YOKKABUI

(2019 / 30 minutes / DVD / in Japanese)

Yokkabui is a traditional festival handed down to the community of Minamisatsuma City, Kagoshima Prefecture.
Originally, people would pray to the river god Shicchidon for a good harvest and to avoid water accidents. The highlight of the festival comes when some men wear ogarappa (big river spirits) masks and start to walk around the community making strange voices. Later, small children impersonating kogarappa (small river spirits) do sumo wrestling in front of the audience.