October 3, 2014
The Omanto Festival of Aichi – The Omanto in Nagakute City
Naoko Yoshida, Aichi Prefecture Nagakute City
Omanto refers to a horse that has been decorated around the neck and on the body with ornamented saddles, drapes, and protective bills in dedication to local deities at shrines and temples. In Aichi Prefecture, the farming village regions of Owari and Nishimikawa have a long history of using these decorated horses dedicated to their deities as part of the Harvest Festival. No one is sure when Omanto started, but record indicate that the current form of the tradition was solidified between the late middle ages and early modern period. In the past, the festivities performed by one village were not necessarily the same when several villages joined together for festivities. The grandest festivals were reserved for times when a large number of villages could participate, whereby people and horses all gathered and lodged together maintaining a certain level of order at a specified shrine or temple. Such large-scale festivals have not been held in recent years.
The Omanto in Nagakute City conforms to the large-scale festival format. This festival is sometimes called "The Escort Festival" because of the armed escort (a stick-wielding force and a matchlock-armed force) that guards and escorts the horse. Within the city, the festival takes on a slightly different flavor depending on the district that you are in. For example, in the Yazako District, the festival is known as The Omanto Festival of Yazako (Aichi Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property); in the Nagakute District, it is known as the Escort Festival of Nagakute (Aichi Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property); and in the Kamigo District, it is also known as the Escort Festival of Nagakute (Nagakute City Intangible Folk Cultural Property). With support from preservation groups and the local community, these traditions have been kept alive to this day. As mentioned before, each district has their own flavor, particularly with respect to the decorative protective bills on each horse, which is considered to be an important symbol for the district.
The festivals in this city have not changed much from their original form. First, a purification ceremony is performed early in the morning using cold water. Next, the procession is formed from the starting point; as they walk through the district to chants of "essai, hossai" punctuated by the firing of the matchlock guns. In the Yazako and Nagakute Districts, the districts are further divided into east and west and two different processions walk through each half of the district before rejoining again at the end. The rejoining of the groups is steeped in tradition as well, as the groups are required to greet each other according to ancient custom before heading to the shrine. Formal greetings are also exchanged when the group enters the shrine. The procession continues around the main hall of the shrine three times, and on the third lap, gunfire signals the horse to start sprinting within the shrine grounds, in a stirring scene called tatekomi. The procession and escort return to the original start location after safely delivering the horse to the shrine. On the day of the festival, the city is abuzz with sounds of chanting, conch trumpet shells, and gunfire, reminiscent of a battle. This festival is held in autumn just after the rice harvest.
The Escort Festival of Yazako District
The Escort Festival of Nagakute District
The Escort Festival of Kamigo District