Yamefukushima is a center town of Yame city which is located in Fukuoka prefecture in Kyushu, one hour drive from my home.
It was the first time I visited this town.
Yame city is famous for producing green tea, Buddhist alters and paper lanterns.
The puppet show, the lantern doll play, has been played since 1772. The show was played as a offering to the god of shrine at first in Houjo-e, a religious ceremony in which living creatures are released into ponds or the woods.
It was the first time I visited this town.
Yame city is famous for producing green tea, Buddhist alters and paper lanterns.
The puppet show, the lantern doll play, has been played since 1772. The show was played as a offering to the god of shrine at first in Houjo-e, a religious ceremony in which living creatures are released into ponds or the woods.
It is amazing that those intricate moving of dolls are operated by many people at the back or under the stage.
There was a building where many traditional activities in Yame city were exhibited.
There was a doll visitors could operate at will. A head, a neck, hands and a body can be operated by sticks under the doll. Those sticks are tied to strings those are connected with each part.
Most difficult part of operating is to move the doll from left side to right side in the stage. Operators at left side and right side have to cooperate to change the doll at the center. I can’t figure out even after I saw pictures.
Yame city has many old merchant houses as well.
Those buildings are called Igura in Japanese.
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