Image search results - "chino" - JAPAN PHOTOS by Philbert Ono

Image search results - "chino"

The Onbashira Festival's main event takes place at four different times in early April and early May, centering on Chino city and Shimosuwa town. It is the festival of Suwa Taisha Shrine consisting of the Kami-sha Shrine and Shimo-sha Shrine.

Both the Kami-sha Shrine (in Chino and Suwa cities) and Shimo-sha Shrine (in Shimosuwa town) consist of a pair of shrines. So there are actually a total of four shrines involved in the festival.

Held every 6 years (1998, 2004, 2010, etc.), this festival brings new logs from the mountain forest to all four shrines where they are erected. Each shrine receives four logs, so a total of 16 logs are cut and hauled to the shrines.Only a rope keeps the log from going down.

The hauling of the logs from the forest to a resting place near the shrine is called Yamadashi. The hauling route and schedule for the Kami-sha and Shimo-sha Shrines are different.

The Yamadashi log hauling for the Kami-sha Shrine was held during April 2-4, 2004. Along the hauling route is a slope where the log is slid down while men ride on it.

These photos show the slope for the Ki-otoshi (Log Drop) along the log-hauling route to Kami-sha Shrine in Chino and Suwa.

This log drop is one of the highlights of the festival.

This is one log about to go down the slope. A total of 8 logs will go down this slope.

The log is dragged to the edge of the top of the slope.

The log is tilted upward.

At the bottom of the slope is a huge crowd watching the spectacle, Ki-otoshi or Log Drop, Onbashira-sai Festival.

Ki-otoshi or Log Drop, Onbashira-sai Festival.

The slope is near the train tracks.

Each log is preceded by flag bearers.

Another log coming to the slope.

The ax man is ready to cut the rope.

In one swing, he cuts the rope.

The rope snaps and the log slides down the slope.

Another log comes to the slope.

A total of 8 logs are slid down this slope.

Everything is very ceremonial.

Another obstacle along the route to the Kami-sha Shrine is this river.

This river crossing, called Kawa-koshi, is another highlight of the festival. 川越し

川越し

Hairdo. Also see photos of Shimo-sha Yamadashi.

Tengokoro, for local gifts and products. てんごころ http://www.tengokoro.com/

Inside Tengokoro.

Strawberry daifuku is a specialty of Kita-Ibaraki. Made with locally-grown strawberries. Ibaraki is also a major producer of melons in Japan.

An-chan on a cup of sake.

Karinto manju.

Karinto manju from Kita-Ibaraki.

Pottery by our teacher, Kikuchi Hidetoshi and wife Mie.

Kikuchi Hidetoshi and wife Mie.

At Tengokoro, you can make your own dorayaki with azuki bean paste. The shallow ladle contains the perfect amount of batter to make one pancake.

Dorayaki is like a small pancake sandwich with azuki bean paste in between. Wait until the batter bubbles and flip it over. Perfect each time. The dorayaki batter is very different from pancake batter.

The final step is to spread some azuki bean paste on one side and compress it into a sandwich. Way more delicious than any dorayaki you buy in a store.

Our dorayaki teacher and Tengokoro store manager.

Michinoeki Biwako Ohashi Kome Plaza, a shopping place for local produce. 道の駅びわ湖大橋米プラザ

Inside Biwako Ohashi Kome Plaza. "Kome" means rice. On the first floor they sell local rice and produce.

Omi rice made in Shiga.

Kohoku Mizudori Station, a local roadside shop/restaurant for tourists traveling by car.

Inside Kohoku Mizudori Station, with a food stand and restaurant.

Inside Kohoku Mizudori Station, selling local products and souvenirs.

This booth had ko-ayu sweetfish tempura.

Ko-ayu sweetfish tempura, fresh out of the oil. Yummy!

The 2nd floor of the Kohoku Mizudori Station for resting and dining. Also views of the lake and birds.

From the 2nd floor of the Kohoku Mizudori Station.

