Paper short abstract:

This paper explores narratives of continuity and survival through the case of the Yuwaku Bonbori Matsuri. Through ethnographic methods, this paper will discuss how locals, visiting fans, and the organizing committee negotiate what the festival means for them.

Paper long abstract:

The Yuwaku Bonbori Matsuri is held every year in October at Yuwaku Onsen, Kanazawa city, Ishikawa prefecture. This matsuri, however, is entirely inspired by a fictional festival in the anime, Hanasaku Iroha, and has only recently reached its 10th anniversary this year. Originally a part of anime pilgrimage, a phenomenon where fans of anime visit places related to the anime, the local tourism association decided to bring the festival to life and has surprisingly continued to hold it for almost every year since the first one was held in 2011. During the first few years after Yuwaku started holding the festival, visitor numbers slowly increased, reaching its peak in 2013 when a sequel movie of Hanasaku Iroha was released. The commemorative 10th anniversary that was scheduled in 2020 had to be canceled due to the pandemic and was only finally held this year. Faced with considerations caused by the pandemic and the waning popularity of the anime, the tourism association realized that they have to adapt to these changing conditions if they wish to ensure the future of the festival. What was before an event attended by thousands of people with many guests related to the anime production company, The Association now champions ideas of continuity and survival as a local festival, an attempt to slowly distance itself from the anime. As an annual practice mainly inspired by narratives of the anime, however, how does this shift influence visiting fans, many of which, are not even from the area? Through ethnographic fieldwork, I explore how fans and the local community react to this shifting narrative. What does the festival mean for local shop owners? Why do fans keep coming years after the anime finished airing? These different groups bring their own expectations and hope to the festival, participating in an ongoing process of meaning-making. In this paper, I will examine how meanings are negotiated in this festival, as organizers and participants are forced to reexamine what this practice means to them.