How long will the shimenawa be displayed?
Jan 4 12:04
"Shimenawa" hanging at the entrance etc.
It's a must-have for the new year.
But how long have you been decorating it?
Inside the pine?
Full of January?
It is said that there are some areas where the decorations are displayed all year round.
Why?
I have covered the "mystery of shimenawa".
(Tsu Broadcasting Station reporter Soichiro Suzuki)
Shimenawa decorated all year round?
"Why do people in Shima City and Ise City decorate their entrances with shimenawa all year round?" one
of the viewers asked.
"Huh? Is there such a custom in Mie Prefecture?"
My first reaction as a reporter from Kanagawa Prefecture was something like that.
At the end of the year, my family used to decorate the front door with shimenawa ropes and put them away by the time Matsunouchi was over.
It seems that it is common to decorate during this period nationwide.
It was my second time working in Mie Prefecture, and it was my 8th year in total, but I was ashamed to say that I didn't know about the custom of "decorating shimenawa all year round".
I immediately decided to go to the scene and interview.
There are ropes everywhere!
I headed to Futami-cho, Ise City, based on the post.
The area is also famous as a sightseeing spot, such as the “Meotoiwa Rocks” where two rocks look like a couple cuddling together, and the “Ise Sea Paradise” where you can see walruses and Steller sea lions as close as you can get.
It is known for its scenic beauty, with a legend that says, "Yamatohime-no-mikoto looked back twice" and came to be called "Futami".
(There are various theories)
As soon as I walked around town, I
found it!
!
It's shimenawa.
Found within a few minutes of walking.
Yes.
Shige-san, the cameraman who will be interviewing with me, and I will continue to walk forward while talking about "It was right there."
here and there.
There is, there is
Every house has a shimenawa decoration at the entrance.
Mr. Shige, who is from Hyogo Prefecture, has never heard of the custom of decorating the shimenawa all year round.
I interviewed him in late October.
It was a bit of a shock.
The clue is “Somin Shorai”
When I approached the locals, they told me, "Of course, it's a custom here to decorate (the shimenawa) for a year."
But why shimenawa all year round?
As I rummaged around looking for more clues, a farmer gave me an important tip.
"Oh, Mr. Somin Shorai, isn't it?"
According to the woman, an old legend about a person named "Somin Shorai" is related to a shrine in the town.
I walked straight in the direction the woman pointed... and I
arrived at Matsushita-sha Shrine, a local ujigami shrine.
The shrine is located not far from the busy tourist area, but hidden among the thick trees.
When Mr. Ryohei Mitsuhashi, the representative of the parishioners, showed me around the precincts, he pointed to a small shrine standing next to the main shrine and told me, "That's where Somin Shorai is enshrined."
Ise Folktale "Somin Mirai"
From here on, let me tell you about the picture-story show produced by Ise City.
This is the beginning of Ise folk tales that have been handed down in this area.
“Once upon a time, it is said that there lived two brothers, Somin and Kotan, in a village by the side of a large forest near Futamiura, near the Ise Shrine.
One day, Susano-no-Mikoto, who hid his identity, stopped by this village in search of an inn.
His shabby and wealthy older brother, Kyotan, treated him coldly.
On the other hand, it is said that Somin, the kind-hearted younger brother of the poor man, treated him warmly.
That night, Susanowo no Mikoto, who received a warm reception, surrounded Somin's house with a rope made of straw.
Somin wonders.
When he woke up the next morning, a bad disease had spread throughout the village, but only Somin's family escaped the plague.
Inspired by the story that the shimenawa protected Somin from the plague, people in this area hang a tag that says ``Somin's future descendant family'' on the shimenawa and hang it at the doorway all year round.
Eliminate the plague with shimenawa!
The story goes back to modern times.
Shortly after the beginning of the Reiwa era, an epidemic called the new coronavirus spread throughout Japan.
It is said that there are many orders from all over the country for Somin Shorai's shimenawa, hoping to benefit from the epidemic.
On the day I visited Matsushita Shrine, I was told that work was being done on the production of shimenawa, so I visited.
Surrounded by rice straw, two men were tanning the straw used for the shimenawa.
"Orders come from all over Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south.
"
However, he says that he does not know how long he will be able to make this shimenawa.
"It's impossible in the future. It's because the population is declining
. Will it be difficult in another 15 years?"
is.
The wishes of our predecessors in the shimenawa
What is the meaning of preserving and passing down local traditions?
We interviewed Professor Taira Saito of Kogakkan University, who is familiar with the customs of Mie.
Professor Saito
: “Plagues have always been terrifying. It is a terrible thing.” People in the past must have wanted to tell them that plagues are terrifying. I think it's been a long time since I've been here, and I've been telling stories."
People's wish to protect their family and friends from epidemics that will never change.
"Decorate shimenawa all year round".
I was kind of surprised to think that such a deep thought was put into that.
I hope that the traditions that have been handed down from ancient times will continue to be preserved.
Tsu Broadcasting Station Reporter
Soichiro SuzukiJoined the station
in 2008
After working in the Kobe station and the political department, returned to Tsu station, where he was first posted.I
love Mie Prefecture, which is surrounded by rich nature.