下館祇園まつり（子供みこし）
下館祇園まつりといえば、日本一で一番重い大迫力の平成神輿が有名だが、我々は 街の文化継承を目的に「子供みこし」に密着！子供の頃のこの体験が今の自分に残っているように 街の文化に触れることは きっと残るはず
各町内の暑い夏がはじまる
2023.7.23（土）神輿組立
お祭り用語
●氏子（うじこ）
同じ地域に住み、その地の氏神を信仰する人たちのこと
People who live in the same area and worship the local deity.
●お囃子（おはやし）
祭りには欠かせないBGM。拍子をとったり、雰囲気を出したりするために奏する管楽器と打楽器による音楽。
Background music essential for festivals: wind and percussion music played to create a beat or atmosphere
●渡御（とぎょ）
神輿が担がれ練り歩くこと。連合渡御は複数の神輿が連なって行うこと。
A procession of portable shrines. Rengo-togyo is a procession of several portable shrines in a row.
いよいよ始まる祭りに向けて準備開始！
主役の神輿の組立だ。今回は金井町で撮影
させていただきました。
親棒と脇棒をつなぐトンボ（横棒）を結び、提灯をつけ、飾紐…
それぞれの町内に歴史があり、たくさんの人の尽力によって開催される
お囃子の音が聞こえると胸が踊る
血が騒ぐ それが祭りだ
あとはその時を待つだけです
Preparations begin for the festival that is about to begin!
Assembling the main attraction, the portable shrine. This time, we filmed in Kanai-cho
I had the opportunity to photograph it in Kanai-cho.
The dragonfly (horizontal bar) connecting the main bar and side bars is tied, lanterns are attached, and decorative strings are tied....
Each town has its own history, and the event is held thanks to the efforts of many people.
When I hear the sound of the musical accompaniment, my heart starts to beat.
It gets my blood pumping, that's what festivals are all about.
All we have to do is wait for the right moment!
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
2023.7.27（木） 本殿祭＆御神体入
いよいよ始まる。３年分の想いも乗せて 下館の夏が始まる。
子供みこしは少子化の影響も受け、どんどん縮小しているように思えるが、町内にみこしがある限り、子供も大人でも関係ない！
子供も大人も一緒に作れる歴史・伝統、それが祭りなのだ。
静まり返っていた神社が一気に熱を帯びてくる。各町内が御輿を担ぎ神社に到着。御神体入の神事
そして この熱気の中 皆の安全と伝統の祭り 各町内の陣頭指揮を取るのがこの男たち
子供みこし連合会
Summer in Shimodate is about to begin, carrying three years of memories.
The number of children's mikoshi seems to be shrinking due to the declining birthrate, but as long as there is a mikoshi in the town, it does not matter if it is for children or adults!
History and tradition that both children and adults can create together, that is what festivals are all about.
The quiet shrine suddenly becomes heated. Each township carries a portable shrine and arrives at the shrine. The ritual of "Goshintaiire
-no-mikoto
And in the midst of this excitement, the men who lead each town in the safety and tradition of the festival are
Children's Mikoshi Federation
「御神体入」
神輿に神様を遷（うつ）す儀式です。 渡御の前に、宮司（ぐうじ）によって御霊が社殿から神輿に遷されます。 神様が乗物（神輿など）に乗り氏子町内を巡られることを渡御と言います。 神輿が神社から出発することを宮出、神社に帰着することを宮入と言います
Goshintai-ire
This is a ceremony to transfer the deity to the portable shrine. Before the procession, the spirit is transferred from the shrine pavilion to the mikoshi by the chief priest. The procession is called "Togyo" when the deity rides a vehicle (such as a portable shrine) around the town of Ujiko. The departure of the mikoshi from the shrine is called miyadashi, and its return to the shrine is called miya-iri.
