Yama Dolls Are Currently on Display at the Esashi Town Hall!
The dolls that are actually displayed on the festival floats (yama) during the Ubagami Daijingu Procession Festival are currently on display at the Esashi Town Community Center.
During the Ubagami Daijingu Procession Festival, which begins every year on August 9, 13 magnificent festival floats parade through the town. However, there are very few opportunities to view the dolls up close and in detail on the day of the festival itself.
At the Esashi Town Community Center, visitors can view the dolls up close, allowing them to experience their size and grandeur firsthand. Their overwhelming presence—which makes you instinctively look up—is a must-see.
The exhibition features not only the dolls but also the mizuhiki curtains and storage boxes that adorn the floats. In particular, the mizuhiki curtains (designated as a Tangible Folk Cultural Property of Esashi Town), which have been passed down since the first year of the Tenmei era (245 years ago), are not to be missed.
As the festival approaches, the floats will be decorated, so this is your only chance to see them in this state.
The Town Hall serves as a free rest area, so anyone is welcome to drop by. To fully enjoy the festival itself, be sure to view the dolls up close while imagining, “This is the doll that will be displayed atop the float.”
