MATSURI: The Heartbeat of Japan
Documentary

MATSURI: The Heartbeat of Japan

Traditional festivals called matsuri are found all over Japan. In this series, we present diverse matsuri and the preparations leading up to them. Each matsuri presents a new face of local Japan.

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Created By

Status

Ended

Original Name

MATSURI: The Heartbeat of Japan

First Air Date

February 23, 2023

Last Air Date

March 22, 2023

Seasons

1

Episodes

20

Language

English, Japanese

Production Companies

NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Hibuse Matsuri: Kashima-ku, Minamisoma
S01E20

Hibuse Matsuri: Kashima-ku, Minamisoma

A group of men use ladles to throw water over the buildings they pass at Hibuse Matsuri, the Fire Prevention Festival in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture. Temperatures are often below freezing, and bonfires help to keep everyone warm. The event conveys a prayer for the safety of residents and buildings in the coming year. It originated around 1,200 years ago, when bandits set fire to a local shrine. Legend has it that a herd of deer brought waterlogged bamboo grass to put out the flames.

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