栃木と京都で「抜穂の儀」＝大嘗祭の米収穫、知事ら参列

　１１月の大嘗祭に使う米を収穫する儀式「斎田抜穂（さいでんぬきほ）の儀」が２７日午前、栃木県高根沢町と京都府南丹市の斎田で行われた。
　高根沢町の「悠紀（ゆき）田」での儀式は午前１０時から始まり、県知事や町長らが参列。斎場に「神殿」や「稲実殿（いなのみでん）」などのテントが設けられ、天皇陛下の使者の「抜穂使（ぬきほし）」が古装束姿で、これから稲を刈り取るという趣旨の祝詞（のりと）を読み上げた。
　続いて、白い麻の古代の作業着「白張（はくちょう）」を着た耕作者の「大田主（おおたぬし）」の石塚毅男さん（５５）が１０人の「奉耕者（ほうこうしゃ）」と田に入り、４束の稲を鎌で刈り取った。抜穂使が稲の生育状況を確認し、大田主らが稲実殿に納めた。儀式は約５０分で終了した。
　南丹市八木町の「主基（すき）田」でも同様に儀式が行われ、府知事や市長らが参列。「大田主」の中川久夫さん（７５）らが稲を刈り取った。（2019/09/27-11:10）

A ceremony to harvest rice for use at the "Daijosai" thanksgiving ceremony, to be performed by Japan's Emperor Naruhito in November, was held Friday at rice paddies in the town of Takanezawa, Tochigi Prefecture, and Nantan, Kyoto Prefecture.
   The "Saiden-Nukiho-no-Gi" ceremony at the "Saiden" rice paddy in Takanezawa, selected to grow rice on behalf of eastern Japan, or Yuki Province, began at 10 a.m. (1 a.m. GMT) and was attended by the prefectural governor, the town mayor and others. Makeshift "Shinden," which enshrines Japanese deities, and "Inanomiden," which stores the harvested rice, were built out of tents at the ceremony site.
   The "Nukiho-shi," an envoy of the Emperor dressed in traditional attire, recited a Shinto ritual prayer on harvesting the rice.
   The prayers were followed by the harvesting of the rice by paddy owner Takeo Ishitsuka, 55, and 10 people selected to gather in the crop. Ishitsuka, clad in "Hakucho" ancient work wear made of white hemp, led the group in collecting four bundles of the plant with a sickle.
   The Nukiho-shi then checked the state of the rice, and Ishitsuka and others placed it in the Inanomiden. The ceremony lasted around 50 minutes.