F E S T I V A L ／ FEST-258
Nagasaki Kunchi (Grand Autumn Festival of Suwa Shrine)
長崎くんち（諏訪神社例大祭）ながさきくんち（すわじんじゃれいたいさい）
The grand autumn festival of Suwa Shrine, Nagasaki's tutelary shrine, held every October 7–9 with a program of dedicatory performances. With a history of over 380 years, it is famed for dynamic spectacles fusing Chinese and European influence: the 'Jaodori' dragon dance, in which vividly colored dragons snake after a golden ball; 'Kokkodesho' (Taikoyama), in which teams of bearers hurl a heavy drum-stage into the air and catch it one-handed; and the 'whale spouting' float that sprays water like a breaching whale. The performing neighborhoods (odori-cho) rotate on a seven-year cycle, so the program changes each year. The acts process between Suwa Shrine, the Otabisho, Yasaka Shrine, and Chuo Park. As 'the dedicatory dances of Nagasaki Kunchi,' it is designated a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
H I G H L I G H T S
Highlights
- 01The 'Jaodori' — brilliantly colored dragons writhing in pursuit of a ball
- 02'Kokkodesho' — a heavy drum-stage hurled skyward and caught one-handed by its bearers
- 03A blend of Chinese and European spectacle, with each rotating neighborhood bringing different acts every seven years
D E E P D I V E