Sakura-hachiman Shrine’s Autumn Festival
Sakura-hachiman Shrine was founded in 840, and has been worshiped as the guardian deity of this area. People dedicate Shishimai, a ritual dance with a lion’s mask, and other performances in the festival. The portable shrine parade to Otabisyo, a resting place for a portable shrine, is a common feature in autumn. They go slowly on the way in the rice fields , where harvest is over.
Ouji Shrine’s Summer Festival
Here in Aji Town, people have expressed their gratitude for the blessings of nature and prayed for safety in fisheries at shrines through the ages. Ouji Shrine is a typical example. Although the date of its establishment is unknown, records show that it was rebuilt in 1620. It was also moved from the Enoura Coast onto the side of Mt. Goten nearby in 1681 in line with an order from Yorishige Matsudaira, who was the feudal lord of Takamatsu.
The shrine’s summer festival is usually held on a weekend in July. After a series of rites at the shrine, its portable shrine is carried onto three fishing boats that are fastened together and decorated with lanterns and flags. People play traditional Japanese instruments called fue, kane and taiko on the boats, which follow a short round route to Otabisho. The soft music flows with the wind, which holds the heat of the summer night over a sea surface reflecting a multitude of lights from the boats.