【Communication from the local area】Mori Ya, it's fun! Staff seconded from Noboribetsu are fascinated by the festival (Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture)

This is the fifth installment of the series, "Good Travel ⇌ Communication from the Locals". This time, we received a contribution from Mr. Saito of Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture. Mr. Saito is a seconded employee from Noboribetsu City, Hokkaido. The administration has personnel exchanges between remote areas. There are nearly 1,800 local governments nationwide, so being seconded is like a darts trip?
One of the attractions of Moriyama City, as seen by Mr. Saito, who came from outside, was the festival. This year is sure to be a special year with the return of festivals all over the country. You can read the article and become interested in the festival in Moriyama, or you can think about the festival in your hometown. Stay tuned for this year's festivities. (Photo: No. 1 Nagisa Park is full of rape flowers from January to February, and small sunflowers blooming from mid-July)

About the Authors

Nice to meet you all. This is Saito from the Commerce, Industry and Tourism Division of the Urban Economy Department of Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture.
In fact, I lived in Noboribetsu City, a town famous for hot springs in Hokkaido, until March last year, and moved to Moriyama City in April due to work. Around mid-February, when I went to Moriyama to say hello, I was impressed by the warmth with no snow at all. Also, unlike Noboribetsu, there are no slopes at all, and it was impressive that there were many cyclists.

Since I came all the way from Hokkaido to Kansai, I spend my weekends looking at the beautiful flowers in Moriyama, looking for fireflies, and sometimes going to Kyoto and Osaka to live a fulfilling Kansai life.
In the meantime, I discovered a lot of the charms of Moriyama, so this time I will focus on the festival and introduce it along with my own experience!
By the way, in the Hokkaido dialect, "Namara" means "mecha". "Beya" means "~Jan" (laughs)

What kind of town is Moriyama?

Moriyama City is an idyllic garden city blessed with a good natural environment. Speaking of Shiga Prefecture, the first thing that comes to mind is Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. It is 25 minutes from Kyoto Station and 55 minutes from Osaka Station by JR. With a community bond that boasts a 90% membership rate of residents' associations, the provision of high-quality medical services through the enhancement of hospitals, an educational environment with two integrated junior and senior high schools in the city, and the history and tradition of Nakasendo Post Town, it is a city where you can feel "the best in Japan for livability" with various charms and vitality.

Moriyama has a fun festival!

Do you know what kind of festivals are in Moriyama? By the way, I didn't know anything about it until I lived in Moriyama. However, there are actually many festivals that are full of charm. The Festival! There are a lot of different things, from those that feel like crazy to crazy (laughs), but I would like to introduce some of the festivals that I actually experienced and participated in when I came to Moriyama.

(1) Katsube Fire Festival

When I first heard about the festival, I was shocked. In the middle of winter! Young people in loincloths! Burn a big torch! It's a festival!
This festival is held every year on the second Saturday of January at Katsube Shrine. It is a traditional festival that has lasted for more than 800 years, and is held to pray for a year of illness and disaster.

From the evening of the festival, the young people of the "Torch Group" who are in charge of this festival parade around the town carrying a large drum in a loincloth, and at night, more than a dozen large torches are lined up in the temple grounds. After that, they are ignited all at once, and the flames rise for more than a dozen meters, and the precincts turn into a sea of fire in an instant. In the midst of this, they formed a circle and shouted "Oiser! The sight of young people going around in circles screaming is very crazy and overwhelming.

【Katsube Fire Festival】
Date (next time) : Saturday, January 13, 2024 *Second Saturday of January every year
Venue ： Katsube Shrine

Author's Testimonials

On a personal note, I have a story that I would like you to hear. In fact, I am also a member of the Torch Group. This year, I paraded around the town in a loincloth (laughs).
Shortly after I came to Moriyama, I received a passionate invitation from the Torchbearers, and I was excited just to hear about it, so I decided to join with two replies.
After joining, I learned that it's not just fun. It is a festival that can finally be held after a year of preparation, such as harvesting rapeseed husks necessary for making torches, making more than a dozen large torches that are about 5~6 meters long and weighing about 400 kg.
I am confident that it will be a festival that will impress many people. Please come and see the heroic appearance of the young people of the Torch Group!

Please take a look at the powerful video of the fire festival. Please pay attention to the audio.

(2) Moriyama Maichi

This festival is also mentioned in the travelogue "Nagusamekusa" of the 25th year of Onei (1418), and it is a festival with quite a long history. It is said that many people gathered from nearby and nearby areas, and it was so lively that it was said that "the traffic between Kyoto, Nanika, and Edo is not numerous."
It is held around the end of December every year, and can be enjoyed by men and women of all ages in a relaxed atmosphere suitable for a year-end festival. The area around Moriyama-juku, Nakasendo with an atmospheric atmosphere where the old-fashioned townscape remains, becomes a pedestrian paradise, and various events are held.

For children, there is a large gathering of many Yuru characters where you can take a commemorative photo together, and there is a big lottery to win luxurious prizes such as Nintendo Switch. There are also a lot of food trucks, so you can buy rainbow-colored cotton candy and round potatoes!
In addition, even adults can fully enjoy the pottery market, where Shigaraki ware and pottery from all over the country are gathered, there are tasteful taiko drum performances, yosakoi performances, and Moriyama specialties such as sushi and zenzai, so please come and enjoy it!

< Moriyama Maichi>
Date: Sunday, December 17, 2023
Venue: Nakasendo Moriyamajuku area

Author's Testimonials

I'm from Noboribetsu, Hokkaido, so I wanted to convey the charm of Noboribetsu, so I set up a PR booth at last year's Moriyamaichi. Those who answered the Noboribetsu quiz correctly were given free bath salts from Noboribetsu Onsen, and everyone was very happy.
Maybe we'll do something this year. In that case, please stop by!

(3) Moriyama Summer Festival

It is a festival that has become a summer tradition in Moriyama. It is a citizen's handmade festival held on the last Saturday of July every year by local shopping streets, companies and organizations in the city, and volunteers, and is visited by about 50,000 people. Moriyama Station Street and part of Moriyama Inn on Nakasendo have become pedestrian paradises, and The Summer Festival! There are so many things to do!

One of the most popular events is the dance event by Studio THINK. Whether it's in the kindergarten yard, on the road, or in the parking lot, they give a spectacular dance performance.
The haunted house at Amagaike Plaza is also very popular. Children as young as elementary school age form a long line to see scary things.

In addition, there is Moriyama's version of the Miss Con "Moriyama Himiko Contest", and there is a standard karaoke competition at summer festivals. There are also many stalls such as shooting, yo-yo fishing, frankfurters and shaved ice, which are indispensable for summer festivals. Please come and make summer memories!

<Moriyama Summer Festival>
Date (tentative): Saturday, July 27, 5th year of Reiwa * Usually held on the last Saturday of July
Venue (tentative): Around Moriyama Station

In the 4th year of Reiwa, the summer festival was canceled due to the influence of the new coronavirus. Since the preparations were almost finished and all that was left was to carry out the event, the members of the summer festival executive committee were worried about whether they could hold the event, but it was a decision that was made only in consideration of the safety of the children. All the members of the executive committee are already enthusiastic about the next event, so I hope to be able to hold it this year!

Summary

How was it? After seeing this article, I want to go to Moriyama! I hope you think so.
Although I couldn't introduce it in this article, there are many other attractions in Moriyama, such as being able to see various flowers throughout the year, historical spots, and fireflies flying around in early summer. We look forward to seeing you there!