Asuka Shrine Autumn Grand Festival Yoimiya

About this event

Enshrined in Taiji Town, Wakayama Prefecture, the Yoimiya (festival eve) of the Asuka Shrine Autumn Grand Festival is an important Shinto ritual venerating the guardian deity (ujigami) of Taiji. During the Yoimiya, young people carry large and small barrel-shaped portable shrines (taru mikoshi) filled with sacred sake (omiki) and parade through the town. This festival embodies traditions unique to the whale town, giving thanks for large catches of whales and praying for future bountiful catches. The spectacle of the unusual barrel shrines parading through town is one of the highlights, filled with festival vibrancy and the wishes of local residents. During the regular festival, lion dance dedications and Shinto rituals are also conducted, symbolizing the preservation and development of regional culture.

Venue

Asuka Shrine

Taiji, Taiji, Higashimuro District, Wakayama 649-5171