山鹿と山鹿灯籠の発展
熊本県北部に位置する山鹿市はかつて宿場町として、また菊池川を中心とした物流の拠点として独自の文化を築き栄えました。和紙の原材料である楮の栽培及び紙漉きも全盛期であった江戸時代、山鹿の繁栄を支えた「旦那衆」とよばれる実業家によって和紙工芸による技の競り合いが盛んになりました。そうして、藩主をもてなすものとして、神事の奉納品として、人を呼び込む観光資源として発展し、現在のような高度な技術を要する和紙工芸「山鹿灯籠」が確立したといわれています。
Development of Yamaga and Yamaga lanterns
Yamaga City located in the northern part of Kumamoto Prefecture once was a place of unique culture when it served as a lodging town and as a base for trade and distribution centered around the Kikuchi River. During the Edo period when cultivation of kouzo (paper mulberry tree), which is the raw material for traditional Japanese paper washi, and the paper manufacturing industry were having their best times, a businessman called Dannashu supported the prosperity of Yamaga and created competitions for techniques of washi craftsmen which made this craft popular. The story has it that later these 'Yamaga lanterns', which require advanced present-day technology, were firmly established as examples of Japanese paper craft works and developed as artefacts for entertaining the lords, as religious offerings and as attractions for tourists.
山鹿灯籠まつりと山鹿灯籠
「山鹿灯籠まつり」の起源は『菊池川一帯に立ちこめた深い霧に進路を阻まれた景行天皇のご巡幸を、山鹿の里人が松明を掲げてお迎えしたという言い伝えに由来します。景行天皇を祀る大宮神社に山鹿の里人が献上し続けた松明が、室町時代に山鹿灯籠へと変化し、現在のような「山鹿灯籠まつり」となりました。 そうして生まれた「山鹿灯籠まつり」と一緒に山鹿灯籠も発展・成熟し、現代に続く伝統工芸品として山鹿の人々に大切にされてきました。ちなみに、「山鹿灯籠まつり」の代名詞ともいえる「千人灯籠踊り」は、昭和30年頃に観光資源として新たに考案されたもので、山鹿灯籠の原点は宮造りなどに代表される奉納灯籠にあるといえます。
Yamaga Lantern Festival and Yamaga lanterns
The origin of the Yamaga Lantern Festival is described by a legend which says that the villagers of Yamaga lit up their torches to welcome the procession of the Emperor Keiko whose path was hindered by a deep fog hanging above the Kikuchi river. The torches which the villagers of Yamaga continued to offer to the Omiya shrine in which the Emperor Keiko is enshrined evolved into Yamaga lanterns in the Muromachi period and led to the appearance of "Yamaga Lantern Festival" which has remained to the present times. Since then, Yamaga lanterns kept developing and matured together with the Yamaga Lantern Festival, which was born as described above and both have been cherished by the people of Yamaga as a traditional handicraft all the way to the present days. By the way, the "Senjin Toro Odori" ("A thousand-person lantern dance") which is also a synonym of "Yamaga Lantern Festival" was newly created as a tourism attraction around the year of 1955 and it can be said that the origin of the Yamaga lantern is represented by Japan's shrine lanterns.
現代にあわせた新たな山鹿灯籠
山鹿灯籠振興会では山鹿灯籠の魅力をより多くの方に知ってもらうため、また職人への安定的な収入につながるように、現代のライフスタイルにあった山鹿灯籠の開発を行いました。これまでに紙の軽さを生かしたモビールや和紙の吸水性を生かしたアロマデイフユーザーなどを発表しました。
The modern Yamaga lanterns tailored to the present days
At the Yamaga Lantern Promotion Association, we have developed Yamaga lanterns that fit the modern lifestyle so that more people can have a chance to know the charm of Yamaga lanterns which will also lead to stable income for craftsmen. We have unveiled mobiles which take advantage of the light weight of paper and aroma diffusers which make use of water absorbing qualities of Japanese paper.
