 |
|
 |
 |
Photo : ?
|
Birth
of the big drums
Festival of the Tsuzureko shrine in the village of Tsuzureko. Since 1930, the upper town and the lower town have alternated sponsorship of the dedication parade. The competition between the two towns, however, has not stopped as they still try to outdo each other with the gorgeousness of their preparations. In fact, the intense competition over drums has given Japan the record for the world's largest drum. In 1986, the lower town's drum, measuring 3.71 meters in diameter and weighing three tons, was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest. Not to be outdone, the upper town made a larger one in 1992 that measures 4.52 meters in diameter and weighs 3.5 tons. Each of these drums is made using the hide of a single Holstein cow bred in Japan, entailing a nationwide search to find a hide that is large enough. |