What is “narikiseme”?

Lunar new years are also known as ‘farmers new year’ the time for many rituals that wish for great harvest. “Narikiseme” is one of these rituals that were popular until WII, also known as “Narisokiriso”. It is often carried out in pairs where a couple of farmers damage the stem of a tree with an axe and pour rice porridge into the cut while singing.

Cited literature

(stored in the local city library)

[Narukiseme] (Narikiseme)
Festivals of Shinnsyuu Inadani. A year for the Mitsuishi Family.
(Minami Shinshu newspaper published by stations in 2005)

On a full moon day narukiseme happens early in the morning. It is cold and physically demanding but the duty has been passed onto the younger generations. His son walks with the axe to nearby trees in his land followed by his grandson with the bowl of porridge.

His son sings and marks the branch a few times and his grandson also replies with singing while swiftly pouring the porridge into the freshly made marks. Wishing for great harvest. The barks are burned later at home to whish for the bugs to get away from the crops.

[Narikizeme] (Narikiseme)
"Two Persimmon Trees" by Genichi Kumagai
(Fukuonkan books / kodomo no tomo　1968)

Morning of 15th January I could hear a song in the distance.
“Will it bloom, will it cut”
Narikizeme has started.
I can hear ken’s brother singing
“Will it bloom, will it cut”
While he mark the branch with an axe.
“It’ll boom, it’ll bloom if you bloom I will present this porridge”
Sings ken and pours he porridge into the fresh cut.
It is said if you cut the branch like this in the winter, by autumn there will be lots of fruits.

[Marking Persimmon Trees]
(Shimoinashi No.8 Ch11 Living of the Common Man Lunar New Year 2006)

Marking persimmon trees was happening in the north part of Ryutou region. Early hours of the 14th a man wielding an axe sigs to the tree
“Will it bloom, will it cut, if not I’ll cut you down, I’ll cut you down” while axing the branch. Mumble, “I will, I will” as if the tree was answering, then he applies the porridge and rice cakes to the cut.

[Narikizeme] (Narikiseme)
(Minami-SHinnsyuu and Iida tales / People, Entertainment 1976)

Narikiseme is also known as Narisokiriso. Often practiced by two individuals. The first person cuts the branch singing words such as
“Bloom or I’ll chop you down” while the second person applies porridge to the cut. (Describes the rituals of Komaba and its surrounding villages and Achi village. Variations in the rituals can be observed within the village. Describes the rituals from early 1900 to mid 1930. However the ritual has changed drastically in these periods.)