Hakata Dontaku

   The 'dontaku' matsuri at Hakata (Fukuoka, northern Kyushu). Dontaku is a corruption of the Dutch Zontag or Sunday, explained by the fact that Hakata is not far from Nagasaki where the Dutch maintained a trading station throughout the Edo period when Japan was otherwise a 'closed country' (sakoku) for Europeans. The parade is not connected with a shrine and originated as a new year's procession of merchants visiting the local feudal lord, with festival elements shared by many shogatsu traditions. It includes a parade called matsubayashi (pine-forest) of children and adults in traditional costumes led by three riders on horseback impersonating three of the well-known shichi-fuku-jin (seven gods of good luck), namely fuku-no-kami (Fukurokuju), Ebisu and Daikoku.