Himiyuki Matsuri

On the island of Sazanami, the most important festival day is the summer solstice. It is on this day that the Watali honor Izanagi, their patron and the god of Mount Izanagi. The festival of the summer solstice is called the Himiyuki Matsuri. 

During the festival, there are offerings of food and drink made to Izanagi, as well as a great feast in its honor, and presided over by the Emperor himself. When Sazanami became a part of the Empire of Wamato, it was agreed between Izanagi and the Emperor that they would converse once a year on the summer solstice. This tradition has held unbroken ever since, even in times when the Emperor had to be carried up the mountain, or when the Emperor was an infant who could not yet speak. If the emperor should ever abandon the annual pilgrimage to meet with Izanagi, it is said that the Watali would separate themselves from the Empire, with the god's blessing.

Besides the Emperor's visit and ascent, the highlight of the Himiyuki Matsuri is the presentation of the sacred dances. Among the Watali, each Kami has a sacred song. The melody of this song does not change from year to year, but the words and dance are reimagined each year. For some Kami, this is a local affair where a single village might present the year's dance. But for the celebration of Izanagi, the whole island is involved. Each village on the island prepares their interpretation of the sacred song, choosing the instruments to use, the words to sing, the costumes to be worn, and most importantly, the dance to perform. In the weeks leading up to the Himiyuki Matsuri, the villages hone their dance and then present them to their local Daimyo, who chooses the one that will be their prefecture's performance at the base of Mount Izanagi. There, each prefecture will perform their dance for the Emperor before his ascent, and he shall select the one he thinks best. The dance should capture the essence of the last year, and the hopes for the next, and above all, it should honor Izanagi. Being selected by the emperor as the champion is a great honor, and the village that wins his approval will celebrate and brag about it for the year to come.