"Kunchi" is from the chinese characters meaning "shrine" (ku" and "day" (nichi). The first Okunichi or Suwa Shrine Festival was observed in 1634 and it has been handed down from generation to generation to date, though it has now much smaller scale and less splendor than it had in prewar days. The Suwa Shrine is the guardian shrine of Nagasaki city and citizens call it by its more familiar name "Osuwa Sama," where the Gods of Suwa, Sumiyoshi and Morisaki are enshrined.
The Okunichi festival is held on october 7, 8 and 9. But its prelude actually begins as early as on June 1 with the Koya-iri (entering playhouse for practice or rehearsal), when the leaders of the host town blocks as well as the performers all dressed up in traditional costumes report to the three shrines, namely, Suwa, Ise and Yasaka for the panification ceremony. Then people continue practicing during the months of June through September. On October 3, just a few days before the festival, the host town block residents open their houses to public view, each embellishing his abode with all sorts of decorations. They put on public display various things they own from musical instruments and robes friends and whatever they have in their possession. This is called Niwa-mise (garden display). This custom, which may appear odd to foreighners, is said to have been handed down for generations since the days when the Tokugawa shogunate put the ancestors of Nagasaki's Catholics under religious persecution. People had to show whatever they had in their home in order to prove they were not Catholics. This custom is now preserved only as a prelude to the Okunchi festival, certainly by far different purpose from its original idea.
The host town blocks which will participate in the festival program will be decorated with fresh bamboo which will be posted in front of the houses at interval of about three feet. In addition, the houses will be put up with screens with their family crests.
Ot was customary before Word War II to have 8 blocks designated each year for the Suwa Shrine Festival, enabling all the blocks to participate in it with the course of time. Each year five blocks participates in the festival at 7-years interval.
On October 7 when the three-day event begins, the performances of the host town blocks will be shown at suwa Shrine, city public hall and several other places.
In the afternoon the so-called Okudari (Descending of Mikoshi or miniature portable shrine) with a mile long procession just like the traditional Daimyo (feudal load) procession from Suwa Shrine to Ohato water front will take place.
On october 9, Onobori (Ascending of Mikoshi) procession from Ohato to Suwa Shrine will take place in the afternoon.
Each procession of the host town blocks is preceded by Kasaboko, which is a huge parasol-like object called Kasa with decorations on its top known by the name of Dashi. Some kind of extile stuff is hung on the side of the Kasaboko, which is known by the name of Ta-re. A pole, having a bell and a great number of Ichimonsen (coper coins) to balance the top half with the lower half, is attached to the center of the Kasaboko. Some of them weighs a few hundred pounds.
The Kasaboko is the harbinger of the procession that follows and the decorations of its top tell the town block to which it belongs. The bearer of the Kasaboko displays his strength and skill at the performance place when he lifts the heavy kasaboko and turns it round and round in a rhythmical movement.