It was 7:30 in the morning, and the event began with three brave groups marching from the beach towards Sakichi Shrine. The three groups of men in kamishimo (traditional Japanese formal attire) are at the front, followed by young men in white robes, each group beating a large drum. It’s like peeking into a scene from hundreds of years ago.

As the solemn procession passes under the torii gate, shouts of “Yoisho! Yoisho!” echo throughout the shrine grounds along with the beating of taiko drums. A young child takes off running, imitating the adults and leading the chant “Yoisho!”.

Then, a Shinto ritual called Tachifuri is performed, in which people dance to the music of flutes and drums while holding long naginatas or swords. All the performers, from young boys to adults, perform one after another. At the end, a Shinto ritual art called Kagura is shown. We were amazed by the sheer number of programs and the superb acting skills.

When the performances were over, it was already almost 2pm, and the young men in white robes ran up to the main hall and prayed. Finally, the three mikoshi were carried out. Just when you thought they would pass through the torii gate, they pushed them back again and again, and you were overwhelmed by their strength.

The British also take part in this ritual.

The three mikoshi then parade through the town, reaching their respective towns, where they take a short rest and then immediately turn back.

We also greeted the extremely busy chief priest of Sakichi Shrine.

After the first day of the festival, Shiozawa took a commemorative photo with Mr.Ichise.  What a wonderful festival that has preserved the pure Japanese spirit for over 400 years.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr.Ichise and his family.