Toyama Shimotsuki Matsuri : Yokaichiba 2014

The hamlet of Yōkaichiba is located upstream from Kizawa on the Kamimura River. Today it consists of a dozen or so houses along the river bank and another half dozen part way up the slope on the eastern side of the valley. The latter area, known as Nakamura, is also the location of the Nichigetsu Jinja (日月神社), site of the community’s Shimotsuki Festival.

The Shimotsuki festival is held at the Nichigetsu Jinja every second year. This is because it alternates with the festival at the Shōichi-i Inari Jinja (正一位稲荷神社) located even further up the slope at Nakadachi (中立).  

The two festivals use the same set of 25 masks. The oldest masks bear the date 1774. Eleven of the masks are of much more recent origin (1975). These were made to replace the originals, which were stolen in 1972.  

The following photos are a partial record of the festival at the Nichigetsu Shrine, Dec., 2014. For an explanation of the steps, see the “Kizawa” archive.