The second ceremony site (Sunday 2.p.m.)
When Mikoshi, portable shrine,
comes near Suijingu Shrine,
second ceremony site, two oldcommunity leaders guide Mikoshi
to the shrine. The second
ceremony was conducted in thegrounds of Yokosuka Castle in theEdo period. After the end of thecastle in 1871, a large picture ofthe castle was offered to theshrine and the shrine grounds have been the second site
since then.

Ceremonies conducted in the groundsof Mikumano Shrine, Tyikatamenomai
and Taasobi (Sunday 3 p.m.)
Tyikatamenomai is a ceremony toward off devils hiding under theground and to purify the ground.
Young performers who practiced
the traditional ceremony hardwith the instruction of theexperienced purify themselves
before the ceremony.
A f t e r Ty i k a t a m e n o m a i, t h eceremony, Taasobi is conducted.
Performers imitate planting rice while
singing rice-planting song to pray forgood harvest of rice.

Heading to the first ceremony site
(Sunday 10.a.m)

Sensyuraku, climax of the festival(Sunday 9 p.m.)

At 10 a.m. with the signal of thefire work, a processions ofMikoshi, portable shrine, wherethe deity of the shrine isenshrined, leaves Mikumano
Shrine to go to the ﬁrst ceremony site, the bank of Nishi
Oya River. Women who want easy-childbirth take partin the ceremony with their husband. They conduct theceremony where the women hug the sacred doll,Nennekosama, which has been worshiped for easychildbirth.

After 13 festival ﬂoats, which followed Mikoshi parade
returned to the grounds of Mikumano Shrine at 9 p.m.,the last and the most important ceremony is conducted.
They showed their gratitude that they could fulﬁll theirduties in the presence of the deity. Silent and solemn
atmosphere was broken by the clapping hands andexciting music, Bakabayashi, is performed. Being besidethemselves, festival participants dance to the music,
shaking their floats right and left and the devil crown,
Hannya, dances violently on the float. Spectators, aswell as festival participants, get excited in the climax.

Festival Map(Sunday)

Traditional way of decorating
the festival float

Preparing for the night festival(Sunday 5.p.m)

In front of Mikumano Shrine(Sunday 12 p.m.)

13 festival floats waiting for the parade(Sunday 9:30 a.m.)

When they decorate their festival
ﬂoats, a doll, which is the symbolof the ﬂoat, is lifted and carried tothe top section in their shed. But
two communities do this job in a
traditional way. They tilt center pillar of the ﬂoat and put
the doll on the top section and put up at a time. This task
is carried out carefully with efforts of community
members.

13 festival floats stop to prepare for the night festival.
Festival participants have a dinner and take a rest for awhile. When they leave for the climax ceremony, 13 ﬂoats
are lit up, creating a distinctive atmosphere.

One of the best site forwatching the parade isin front of MikumanoShrine. Passing themost bustling area in
Yokosuka under the
full-bloom cherry trees, performers who put on special
masks dance violently on the float. You can enjoy thesuccession of the performance of 13 communities here.
You should not miss it!

13 festival ﬂoats are waiting until
the ceremony conducted at thefirst site ends. They follow theprocessions of Mikoshi, portableshrine and parade in Yokosuka ina line. Their order was decided Saturday morning.

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