Hakata Gion Yamakasa Group Yamamisedaiagari / UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016

here are various theories about the origin of the Hakata Gion Yamakasa. According to the Kushida Shrine's tradition, one of the deities, Gion-no-Okami (Susanoo-no-Mikoto), was enshrined in 941. The Goryoe festival, which led to the current Gion Festival, was already being held in the capital (Kyoto), so one theory is that the festival began shortly after the enshrinement. There is also a theory that it originated in 1432, based on the Kyushu Gunki, which was the first written reference to it.
Among the various theories, the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Promotion Association believes that it began in 1241, when the widely known Shoichi Kokushi sprinkled water on a segaki shelf to ward off an epidemic. At that time, it was an era of syncretism between Shinto and Buddhism. It is said that this was combined with the Gion faith to ward off disasters and developed into the Yamakasa Shinto ritual. With this 1241 as its origin, the current year of 2023 will mark 782 years of tradition.
The period is from the Kamakura and Muromachi periods to the Sengoku period. The town of Hakata flourished as a center of trade with the continent, but because of this, it became a battleground for feudal lords and powerful clans during the Sengoku period, and was reduced to a burnt wasteland. Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the town to be restored, and this is known as the "Taikomachiwari" and "Hakatamachiwari." During this time, the Hakata Yamakasa must have also gone through periods of prosperity and decline. In the old days, Yamakasa floats were about 12 meters tall and were carried slowly, but according to the "Kushidasha Kagami," in the New Year of 1687 (the fourth year of the Shokyo era), when a bride from Doi-cho (Doi-ryu) who had married into a Tate-cho (Ebisu-ryu) returned home with her groom, some young men from Doi-cho poured a bucket over the groom as entertainment, which made the young men from Tate-cho storm in, causing a near-explosive situation. The situation was somehow resolved, but during a summer festival, the Ebisu school, who still had a grudge, tried to overtake the Doi school, who was eating lunch, and the Doi school, not wanting to lose, ran back, and this gained popularity and developed into the "Oi Yamakasa."
After overcoming several crises even after the Meiji Restoration, the Hakata Gion Yamakasa has become what it is today.