Coming into the street after a relaxing hour in an onsen we became aware of crowds gathering further down the road so decided we had to investigate. We were in a small port and the crowds were gathered on either side of a canal . It was clear that there had been activities earlier in the day as there were lots of fancy costumes on display so we decided they were waiting for something big.
And something big it was as a crowd of men carried what appeared to be a very heavy shrine, carried not on a frame of bamboo as one might expect but of thick cut pine.
What we were watching was part of the Autumn Festival and this particular event was called the Mikoshi Nagashi. It was clearly a very very heavy shrine so at first we thought there had been an accident as we heard the shrine fall into the canal.
As we watched them haul the shrine out of the water and then carry the shrine further down the road only to see them chuck the thing in the water and retrieve it many times more. So the event is to thank the Shinto Gods for the harvest and then to purify the shrine by dropping it in the water multiple times.
Apparently it’s the Hōjō Festival and only happens in this area.
( between 10th - 13th October) so we feel very fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time. It was obviously a very big event as there were a number of TV crews in attendance.
( between 10th - 13th October) so we feel very fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time. It was obviously a very big event as there were a number of TV crews in attendance.
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