Kuma Matsuri

The matagi are traditional hunters in the mountainous beech forests of northeastern Japan. They are distinguishable from recreational hunters in their veneration of the yama no kami, a female spirit or god who dwells in the mountains. This article will focus on their kuma matsuri, a set of rituals associated with bear hunting. It will argue that the rituals reinforce a sense of connectedness and interdependence with the forested mountains, as personified by the yama no kami, and that the bear epitomizes the gifts they bestow. From this perspective, the mountains are central to people’s lives and livelihoods, a recognition that is somewhat at odds with the “mainstream” culture of the lowland plains and urban areas. For their part, the matagi routinely move back and forth across boundaries, both physical and conceptual. They therefore play a vital role as intermediaries between the cultivated human realm and that of untamed nature.