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The Stop
Every six years for the past 1200, the Onbashira festival has occurred in the Lake Suwa region of Japan’s Nagano prefecture. The purpose of Onbashira is to replace the log pillars that stand at the corners of the four buildings of the Suwa Grand Shrine. Beginning high in the mountains in April, 16 carefully selected fir trees are logged using traditional tools before being dragged down to the temple by large teams of people without the use of mechanised equipment. Lugging these logs - which are around 20 metres (67 feet) long and weigh as much as 12 tonnes - ‘up mountains and across rivers’ for over 10 kilometres (around 6 miles) is a dangerous challenge from start to finish, but the ‘deadliest part’ occurs when the logs are moved downhill. At this point of the festival - known as Kiotoshi - teams of men straddle the logs and ride them as they ‘hurtle down the mountainside.’ Intended to prove their riders’ worthiness and bravery, this event often results in ‘devastating injuries and death.’1
The Shinto shrine for which Onbashira is performed - Suwa Taisha - is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan.2 Believed to house the Suwa Myoujin deity - ‘protector of winds and waters, and exemplar of bravery and valour’ - the shrine’s roots stretch back over 10,000 years, with archaeological evidence of carefully constructed ‘pillar structures’ that were considered ‘purified sacred spaces of communion.’ Over time, the festival - which gradually became more organised and stylised - ‘experienced rises and falls,’ almost dying out during the middle ages until a major revival in the early 19th century. Records from this time indicate that during the festival the ‘mountains and valleys were a solid mass of people,’ and by the early 20th century Onbashira had turned into a ‘sake-fuelled spectacle.’
Though the raising of the pillars into place at the temple is more symbolically important than any other part of Onbashira, the spectacle of Kiotoshi - established long before alcohol was banned for those pulling or riding the logs - is the highlight. With that in mind, follow this link to watch the madness:3
Onbashira (National Geographic)
The Detour
Today’s Detour is to The Lone Valley, a short (5:22) documentary about the life of a shepherd in the French Alps. Atmospheric and meditative, it’s a window into an entirely different way of life. Entrancing.
The Recommendation
Today’s Recommendation is Haruki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (English publication, 1997). One of Murakami’s most acclaimed novels, it’s a combination of fantasy novel, detective story, the account of a dissolving marriage, and the exploration of hidden secrets from Japan’s brutal Manchurian occupation in World War II. Filled with brilliant - and at times very disturbing - images, stories and characters, there’s nothing like this novel. Highly recommended.
From the back: Toru Okada's cat has disappeared. His wife is growing more distant every day. Then there are the increasingly explicit telephone calls he has recently been receiving.
As this compelling story unfolds, the tidy suburban realities of Okada's vague and blameless life, spent cooking, reading, listening to jazz and opera and drinking beer at the kitchen table, are turned inside out, and he embarks on a bizarre journey, guided (however obscurely) by a succession of characters, each with a tale to tell.
Remember: While you could buy The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle from Amazon, you could also get it from a local new or used bookstore. Or even a charity shop. Or check it out from the library. All of which are better options for everyone.
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is composed of five tracks that have nothing to do with today’s Stop - other than possibly providing a good soundtrack for someone riding a 20-tonne log down a hill:4 ‘Rock of Ages’ (Def Leppard, 1983), ‘Metal Health (Bang Your Head)’ (Quiet Riot, 1983), ‘Round and Round’ (Ratt, 1984), ‘Hot Girls in Love’ (Loverboy, 1983), and ‘Turn Up the Radio’ (Autograph, 1984). Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from the opening lyrics of Def Leppard’s ‘Rock of Ages’ - and rather apropos to today’s Stop:
‘It’s better to burn out/Than fade away.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
I came across Onbashira while reading an article the other day about current breathless concerns and worries over the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling (see The Bus 1.9 (paywalled)) - an equally mad event. I’d never heard of it, and consequently thought it the perfect Stop. Sources for today’s Stop include Wild Log Ride, 7 of the World's Most Dangerous Festivals (Britannica) and Onbashira Festival.
For more about Shinto, see: Shinto (Britannica).
If you’re interested in visiting, the next festival is in 2028.
Some playlists are connected to the Stop - explicitly or tenuously - and others have nothing at all to do with it at all. This playlist was triggered by a great article by at about Quiet Riot’s ‘Metal Health (Bang Your Head)’. Which got me to thinking about similar tunes from when I was 13/14 ….
The log riders may have some kinship to the cheese wheel chasers!
Mr. Goldberg has it right - Neil Young wrote that for Rust Never Sleeps. One of my favorite albums. I would love to hear Sedan Delivery worked in to one of your playlists. :)
My goodness, what a playlist!!