Potato-comparing Festival in Nakayama, Oumi
February 23, 2015Potato-comparing Festival in Nakayama of Oumi is a part of a ceremony in which the east side and the west side of Nakayama village competing the length of potatoes. The contest will be held at the end of an ancient-style ceremony on Nogamiyama (Mt. Nogami), and by this contest, they can predict a fortune about good or bad harvest; if the winner is the west team, they will have good harvest and if the east team wins, they will have bad harvest. It used to be held as a ritual of August in the lunar calendar. However, the date was changed to 1st September in the solar calendar since 1971.
The potato used in this ritual is a kind of taro which is called "Tounoimo". They compete by measuring their length from the beginning of roots to the end of leaves in order to pray for good harvest.
Translation: Aki Tobayama, reviewed by Chan Yee Ting
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Potato-comparing Festival in Nakayama, Oumi