RITUAL LANGUAGE >>> Mayunganashi Legend

 

The Mayunganashi legend is unique to the northwestern villages of Ishigaki Island—Kawahira, Maibara, Ibaruma, and Hirakubo. In Ibaruma, the Maninganashi mask once kept by the Kamisato family is now a designated cultural property preserved at the Ishigaki City Museum.

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The story centers on a hardworking Mayan couple who labored day and night, their glowing eyes allowing them to see in the dark like cats. Villagers believed they came from the heavenly realm. After they vanished, only a divine message remained, symbolizing that diligent work brings rewards and that the couple were divine messengers.

 

To honor this, villagers wore Mayan masks and prayed for fertility and prosperity while working the fields—a ritual practiced until the end of the Meiji period. Today, the tradition continues at the Iharama Community Centre with festivals such as the Setsuki Festival, Mayunganashi (Manze Kanashi) Festival, and Miruku Kanaki Festival, held from September to December, expressing gratitude and seeking the village god’s protection.