Continuation of Festivals and Community Resilience duringCOVID‐19: The Case of Nagahama Hikiyama Festival in Shiga Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the way of life of communities in Japan. This study examines the pandemic's impact by focusing on a popular activity in Japanese townships: participation in traditional festivals with roots dating back to before the Edo period. These festivals display the social customs of each community and their prosperity from the past to the present. Residents participating in local festivals gain a deep understanding of their personal importance within the community. However, many communities were forced to cancel their festivals in 2020 because of the pandemic. In 2021, many communities attempted to reinstate their traditional festivals, and some of them resumed the festivities with infection control measures in place. This case study examines how people resumed festivals in their communities and the conditions needed for them to reengage with their traditions. Focusing on the Nagahama Hikiyama Festival in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, we demonstrate the resilience of traditional communities in Japan. This study analyzes the reasons for and process of reviving and subsequently implementing traditional festivals and clarifies the positive factors contributing to the resumption of festivals in local communities. It examines the sources of resilience that have been cultivated in these communities and explains how their social capital bridges the gaps between local governments, schools, and broadcasters.

Uniting communities: harnessing social capital for community resilience during coronavirus disease 2019

“…Community resilience is seen as a problem-solving approach in which individuals proactively take action to deal with stressors and adjust their resilience as they reassess their situation [4]. In the context of a pandemic, individuals who assist others in their community by providing information, sharing experiences, or connecting them with resources are actively engaging themselves in problem-solving efforts [42], [43]. They regularly evaluate the difficulties they face and determine if they should acquire additional information, emotional and social assistance, or refrain from discussing specific topics if they view the pandemic as insoluble [40].…”

Um choque cultural? Transformações de festas populares da Cidade do Cabo em tempos de pandemia

“…A obra conta com uma contribuição desta autora, uma reflexão preliminar sobre o caso abordado no presente artigo (BRAZ DIAS, 2021). Outros trabalhos de investigação mais pontuais têm aparecido, a exemplo de Fernández Jiménez (2021), Teeuwen (2021) e Takeda (2022). Vale notar, ainda, a recorrência dessa temática em congressos de antropologia.…”

“…Como nas outras expressões descritas acima, também os Klopse são homens, em sua maioria. Porém, nos últimos anos, houve uma abertura maior à participação de mulheres 16 . No que toca à idade, as trupes são bem democráticas, reunindo desde crianças de colo a pessoas idosas.…”