Putting good health into "Senbei-yaki"! Drive away evil spirits at the late autumn fire-burning festival - 「青々吉日　TSURUGA　WAKASA」周遊キャンペーン公式サイト

On the night of November 20, several long green bamboos are raised over a large bonfire in the precincts of Tenman Jinja Shrine. At the end of them is a raw rice cracker(Senbei). It is believed that if one eats the raw rice crackers grilled by the fire burning the prayer wood, he or she will be free from illness and good health for the year ahead, and that bad health will also be banished. At the end of autumn, why don't you participate in this ritual to give thanks for a fruitful year and to receive the strength to move forward with vigor in the coming year?

We spoke to ......

画像
画像テキスト: Munehiro Yamamoto
テキスト: A long-time local resident, he is one of the caretakers responsible for the preparation and operation of the "Senbei -yaki" every year.

What is Senbei-yaki, which has been around for about 380 years?

Senbei-yaki(grill raw rice crackers) is a festival of the Ebisu Jinja Shrine located in the Tenman Jinja Shrine. It is said to have its origin in "Ebisu-ko," an event to give thanks to the deity "Ebisu-sama" for his divine virtues.

Tenman Jinja Shrine

Ebisu-sama is also one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, and is often cherished as a guardian deity especially by fishermen and other people who work at sea or in ports, because of his figure holding a fishing rod in his right hand and a sea bream in his left. In fact, the main deity of Tenman Jinja Shrine is Sugawara no Michizane, and Ebisu-sama is enshrined in the "Ebisu Jinja Shrine" located beside the main shrine.

Ebisu Jinja Shrine located inside Tenman Jinja Shrine

Tenman Jinja Shrine is also just a short walk to the sea, and until about the beginning of the Showa period (1926-1989), nets were hung within the shrine’s precincts to dry and repair them. Because of this connection, Ebisu-sama was enshrined within the shrine grounds as a local deity.（Yamamoto）

Senbei are grilled on a bonfire that has been "burned" with prayer wood.

Since the Senbei-Yaki is part of the Ebisu-ko (Ebisu Festival), we first offer sake, fish, rice, salt, etc. to the shrine as part of the ritual, to thank for a safe year and pray for a big catch and family safety. After the ritual is over, a torch is lit and a bonfire is lit. With that bonfire, the prayer wood is first burned. This is called "burning" (shou-nou).

On the prayer tree, write your name, residence, and age. There is no place to write wishes, but everyone writes with their feelings. By burning the prayer tree, we exorcise disasters and evil spirits. In the old days, not only the prayer wood but also the household’s sacred cards and guardian cards were burned.（Yamamoto）

When the flames grow larger and the fire subsides, it is time to start the Senbei-yaki!

The participants remove the sacred rope and begin to grill the rice crackers in unison, signaling to each other with the words, "Please grill the rice crackers, everyone! They start baking the rice crackers in unison, chanting "Senbei-yaki, senbei-yaki! while chanting "Senbei-yaki, senbei-yaki! It is said that a fire that does not burn vigorously, but rather like a charcoal fire, will cook the rice crackers well.

The trick is to grill them by shifting the location slightly, since it is difficult to grill the area sandwiched between the bamboos.（Yamamoto）

Grill rice crackers between the tips of green bamboo sticks

When I was a child, it snowed a lot and I used to go out in the cold with boots. My parents would say to me, "Go out to Senbei-Yaki, you won’t catch a cold if you stay by the fire. Some of us would touch the fire with our red cheeks, and some of us would stick mandarin oranges into the fire to grill them.（Yamamoto）

The long, thin "green bamboo" that sandwiches the rice crackers is 3 meters long!

The use of this long, thin bamboo is what makes Senbei-yaki unique. The length of the bamboo is as long as three meters. Even though the baking process starts after the fire has been extinguished, it is still hot, so three meters is probably necessary. It is always decided to use three-year-old madake bamboo, and preparations begin two months in advance, with 200 to 300 pieces being prepared each time.

The shrine parishioners who own the bamboo grove provide the logs for the bonfire. Logs for the bonfire are also donated by the people who make the bonfire. Each person does what he or she can do out of a sense of service to Ebisu-sama, and this is what makes this festival possible.（Yamamoto）

Why grill "raw rice crackers"?

It is said that it may have originated in the old days when common people could not easily eat rice cakes, and the rice cakes offered to them were cut into thin slices and divided among everyone.

Nowadays, rice cakes can be eaten anytime, but baby boomers like myself were still of the generation that said, "Let’s do our best to eat rice cakes on New Year’s Day. Mochi was a special food that was only eaten during celebrations.（Yamamoto）

In some regions, there is still a custom of throwing mochi (rice cakes) to share good fortune with neighbors when a house is built or a boat is constructed. This festival is to share smiles and happiness with rice cakes. That is why it is loved by the locals and has continued for about 380 years.

Senbei-yaki rice crackers are made of rice flour and come in four varieties: shrimp, white sesame, black sesame, and yomogi. They are sold in a bag with the inscription "misfortune, bad luck, or yakuyo, gojinsha Tenman Jinja Shrine" written on it (800 yen, as of 2023).

The origin of the word "mochi" comes from "rice cake cut into thin slices," so it is important that they are made of rice flour. All types are slightly salted. They are 8 cm in diameter and about 2 mm thick, but double in size when grilled!

It is also delicious grilled in a toaster or microwave for about 90 seconds, so many people take leftovers home and enjoy them at home.（Yamamoto）

Why we only do it on "November 20."

Around here, Ebisu-ko is on November 20. Since it is a festival for Ebisu-sama, it has to be held on this day for it to have meaning. Therefore, "Senbeiyaki" is always held on November 20, and it is never postponed due to weather. Basically, the festival is held on this day even if it rains or snows.（Yamamoto）

On November 20, 2023, there were strong winds. Therefore, the 2023 senbei yaki had to be canceled due to fire hazards. This is a rare occurrence in the long history of the festival, which has always been held on November 20.

Even so, many people visited the shrine to buy rice crackers, the "goshinsen(A meal dedicated to God)" or to write their names on the prayer wood and offer them. This is proof that this festival has become a part of local life.

It's a warm festival that brings the community together, forever!

When the Senbei-Yaki festival comes, the weather gets colder and it is almost the end of the year, New Year's Day. Many locals have the thought that this is the beginning of a new year.

It’s a great way to reconnect with old faces you don’t always see. It also gives us a chance to say to family members living in other areas, "Come back when we have Senbei -yaki. I would like to leave this festival, which connects people with each other, to my children and grandchildren’s generation.（Yamamoto）

In the Senbei-yaki of Ebisu Jinja Shrine, there was a gentle spirit of mutual support and happiness shared by all.

Tenman Jinja Shrine (Ebisu Jinja Shrine in the precincts)

Address	1-6 Sakae-Shinmachi, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture
Access	10 minutes by car from the Tsuruga IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. From JR Tsuruga Station, take the "Gurutto Tsuruga Shuyu Bus" (approx. 8 min.) and get off at "Kanazakimiya" stop. 5 min. walk from the bus stop. Approximately 8 minutes by cab from JR Tsuruga Station
For inquiries, please contact	Tsuruga Tourist Association Phone: 0770-22-8167 Tsuruga Tourist Information Center Phone: 0770-21-8686