Yamakasas Traditional Arts

This ritual is carried out in early june before the Kakiyama get assembled. The six sturdy carrying poles, that are reused each year, must be washed with sea water at the Kushida sub-shrine by the ocean.

At the location, where the Kakiyama will be built, a small ceremony is held and the parts of the Kakiyama are blessed. After the ceremony, the carpenters will assemble the basic framework without using a single nail.

This is the top of the Kakiyama, where the decoration is later placed. Both at the front and the back about 40cm will be left free for the poeple sitting of the Kakiyama and firing the carriers on.

The strong hemp rope, that fixes the poles to the frame but also acts as a buffer material between the two.

Sturdy poles out of cypress or cedar. Every Kakiyama has six of them with the outer most two called “first bar”, the ones a bit further in called “second bar” and the middle two called “third bar”. They are further identified by the side they are on with the right side referred to as “right shoulder” and the left side as “left shoulder”.

The carrying poles have brass rings on either end to keep the wood from splitting and allowing an easyier grip for the carriers. Before the run of the Kakiyama small leghts of rope, that the carroers can grasp, will be fixed with help of these rings.

Molds for the carrying poles. The wood, on which the poles rest has semicirular molds for the poles not to slip out of place.

The part of the framework, on which the poles rest. The poles are fixed to this central part of the framework, that is made of strong cherry or cypress wood.

The eight character Binding. A large amount of force is exerted on the whole structure of the Kakiyama during the runs. The Kakiyama not using a single nail but being held together by hemp rope, the shocks need to be absorbed. This is done by a connection of all corners of the frame with the diagonal one by several lengths of rope. To our knowledge the Kakiyama have always been build with this connection of the eight inner frame corners.

The “he” chatracter. The bent beams between the both the front and the back legs of the Kakiyama are there for stability and to allow a toppled over carriers to dive under the lower frame of the Kakiyama. Because the lower edge of the frame looks like the Symbol for “he” in the Japanese Hiragana alphabet, it is called “He-no-ji” (Character of “he”).

The binding between the four legs of the kakiyama used to further reinforce it.

The Kakiyama foot. The feet of the Kakiyama have iron covers in order to protect from damage when standing or being accidentaly pulled along the ground. This happens quite often and when the ground beneath the Kakiyama is dry, you can see sparks coming from the feet as they are dragged over the concrete.