The road to Oyasumi-sama continues
Local Revitalization Cooperator is Nitta.
Aizuwakamatsu's summer is here. The traditional Aizu summer festival, the "
Oichi" continues. In the middle of the
Kogyo district, which I am in charge of as a cooperator, is the "Hakkaku Shrine". The "Oichi" festival, known by local residents as "Oyasumi-sama
", will be held right in the middle of summer on Oichi
, July 30th, Wednesday. (It's a weekday, but a god's birthday doesn't change based on the day of the week, you know.)
Well then. Every year, the
Oyasumi-sama festival is enlivened by the local
Hakkaku Shrine festival executive committee members. Stalls selling yakitori, yakisoba, and beer line the approach from the torii gate to the main hall. And this year, guess what—the "Kogyo Community Development Council
" will be participating.
What catches my eye within the shrine grounds is the "
Matsuo Shrine", which enshrines the god of sake brewing. There,
we are planning a sake tasting event
in front of the god of sake. (I wonder if the god will be happy if we make it lively.)
Furthermore—the "
Cucumber God" is enshrined at the "Tsushima Tenno Shrine", which is also jointly enshrined at
Hakkaku Shrine. So, the young members of the "
AiCT Consortium" are planning to sell chilled
cucumbers at a stall. (That's just too literal, isn't it?)
And furthermore—stalls for shooting games and ring toss will be set up for children, and the "
Hakkaku Tenmangu", connected to the main hall by a drum bridge, enshrines the god of learning, Sugawara no Michizane
. (Don't grow up to be a fool like me.) That's what this foolish cooperator thought...
At such times, the chief priest says:
Gyonin Districthas Gyonin Elementary Schoolin its center, and
Koyachohas Aizuwakamatsu City Daiichi Junior High School right there, don't they? He hopes that children praying for academic success or passing their exams will all come to visit Oyasumi-sama.
And so, we will ask
Gyonin Elementary Schoolto color in some pictures and bring them on the day of the
Oichi Market. And we will post the posters drawn by the art club at
Daiichi Junior High around town for publicity.
(The chief priest is fast, as expected.)
He immediately put up two types of posters on the shrine grounds.
And furthermore, furthermore, furthermore—
Aiki Regional Pharmacy Group female staff are also participating. They plan to help with taking photos in shrine maiden costumes. Everyone in the community is racking their brains to respond to
Oyasumi-sama
, who wishes for people to love the local area even more. Meanwhile, the cooperation team member
has decided to drink alcohol and squeeze out urine. (Oh no. That one person is just too vulgar...)
(If I drink beer, I'll need to use the restroom often...)
The chief priest kindly responds to even such concerns. On the day of the
Oichi Market, he promised to let us use the shrine office restroom, which is usually not open to the public.
(Ah. I can't wait for July 30th.)
Already, Oyasumi-sama is right in front of the approach. I'll work hard one more time until the day of the event so that this vulgar person from Osaka doesn't get banned from entering.