A Powerful Performance of People Stacked High in the Sky - The Traditional Performing Art 'Tsugijishi' Unveiled at Imabari's Spring Festivals Starting from Golden Week 【Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture】
Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, will feature 'Tsugijishi,' a traditional performing art, during its spring festivals starting from Golden Week. This rare and dynamic performance, where people stand on each other's shoulders, has been passed down for over 300 years since the Edo period and is designated as an Ehime Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Last year, it was showcased at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, drawing significant attention domestically and internationally.
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In Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, the traditional performing art 'Tsugijishi' will be performed at spring festivals held throughout the city starting from Golden Week. This performance, where people stand on top of each other, forming three or four tiers reaching towards the sky, is rare nationwide and boasts an overwhelming spectacle. 'Tsugijishi' has been passed down for over 300 years since the Edo period and is designated as an Ehime Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property, cherished as a harbinger of spring in Imabari. This year, it will be sequentially performed at shrines in various districts within the city from May 3rd to late May.
'Tsugijishi,' a Traditional Performing Art Rooted in the Region, Adorning Imabari's Spring
'Tsugijishi,' an indispensable traditional performing art at Imabari's spring festivals, is a unique lion dance of Imabari where people stand on each other's shoulders one after another, with a child called 'Shishiko' at the very top wearing a lion's head and dancing.
Its origin dates back to the mid-Edo period, and it has been carefully preserved for over 300 years by the hands of local people. In 2000, it was designated as an Ehime Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property, and its high cultural value is also recognized.
The sight of people stacking high to the sound of drums is an iconic scene that heralds the arrival of spring in Imabari, deeply impressing not only citizens but also visitors.
'Shishiko' at the Top Reaches Over 5 Meters
5 Meters High, a Powerful Performance Where Prayer and Courage Overlap
Some Regions Perform Tsugijishi on Boats
The greatest highlight of Tsugijishi is its dynamism, with people stacking three or four tiers high, reaching approximately 5 meters. The 'Shishiko' at the very top, usually children from 4 years old to early elementary school age, perform intricate techniques using fans and bells on a swaying platform. The venue falls silent, enveloped in an atmosphere of natural prayer.
It is said that such performances originated from the wish to 'get a little closer to the gods,' making it not merely a spectacle but a tangible form of culture inherited by the community for generations. The fact that each district has different performances and compositions is also a unique charm of Imabari's Tsugijishi.
Imabari's Pride Showcased to the World, a Spring Landscape Connecting to the Future
As a rare traditional event nationwide, Imabari's Tsugijishi has increasingly been shared widely. Last year, it was performed at the Osaka-Kansai Expo's 'Panama National Day,' garnering significant attention domestically and internationally as Imabari's proud traditional culture. Such a stage was achieved thanks to daily rigorous practice and the strength of the community supporting each other across generations.
This year, Tsugijishi will again be performed in various parts of the city through the spring festivals starting from Golden Week. Experiencing this traditional performing art, which colors Imabari's spring, firsthand will be a valuable opportunity to feel the depth of regional culture and its inheritance into the future.
■ Imabari City Public Relations Program 'i.i.imabari! New Wind towards the Future - From Setouchi to the World' Osaka-Kansai Expo: Traditional Performing Arts Connecting Imabari x Panama (Imabari City Official YouTube Channel)
■ Event Schedule
May 3 (Sunday/Holiday)
(Noma Area) Jingunoma Shrine 8:30~ Afata Shimizu Tenmangu Shrine 9:00~
(Hashihama Area) Takabe Itsukushima Shrine 7:00~ Hashihama Ryujin Shrine 10:00~
(Asakura Area) Yahagi Shrine 9:30~
May 4 (Monday/Holiday)
(Noma Area) Takuma Araki Hachimandaijin Shrine 8:00~ Noma Hiyoshi Shrine 9:00~ Yada Mishima Shrine 9:00~ Engi Tenmangu Shrine 9:30~
(Hashihama Area) Someda Manai Shrine 9:00~
May 5 (Tuesday/Holiday)
(Sakurai Area) Sakurai Tsunashiki Tenmangu Shrine 8:00~
(Asakura Area) Taki Shrine 9:30~
May 9 (Saturday)
(Former City Area) Bekkugu Oyamazumi Shrine 8:00~ Fukiage Shrine 9:30~
May 10 (Sunday)
(Torio Area) Torio Mishima Shrine 9:00~
(Tamagawa Area) Shimokado Shrine 8:30~ Yochu Shrine 11:00~
May 16 (Saturday)
(Onishi Area) Oi Hachiman Daijinja Shrine 10:00~
May 17 (Sunday)
(Onishi Area) Kibune Shrine 8:00~ Kamo Shrine 8:30~ Ryujin Shrine 9:00~ Ikari Kake Tenmangu Shrine 9:00~ Kakudaimyojin Shrine 9:00~ Oyama Hachiman Daijin 10:00~
May 24 (Sunday)
(Namikata Area) Yoro Itsukushima Shrine 7:00~ Higuchi Shiohaya Shrine 8:30~ Kooribe Shiratama Shrine 9:30~ Namikata Tamagao Hachiman Shrine 10:00~ Moriue Hamada Hachiman Shrine 10:30~
■ Imabari City Tsugijishi Map
○ Click here for the schedule of the Imabari region's spring festivals in Reiwa 8 (Imabari City Official Homepage)
■ Imabari City Official Note
○ Tsugijishi is also introduced on Note (Click here for Imabari City Official Note)
【Related Sites】
○ Imabari City Hall Official Website
○ Imabari City Tourism Division Website
○ Imabari City Tourism Information (Imabari City Official Homepage)
○ Imabari City Public Relations Strategy Project (formerly: Strategic Information Dissemination Project)
'Tsugijishi,' a Traditional Performing Art Rooted in the Region, Adorning Imabari's Spring
'Tsugijishi,' an indispensable traditional performing art at Imabari's spring festivals, is a unique lion dance of Imabari where people stand on each other's shoulders one after another, with a child called 'Shishiko' at the very top wearing a lion's head and dancing.
