Official
Shozan car at Hie-jinja Shrine
In 2023, an odd year, the Kanda Festival was the main festival year, and in mid-May, the festival was held for the first time in four years. The Sanno Festival and Kanda Festival have been held alternately every year since 1681 in order to reduce the burden on children, and the Sanno Festival in even years in the Christian era and the Kanda festival in odd years in the Christian era. Both festivals were offered in the upper column of the Shogun as a world festival, and were allowed to enter Edo Castle.
In June, Reisai Festival was held at Hie-jinja Shrine in Sanno, so I went to visit.
On the precincts, a "Shozan car" dedicated by Shimizu Construction Co., Ltd., a company in Chuo-ku, and Takashimaya Nihonbashi, was unveiled for the first time.
It will appear at the Shinko Festival next year at the main festival, I'm looking forward to it now!
Ichinomiya, Ninomiya, Sannomiya
Sannomiya was also displayed from Ichinomiya.
Horen means "Tenko's car with a phoenix decoration on the roof", and in Japan it has long been the official vehicle of the emperor.
portable shrine is intended for God to ride in a miniaturized form of shrine hall, a Japanese shrine, whereas the Horairi has four pillars and roofs on the platform, making it a suitable form for the original use of "cars where people ride and move."
Elephants from the Edo period
In the middle of the Edo period (1728), elephants were imported from Vietnam by the order of eight generals Yoshimune Tokugawa.
The elephant walks from Nagasaki to Edo, but in Kyoto, he was awarded the fourth rank and had an audience with Emperor Nakamikado.
It seems that he was quite battered when crossing the mountains of Hakone, and there are records that checkpoint officials also gave their favorite buns and tangerines in a hurry.
This figure depicts an audience with the generals since the Meiji era (1729). In the Edo period, drawing things about the general was refrained as fearful.
Shozan car of the Sanno Festival in the Edo period
This figure is the Edo Famous Zouzue, a magazine of Edo published by Gesshin Saito in 7 volumes and 20 volumes during the Tenpo era in the late Edo period.
Among them, it became the place where the Sanno Festival was depicted, and Tokyo Dumbo connected Part 2 and Part 3.
The figure of the Shozan car is drawn on the red circle on the right.
If you look closely, you can see that human feet are coming out of the foot of the elephant. Four people would have been paraded inside and supported. I think it was a big deal.
This Shozan car had tires on his feet.
The "kneading" to Edo Castle entered from Hanzomon, but the elephant's towing was large, only half of Hanzomon, and it seems that there was also a fashionable appearance such as a half "elephant" gate.
After the elephant
After spending time in Hamarikyu, the elephant was moved to Nakano in 1741 and died in 1743. When he came to Japan, he was about 7 to 8 years old, and he died at the age of 21. It's short-lived as an elephant.
For more information, Mr. Koedo Itabashi wrote, "Elephants came to the city of Edo." It's very well organized, so please take a look here.