[Roots Journey 🌺 Kochi Edition - Autumn Festival Part 2] The Secret Festival of the Clan Deity in the Deep Mountains ✨

The next morning at 8:30, as we were waiting in front of our lodging, a man in his 80s appeared in a car. It was Mr. K-taro Tsutsui (pseudonym), a member of the same clan.

“You’ve come a long way, thank you for coming. I’ll go ahead, so please follow me.” (*Actually, it was
a very thick Kochi dialect, but since I can’t reproduce it, I’m using Kansai dialect 😅) I rode in Mr. X’s car, and

led by Mr. K-taro, we headed for Kasuga Shrine.

▼ A shrine deep in the mountains not even on the map

There are several shrines in Z Village, but the Kasuga Shrine we are heading to now seems to be so deep in the mountains that its name doesn’t appear on the map. When I checked on my smartphone, nothing was displayed in that area.

The car proceeds carefully along the narrow mountain road. There is a cliff on the right side of the road, but there are no guardrails. It feels a bit scary, as if one careless move could send us off the edge 😱

After driving for several tens of minutes, the view finally opened up, and we arrived at a wide area
. The building in the back seems to be Kasuga Shrine.

Generally speaking, Kasuga Shrine is the clan deity of the Fujiwara clan, but it is also the clan deity of the Tsutsui clan, who trace their roots to the Fujiwara.

And this shrine in Z Village is said to have been built about 400 years ago by Sadatsugu Tsutsui (or his descendants), a daimyo from Iga Ueno who committed seppuku.

▼ The Tsutsui clan gathered from all over the country

I heard the festival would start at 11:00 AM, but about 20 people had already gathered at the site. Most of them seem to be the Tsutsui clan from Z Village and their descendants. They are all people I am meeting for the first time, but
thinking that they might be distant relatives, I feel a sense of familiarity.

Together with Mr. K-taro, I went around greeting everyone, and I was even invited to join the women who were lining up the tea bowls, helping with the festival preparations.

Just like when I rang the doorbell of a stranger’s house a month ago, since I started searching for my roots, I have started going to new places frequently and actively talking to people I don’t know. Considering that I used to be so busy with work, housework, and childcare that I didn’t spend time or energy on anything other than what was necessary for daily life, this is a big change.

By daring to do something I didn’t necessarily have to do—searching for my own ancestors—I feel like my life has gained some color and every day has become more enjoyable. Perhaps this is one of the benefits of searching for one’s roots.

▼ The secret ritual held in the plaza

The Shinto priest arrived, and the festival finally began. About 30 people followed behind those carrying the portable shrine. Mr. X Tsutsui was also mixed in the front line, carrying festival tools.

When the portable shrine was placed on a stand in the small plaza, an altar was prepared, and the ritual began.

Until now, even though I had seen portable shrines at festivals, I had never seen where they were taken. Therefore, I am not sure if this ritual is common or unique.

However, from the way the attendees surrounded the portable shrine and the atmosphere of the ritual, it was clear that everyone holds this ritual very dear.

When the festival ended after about 30 minutes, everyone returned to the shrine together.

▼ Stone lantern engraved with legends

This stone lantern is engraved with the history of the shrine's founding. It tells the story of Sadatsugu Tsutsui, who was supposed to have been forced to commit seppuku by Ieyasu Tokugawa, changing his name to 'Ichinokami' and fleeing to this village with seven of his retainers to establish Kasuga Shrine. In fact, it is said that
the Tsutsui clan, who came down from the mountains at the end of the Sengoku period were in this village, but how much of this is actually true?

I was shown the origin document (shrine chronicle) of this shrine by someone involved, and with their permission, I was allowed to take pictures. Once I return to Tokyo, I intend to decipher what is written in it.

(To be continued)

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