• 2024.7.15
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Spectators are sure to get soaked! A unique experience at the strange festival "Mizudomemai" in Omori, Ota Ward

I've been living in the Omori area of ​​Ota Ward for about two years. On July 2th, Marine Day, I noticed that the town looked a little different than usual. It seems that a temple called Gonshoji is holding an event called "Mizudome no Mai," which is an intangible folk cultural property of Tokyo. I thought I might as well go and check it out.

...I went to the Mizudomemai dance on a whim, and what I encountered was a unique sight that I had never seen at any other festival or event. In this article, I, a local resident, will report on my experience of going to the Mizudomemai dance for the first time.

What is Mizudomemai?

First of all, what kind of event is the Mizudomemai?

The Ota Ward website describes it as "an event of prayer to stop the rain, which has been passed down since ancient times due to the ward's plague of flooding."

Stopping the rain... in other words, it's the opposite of praying for rain! I had the impression that rain-making ceremonies have been around for a long time, but this was the first time I learned that there is also a ritual to stop the rain.

The origin of the Mizudome dance comes from a prayer performed by the head priest of Gonshoji Temple, Homichi Shonin, over 700 years ago. Homichi Shonin successfully prayed for rain, but then the rain stopped falling.

The priest Hombutsu gathered the local people for a ceremony to stop the rain, and had them dance wearing dragon costumes, beat flutes and drums, and play conch shells. Then, the rain stopped and the sky cleared. This led to the tradition of dedicating the Mizudome dance to Gonshoji Temple.

The Mizudome dance is broadly divided into two parts.
1. Michiyuki: A rain-making ceremony
2. Mizudomemai: A ceremony to stop the rain

After praying for rain, they then pray for the rain to stop... It's as if they are recreating the flow that was actually performed by the monk Hombutsu. The dynamic Dogyō tends to attract attention, but the Mizudomemai is not complete with Dogyō alone. Please be sure to see both, knowing the history and the legend behind it.

Heading to the starting point of the Mizudomemai from Omorimachi Station

Ganshoji Temple, where the Mizudomemai dance takes place, is about an 8-minute walk from Omorimachi Station on the Keihin Kyuko Line. Omorimachi Station is usually crowded with office workers and students, but today there were foreign tourists and people with cameras wrapped in plastic. Even though it's a town where I live every day, it already feels different from usual.

As I walked from the station and approached Gonshoji Temple, my feeling that something was "different than usual" turned into certainty...

Over there,

This one too,

Also here...

The city is "full of buckets"!!!

Next to it are buckets and tanks filled with water.

Of course, when we arrived at Gonshoji Temple,

There was a particularly large aquarium!

These buckets and water tanks will be of great use in the upcoming rain-making ritual, known as Douji.

Please note that there are no food stalls around Gonshoji Temple. Even if you think, "I'll eat at a food stall and watch the Mizudome dance," you won't be able to do so!

After passing Gonshoji Temple, walk for 2 minutes. The starting point of the pilgrimage is the intersection in front of Oota Ward Omori Daiichi Elementary School.

The area in front of the elementary school was packed! It was packed with TV crews, individual streamers, and spectators. It was the first time I'd seen so many people gathered in Omori-cho...! You can see how much attention it was getting.

A soaking wet parade with loud cheers! "Michiyuki"

Finally, the first ritual of Mizudomemai, Doyuki, begins. Doyuki is a ritual to pray for rain by pouring water on the dragon god to give him energy.

A straw rope is rolled up into a cylinder to represent the dragon god. A person enters the rope and blows a conch shell every time water is poured over it, expressing the dragon god's joyous roar.

Hmm, even though I wrote it myself, it's quite unusual... The imagination of the person who came up with this method for worshiping the dragon god is incredible...

Now, let's experience a dynamic and crazy journey.

"We are about to begin the parade called Michiyuki!"
A man with a megaphone called out, and the surrounding spectators became restless, saying, "This is a parade..."

"A lot of water will be splashed on you. We will not take any responsibility if any equipment is damaged!!!"
When the man loudly declared, a wave of laughter erupted. Everyone seemed fully prepared.

Now, this is where the soaking wet parade begins!

AAAAAAHH!!!

As soon as the signal to start was given, an unbelievable amount of water started flying. The bath towels I had brought along in case they got a little wet were instantly rendered useless.

Everyone is spilling buckets of water. It's so refreshing that the word "spill" really suits it.

It was like a competition to see who could throw the ball the furthest and most beautifully.

The children screamed, "Aaaahhh!!" The adults could only laugh. When a human being gets soaked in an instant like that, it's only natural that they can't help but burst out laughing. In other words, everyone here is smiling!

Of course, the buckets and fish tanks scattered around are being put to full use.

In some cases, the tanks had already become empty and people were seen drawing additional water from the tanks nearby.

Of course, these people are the ones suffering the most as the water pours down in volumes far greater than that of rain or showers.

They were being watched by many people, and they blew conch shells every time they were splashed with water. Their faces were red. I was worried they might drown. I couldn't tell if it was hot or cold...

The straw absorbs water and becomes heavy.

About five men were carrying the soaking wet straw. It must have been really hard work to carry it 5 meters while being doused in water.

Somehow, the dragon gods were finally brought right to the front of Ganshoji Temple! The water in the particularly large tank was released with great force! This was the final water-spraying spot.

Once inside Gonshoji Temple, the water stops and the straw is carried to the stage. The dragon god's body will be loosened if it goes on stage, so it desperately resists by twisting its body. The people around him commented, "Oh, he's raging!" to liven things up. It feels like we're all creating a story together.

As soon as Ryujin stepped onto the stage, in the blink of an eye...

It came undone and turned into a rope.

