Autumn Festival

It’s the season of “Matusri”, the Autumn Festival. Each neighborhood having their own local shrines will be carrying around town the “Omikoshi”  a sacred palanquin which holds god of the shrine. "Kodomo-mikoshi" is a smaller version for the children. Toddlers and small children also participate in this event by pulling the “Dashi”, a festival car carrying a big drum. The children after pulling the Dashi or carrying Omikoshi will get a goody bag and occasionally be rewarded by ice lollies and shaved ice. The word gets around very quickly among the mums on which neighborhood gives out the best goody bag and the kids will flock to that Omikoshi to get the reward. This is something like an early Halloween here for the kids as they will be tons of candy and sweets as well as bags snacks on this occasion.

Children carrying a Kodomo-Mikoshi

Children Pulling the Dashi