Rice Riots at Coal Pits (Yama) and the Aftermath #18
1958 - 1963

Yama no Kome-sodo to Sonogo #18
[Rice Riots at Coal Pits (Yama) and the Aftermath #18]
20.9 x 30.1 cm Ink Painting

During the boom of the coalmining industry, each pit in the Chikuho region competitively dedicated a shrine to two guardian deities of the pit, namely Oyamatsumi-no-mikoto and the god of coal Oniwanushi-no-mikoto. (However, the pits run by Mitsui had worshiped Inari Daimyojin as their guardian deity for twenty years until then.) In other words, they prayed to and relied on the above gods for their safety and the prosperity of their pits, expressing the spirit of the people in the divine land of Japan at that time. Every pit held a festival for their guardian deity/deities, performing sacred music and dance from the spring to the autumn of 1919.
I guess that these shown deities are Sarutahiko-no-okami and Ama-no-uzume- no-mikoto meeting for the first time or exchanging sake cups as tokens of their marriage-vows. It is said that Sarutahiko-no-okami had a 5-shaku (about 150 cm)-long or 6-shaku (about 180 cm)-long nose and that he was as tall as more than 20 meters (7 jo). That is why I could not paint his real appearance on this small paper.


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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