The ropes and the dragon god's heads were placed around the stage, watching over the ceremony until the very end of the Mizudome dance.

You've never seen a lion dance like this! "Mizudomemai" where male and female lions dance energetically

Oh dear... I'm already soaked... But it would be a waste to go home now. The procession we had just been doing was a "rain-making" ceremony. The most important part, "stopping the rain," was yet to come!

The dance dedicated in the rain-stopping ceremony is called the "Mizudomemai." It could be said to be the main event of this event. The visual and content of this dance is different from the typical "lion dance" that you may imagine, so please stop by and immerse yourself in the world of Mizudomemai.

The basic story of the Mizudome dance is that a female lion (mejishi), a male lion (ojishi), and a young lion (wakajishi) meet, and the male lion and the young lion fight over the female lion, and finally dance together in harmony. The character for lion can also be written as "shishi".

The person wearing the red mask with black feathers is the lioness. She plays the heroine who is the love interest of the two lions. She mainly moves forward beating the drum to the rhythm of "toko...ton," and performs graceful movements, bending her knees slightly at the "ton" beats.

The two in the blue masks are a male lion and a young lion. The two are rivals in love, so to speak. At times they play rhythms together with the female lion, and at other times they glare at each other, as in the photo. Their dancing is more intense than that of the female lion, and there are even moments when they stomp their feet on the stage, making a "bang!" noise.

The two people wearing red masks and large peonies on their heads next to the lioness are called "Hanakogo" (flower baskets). They ring the "sasara" (traditional Japanese instrument) they are holding in their hands, "sha sha... sha" in time with the lions' drums.

As the Mizudome dance progresses, the dancing becomes increasingly intense.

Raise your legs high,

He bends over and moves, scraping the floor.

We all formed a circle and leaned forward... I was surprised at how many variations there were in the dance.

One of the most interesting performances was the "Male Lion's Hidden Dance." It tells the story of a young lion chasing a female lion hidden by a male lion without her being noticed, and unique commentary is inserted throughout the dance.

"Come on, young lion, dance big!"
"Young lion, this is your third attempt! This time, make sure the male lion doesn't find you!"
"The young lion has been discovered! The angry lion!"
"Young lion, do your best!"

Wow, this is just too funny... This is more like a live commentary than a commentary!

When it comes to "dance" at festivals and events, it can be hard to understand what the scene is, and you might just pass it by thinking, "Oh, they're doing something," but with this it's easy to understand. The audience was laughing and enjoying the story.

After the Mizudome dance is over, those who wish can have a lion placed on their head. It is said that men who ride a female lion, and women who ride a male or young lion, will be blessed with good health.

Of course I got a ride too!

By the time the water stop dance finished, my soaking wet clothes had dried considerably. If you're someone who wants to get soaked but still want to catch the train home, you might be able to dry your clothes if you watch the water stop dance to the end.

Oh... somehow the sun is shining. Even though rain was forecast for the afternoon.

This year too, the Water Stopping Dance, a ritual to stop the rain, appears to have been a success.

We spoke to someone behind the scenes of Michiyuki!

Yamada-san, who played the conch horn during the parade, came to see us with a bright and cheerful smile. Although he was tired after the Mizudome dance, we managed to get some time for a short interview!

--Honestly, how do you feel now that Mizudome Mai has finished?

"I felt like summer had come again this year!"

--Oh, so if you did this year too, does that mean you played the conch shell last year too?

"Yes, I have been playing the conch horn on the road for 20 years now."

--Wow!! You're such a veteran! So when you started, you were still in your 20s?

"Yes. I started performing michiyuki when I was a student."

--By the way, how is the person who will play the conch shell decided?

"Up until now, bigger people have been chosen. However, the other person who played the conch shell with me this time was thinner than me, so everyone wanted to carry his straw. Of course, it's easier to carry the lighter straw (laughs)."

--I see (laughs). So, can we expect to see Yamada-san's journey again next year?

"That may be true. It's hard work, so if there's a successor, I don't mind them taking over (laughs)!"

--What kind of person could be a potential successor?

"Basically, it comes from all the Boy Scouts who participate in the Mizudome dance. I also originally participated in the Mizudome dance as a Boy Scout when I was a child. At that time, I was in charge of dancing and playing the flute."

--I see! So, does that mean that among the children who performed the dance earlier, there may be some who will play the conch horn in the future?

"That may be true. I would be happy if the Mizudome dance could be passed down to future generations!"

--So that's how the traditions of intangible folk cultural properties continue! Thank you for sharing your valuable story!

Summer in Omori begins with the Water Stop Dance

This time we introduced the Mizudomemai dance that will be held on July 2024, 7. Mizudomemai dance is held on the second Sunday of July every year, so if you want to experience this unique festival, be sure to save it for next year. A summer that is more exciting and soaking wet than the pool or the sea may be waiting for you.

[Water Stop Dance]

Location: Jodo Shinshu Honganji-ha Ryukozan Gonshoji Temple
Address: 7-27 Omori Higashi XNUMX-chome, Ota-ku, Tokyo
Date and time: Second Sunday of July every year (rain or shine)
(2024 will be July 7th (Monday, national holiday))
1pm to 3pm
Access: About 8 minutes on foot from Omorimachi Station on the Keihin Kyuko Line
TEL: 080-4931-4321
Official HP:https://www.mizudome.com/

Writer of this article: Bocchi no Azumi

profile:
A freelance writer whose hobbies are traveling and walking alone. She lives in Ota Ward. She writes mainly about sightseeing and interviews. She likes to go to hidden spots that other people don't notice, and she visited all the small Inari shrines in Ota Ward that have no reviews. She strives to write articles that are realistic and from a unique perspective.

Supervision: Satomi Matsumoto/Jun Miyoshi