(Video) Praying for safety while swinging an adze, the Chouna Hajime ceremony of Tsurugaoka-Hachimangū shrine/ Kamakura

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1301050005/

January 5, 2013

The Chouna Hajime Ceremony, an ancient carpentry ritual=Tsurugaoka-Hachimangū shrine

The year's ceremony for the safety of carpenters, the Chouna Hajime (Beginning with the adze) took place on the 4th, at Yuki No Shita, Kamakura City's Tsurugaoka-Hachimangū Shrine.

The Chouna Hajime traces back to 1181. When Minamoto No Yorimoto was nearly finished with the construction of the Hachiman Guu, there was an accident while transporting material from Yuigahama, spurning the ceremony. Now, it's a tradition within the city in beginning the year's carpentry work.

Area residents involved in construction clothed themselves in traditional Shinto ceremony outfits. After transporting a sacred tree into the kagura hall, they stood in front of it, waving an adze and handsaw. The ancient ritual in carpentry etiquette has once again been performed.

Original text:
【動画】手斧振るい安全祈願、鶴岡八幡宮で手斧始式／鎌倉
2013年1月5日

古式の大工作法を再現した手斧始式＝鶴岡八幡宮

ことし１年の工事の安全を祈願する手斧始（ちょうなはじめ）式が４日、鎌倉市雪ノ下の鶴岡八幡宮で行われた。

１１８１年に源頼朝が八幡宮造営に際して、木材を由比ケ浜から運んだ故事にちなみ、現在では市内の工事の事始め式として伝えられている。

神事では伝統的な装束に身を包んだ地元の建設関係者らが、舞殿に運び込まれた御神木の前で手斧やのこぎりを振るい、古式の大工作法を再現した。