The raison d’ être of the Matsuyama Matsuri is one of the odder excuses for a festival. Matsuyama is considered to be the first home of baseball in Japan, because the local haiku poet Masaoka Shiki was an early devotee who translated baseball terminology into Japanese and gave the game its Japanese name, yakyū. He organized baseball games on the troop-drilling grounds within the castle moat. The Matsuyama Matsuri is a festival to celebrate this history, not by playing baseball or anything obvious like that, but by dancing something called the “baseball samba”—for three days in a row. Actually, this isn’t strictly true. Only the last day is the baseball samba. The first two days are the baseball dance. You see the difference I’m sure.
The festival takes place over the second weekend of August, beginning on Friday evening. Various companies and civic groups form dance troupes, which make their own outfits and devise their own dance routines. Since the festival celebrates baseball, it’s considered best if the dance involves some baseball-esque movements such as pitching, swinging a bat, and running around in a circle. You’ll be surprised how felicitously these motions can be incorporated into a dance.
This is in fact a huge community event involving practice and coordination for months in advance. Masses of people, from kindergartens and NPOs, to dance schools, companies, neighbourhood associations and local government take part over the three days, each with their own unique outfits and routine, making it one of the biggest cosplay events anywhere. It must be said, some of the outfits have a very homemade look, and the choreography isn’t always brilliant. One the other hand, some of it is very well done, and even when it isn’t, the enthusiasm and community zest on display makes up for any deficiencies in looks. All of the groups have their own sound system mounted on a truck, which generally plays one of two tunes. After hearing the same music over and over again, it gets fixed in your head and you’ll be whistling it afterwards. Fortunately it’s not bad, so no harm is done.
I’ve been to the festival many times, but this year I went on Sunday, the last day. I particularly enjoyed the large group who portrayed Beauty and the Beast, with real ballet dancers in the lead. The man dressed as a clock in the sweltering heat rather stole that show. There were also belly dancers, some of whose bellies weren't of the most beautiful sort. Many of the younger teams put on seriously acrobatic displays.
After the parade down Chifune-Dori, the best groups perform again in the grounds of Matsuyama Castle where Shiki used to play his early baseball games. If you’re in Matsuyama in the summer, this is one festival that you should really see. Be sure to drink lots of water, because it’s hot!
Name in Japanese: 松山まつり matsuyama matsuri
