Summer Matsuri 2

Yesterday I posted about the civic matsuri's that are going on right now throughout Japan. The other type of matsuri going on now are the matsuri's based on local shrines. These matsuri's can occur at any time of the year, but they tend to be either in the summer, or in the Fall. Countryside villages will have their matsuri's in the Fall, after the harvest has been completed. In the summer it tends to be coastal fishing villages or river villages, and often these matsuri will involve boats.

The video and photos show secenes from one of my favorite matsuri's, the one at Kuromatsu, a fishing village not far from Gotsu. The kami, Ichikishimahime, is fetched from an offshore island back to the village by a procession of boats.

I will be posting more on this matsuri as it is interesting and unusual in several ways.

Another common type of matsuri this time of year is Houranenya. Last weekend there was one down in Masuda, and 2 weeks ago one in Gotsu Honmachi. During Houranenya the kami is taken to boats and then paraded along the river.
I general I tend to prefer the village matsuri's over the civic matsuris. They are village-based and therefore more intimate. The food is locally made and much cheaper, and outsiders tend to be treated as guests.