Takasago Jinja Shrine Fall Festival
This two-day festival, held annually over October 10–11, revolves around the lively musical procession of eight floats (yatai). On the first day, a portable shrine (mikoshi) is carried from Takasago Jinja Shrine along each street in Takasago.
Shrine parishioners (ujiko) from each area form a procession behind the mikoshi with yatai, festival floats (danjiri), and stringed instruments (hikimono). At a certain point, the mikoshi is taken to a place where the gods (kami) can take a rest during the ritual procession (otabisho), where rites are observed, including prayers for the townspeople’s happiness and good health.
Another procession is called Funatogyo (honorable river crossing), which involves placing the mikoshi on a boat and floating it down the Kako River. The boat aspect takes place every three years, and preserves awareness of the history of Takasago, which had developed and formerly prospered as a key marine transportation center.
On the second day of the festival, yatai from each town take part in various events in the spirit of collaboration and competition. The highlight of the second day is the contest in which participants push the yatai against each other in a bid to demonstrate their relative strength to the deities (kami) believed to be watching.