Stuffed tundra swan.

This area is called Kohoku-cho which used to be a separate town before merging with Nagahama.

Ichinomiya Station has both the JR Tokaido Line and Meitetsu Line. Ichinomiya literally means "Shrine No. 1."

Inside Ichinomiya Station. It's pretty big. There are a few restaurants/shops.

Rotary

Way to Honmachi shopping street.

Honmachi shopping arcade in Ichinomiya.

Honmachi shopping arcade leads to Masumida Shrine. The banner says Happy New Year.

Along the way in Honmachi arcade is a branch office of Ichinomiya City Hall with a musical clock.

Musical clock

Poster for Masumida Shrine hatsumode New Year's worshipping.

After you exit Honmachi arcade, you see Masumida Shrine across the street.

Masumida Shrine torii.

I went to Masumida Shrine on Jan. 1, 2011 in the morning when it was still not that crowded.

Masumida Shrine torii flanked with kadomatsu bamboo/pine decorations.

Kadomatsu bamboo/pine decoration on New Year's Day.

Romon Gate built in 1961. 楼門

Barrels of sake rice wine near Romon Gate.

Next to Romon Gate is this giant ema tablet with a rabbit design. 2011 is the year of the rabbit.

After passing through Romon Gate, you see this. Straight ahead is the Honden shrine hall where you pray. On the left and right were food booths.

Masumida Shrine Honden hall 御本殿

Wash basin to purify yourself.

Stall selling charms.

Honden hall. Masumida Shrine worships a deity called Amenoho no Akari no mikoto. 天火明命

Honden hall

People pray in front of the Honden where there is a large offertory box.

Offertory box with money.

Inside the Honden, special prayers are held for people. Includes a dance.

More stalls selling charms, etc.

Food stalls

One unique feature at Masumida Shrine during New Year's is this ring of fire (Hinowa kuguri). 火の輪くぐり

During Jan. 1-5, for 300 yen, you can enter the ring of fire.

First you pass through a small torii.

The ring of fire leads to the Sacred Water Basin.

Then you walk through the ring of fire which is actually a gas pipe with just a few flames at the top.

Use the sacred water here to purify yourself.

Look into this well until you see your reflection.

Monument for family harmony.

At the end, you receive a blessing from a shrine maiden.

All the sins and impurities stuck onto you will then be shed. Good deal for 300 yen.

Omikuji stall selling fortune paper for 200 yen.

The omikuji is yellow, and tied onto a fence.

Another stall selling auspicious charms.

New Year's is when shrines make the most money selling hopes, dreams, and prayers. Great thing for them is that there is no money-back guarantee that your prayers/dreams will come true.

Shrine for weaving god. 服織神社

Praying to the weaving/textile god. After food, clothing is essential for man.

The monument on the left has a poem written by the 9th daughter of Emperor Meiji.

Sacred horse

Place to return your old New Year's decorations and charms.

Burning the old New Year's and shrine decorations and charms.

Hot fire fueled by old decorations and charms.

My video of Masumida Shrine on New Year's Day 2011, Ichinomiya, Aichi.

Inside Toju-no-Sato Adogawa. Fresh produce, drinks, sweets, snacks, and souvenirs are sold.

One famous local specialty is the Adoberry, a boysenberry-like berry used to make diverse products such as jam, juice, cakes, etc.

Toju-no-Sato Adogawa also has a small fan museum.

Adogawa is also noted for the production of the bamboo ribs for Japanese folding fans.

How bamboo ribs for Japanese folding fans are made.

Being next to the Pacific Ocean, Chiba has quite a few festivals held on the beach. The Kazusa Junisha Matsuri is one of the larger ones. Sept. 13, 2009 (Sun.) was the main festival day when they went in the water at the beach.

