In a summer festival that combines sacred ritual and seaside spectacle, hundreds of residents gathered at a beach in Yokosuka city’s Kurihama neighborhood over the weekend to pray for marine safety.
The audience erupted as a portable shrine called mikoshi, which was carried on bearers’ shoulders and was adorned with Shinto ornaments.
The mikoshi was paraded through neighborhood alleyways after it had departed from Sumiyoshi Shrine. The priests of the shrines paused to offer blessings and wish the well-being of those gathering outside their homes.
The priests chanted and danced as the procession approached the beach. The bearers’ sweaty faces were splattered with seawater as they entered the water, which was at its highest point.
The mikoshi was escorted onto a vessel for prayer for its safe passages before making a final stop at the nearby ferry terminal.
The Kurihama Neighbourhood Association’s head, Shuji Shimizu, said, “Everyone has been anticipating this day all year.” It celebrates our collective strength and unity, the author writes. Stay safe and enjoy every moment, everyone.
Source: Aljazeera
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