Narita Gionsai – Dashi Uphill Dash

Of the many things to see at the Narita Gionsai held in Chiba Prefecture’s Narita City is the mad dash of the dashi (山車). Dashi are generally huge wooden wheeled platforms large enough to house a band of traditional musicians and often even a little stage for dancers or performers. These are pulled around town by teams of people from the neighborhoods they represent and are common in many Japanese festivals. The thing that makes Narita different is the many hills these wagons have to go up and down! Each these wagons weigh several tons and to pull one up a steep hill or slope is just unthinkable, instead the locals have developed a technique where they will dash up the hill with the ropes and sort of yanking the wagon up after them. With hundreds of dedicated townspeople, scores of captains overseeing the effort and a concentrated effort even these heavy wagons can be successfully pulled up. It is great fun to see the preparations and the teams of leaders running up and down to make sure everyone is prepared and ready for the signal. When the signal comes the townspeople start running and naturally the audience cheers them on. As the wagon crests the hill and it is clear that the pull was successful there is always a huge cheer and lot of smiles – what would happen if the pull failed halfway is just unthinkable!

Naturally going downhill is also a difficult task but much less dramatic.

If you visit the Narita Gionsai make sure to position yourself at the top of a hill to see this dash for yourself. It is quite exciting and a great show of the importance of cooperation!