祭概要

36mもの巨大な龍神を担いで練り歩く！龍神を池に入れて雨を乞う伝統行事

鶴ヶ島市に江戸時代から継承されてきた雨乞行事。麦わら・孟宗竹・荒縄によって作られた長さ36m・重さ約3tもある「龍蛇（りゅうだ）」が、出発前に白鬚神社で行われる「入魂の儀」によって龍神となります。この巨大な龍神を300人の男たちが担ぎ、雷電池（かんだちがいけ）までの約2kmを練り歩きます。クライマックスは、雷電池で行われる「池入り」。龍神を池に入れ、「雨降れたんじゃく、ここに懸かれ黒雲」と必死に叫んで雨を祈ります。

龍神の解体時、頭部に着けられた金色の宝珠を奪い合います。若者たちが我先にと競う様はとても豪快で、見る者を圧倒します。


A huge 36-meter-long dragon god being carried in a procession!
A traditional ritual in prayers for rain where a dragon god is placed in a pond.

A ritual held in prayers for rain that has been passed down in Tsurugashima City since the Edo period. A 36-meter-long dragon weighing 3 tons and made of straw, bamboo, and rope is turned into a god during a ritual at Shirahige Shrine before its departure. The huge dragon god is carried by 300 men for roughly 2 kilometers over to Kandachi Pond. The event reaches a climax when the dragon god is placed in the pond. As it is being placed in the pond, the men shout prayers for the rain and black clouds to come. The gold-colored gem attached to the head of the dragon god is fought over when it is being dismantled. The clash between the young men is exhilarating and astounds all those who watch.

Cultural Properties Section, Tsurugashima City Board of Education (049-285-2194)

祭基本情報