Tanushimaru Mushi-oi Matsuri

Introduction:
Tanushimaru town’s “Mushi-oi Matsuri”, a pest-expelling festival, is the traditional festival with history dating back over 300 years, currently held every three years in mid-November in the Tanushimaru, Kurume City, Fukuoka. Festivals of the same name are observed in several places in Japan, but the one here is unique and cannot be found anywhere else. The festival features a lively battle between two large puppets representing two samurai warriors of Saitō Bettō Sanemori and Tezuka Tarō Mitsumori from “The Tale of Heike”, specifically the battle of Shinohara. Sanemori was defeated in the battle and said to have transformed into a rice pest, so his puppet was nicknamed "Sanemori-mushi" (Sanemori bug).

Historical Significance:
The existence of “Mushi-oi Matsuri” in Tanushimaru as early as 1706 is confirmed by the ancient document "Ishihara-kaki (Record of Ishihara Family)." It is also said that Yanagita Kunio, a famous folklorist, introduced the festival in a magazine article.

Original Purpose and Transformation:
Originally, the festival aimed to exterminate rice pests by burning them with torches. Therefore, it was held in each village before the rice harvest, depending on the occurrence of pests.

Today, the festival is organized to celebrate rice harvest, by the Youth members of Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) Niji branch in this District. Preparations begin in October, and the puppets are newly crafted each year using rice straw and bamboo poles. Only the large horse puppet has been repaired and used since when it was made first in 1977. In early November, two weeks of early morning practice are held to get used to the weight and handling of the puppets and horse.

The Festival Day and Its Significance:
On the day of the festival in mid-November, about 100 people gather at Tanushimaru Tenmangu Shrine at 7:30 a.m. for a send-off ceremony. The festival is then performed throughout the town, including at nurseries and the Tanushimaru central area. The climax of the festival is a grand battle between the puppets and the horse in the Kose River at night.

Efforts to Preserve the Tradition:
Since the 1980s, Tanushimaru Elementary School has also been performing the Mushi-oi Matsuri at its sports festival using child-sized puppets and a horse to preserve the local tradition.

The festival now involves not only the current members of JA Niji Tanushimaru Youth, but also OB members, staff and members from other districts’ JA and  the Tanushimaru Chamber of Commerce, however, there is still a shortage of participants. Efforts and ingenuity to pass on this unique, 300-year-old festival to future generations will continue.