「蘇民祭」千年の歴史に幕　高齢化で担い手不足―岩手・奥州

　ふんどし姿の男衆が護符の入った麻袋を奪い合う奇祭「蘇民祭」が１７日、岩手県奥州市の黒石寺で開かれた。高齢化による担い手不足で継続が困難になったとして、今回を最後に１０００年以上続いた歴史に幕を下ろす。
　蘇民祭は、旧正月に合わせ、夜通しで行う伝統行事。豊作や無病息災を祈り、麻袋を奪い合う「蘇民袋争奪戦」で知られる。２００８年には濃い胸毛の男性を写したポスターが「不快感を与えかねない」として、ＪＲ東日本に掲示を拒否されたことでも話題になった。
　今年は新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大で中止が続いていた蘇民袋争奪戦を４年ぶりに実施。一方で、多くの準備を要する夜通しの開催は断念し、午後６～１１時に規模を縮小した。（2024/02/18-00:40）

The major Somin-sai festival with a history of over 1,000 years was held for the last time at a Buddhist temple in the northeastern prefecture of Iwate on Saturday.
   At Kokuseki-ji Temple in the city of Oshu, there will be no more Somin-sai because it became difficult to continue the annual event due a shortage of participants reflecting the aging of the local population.
   Somin-sai at the temple, often referred to as one of the most bizarre festivals in Japan, was an event held usually through the night during the Lunar New Year period to pray for an abundant harvest and good health. It was unique in that men wearing only loincloths competed for a hemp bag containing talismans.
   The festival made headlines in 2008, when East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, refused to display a poster of the festival showing a man with thick chest hair, saying that it "could cause discomfort" to some people.
   This year, the competition for the bag was held for the first time in four years after a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the festival was shortened to between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. from the usual duration of all night.