On New Year’s Day we can see shrines decorated so much. They look very vivid.But have you ever been to shrines in ordinary day ? There you will find the shrine buildings stand quietly. The buildings seem to be empty. Yes, empty. In old Japanese faith, Gods do not stay in this world all the time. In only specific days they come to our world, for example on New Year’s Day and festival days. As for the festival days, People invite not only village gods but all the gods in Japan. The festival yard are filled with spirits of many gods. But this is an extraordinary situation. After finishing the festival people must get ordinary situation to lead ordinary life. At the end of the festival, the ceremony to get rid of all the gods is needed. In many cases the strongest and most awful god appears and drive other gods away. But in Nishiure-Dengaku we can see a very unusual scene. There at the end of the festival an aweful god called Shizume appears. He is a representative of the gods to be got rid of. In solemn atmosphere he sits at the edge of the festival yard and gives a moan of pain. Then priests come up to and arrest him to take him away. In this way the festival finishes and from that morning village people go back to their ordinary life.
sleepliving 