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Held annually on April 18 by Hioki 日置神社 and Tsuno Shrines in Imazu, Takashima, Shiga, this festival features a pair of very tall (18 meters), decorated bamboo poles called O-nobori carried little by little at a horse-riding course.
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The Kawakami Matsuri is also called the Sanyare Matsuri. The festival starts with a Shinto ceremony at both Hioki and Tsuno Shrines. This is Tsuno Shrine.
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Tsuno Shrine torii. 津野神社 MAP
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At Tsuno Shrine, they had a pair of tall, decorated bamboo poles called O-nobori. 大幟
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Tall bamboo poles called O-nobori at Tsuno Shrine for the Kawakami Matsuri in Imazu, Takashima. They are about 20 meters tall. 大幟
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Base of the O-nobori poles.
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Top of O-nobori poles. The red, white, and blue motif caught my American eye.
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Tsuno Shrine also had a mikoshi portable shrine.
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They took down the O-nobori.
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The O-nobori is now horizontal, carried by the people in the procession.
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The procession start to leave Tsuno Shrine.
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The procession leaves Tsuno Shrine. At Hioki Shrine, they also held a Shinto ceremony and had a procession leaving the shrine.
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The procession leaving Tsuno Shrine as they carry the O-nobori poles.
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The procession headed for the Otabisho which is halfway between Tsuno Shrine and Hioki Shrine.
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They proceed through rice paddies.
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This is the Otabisho, called Hegasaki Banba which is a horse-running ground. 平ヶ崎馬場 MAP
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The procession with the O-nobori reaches the Otabisho at around 1 pm.
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They start to prop up the O-nobori at the Otabisho.
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Standing up the O-nobori at the Otabisho during the Kawakami Matsuri in Imazu, Takashima.
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Moving a car in the way of the procession.
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The two O-nobori stand tall at the Otabisho which would be the main venue for the Kawakami Matsuri.
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The children carried the smaller poles called ko-nobori.
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The children played music.
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The mikoshi procession also arrived at the Otabisho.
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Prayers in front of the mikoshi.
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They paraded the mikoshi around the Otabisho.
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Three community groups participate in Kawakami Matsuri. They rotate every year for taking care of the O-nobori, mikoshi, and sanyare dance and music.
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Then they had yabusame with horse runs down the Otabisho. No arrow shooting though.
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Children doing the sanyare dance at the Kawakami Matsuri in Imazu, Takashima. サンヤレ踊り
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Children doing sanyare dance at Kawakami Matsuri.
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Then they slowly dragged the two O-nobori poles across the Otabisho.
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They finally brought the O-nobori all the way across the Otabisho.
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Otabisho
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More yabusame.
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Mt. Ibuki across Lake Biwa as seen from the Otabisho.
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