Ueno Tenjin Festival: Nishimachi
Shirushi: Kakko
Danjiri: Kakan
The design of the Kakko shirushi float of Nishimachi refers to an ancient Chinese folktale. Whenever the people were unhappy with their ruler, they would protest by beating a kakko drum. When they were happy with their ruler and the country was at peace, a splendid rooster would come and sit on the drum. In this way, a rooster on a drum became a symbol of peace. The drum is surrounded by rich fabrics and decorations representing the happiness of Nishimachi’s residents during the shirushi’s creation in 1863.
The name of the danjiri, Kakan, means “garland,” which comes from a part of the costume that is worn by performing dancers. The top curtain of the danjiri shows a multitude of legendary beasts, or reiju, surrounded by stylized grasses. The middle curtain is an embroidered reproduction of a Jin dynasty (266–420) painting, Rantei kyokusui no en, which depicts noblemen at a banquet next to a winding stream.
The front of the danjiri is meant to resemble a palace, with bejeweled railings and handmade metal fittings. These glittering decorations surround a halfway-lowered screen, or sudare. Since screens were often used to prevent commoners from looking directly at nobility, this lends a sense of prestige to the people riding on the float.