A Study on the Urban Festival as Intangible Cultural Heritage - Focusing on Yama, Hoko, Yatai, Float Festivals in Japan-

The purpose of this study is to critically examine the study on the traditional urban ritualsand to analyze the urban rituals as intangible cultural heritage, targeting the “Yama, Hoko, YataiFloat Festivals” of Japan which became a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. There are threemain points.First, we look for a new direction of festival study designated as intangible cultural heritage.In other words, we not only emphasize the religious aspects related to god, but also try toanalyze the material cultural elements mobilized in the festivals including the sculptures.Second, we try to analyze the music that constitutes the festivals together with the formativeelements of the city festival, Matsubayashi. This is because it was the wake of the Gion Matsuri,which can be called the prototype of Yama, Hoko, Yatai Float Festivals, and it is still an essentialelement of Hayashi(music). Yatai is the stage where they play the music, and it is to bring outthe joy of Yama and Hoko.Third, we would like to critically review the tendencies of the ritual process and organizationto emphasize the martial arts as a ritual through urban ritual studies with the open characterto the outside. It is also true that this view is made possible by the urban festivals beingdesignated as an intangible cultural heritage.This study, which is a synthesis of the relationship between artistic elements and thecommunity, is a new direction for festival research.