【大会チラシ/Flyer】

いよいよ弁論大会まであと5日となりました！

今回は、第二部のアトラクションに出演していただく「内丸えんぶり組」 筆頭親方の天摩 譲（てんま ゆずる）さんにインタビューをしました。

第一部スピーチコンテストの後は、出場者も会場の皆さんも一緒に、八戸の郷土芸能と南部弁を堪能しましょう！

The 60^th International Speech Contest in Japanese is in 5 days!

This time, we will be introducing the second portion of the speech contest, which will include performances from the Uchimaru Enburi Group. We had a brief interview below, with Mr. Yuzuru Tenma, the leader of the group.

Come out to watch the speech contest and enjoy Hachinohe’s traditional performing arts and the Nanbu region dialect!

(Scroll down for English)

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Q. 内丸えんぶり組の特徴、魅力は？

A. 八戸地方の代表的な民俗芸能「八戸えんぶり」は、約800年の歴史があり、「国指定重要無形民俗文化財」として毎年2月17日から20日の4日間行われています。

「えんぶり」は古来、八戸地方の農家で、小正月に雪の上に円形を作り、田植えの所作をして、その年の豊作を祈願するために行われてきた祭事です。

総勢15人から30人くらいで構成され、八戸地方では30数団体が伝承活動を行っています。

「内丸えんぶり組」は、取締りえんぶりと呼ばれる6組に指定されており、期間中、各えんぶり組の秩序や服装、祭り執行に関わる役どころを担っています。

組員の構成は、3歳から80歳までの幅広い年代層にわたっており、何代にもわたって大人から子供に伝えられてきました。徐々に失われつつある地域との繋がりや、家族的な温かさもしっかりと根付いており、「えんぶり」を通じて伝統を尊重し、伝承活動に励んでいます。子供たちは元気いっぱいで、太夫の摺り（すり）の荒々しさに特徴があり、地域の皆さんに愛されています。

Q. 第二部アトラクションの見所は？

A. 今回ご披露いたします「えんぶり」の所作に、「田植え」というものがあります。

出場者の皆さんや特別審査員のパックンには、この「田植え」の演目で、元気な子供たちと共に、東北八戸の地に夢や希望、願いを植えていただきます。

一緒に植えた夢や希望の苗が立派に育ち、苗が稲となり米となって、何年後かにこの八戸で、実りある収穫が出来るよう祈念しながら行いたいと思います。

また、田の神、大地の神に感謝し、この風土ならではの「えんぶり」を心ゆくまで堪能して頂ければ幸いです。

Q. 当日に向けての意気込みを聞かせてください。

A. このイベントに向け、一生懸命練習に励んできました。

外国人による日本語弁論大会は、東北地方での開催は初めてと聞いております。

日本人として、東北八戸人として、弁論者の皆さんと共に、友好親善、相互理解や「和」を深め、また八戸市の良さも世界に発信できるよう頑張りたいと思います。

Q. 来場者へのメッセージをお願いします。

A. 「えんぶり」の摺りや舞の中に、大地への感謝や祈りを感じていただければ嬉しいです。田作りの一年間をあらわし、五穀豊穣、大漁祈願など、皆様にも幸の多い一年でありますよう祈念しながら演じたいと思います。

我々も「令和」最初のえんぶりとなります。応援をお願いします！

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Q: What is special about the Uchimaru Enburi Group?

A: The Enburi is the representative traditional event from the Hachinohe region. This festival, which has been designated as a national Important Intangible Folk Culture, takes place every year from February 17 to 20, and it has a history of around 800 years.

Since long ago, farmers and community members would gather for the Enburi festival on the 15^th day of the New Year. The dancers would gather in a circle on the snow covered ground and perform a rice planting dance, signifying a prayer for a year of good harvest.

Each dance group consists of around 15 to 30 people, and there are a total of 30 groups continuing the tradition in the Hachinohe region.

The Uchimaru Enburi Group is often referred to as the management group for the 6 main groups of the area. During the Enburi Festival season, we have the responsibility to supervise the organize various details, costume preparation, and the actual execution of the festival.

The group consists of people from the ages of 3 years old to 80 years old, and is a tradition that has been passed down to many generations, through many generations.

The Enburi Festival has its foundations deeply rooted in developing the connections to local traditions, the feelings of the warmth within the community, and the respect for our traditions. This is why a lot of us continue to pass this festival tradition along.

The children are always so lively and full of energy, the tayu dancers’ elaborate headdresses sway roughly in the wind, and there is always so much going on; there’s no wonder the people living in this region give so much love to the Enburi Festival.

Q: What is the main attraction for part two of the speech performance?

A: This time for the Enburi Performance, we will be performing a rice planting number. Actually, we will be inviting the speech contest participants and the special MC Pakkun to perform with us and some energetic children as we plant our wishes for our hopes and dreams.

As the seedlings of our hopes and dreams grow strong and become rice plants, we will pray that we will be able to harvest our dreams here in Hachinohe.

I hope our audience will be able join us as we give thanks to the god of the fields and the god of the earth as they enjoy our dance performance.

Q: What are you looking forward to on the day of the speech contest?

A: We will strive to practice in order to bring our best to the performance during this event.

I heard that this will be the first time the International Speech Contest in Japanese is being held in the Tohoku Region.

As a Japanese person, and as a Tohoku region Hachinohe native, I look forward to the opportunity to create friendships, promote deeper cultural understanding and peace, and the charm of Hachinohe to the world, with all the speech participants and our audience members.

 Q: Please give a message to the audience members who will be attending this event.

A: I hope you will be able to enjoy our Enburi performance and experience our gratitude and our prayers to the earth that provides for us.

We will be performing dances to express the year-long cycle of rice planting, harvesting, and fishing. We also hope to pray for our audience, that they will be blessed with another year of abundant joy.

We look forward to our first Enburi performance of the Reiwa Era. Please come show us your support!

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