On September 1, 2024, the Futamata Hassaku Festival, a prayer for a good harvest, was held in the Futamata district of Oe-cho, Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture. Amid the sounds of drums and flutes played by children, a procession of slaves paraded through the district, demonstrating their powerful bird feather spinning.
According to the festival preservation society, the origins of the festival date back to the severe drought in the summer of 1658, when village officials prayed for rain.
About 50 members of the preservation society and residents paraded about 4 kilometers. The adults spun the 3-meter-long, 15-kilogram feather spear "Otorige" and threw it in the air, drawing applause from the gathered spectators.
Yamato Jinja (22 years old), a fourth-year university student who was visiting his hometown, played the role of spinning the bird feather for three generations, along with his grandfather Sadami (70 years old) and father Shogo (45 years old). Yamato said, "I was nervous because there was little practice time. Even after I get a job, I want to come back and continue participating."
