蛙狩神事
On New Year's morning, a ritual called "Frog Hunting" is performed at Suwa Taisha Kamisha Hongu Shrine.
In this ceremony, frogs living in the river next to the shrine are unearthed and skewered with arrows as offerings.
Suwa Taisha is unique for its hunting deity, known not only for this frog hunt but also for the Mitomatsuri festival on April 15th, where deer heads are offered.
Before 8 a.m., traditional music from instruments like the hichiriki can be heard from the shrine, and several priests and parishioners line up on the shrine grounds.
As New Year's visitors and the fire department's New Year's ceremony participants mill around, the ritual participants recite prayers by the pond next to the Kaguraden, marking the start of the Saidan-sai.
The priests wear white garments, and two participants in hakama capture the frogs.
Suwa in this season is one of the coldest places in Nagano Prefecture, often below freezing.
Thus, it was a bit amusing to see the two participants wearing tracksuits under their garments despite the solemn ceremony.
After the prayers at the pond, the participants enter the shrine to offer prayers to the deity of Suwa Taisha.
The ritual proceeds traditionally with the sound of the hichiriki.
The two frog catchers, the main actors of the day, were noticeably idle, waiting outside the Heihai-den without entering the main hall.
After offerings of fruits, fish, and sake, the frog hunt begins.
Under the watchful eyes of the priests and parishioners, the two men enter the Mitarashi River and search the water with hoe-like tools.
With not much water, they find frogs hibernating among the leaves.
The scene attracts many onlookers, mostly photographers, local cable TV crew, and amateurs with large cameras.
They gathered at a single point in the river, capturing the best angles.
After two frogs are found, they are placed on a tray held by the chief priest, and the first half of the frog hunt concludes.
Though I couldn't see the frogs, they were carried to the shrine, each about the size that could fit in one's hands.
The ceremony, though seemingly quiet and modest, is a serious ritual praying for a bountiful year.
The captured frogs are then skewered with bamboo arrows at the Heihai-den and offered to Suwa Taisha.
In the past, this ritual was followed by a feast featuring the frogs, but this likely no longer happens.
The offering of just two frogs, representing the blessings of the earth, reflects the wishes of the people and the dedication to the land's deity.
Thinking about the possibility that even these two frogs might not survive future environmental changes emphasizes the importance of preserving traditional rituals and the dedication to maintaining them.