Kishiwada, Japan

With the clap of two fans and the roar of drums, four tons of wood pulled by hundreds of people goes careening around a stoplight somewhere in Kishiwada, Japan.

What is Danjiri Matsuri?

It’s a cart-pulling festival held primarily in Kishiwada, Japan, though it is also held in Kobe and other parts of Osaka. Different organizations or neighborhoods within Kishiwada race their danjiri or giant wooden carts through the closed streets. If you are possessed to attend this festival as I was, or if you’re just in the neighborhood, there is also a small danjiri matsuri museum near the Kishiwada castle that displays several retired, hundreds-of-years-old carts, and diagrams about the festival and the practices involved.

The danjiri are incredible shrine-shaped, four-wheeled vehicles. Kishiwada danjiri specifically have two separate roof sections. The original danjiri may have been simple and covered in fabric; modern danjiri have intricate wooden carvings depicting historical scenes. They are wrapped in metal mesh to prevent significant damage, just in case. Within the housing of the cart, there is a drum and bell and possibly other instruments. A new danjiri can cost more than 100 million yen (700 thousand USD). Some of the buildings in Kishiwada even have danjiri insurance, you know, just in case.

The danjiri organizations are self-organizing and composed by neighborhood groups or other organizations of five hundred to a thousand people. The cart is pulled by a rope, typically organized by elementary school age children in the lead, then middle schoolers, then high schoolers and very young adults. Behind the cart is a giant lever which is pushed by a group of individuals in their twenties and early thirties. They are in charge of navigating the danjiri and need to be very strong to redirect it. There are two people directly in the front of the danjiri who are typically experienced individuals who have control of the manual wooden breaks. They are accompanied by other older team members who provide security and aid as needed. On the danjiri itself are several musicians and leadership. And last, but definitely not least, is the Carpenter. The most prestigious position is the person who stands on top of the danjiri and dances and provides directions. Historically, this position was that of the actual lead carpenter, though that is not the case in these modern times. (Note: We all know where David would be if he could be).

This festival was started over three hundred years ago when the feudal lord of the area created a Shinto temple dedicated to a rich harvest and allowed the different neighborhoods of the city to bring danjiri carts in celebration. I have also read that the danjiri festival was originally in celebration of the completion of Kishiwada Castle after years of construction. Whatever the case, the festival is still going strong.

The festival starts at 6:00 AM JT. This was a shock to us who were used to nothing opening until 9:00 AM JT at the earliest. David and I theorized that this was to minimize risk of damage and destruction during the Hiki-dashi (opening pull). The danjiri and then paraded through the streets with breaks for lunch and dinner until 7:00 PM, when they are strewn with lanterns and paraded a final time until 9:00 PM. The second day does not start as early. It starts at, you guessed it, 9:00 AM JT with Miya-iri (worship at the local shrine). It continues into the night with racing throughout the streets until night fall when the danjiri are adorned with lanterns and moved more slowly.

There is nothing quite like this festival. It is incredible to see a city close down it’s downtown area, wrap the light poles in tape and prayers, and then race four-ton wooden carts through the streets. That's eight thousand pounds for those who hate math and/or numbers. The main roads are lined with food stalls advertising karaage (fried chicken) and kakigōri (shaved ice), children’s games, and souvenirs. I ate so much good street food, including frozen strawberries shaved down, covered in sweetened condensed milk and chocolate. I would say “Occasionally, a danjiri would pass by,” but that was not the case. You heard them coming. The sound of whistles, bells, and drums.

Their security members were clearing the way and making sure everything was ready. Ready to turn the cart. Because while they weren’t running for 16+ hours straight, teams did run the danjiri around street corners in order to turn the behemoths properly. The team would stop, get tension in the lines, and then with an eruption of dance, music, and cheer, take off. These turns were always complete with the Carpenter’s dance, and never did one of them hit a low stoplight or go flying off at incredible speed. A miracle, truly.

I would recommend getting an early start and not staying in one place. Frequently, danjiri are pulled off to the side for breaks or repairs and you can see the carvings up close. It’s also incredible to be walking and happen to run into one closely turning a corner just feet away. As the day goes on and crowds get bigger, it is harder to get close to the action. Taking a midday break to enjoy the AC of the museum was a great idea.

10/10 – Would absolutely dance on top of a danjiri at speed, but probably would not stick the landing

(unlike David, who most certainly wouldn’t even be launched off)