Kashima Shrine
Today the Grand Imperial Ofuna festival begins in the morning on the first of September and officials from the imperial court are sent to convey the blessings of the Emperor. In the early morning of the second day a "[[mikoshi]]" (portable shrine) from Kashima Shrine is carried overland along the edge of Lake Kitaura, a smaller part of [[Lake Kasumigaura]], to a large boat waiting in the harbor. The boat, adorned with a great Ryūtō (龍頭) dragon motif, then joins a larger fleet of other colourful boats (in 2002 there were around 90) and carries the "mikoshi" across the lake to the other side. From there a divine procession awaits to take the "mikoshi" to Katori Shrine where the main festival takes place. After the festival a special temporary logging known as an Angu (行宮) is constructed and the Mikoshi is taken there before being returned to its main shrine in the afternoon of the third day.