Lion Dance to Slay Damons: Yudate Lion Dance for Miyagino Suwa Shrine, Hakone Town 湯立獅子舞

 

National Route 138, the ancient byway for Route 1, connects City of Odawara 小田原, City of Gotemba 御殿場 (Shizuoka Prefecture), and City of Fujiyoshida 富士吉田 (Yamanashi Prefecture). It departs from Kanagawa Prefecture via Otome Pass 乙女峠 of Hakone mountains (; my post last week). Interestingly, for the 21st century a very peculiar lion dance festival remains in 3 communities (more or less) along Route 138. They are in Numata 沼田 of Gotemba, Sengokubara 仙石原 of Hakone, and Miyagino 宮城野 of Hakone. The name of the dance is “Yudate-shishimai 湯立獅子舞” or “Yudate Lion Dance.” There are several historical records saying that Yudate Lion Dance was popular during the 18th century among villages east of Mt. Fuji. For Hakone, the style was brought in 1776 by Kayanuma Gihei 萱沼義兵衛 of Fujiyoshida City 富士吉田. For its rarity and historical value for Japanese traditional culture, the dance was designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Heritage of Japan by the national government and Kanagawa Prefecture.

To Otome Pass

“Yudate 湯立“ is one of the repertories for Shinto ritual. Shinto priests boil water in front of a deity with a large pot. Then one of the priests who is possessed by the god soaks sasa-bamboos and/or ritual paper streamer called Heigushi 幣串 in the boiling water. Next s/he splashes the water to the altar and the people who came to observe the ritual. It’s to cleanse whatever evil that tends to stick to us, even to the shrine. The nationwide standard is no-dance Yudate done only by taken priest(s). But, in Yudate Lion Dance the purification rite is done by dancers. In Numata, the festival is on the first Saturday between 23-26 of July. In Suwa Shrine 諏訪神社 of Sengokubara 仙石原, it’s on March 27. In Kintoki Shrine 公時神社 which is the child shrine of Sengokubara’s, the festival is on May 5th. And in Miyagino 宮城野, the ritual is held in Miyagino Suwa Shrine every July 15th. I had a chance to attend the ritual last month in Miyagino.

Miyagino Suwa Shrine is over there.

The final stretch to the sanctuary.

The purification ritual itself lasts 10 days from start to finish. During this time, the dancers and priests “purify” their body and mind by staying in the shrine. What non-priests and non-dancers can join is the climax, lion dance, and receives splashes of purified water. For the festival in Miyagino Suwa Shrine, it is in the middle of summer which is “boiling” these days thanks to climate change. The dancers must wear heavy costumes of lion and dance around the boiling pot for about 2 hours. It’s ascetic practice.

Lion costume

The pot was boiling in front of the shrine.
The bamboo pillars at four corners were to
 form barrier to separate the sacred within
from the evil without.

So, on the 15th of last month around 13:00, the dance ritual started in Suwa Shrine of Miyagino. First, priests and biggies of Hakone town offered bunches of sasa bamboos to the shrine and thanked and asked the deity the past-present-future peace in the community and beyond. Next, the team of dancers dedicated their lion dance inside the shrine. The lion was performed by two dancers: one was in front for the head, and another was in the back for the body. There were 2 programs inside the shrine dedicated to the deity completely. We hamble humans observed, or peered in to be exact, the performance from the outside of the shrine. Even though we could witness the two dancers for the lion were in sync. Each program started with the choreography (was it?) without tools, then carried symbolic items of Heigushi, and bell in turn. The final part of a program was always concluded with the step sequence named “Kurui 狂い.” … Er, it’s difficult to translate the condition into English … Maybe, ecstasy, exhilaration, …?

Dedicating sasa bamboos
for the start of the dance.

The dance for the god.

With Heigushi.

The dancers (two for a lion; one for a lead, and the last person as rearguard) next come out from the structure and purifying dance at the corners of sanctuary. Samurai sword (oh yes) was added as tools for dance. I felt the dancers were performing like worriers in Damon Slayers 鬼滅の刃 … maybe Kamado Tanjiro竈門炭治郎? (My video for this part can be watched from here.) After cleansing the entire sanctuary, the dancers of lion costume moved to the area of boiling water where it was barriered by 4 bamboo pillars and sacred rope. The first composition was performed by two dancers. Then the next 6 routines were staged by a dancer who wore lion head. Purification by the lone dancer 5 steps used Heigushi, bell and the sword where the dancer danced very near to the boiling pot. I found the step design was so intense that looked indifferent to heat or fire below the pot. The people in Miyagino told us when the outbreak of infectious disease was common without antibiotics, the ritual had special meaning for the community. They said it was recalled in honest when COVID raged.

The dancers came out from the shrine.

And finally, the dancer took the offered bunches of sasa bamboos to dunk them into the boiling pot and carried the wet bunches first to the shrine building to splash the dripping. (My video can be seen from here.) He then came in front of the lines of us to splatter the sacred water over us. It is said that receiving the drops from the purified sasa bamboos by the lion would ensure good health of the year for the attendee. I think I am now OK against the serious illness for the next 12 months. (Yeehaw!) 😊

The conclusion of the dance was performed again in the shrine structure by two dancers. After the performance, a brief saltation was done by the troop for us attendees of the festival. The dancers of lion costume took off the mask and showed their teenager faces. The leader of the troop told us they were local highschoolers and freshmen in college. No wonder. In a heatwave of Japanese July, they covered their body with such a heavy outfit and props to dance intensely. Without young power, the tradition must have collapsed. At the greeting, the leader of the troop told us they welcomed young people who had intention to support the dance, and Hakone in aging Japanese society had sense of urgency to deal with the matter. It’s a familiar story these days around here … Let’s support Damon Slayers!

Sasa bamboos after the rite.
They were returned to the shrine as offering.

Hakone Town Hall 箱根町役場
256 Yumoto, Hakonemachi, Ashigarashimo-gun,
Kanagawa 250-0398
〒250-0398 神奈川県足柄下郡箱根町湯本256

Phone: 0460-85-7111
https://www.hakone.or.jp/