明治時代から続いているとされているこの湯野浜温泉神社祭り。今も受け継いでいる地元の方々がいらっしゃることが本当にすばらしいと思いながら参加させていただきました。そんな、年に1度の湯野浜温泉神社祭りの様子をレポートします。

I report about Yunohama Onsen Shrine Festival. It’s wonderful that there are local people who are inherit on this Yunohama Onsen Shrine Festival, which is said to have been going on since the Meiji period.

この日は町中にたくさんの人が。地元の方、帰省の方、観光客の方まで大勢。にぎやかな雰囲気にわくわくします。そもそも湯野浜温泉神社って一体どんな神社なのだろう、と思い、調べました。

This day, There were many locals, people returning hometown, and tourists. I’m so excited to see such a lively atmosphere. I did some research about Yunohama Onsen Shrine Festival.

亀が見つけた温泉である湯野浜温泉。温泉で傷を癒し、海へ帰っていった亀の様子を見ていた漁師が、その晩夢を見たそうで、その夢で老人の姿で現れた亀が、「浜辺に温泉があるのを見つけて浸ったら、すっかり良くなった、これからは温泉の守護神となって、人々を病苦から救ってやろう」と言っていたそうで、この漁師が翌日村人たちに話したところ、それではここへ温泉場を作ろうと言うことになり、村中の病気や腫れ物のある者が入浴したところ、全快したそうで、瞬く間に広まり、湯治客が訪れるようになったのだとか。

村人は夢のお告げに従って浜辺の岩の上に神社を建てたのが、湯野浜温泉神社のはじまり。現在の愉海亭みやじまさんのあたりに神社があったそうですが、道路拡張に伴い、以前湯野浜小学校のあった山の方へと移されたのだとか。

見どころはやはり、「奴振り」。湯野浜温泉観光協会前からスタートして、湯野浜温泉神社、そして町中を練り歩きます。

Yunohama Onsen is a hot spring discovered by a turtle.　It is said that a fisherman had a dream that night as he watched the turtle return to the sea after healing its wounds in the hot springs.　In that dream, the turtle appeared in the form of an old man and said, “I found a hot spring on the beach and soaked it, I felt completely better. From now on, I will become the guardian deity of the hot spring and save people from their illnesses.” When this fisherman told the villagers the next day, they decided to build a hot spring here, and when people in the village who were sick or had boils took a bath, they were said to have completely recovered.

It is said that it became popular, and people started coming here for hot spring treatments. Yunohama Onsen Shrine began when the villagers built a shrine on top of a rock on the beach. Apparently there used to be a shrine near the current Yukaitei Miyajima but due to road expansion, it was moved to the mountain where Yunohama Elementary School used to be.

The point of this festival is the Yakkofuri (Daimyo procession). The parade starts in front of the Yunohama Onsen Tourism Association, continues to Yunohama Onsen Shrine, and then continues through the town.

長時間、練り歩きながら何度も披露しますが、暑さと疲れに負けない皆さんの掛け声が街を盛り上げます。

The performance will be performed many times over a long period of time, and everyone’s yell will liven up the town.

練り歩きの途中では、町の方々からの振る舞いも。ありがとうございます。

During the parade, the people of the town give us drinks and snacks.

また、町のこどもたちによる、お神輿。さまざまなお神輿を見ることができます。

There is also a Mikoshi carried by children in the town. You can see various Mikoshi.

ドイツからのお客様もお祭りを楽しんでいました。湯野浜の地元の良さを体験していただけたのではないでしょうか。世界中の方に湯野浜温泉の魅力、湯野浜温泉神社祭の魅力が伝わりますように。

これから未来に繋いでいきたい大切な地元の祭りです。

Tourists from Germany also enjoyed the festival. I hope to convey the charms of Yunohama Onsen and the Yunohama Onsen Shrine Festival to people all over the world.

It is important for us and I would like to inherit it for the future.