日光鉢石宿ひなまつり Annual Doll's Festival run by the local ladies

2月14日

バレンタインの　陽気に誘われて日光鉢石宿のおひなさま祭りに。おひなさま祭りに寄せてのイベント、少年少女合唱団の演奏を応援がてら、はなやかに陳列された由緒あるお雛様の数々を鑑賞。年々豪華になっているつるし雛は見応えがありました。コーラスの仲間に出会って、そのまま午後の山澤学先生の講演「日光の虚空蔵様（こくぞうさま）・磐裂様（いわさきさま」を拝聴。資料に基づいての詳しい歴史解説で日光人でないと理解出来ない内容のものであったが、要は、神仏習合で本地垂迹説（ただし神主仏従）が日光文化の根源であり、特徴であるというお話。今でも、虚空蔵様と磐裂様両方を地元の人は寺と神社の分け隔てなくお祭りを祝っているという。地域の伝統、習慣の存続の意味の重さを改めて考えさせられました。
The beautiful Valentine Day took me out to have a look of the annual doll's festival in Nikko organized by many local ladies living in the area of Hatsuishi. Most of them are members of the women choir group. A choir group of boys and girls was performing their songs on the first floor where lots of gorgeous and lovely dolls are hanging down from all over the ceiling of the tourist center. Some antique Hina dolls were displayed as well. I met some friends in our choir groups and we joined singing the last piece named Furusato, my old town, with those children's choir group. Then in the afternoon, I joined a lecture conducted by Mr.Yamasawa from Tsukuba university, who is a specialist of Nikko history.His lecture was very instructive and specific in details, which only Nikko people can understand based on their tradition and customs handed down from generation to generation since long time ago. They have respected the both, Buddhism and Shintoism, at the same time, which has developed Nikko culture.