Its origin dates back to the mid-Edo period, and it has been carefully preserved for over 300 years by the hands of local people. In 2000, it was designated as an Ehime Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property, and its high cultural value is also recognized.
The sight of people stacking high to the sound of drums is an iconic scene that heralds the arrival of spring in Imabari, deeply impressing not only citizens but also visitors.
'Shishiko' at the Top Reaches Over 5 Meters
5 Meters High, a Powerful Performance Where Prayer and Courage Overlap
Some Regions Perform Tsugijishi on Boats
The greatest highlight of Tsugijishi is its dynamism, with people stacking three or four tiers high, reaching approximately 5 meters. The 'Shishiko' at the very top, usually children from 4 years old to early elementary school age, perform intricate techniques using fans and bells on a swaying platform. The venue falls silent, enveloped in an atmosphere of natural prayer.
It is said that such performances originated from the wish to 'get a little closer to the gods,' making it not merely a spectacle but a tangible form of culture inherited by the community for generations. The fact that each district has different performances and compositions is also a unique charm of Imabari's Tsugijishi.
Imabari's Pride Showcased to the World, a Spring Landscape Connecting to the Future
As a rare traditional event nationwide, Imabari's Tsugijishi has increasingly been shared widely. Last year, it was performed at the Osaka-Kansai Expo's 'Panama National Day,' garnering significant attention domestically and internationally as Imabari's proud traditional culture. Such a stage was achieved thanks to daily rigorous practice and the strength of the community supporting each other across generations.
This year, Tsugijishi will again be performed in various parts of the city through the spring festivals starting from Golden Week. Experiencing this traditional performing art, which colors Imabari's spring, firsthand will be a valuable opportunity to feel the depth of regional culture and its inheritance into the future.
■ Imabari City Public Relations Program 'i.i.imabari! New Wind towards the Future - From Setouchi to the World' Osaka-Kansai Expo: Traditional Performing Arts Connecting Imabari x Panama (Imabari City Official YouTube Channel)
■ Event Schedule
May 3 (Sunday/Holiday)
(Noma Area) Jingunoma Shrine 8:30~ Afata Shimizu Tenmangu Shrine 9:00~
(Hashihama Area) Takabe Itsukushima Shrine 7:00~ Hashihama Ryujin Shrine 10:00~
(Asakura Area) Yahagi Shrine 9:30~
May 4 (Monday/Holiday)
(Noma Area) Takuma Araki Hachimandaijin Shrine 8:00~ Noma Hiyoshi Shrine 9:00~ Yada Mishima Shrine 9:00~ Engi Tenmangu Shrine 9:30~
(Hashihama Area) Someda Manai Shrine 9:00~
May 5 (Tuesday/Holiday)
(Sakurai Area) Sakurai Tsunashiki Tenmangu Shrine 8:00~
(Asakura Area) Taki Shrine 9:30~
May 9 (Saturday)
(Former City Area) Bekkugu Oyamazumi Shrine 8:00~ Fukiage Shrine 9:30~
May 10 (Sunday)
(Torio Area) Torio Mishima Shrine 9:00~
(Tamagawa Area) Shimokado Shrine 8:30~ Yochu Shrine 11:00~
May 16 (Saturday)
(Onishi Area) Oi Hachiman Daijinja Shrine 10:00~
May 17 (Sunday)
(Onishi Area) Kibune Shrine 8:00~ Kamo Shrine 8:30~ Ryujin Shrine 9:00~ Ikari Kake Tenmangu Shrine 9:00~ Kakudaimyojin Shrine 9:00~ Oyama Hachiman Daijin 10:00~
May 24 (Sunday)
(Namikata Area) Yoro Itsukushima Shrine 7:00~ Higuchi Shiohaya Shrine 8:30~ Kooribe Shiratama Shrine 9:30~ Namikata Tamagao Hachiman Shrine 10:00~ Moriue Hamada Hachiman Shrine 10:30~
■ Imabari City Tsugijishi Map
○ Click here for the schedule of the Imabari region's spring festivals in Reiwa 8 (Imabari City Official Homepage)
■ Imabari City Official Note
○ Tsugijishi is also introduced on Note (Click here for Imabari City Official Note)
【Related Sites】
○ Imabari City Hall Official Website
○ Imabari City Tourism Division Website
○ Imabari City Tourism Information (Imabari City Official Homepage)
○ Imabari City Public Relations Strategy Project (formerly: Strategic Information Dissemination Project)