About this event
This is a traditional festival dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, held every year on the first Sunday of April in the Ikaruga district of Yanai City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The festival begins with a Shinto ritual, after which a sacred procession walks along the approach from the shrine to the Otabisho (temporary resting place). The procession is led by a lead horse ridden by a chigo (sacred child), followed by parishioners offering banners, sashimono (processional flags), and large and small cylindrical items. The greatest highlight of this festival is the ox carriage reminiscent of the Heian period, where a beautifully and gorgeously dressed donated ox pulls the Ajiroguruma palanquin along the approach. As a rare festival where an ox plays the leading role, it is also popularly known as 'Ushi Tenjin'. The festival is held at Himuro Kameyama Shrine.
Official website (Japanese) ↗Venue
Himuro Kameyama Shrine
5441 Ikaruga Miyagahara, Yanai, Yamaguchi 742-0201
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