The Nada Kenka Matsuri is an autumn festival to celebrate a good harvest and pray for the local communities. It involves seven large portable shrines which are carried by men in fundoshi (sumo type pants!) to the chant of yo-yasa! Each community has a different colour which is worn as a headband, happi coat and also large pompoms on bamboo poles. The portable shrines are carried around the area until they reach the shrine gate then salt is thrown to purify them before having the very top of them removed so they can enter the shrine area through the gate. Once inside the very top is replaced and then the portable shrine is lifted up and down in front of the shrine.
Where the festival took place in front of the shrine gate.
Removing the top to fit through the gate!
The red community - apparently the strongest and it is from the area where one of my Primary schools is. I bought myself a mini red pom pom too!
More amazing tattoos!
We were really lucky that one of Tina’s teachers knew someone that had seats and offered for us to join them and then he also brought us a great bento box for lunch! We had fantastic seats with an amazing view!
Once it got a little darker the shrines lit up with little lights or lanterns and they looked amazing!
This was really scary when the shrines got out of control and fell over!
Our seats were this good that I didn't even zoom in to take this photo!
I really enjoyed this festival and was so thankful for our seats as we got such a great view and we were safe away from the crowds!
1 comment:
How good were out seats?? I think we were VERY lucky to score those. :-)
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