During Tanabata (the Star Festival) in Hokkaido, there is a custom called "Rosoku Morai" where children go from house to house singing "Rosoku da-se, da-se yo" ("Give us candles, give us candles") to receive sweets. Although it has become a rare sight these days, let's explore what this "Rosoku Morai" custom is all about.

Tanabata in Hokkaido is celebrated in two different periods: some areas celebrate on July 7th based on the old lunar calendar, while others celebrate on August 7th based on the new solar calendar. In Hakodate, in the Donan (Southern Hokkaido) region, Tanabata is on July 7th. On this day, children in Hakodate dress up in yukatas, carry paper lanterns, and sing songs as they receive sweets from adults. The song they sing is the slightly unusual "Rosoku da-se, da-se yo." It's similar in function to Halloween's "Trick or Treat!"

This custom was once practiced throughout Hokkaido, and the custom itself is sometimes called "Rosoku Morai" or "Rosoku Dase." The characteristic songs sung by the children also seem to have varied by region.

In the Do-o (Central), Dohoku (Northern), and Doto (Eastern) regions, a typical version goes, "Rosoku da-se, da-se yo. Dasanai to katchakuzo. Omake ni kamitsukuzo. Kamitsuitara hanasanzo," which translates to "Give us candles, give us candles. If you don't, I'll scratch you. And I'll even bite you. If I bite, I won't let go!" Many people might have heard this one. In the Hakodate area of Donan, they sing something like, "Take ni tanzaku, Tanabata matsuri. Ooi ni iwaou, rousoku ippon choudai na," meaning "Strips of paper on bamboo, it's the Tanabata festival. Let's celebrate big, please give us one candle."

There are actually too many variations to list here, but the gist is, "Give us candles! If you don't, we'll do things like bite you!"

According to Masako Odashima's book, "Hokkaido Annual Events," as of 1996, "Rosoku Morai" was practiced in various regions across Hokkaido. However, as the years went by, the number of areas practicing it gradually decreased, and it is now mostly known as a custom that continues mainly in Hakodate.

But why do the children in this "Rosoku Morai" custom ask for candles?

The reason why children sing "Give us candles" has its roots in Hakodate. According to records remaining in Hakodate, this festival began in the late Edo period. At that time, Hakodate had a festival where Nebuta-like floats and lanterns filled the streets, and candles were used to illuminate these floats.

So, the children would go around to each house to collect candles for the lights, which is why they sang, "Give us candles." However, due to factors like the policies of the Meiji government, the Nebuta-like festival in Hakodate gradually disappeared, and there was no longer a need to collect candles. In the "Rosoku Morai" that continues in Hakodate, what the children receive naturally shifted from candles to sweets, and the tradition has been passed down to this day.

While "Rosoku Morai" is not often seen in modern times, its light quietly holds the lives and thoughts of people from the past. Whether you've sung "Rosoku da-se, da-se yo" before or not, if you take a moment to think about this custom, the quietly burning memories of summer might just come back to you.