An annual Shinto festival is held mainly in summer to drive away epidemics and in autumn to celebrate a good harvest. During these annual festivals, Shinto parishioners parade through their close neighborhood with a mikoshi portable shrine. These divine services are thought to be carried out in order to distribute divine favors to every corner of their parishes. The mikoshi portable shrine is roughly divided into two types, the one in the picture which is designed to be shouldered and the other one equipped with wheels to draw at the ropes. The notable examples of the former type mikoshi are for Sanja-matsuri festival of Asakusa jinja shrine in Tokyo and Gion-yamakasa festival of Kushida-jinja shrine in Fukuoka. The latter type are for Gion-matsuri festival of Yasaka-jinja shrine in Kyoto and Danjiri-matsuri festival in Kishiwada City, Osaka.
Licensed tour guide, travel consultant,
Masahisa Takaki.
