What is Yonekawa's Mizukaburi?
This is a fire prevention ritual held annually on the first Horse Day of February. In addition to fire prevention, it also serves as a purification rite and an initiation ceremony for young men being welcomed into the local community. According to the oral tradition of the Mizukaburi lodging, the ritual has been practiced continuously since at least the mid-Edo period, never once being interrupted. Some theories suggest that its origins can be traced back to the ascetic practices of monks from Suwamori Daijiji, a temple established in 1170 within the district.
Men from Itsukamachi, Yonekawa, gather at the Mizukaburi lodging, where they dress in traditional attire—wearing only straw rings (wakka), straw sandals (waraji), and covering their faces with soot from the hearth (kamado no susu). Dressed in this Mizukaburi attire, they set out from the lodging and visit the Akibasan Daigongen shrine on the grounds of Daijiji, where they transform into visiting deities (raiho-shin). Afterward, they proceed through the town, sprinkling water on houses as a fire prevention ritual. People along the route take pieces of straw from their attire to use as fire protection charms.
Separate from the Mizukaburi group, two other figures travel through the town: Hiotoko, the "fire man," who wears ink-dyed monk robes and rings a hand bell, and Okame, who carries wooden buckets on a yoke, visiting homes in a mendicant style. These two figures are also considered visiting deities who bring blessings.
The people of the past both feared and revered the forces of nature, worshiping them with great devotion. The act of "fire prevention" (hibuse) is one such form of prayer to the fire deity, seeking protection from calamities.
Designations:
October 8, 1971: Designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Towa Town
August 30, 1991: Designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Miyagi Prefecture
December 27, 2000: Designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan
December 1, 2018: Registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage under "Raiho-shin: Ritual Visits of Deities in Masks and Costumes"
Tome City Board of Education
Video Record of Yonekawa's Mizukaburi 2025
I attended the Mizukaburi in Yonekawa, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, again this year. This time, I was able to accompany the procession from start to finish. The incarnations of the visiting deities roamed the town, shouting loudly and sprinkling water to prevent fires in front of houses. Okame and Hyottoko followed slowly, bestowing blessings, while residents joyfully grabbed straw from the participants.
At the end, after passing through the straw ring, I prayed and hoped that this scene, which has continued for hundreds of years, will persist into the future. I paid my respects to those who strive to preserve this tradition and thoroughly enjoyed the event again this year.
Photos and Poster by Matias Corral
The main visual for this year's Mizukaburi poster was a photograph by Paris-based photographer Matias Corral, who visited Japan during last year's 2024 Mizukaburi. I had the opportunity to accompany him during his shoot.
(Assistant: Akihide Monna Coordinator: Shutaro Koiwa)
He shared that he primarily continues his work using analog methods.
Since it was not during the Mizukaburi event, they couldn't apply the black soot (and thus couldn't become incarnations of the visiting deities), so they only dressed in the attire for the shoot. The location was the precincts of Yonekawa Hachiman Shrine. The shoot progressed carefully, checking brightness in various spots.
For over ten years, he has been photographing old European customs and rituals with an analog camera. During a break, he showed me some of his work. I don't recall exactly where the photos were taken, but they depicted people dressed as deer-like beasts and others in outfits resembling elderly individuals or clowns. Although I had never seen these customs or photos before, they felt strangely familiar, which was quite intriguing.
The photos were truly wonderful and stimulating, making me feel that there might be shared or common sensibilities in entirely different places, histories, and customs.
Since the photos from that time were used in this year's Mizukaburi poster, I hoped to get a flyer about A4 size as a memento. After the event, I went to the community center to inquire, but they said they didn't make flyers in that size and gave me a poster instead.
I put the poster up in my home studio. The connection with Mizukaburi and Matias.
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Original Article(Japanese)
https://note.com/coupieyukki/n/n54485046b2c4#Japanese folklore #diary
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