taikodai parade. Even if the number is fewer than on the mainland, they go back to the 18th century and are the most prestigious floats in Kagawa Prefecture. The characteristic different from the mainland is the difference in elevation of the route on which the Taikodai floats, weighing more than 1 ton, parade, and the transfer of the portable shrine on the sea. The Chosa's climax is a contest where bearers stretch their arms and lift the Taikodai float. This contest is also familiar with the portable shrines in the Tokyo metropolitan area, but the Taikodai float is much heavier, so it is energetic.

The islands of the Seto Inland Sea look small from the mainland. However, each island must have built a rich world colored by various traditional events like Ibukijima island. The issues are how to maintain traditional events while the population is declining, and how to change the division of roles between men and women in the fishing industry, which is reflected in traditional events.

旧暦の２月１日 : 百手祭り / February 1 of the lunar calendar : Momote Matsuri Festival