✳︎Book Title: Life and Festivals of Joshu (Gunma Prefecture) ✳︎Photographs by: Isao Sudo ✳︎Text by: Juichi Tomaru ✳︎Publisher: Kankodo Co., Ltd. ✳︎Published: First edition, Showa 52 (1977) ✳︎Pages: 260p ✳︎Size: B5 ✳︎Cover Design: Shintetsu Arimura, Maps: Makiko Sasaki ✳︎Condition: Outer box and spine have stains. 《Contents》 Introduction ① New Year's Rituals 1. Festivals of Prediction 2. Festivals of Disaster Prevention 3. Festivals of Thanksgiving 4. Festivals of the Rice Spirit 5. Shinto Rituals 6. New Year's Sake 7. Hachiman Shrine Festivals 8. Gods of Fortune 9. Demons and Deer 10. Toshidon (Year God) 11. New Year's Celebrations ② Life Throughout the Year ◉ Rice ◉ Field Crops ◉ Mountains ◉ Water ◉ Sericulture (Silk Farming) ◉ Others ③ Annual Events and Festivals 1. Seven Small Festivals 2. Rice Farming Festivals 3. Daikon (Radish) Festival 4. Sending off the Gods 5. Rice Planting 6. Rain Prayers 7. Autumn Festivals 8. Harvest Festivals 9. Welcoming the Gods 10. Fire Festivals 11. Doso-jin (Road Gods) 12. Nenbutsu Odori (Buddhist Chanting Dance) 13. Winter Events ◉ Afterword: "Joshu and Me" The core of this book focuses on the annual events and festivals that have been held in the villages of Joshu (Gunma Prefecture). New Year's Rituals: The book introduces, with vivid photographs, the rituals of welcoming "Sake" and "Gods" during the New Year, as well as the lively New Year's Shinto rituals featuring "Demons and Deer" and "Toshidon (Year God)." Agricultural Rituals: Through events such as rice planting, harvesting, and "Rain Prayers," the book conveys the earnest prayers of a time when people's lives were closely connected to nature. Doso-jin Belief: The records showing the appearance of Doso-jin standing at village boundaries and crossroads, and their role as gathering places for people, are valuable for understanding the strength of folk beliefs and the nature of communities. For lovers of local folk toys, the figures and yorishiro (objects representing gods) that appear in the festivals are not to be missed. The "Daruma Festival" mentioned in the table of contents provides clues to understanding the origin of Takasaki Daruma, a representative folk toy of Gunma, and the role it has played. The simple creations made during the festivals, such as divine statues, masks, and paper and straw crafts, eventually transform into folk crafts and local toys, allowing you to touch upon their origins and spirituality. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the old beliefs, festival culture, and roots of Japan. ◉⤵︎ Search Terms: Mochi (Rice Cake) God, Mountain Workers, Mountain Gods, Water Gods, Well Gods, Water Gods, Rain Prayers, Sericulture, Silkworm Gods, Mochi (Rice Cake) God, Water Gods, Straw Crafts, #LocalToys, #FolkBeliefs, Takasaki Daruma, Maneki Neko (Beckoning Cat), Oshira-sama, Kokeshi Dolls, Ejiko, Sansho Tengu (Pepper Tengu)