Shiragata Tenmangu (白潟天満宮) or "Tenjin-san" as the locals know it is a famous shrine for the local summer festival in Matsue City. ⛩
This shrine was founded in the 1600s on its current location and is dedicated to the god of scholarship, Sugawara no Michishin, who lived in the 800s. ? ? Most worshippers pray at the shrine when they take an exam to pass the scholarship.
Mikoshi is a traditional Japanese mikoshi used to transport mikoshi to various places. ⛩
It has been about 400 years since the first mikoshi parade began here. It was used to cleanse the area and bring grace and prosperity to the local people. After that, it became the "Tenjin Summer Festival" held on July 24 and 25 every year. This year is the first time since four years of absence.
The parade includes a mikoshi (main shrine) that carries the gods, a female mikoshi, a children's mikoshi, and a Japanese drum (Tenjin Taiko). They marched along the distance between Matsue Castle and Shirakata Tenmangu Shrine while cheerfully chanting the letters "SOIYA-SA". ” ??
The sight of two women from the women's team climbing the mikoshi while being carried down the road is one of the many highlights of the festival. ?? ♀
Many food stalls have been set up near the shrine, selling food such as karaage chicken and takoyaki, while carnival-style games such as shooting and fishing are also offered. There were a lot of locals who were excited to see this festival again. ???
Tell us about your favorite local festival.