In Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, the traditional festival "Naked Mochitsuki" held before New Year's Eve was held this year in happi coats, and the participants thanked for the good harvest and pounded mochi.
About 380 years ago, a farmer suffering from a poor harvest sprinkled the sand of Sengenji temple in Yonezawa City on the rice field, which resulted in a bountiful harvest. is considered to be the beginning.
Every year, at this time before New Year's Eve, local young people wearing bleached clothes participate, but this year, in order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection, it is limited to the officers of the party that hosts the festival. About 20 men in their 60s and older wore happi coats and pounded rice cakes.
After giving thanks for this year's bountiful harvest and praying for safety in the coming year, the rice cakes are pounded with a long, thin stick and shouted, "Age, mochi, even tenjiku!" I was holding a moderate rice cake toward the ceiling.
And I was offering the sticky rice cake to the main hall.
A man in his 60s who participated in the mochitsuki said, "I hope that next year Japan will be a bright and energetic year, and that the district will become even better."
Soichi Sakuma, the chairman of the association that hosts this festival, said, "If we don't do this event, the year won't feel like it's over. I'm grateful for the bountiful harvest and hope for another bountiful harvest next year." was talking