Every August, Morioka is brought to life with the echoes of thousands of drums and the energetic performances of dancers wrapped in vivid, colorful clothing. This year’s Sansa Odori Festival in Morioka has come to an end, but the excitement and emotions remain etched in the hearts of many. If you have the chance to visit Morioka in the future, make sure to catch this charming traditional event.
It is said that in olden times, there was a demon who kept causing trouble in Morioka’s castle town, so the terrified villagers prayed at a shrine for help. The god of the shrine captured the demon, who promised to never again commit an act of evil and fled far away. The overjoyed villagers danced to chants of “sansa, sansa,” and this became the origin of the Sansa Odori Festival. Additionally, when the demon was captured, on a large rock (iwa) it left behind a handprint (te), which is said to be the origin of Iwate Prefecture’s name.
The Sansa Odori Festival is an extremely popular summer festival, with its main event being the massive taiko drum parade, which is recognized as the largest of its kind in the world. The festival’s foundation lies in the diverse regional Sansa dances that have flourished in different areas, classified as “traditional Sansa.” Across Morioka, dancers lovingly pass down Sansa dances filled with history and personality even to this day.
Although all referred to by the umbrella term “Sansa dance,” there exist various different types, such as traditional Sansa dances passed down since ancient times throughout Morioka’s many regions, as well as dances created specifically for the parade. From August 1-4, all sorts of groups perform their Sansa dances in the parade on the city’s main street, creating a tremendous sight: over 30,000 people dancing to the powerful drumbeats and flute music.
Bringing together 6 festivals from the capital cities of the 6 prefectures in the Tohoku region, the Tohoku Kizuna Festival was started in 2017 as a successor to the Tohoku Rokkonsai Festival, which honored those lost in the Great East Japan Earthquake and prayed for recovery from the disaster. This year, it was held at the Osaka World Expo, and the Sansa Odori Festival, along with other festivals from Tohoku, was performed for visitors from around the world.
The Tohoku Kizuna Festival will be held in Morioka next year, so please come visit Iwate, see the Sansa Odori Festival, and enjoy the Tohoku summer nights to the fullest!
Japanese
毎年８月になると、盛岡は、何千もの太鼓の音と色とりどりの衣装をまとった踊り手たちの演舞でにぎわいます。今年の「盛岡さんさ踊り」はすでに幕を下ろしましたが、その熱気と感動は今も多くの人々の心に残っています。もしあなたがこれから盛岡を訪れるなら、この魅力あふれる伝統行事を一緒にのぞいてみませんか。「盛岡さんさ踊り」とは、昔、盛岡城下で鬼が悪さを繰り返しており、困った里人が神社に退治を祈願したところ神様が鬼を捕え、もう悪さをしないと遠くへ逃げたことに喜んだ人々が「さんささんさ」と踊ったのが始まりと言われています。また、鬼が捕まった時に大きな岩（iwa）に手形（te）を残したことから「岩手（iwa-te）」という名前になったとも言われています。
「盛岡さんさ踊り」は、世界一の太鼓数と言われる大パレードをメインに、夏まつりとして人気を博しています。その母体となっているのは、「伝統さんさ」と分類されている、各地域で生きて来た個性豊かなさんさ踊りです。盛岡では、歴史と個性を持ったさんさ踊りが現在も大切に伝承されています。
「さんさ踊り」と言っても様々な種類があり、盛岡の色々な地区に、伝統さんさと言われる昔から伝わる踊りが存在します。また、パレード用に作られた踊りもあり、「盛岡さんさ踊り」では８月初めから４日を掛け色々な団体が色々な「さんさ踊り」を披露しながら街のメインストリートでパレードを行い、３万人以上が太鼓と笛で囃し立てながら踊る姿は大迫力で圧倒されます。
今年は、東日本大震災で犠牲となられた方の鎮魂と、被災からの復興を願う「東北六魂祭」の後継イベントとして2017年に始まった、東北の県都６市の６祭りが結集する「東北絆まつり」が大阪・関西万博で開催され、各地の方へさんさ踊りを含む各地のお祭りが披露されました。
来年は、盛岡市で東北絆まつりが開催されますので、ぜひ岩手・盛岡さんさ踊りにお越しいただき、東北の夏の夜を、一緒に楽しみましょう！
