The Rich History of Kamakura, Yokote’s Traditional Snow Domes
Snow structures called kamakura have been built in the area of Akita Prefecture for at least 400 years. However, they were not always the gently rounded domes for which the prefecture is now known. Records of early kamakura made in the city of Akita during the Edo period (1603–1867) show square, roofless structures decorated with banners, while records from Yokote describe snow structures that more closely resembled the dome shapes that are common in Akita Prefecture today. Kamakura have taken different shapes and served different purposes through the centuries, but their connection to local traditions has remained strong.
Early Forms of Kamakura
The oldest records concerning kamakura depict the children of samurai families running around square structures with banners and New Year’s ornaments. The children made offerings and sang songs wishing for a good harvest and the protection of the family. In these records, the structures were referred to as yukishiro (“snow castles”) or yukikabe (“snow walls”). However, the decorations found on the snow structures and the songs sung about them featured the word kamakura, and the structures themselves came to be known by that name. In Yokote as well, children of samurai built yukikabe-style kamakura. Children from merchant families, in comparison, built small snow domes next to the wells and rivers of the city, where they presented offerings and made prayers to the kami of water. After the samurai class was abolished in the late nineteenth century, their practices surrounding kamakura largely ceased. In the Taishō era (1912–1926), the creation of kamakura in Yokote shifted away from worship of the kami of water and became a ceremony mostly reserved for children, who would play in the snow structures and collect offerings of money and mochi for the small altars inside.
Modern Kamakura
Prior to modern times, kamakura were typically made from the piles of snow that had fallen from the roofs of buildings. As a result, the structures were small and did not form perfect domes. In 1959, the city established dome-shaped kamakura as the standard, but as the streets gradually became crowded with automobiles, the city encouraged the practice of building miniature kamakura instead. Currently, large snow domes for the Winter Festival are constructed by specialized artisans. They collect about 20 metric tons of snow to make the structures, which each stand 3 meters tall with walls about 70 centimeters thick. Inside the kamakura is an altar for offerings to the water god, woven mats, cushions, and a brazier. Children use the brazier to grill sweet mochi rice cakes and warm amaekko (the local name for amazake, a fermented rice drink), which they offer to passersby with a cry of “Please come inside!” (Haitte-tanse!)
