ーOutlineー
■Hakajishi
This is a memorial dance for the dead, performed at the graveside by the Same Kagura Renchu at the Fuboku Temple Cemetery in Same Town by the request of family members. The Gongen-sama Shishi quietly to the song exchanged between the living and the dead, to send the dead to their final resting place. The melancholy song that is sung in remembrance of the deceased, brings tears to the eyes of the people who mourn.

■Naimo Naimo
This is a memorial service for the dead, held in the evening, where parishioners at Fukusho Temple and others in the Shirogane district chant Buddhist prayers. For more than 250 years, the festival has been led by an old family, the Masayas, in Shirogane. At around 7p.m., the Masaya clan (with their high-hanging lanterns, banners, and ohayashi musical accompaniment) would arrive at Fukusho Temple, followed by hundreds of parishioners, chanting “Yoina inamiamida, ogamuda” as they make their way through the cemetery.

ーHighlightsー

■Hakajishi: The living and the dead communicate with each other through songs. Gongen-sama, in which the soul has descended and dwelt, speaks quietly to the living, and dances, and the living respond. Finally, the ceremony ends with the dead returning to the Land of Bliss. The melancholy ohayashi musical accompaniment and song draws tears from those who join hands in prayer for the deceased.

Learn more here: Hachinohe Portal Museum “hacchi” (in Japanese only)

■Naimo Naimo: At around 7p.m., the Masaya clan (with their high-hanging lanterns, banners, and ohayashi musical accompaniment) would arrive at Fukusho Temple, followed by hundreds of parishioners, chanting “Yoina inamiamida, ogamuda” as they make their way through the cemetery.

Learn more here: Hachinohe Portal Museum “hacchi” (in Japanese only)