2023.7.28（金） 連合渡御
前夜の興奮冷めやらぬうちに２日目に突入。今夜は連合渡御。
各町内が連なっての渡御である。羽黒坂を複数の町内が連なって上がってくる。
各町内 競い合うように 讃えあうように 元気な掛け声が響き渡る「わっしょい！わっしょい！」
神輿に続くお囃子も祭りの楽しみである。太鼓・笛のね… この音が興奮をさらに煽るのだ
神輿をかつぎたくて集まってくる子供達も多く、受け入れてくれる町内に派遣し体験してもらう。そんな試みも２０年以上続いている（主催：下館青年会議所）
子供も 大人も 自慢の町内の神輿をかつぎ祭りを楽しむ
訪れた人の楽しみはもう一つ、屋台だ。復活した祭りを祝うかのように どこも行列だ
The excitement of the previous night has not abated as we enter the second day of the festival. Tonight is the Rengo Togyo.
Each township will be moving in tandem. Several townships come up the Haguro-zaka hill in a line.
Each township competes and praises the other, and their cheerful shouts of "wasshoi! wasshoi!
The musical accompaniment that follows the portable shrines is one of the joys of the festival. The sounds of drums and flutes add to the excitement.
Many children gather to carry the mikoshi, and we send them to towns that will accept them for the experience. Such an attempt has been going on for more than 20 years (sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Shimodate).
Children and adults enjoy the festival by carrying the portable shrines of their own neighborhood.
Another attraction for visitors is the food stalls. Visitors are always lining up for the stalls, as if to celebrate the festival's resurgence.
2023.7.29（土）連合渡御〜宮入
最終日。開始と同時にこの人並み。時間が経つにつれどんどん人並みは増えていく。どこからこんなに人が湧いてくるのだろうか…と不思議な気持ちと同時に これが祭りの持つパワーだと実感する。このために帰省する者も多い。
さて最終日は、駅前通りの連合渡御、そしていよいよ宮入りである。３ブロックに分かれた１８町内が順番に宮入り。本殿の周りを３回回る。最高潮に盛り上がる瞬間
高張提灯が先導し、神輿を本殿正面で高く高くあげる
力の限り大声で叫ぶのだ！
月明かりだけの神社に 数えきれない提灯が放つ光は、夏の記憶として深く刻まれる。熱気と歓喜の中 全ての町内の宮入りが終わった
宮入りが終わった順に 御神体を抜き 各町内に帰っていくのだ
Last day. The crowd was here as soon as it started. As time goes by, the number of people increases. I wondered where all these people were coming from... and at the same time, I realized that this is the power of the festival. Many people return home for this reason.
On the last day of the festival, the procession is held in front of the station, followed by the miya-irisu, a procession of 18 townships divided into three blocks, each taking its turn to enter the shrine. The 18 neighborhoods, divided into three blocks, take turns to enter the shrine and make three rounds around the main shrine building. The moment when the excitement reaches its climax
The portable shrines are led by tall lanterns and raised high in front of the main shrine.
They shout as loudly as they can!
The light emitted by countless lanterns in the moonlit shrine is deeply etched in the memory of summer, and the miya-irisashi of all the townspeople is over in the heat and joy.
The shrine is now closed, and the sacred body is removed and returned to each town in the order in which it was placed in the shrine.
羽黒神社本社神輿・平成神輿の宮入道中／氏子各町会の高張提灯
羽黒神社に向かう平成神輿を祝うかのように、氏子各町内の高張提灯が先導する
祭りの最終日にしか見えない光景であり、一歩一歩 厳かに坂を登ってくる歩みは 夏の終わりそ告げているようだ
そして 各町内の高張提灯がこれだけ集まる光景は 見ている者に この街の集結と繁栄の証なのだと見せつけるのだ。まだ始まったばかりのこの試みは きっと これからの伝統となるだろう
As if to celebrate the portable shrine heading for Haguro Shrine, tall lanterns from each town and village lead the way.
It is a scene that can only be seen on the last day of the festival, and the solemn step by step of the portable shrines up the hill seems to signal the end of summer.
And the sight of so many lanterns from each town showing the prosperity of the town is a testament to the gathering and prosperity of this town. This experiment, which has just begun, will surely become a tradition for years to come.