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 -Saijo Autumn Festival |
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| ■Kamo Shrine Festival |
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| Kamo Shrine Festival, which leads a series of other Saijo Autumn Festival events, is performed by parishioners of the Teizui district. The floats that will be dedicated to the shrine are 6 drum childrens' floats and on the first day these floats are paraded around the parishioners' villages. On the morning of the second day, they head toward the Kamo Shrine where they perform Miyadashi. Then they perform Kakikurabe (float carrying contest) at 5 places in parishioners' villages and go back to the shrine in the evening to perform Miyairi (Kakikurabe). After this Festival, Saijo City is colored with all the excitement and events of Autumn Festival. |
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| ■Iwaoka Shrine Festival |
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| Iwaoka Shrine Festival, which is performed by parishioners from Himi and Tachibana, will dedicate 29 Danjiris and 2 Mikoshis (miniature or portable shrines) to the shrine. All festival floats gather in front of the main building of the shrine at 9 o'clock on the morning of the 14th and then disperse to parade around each village of the respective parishioners. In the early morning of the 15th, all the Danjiris and Mikoshis, illuminated with hundreds or more lanterns, gather at the Sakurano-baba at the Shrine yard and perform Miyadashi. After that, prayer is offered to mikoshi shrines, which then parade around parishioners' villages before they perform Kakikurabe again at Sakurano-baba and then Miyairi. It is here that the performance with both the "Danjiri" and "Mikoshi" is witnessed by spectators, which is very uncommon. |
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| ■Isono Shrine Festival |
 Lasting for two days, Isono Shrine Festival is one of the biggest events held in the whole of Saijo City. It begins on October 15th at 2:00 am with the sacred Omiyadashi (taking out of the Shrine) and ends on October 16th at 4:00 pm with the sacred Miyairi (returning to the Shrine). The highlight of the festival includes more than 80 Danjiri and Mikoshi floats which are paraded around the area.
During the festival more than 100 lanterns are lit from dusk until dawn to reproduce a scene from old Japanese picture scrolls. The origin of this event remains unclear, but it can be found on some documents dating back to Edo period, in the year of Horeki 11th (1761 according to the Christian calendar).
 Omiyadasi
On October 15th at about 2:00 a.m. Floats to be dedicated gather in the courtyard of Isono Shrine to receive Mikoshis, miniature shrines. Each float, decorated with more than 100 lit lanterns, is carried up the stone stairs magnificently on the shoulders of 15 to 20 people.
 Otabisho
On October 16th at around 2:00 a.m. all the 80 or more floats to be dedicated to the shrine gather around and the united sequence will begin. The floats after float take turns competing for the prestige of giving the best performance.
 Gotenmae
On October 16th at about 7:00 a.m. the floats start to gather around the front of Saijo High School's front gate (former Saijo feudal domain encampment site) after they depart from the Oyakudokoro very early in the morning. With the floats reflecting off the moats water, with no longer with their lanterns lit, the true beauty of the floats with detailed carvings can be witnessed.
 Kawairi
On October 16th at 3:00 p.m. the floats gather at the banks of Kamo river where the festival's finale takes place. With all the floats lined up to see off the Mikoshi that is going to Isono Shrine for Omiyairi, a beautiful scene begins to unfold. The setting sun behind the spectators reflects off of the river and shines onto the floats creating an impressive view. Regretting the end of the festival, a float from the Kobe district tries to obstruct the procession of Mikoshi in an apparent effort to prolong the festival.
When at long last the Mikoshi have crossed the Kamo river the festival comes to an end.
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| ■Iizumi Shrine Festival |
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Ten luxurious drum floats decorated with gilt and silver threaded cloth are dedicated to the Iizumi Shrine to give glory to the end of the Saijo Festival.
On the 16th the procession is unstructured except that they meet floats from Isono Shrine at the Tamatsu Bridge at around noon and some of them perform Kakikurabe during the night.
On the 17th in the very early morning they do Miyadashi followed by a Kakikurabe performance at 4 locations in the parishioners' villages, and then in the evening the 10 drum floats and Mikoshi perform "Kakikurabe" on the riverbank in front of Iizumi Shrine.
On the evening of the 17th, the 10 drum floats and Mikoshi perform Kakikurabe on the riverbank in front of the Iizumi Shrine.
It is worth seeing the Kakikurabe performed among drum floats which are uncommon in other regions. The fashion in which the 10 drum floats are lined up and are promenaded around is truly a grand and appropriate way to conclude the Saijo festival. |
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