Event
Douranbachi — the Raging Hornets動乱蜂（王子若宮八幡宮）
An autumn votive rite at Oji-Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine in Kurume. A four-metre green-bamboo 'hornet's nest' packed with fireworks is lit by a fuse drawn across the…
Yamahome — Praising the Mountains山ほめ祭（志賀海神社）
At Shikaumi Shrine, head shrine of Japan's sea gods on Shikanoshima, the year's chief rite begins by praising the mountains — 'a fine mountain, a lush…
Hana-Matsuri (Oku-Mikawa)花祭（奥三河）
An all-night winter kagura in the mountains of Aichi — a boiling cauldron, red demons, and the yubayashi water-splashing rite of being ‘born clean’ again, kept…
Hakata Gion Yamakasa博多祇園山笠
Hakata's summer festival, climaxing with the oi-yama at 4:59 AM on July 15. Rooted in a 1241 rite to drive out a plague; floats once 16m…
Yame-Fukushima Toro-ningyo八女福島の燈籠人形
Lantern puppet theatre held each September at Fukushima Hachiman Shrine since 1744. A nail-free three-tier stage; karakuri brought home from Osaka in 1771. National Important Intangible…
Fukae River Festival深江の川祭り
At dawn on July's first Sunday, the children of Fukae build a sand altar on the beach and pray to the dragon-king of waters for safety…
Every word is a door to the next.
Onta's clay leads to the river, the river to a hot spring, the spring to the table. The relations are the route.