Japanese festivals (matsuri) have been passed down through generations as occasions for welcoming the kami (Shintō spirits or deities), ancestral spirits, and the forces of nature, while expressing gratitude and offering prayers. On festival days, people leave behind the routines of everyday life, don special attire and move through their towns alongside portable shrines and festival floats. Through music, dance and offerings, communities engage with presences that cannot be seen. Festivals also provide opportunities to reaffirm local memories and community bonds and to pass them on to future generations.
Visit the Library to learn more about Japan’s festivals through books, photographs, posters and relevant objects, exploring the prayers, material culture and collective practices that lie at the heart of matsuri.
Listen to our Matsuri playlist, inspired by this display:
Listen to our Matsuri playlist, inspired by this display:: a gallery of 1 item.
About the Book Curator
Haba Yoshitaka is a Book Director and representative of BACH, as well as an associate lecturer at Waseda University and Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music. In order to create opportunities for people to have greater access to books and come across previously unknown books, Haba produces shop floor displays, library displays and reading areas that connect book stores and different industries.
His recent works include Wacoal Study Hall Kyoto (a venue that comprises a school, library, gallery and co-working space), ISETAN The Japan Store Kuala Lumpur and Japan House São Paulo. Haba is a book connoisseur, his love of books goes beyond book curation to include writing and editing.