The day starts with a Shinto ceremony at 10 am at Tamasaki Shrine, near Kazusa-Ichinomiya Station on the JR Sotobo Line. 玉前神社

Tamasaki Shrine is crowded with people as a ceremony still goes on. The Kazusa Junisha Matsuri started in 807. It is designated as Chiba Prefecture's Intangible Cultural Property.

Two portable shrines in front of the Kaguraden stage. Kazusa is the name of the former province in central Chiba Prefecture. Junisha means twelve shrines.

Sacred dance at the Kaguraden by Sarutahiko.

Tamasaki Shrine torii

The girls had their hair airbrushed with colorful designs. I've noticed that women and girls participating in matsuri have become quite fashionable, chic, or hip.

Girls were originally not allowed to participate in the festival, but now they do even though it is a hadaka (nude) festival. Of course, no one is really naked.

Sacred horse

One of the child horse riders.

Child horse rider sits on a bunch of soft cushions on the horse.

A procession departs Tamasaki Shrine at 1 pm, led by Sarutahiko.

The beginning of the procession consists of a few portable shrines pulled by children.

The sacred horse and child riders soon join the procession as they leave Tamasaki Shrine.

Child rider leaving Tamasaki Shrine.

Leaving Tamasaki Shrine. It was impossible to judge where I should be to take good shots. I missed quite a few opportunities. I have to see the festival again to take the shots I wanted to take this time.

Back at Tamasaki Shrine are two other portable shrines which had arrived from Sannomiya Shrine, one of the junisha (12 shrines) in the Kazusa area.

The portable shrines begin to leave Tamasaki Shrine.

A portable shrine leaves Tamasaki Shrine.

They then ran with the portable shrine. They will run while carrying the shrine to the beach several kilometers away.

The beach is too far to walk, so they provided free shuttle buses to the beach from Kazusa-Ichinomiya Station from 2 pm. It was a 10-15 min. ride to the beach.

On Kujukuri Beach, there a stretch of beach called Tsurigasaki Kaigan Beach marked by a torii. This will be the Tokyo 2020 Olympic venue for surfing.

Tsurigasaki Kaigan beach is where they believe the gods arrive. 釣ケ先海岸

Tsurigasaki Kaigan is where the horses and portable shrines will start to arrive at 2:30 pm to 3 pm. This is where the crowd is. But the beach is big enough for all of us.

On the beach. Good spot for surfing as well.

One child horse rider arrives.

One great thing about this hadaka matsuri is that there are women as well. Most hadaka matsuri have only men.

The mikoshi arrive on the beach.

They give a few cheers before they started running on the beach.

Here they come.

Women too, while they are careful to prevent any nip slips.

They run on the beach while carrying the mikoshi.

A stampede.

Also see my video at YouTube.

They head for Tsurigasaki Beach, where the torii is.

They prop up the mikoshi before carrying it toward the ceremony place.

The mikoshi start to gather for a ceremony.

The mikoshi start to gather for a ceremony as they all run at full speed.

More mikoshi arrive.

Shrine priest arrive on horseback. He looked very weary. It was a hot day too.

After the ceremony, they head for the water.

Very jovial and noisy.

To the beach and water.

In the water, maybe ankle deep. But the waves made it knee-deep.

Everyone is yelling and cheering.

Also see my video at YouTube.

They tossed the mikoshi into the air a few times.

Back on land.

Festival girls posing for me. They love the attention.

Kazusa Junisha Matsuri Festival, Ichinomiya, Chiba on Sept. 13, 2009.

Women standing by to pull the mikoshi.

Tossing the mikoshi into the air.

I kept shooting their backs. Next time, I'll try to shoot more faces.

You could go in front of them to shoot their faces, but the water would be deeper.

They kept waving their fans and cheering in the water.

Great spectacle, especially with women included. Great idea to allow women in the festival.

Returning to land.

The men covered their bellies, while the women covered their bellies and chests.

This festival separates the amateur photographers from the pros. Amateurs wear long pants and shoes and enter the ocean to take pictures. I was of course wearing shorts and rubber slippers (but barefoot in the water).