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Event Report] Dori Whale Festival
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Last updated:
Jul 20, 2016
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About the writer:
Nagato Tourism Convention Association
Sunday, July 17, 2016 Street Whale Festival Event Report
The Dori area of Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, is an old fishing village located on the Sea of Japan coast. In the Dori area, whaling was done by hand using harpoons and nets about 400 years ago, during the Edo period (1603-1867), when the Mori clan of Choshu was in power. The topography of the bay was suitable for whaling because it was easy for whales to stray into the bay. Such old-fashioned whaling is still recreated today using boats that resemble whales, and is passed down as a festival. Now, I will report on this "Dori Whale Festival! When I arrived at the venue at 9:30, it was already bustling with bazaars and passengers of the Japanese boat race. Whale meat and rice cooked with whale meat were already on sale! Whale meat is a must at festivals in the Tori region of Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Then, the Japanese boat race - elementary school students' division - started immediately! 
In this Japanese boat race, about eight people board a boat and row back and forth through the fishing port, rowing the oars by hand. The rowers have to make turns along the way, and the elementary school students are as good as adults at it. The person at the front of the boat claps the beat while tapping a frying pan. Next up was the annual race for the hardest hitters. They are quite fast and very exciting! 
The winners, however, are not the naked young men, but the local "Kayoi" men in the photo above. They were not rowing hard, but rowing at full speed and moving forward smoothly. As expected...! Even after getting on land, they didn't look exhausted at all. 
We are very happy to see so many people participating in the Japanese Boat Race! Why don't you try to enter next year? The great thing about this festival is that it succeeds only with the cooperation of the local community and people from within and outside the prefecture. The old-style whaling that takes place later in the festival also attracts "brave men in red loincloths" every year. People from inside and outside the prefecture participate in this event, and many photographers also visit. 
This is the "Tongei Gumi," a group of brave men in splendid red loincloths! Thanks to local fishermen and people from inside and outside the prefecture, this tradition of old-style whaling is preserved. 
First, a "Takeuri Shobu" (shouting award walk) is performed by the children. In the Edo period (1603-1867), when whaling, a lookout would spot whales from the top of a mountain and send a signal to the whalers to tell them where they were. This was called "Takeri Shobu. Local children would point to where the whales were and shout loudly to signal the fishermen offshore. 
The whale group relied on that signal and found the whale! 
Finally, we drove the boat into the fishing port! The boat, which is made to look like a whale, is also designed to blow the tide. The "Dori Whale Festival" is also holding a photo contest, and the grand prize winner will win 10,000 yen worth of Nagato City's specialties by submitting a photo of an old-style whale! Photographers with large telephoto lenses are taking their chances and snapping away. 
The amazing part of the old-fashioned whaling is that from here, a person pokes the whale several times with a large harpoon. In the old days, this was a very dangerous job, and some people lost their lives during this process. 
In the end, they climb directly up to the weakened whale, cast a net over it, and put the finishing touches on it. It is cruel, but it makes you realize that this is how we get our food. 
The whale was then safely landed. The whale had a baby inside its belly. The fishermen of the Kayoi region have long been grateful for the life of the whale and the baby whale in its belly. Therefore, they gave the whales names and built graves to mourn them, just as people do. This custom still exists today, and a Whale Memorial Service is held in April every year. A song is sung in celebration of the great catch. However, strangely enough, when the clapping is done, the people do not clap their hands, but instead sing with their fir hands. It is said that the reason for this is to express the mourning for the whale. The song is sung by the members of the Dorijira Uta Preservation Society and the children of the local elementary school. The traditional festival "Dori Whale Festival" is a unique reenactment of the old whaling method, whale songs, and even the participation of people from outside the community. Please come and watch or participate in the festival! 
