 Most viewed - Moriyama 守山市 |
Nagisa Park in Moriyama, Shiga has this beautiful field of nano-hana rapeseed blossoms blooming in winter from early-Jan. to mid-March at this lakeside park. なぎさ公園 MAP452 views
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Katsube Fire Festival: Men dance in rings in front of the fire. Also see the video at YouTube.450 views
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Giant torches in Katsube Shrine, Moriyama, Shiga Pref.339 views
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One of the six torches carried into the shrine.327 views
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Moriyama firefly manhole, Shiga Pref.321 views
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Moriyama manhole, Shiga Pref.287 views
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Kaeru frog to wish you a safe return. 東門院282 views
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Biwako Ohashi Bridge spanning Lake Biwa from Moriyama to Katata.262 views
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Moriyama Station, west side. The west side of the station (toward the lake) is the main side. The east side is mainly residential. This building also has the Moriyama tourist info office to obtain maps and info. 守山駅259 views
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Sumiyoshi Shrine Fire Festival, Moriyama, Shiga Pref. on the second Sat. of January.242 views
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The torches burn within seconds.241 views
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The fire at its peak was very hot to the skin. Sumiyoshi Shrine Fire Festival, Moriyama, Shiga in late Jan.241 views
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About 12,000 flower plants carpet the area in yellow. Free admission. 237 views
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Held annually on May 5 by Ozu Jinja Shrine, the festival consists of dances and music by children, taiko drumming, a naginata dance and acrobatics by boys using a pole sword, and a roundtrip procession. Ozu Jinja Shrine torii. 小津神社234 views
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Rainbow233 views
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Mt. Ibuki as seen from Nagisa Park.232 views
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Shimoniikawa Shrine, site of the Sushikiri (sushi-cutting) Festival on May 5. The shrine is a 20-min. bus ride from Moriyama Station. 下新川神社 MAP224 views
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Moriyama Ginza shopping street near Moriyama Station224 views
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Accessible by bus from Moriyama Station.223 views
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This was my favorite part of the festival. Funa-zushi was offered to everyone at the festival. Some people refused though. I love it. It was salty. Goes great with alcohol.222 views
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Sushikiri Matsuri (sushi-cutting festival) in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture.207 views
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Flower hat dancers at Naginata Matsuri, Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture.189 views
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At 6 pm, half-naked young men wearing loincloths march to the shrine. They are 15-34 years old. 迎え186 views
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Fire truck and hydrant right outside the shrine.177 views
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Taking a sip of sacred sake. They soon get pretty drunk with sacred sake as they walk around the neighborhood beating the taiko drum.174 views
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My video of the Katsube Shrine Fire Festival on Jan. 12, 2013. Three Japanese kids report in English.174 views
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They turned off all the lights and lit the torches all at once! Torch lighting! (たいまつ ほうか 松明奉火)172 views
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All fires totally fizzled out.171 views
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Taiko drum procession. Three taiko drums are carried around the neighborhood.169 views
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It gets very hot...169 views
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Withdrawing the burnt-out torch169 views
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Shimoniikawa Shrine worships a god named Toyoki-iribiko-no-Mikoto who was the first son of Emperor Sujin 崇神天皇, Japan's tenth emperor. 豊城入彦命169 views
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Prayer ceremony at Katsube Shrine before they start parading with three taiko drums. 修祓式（しゅっぱつしき）167 views
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After a few minutes and before it gets unbearably hot, the fire peters out.167 views
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Boy drummers.163 views
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Katsube Shrine was founded in 649 and originally dedicated to a warrior god by the Mononobe clan.160 views
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Rear view of torches.159 views
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Local firemen159 views
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The giant torches burnt out within 10 minutes.156 views
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The waiting crowd.155 views
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One torch enters the shrine. At around 8 pm, the young men start hauling in the giant torches that were displayed in the neighborhood.155 views
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Withdrawing the burnt-out torch155 views
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You can take home a branch of the torch for family safety.155 views
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Snuffing out the last flames153 views
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At around 8 pm, the three taiko drums return to Katsube Shrine (たいこ みやいり 太鼓宮入り)152 views
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A total of 12 torches are then in the shrine.152 views
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Shrine worshippers152 views
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The Katsube Shrine Fire Festival is held annually on the second Sat. of January. They light 12 giant straw torches with young men dancing around. The shrine is near JR Moriyama Station (JR Tokaido/Biwako Line). 143 viewsThis is the shrine's main o-torii gate. MAP
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Rain never dampens the spirit of the people carrying a mikoshi.141 views
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The taiko men parade around the neighborhood from about 6:15 pm to 7:50 pm. (たいこ わたり 太鼓渡り)136 views
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The older men wear red loincloths and the younger ones wear white.134 views
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Rear view of burning torches.134 views
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Moriyama Driver's License Center, where many people in Shiga got their driver's license. MAP133 views
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Katsube Shrine and giant torches. Six torches were laid within the shrine grounds. I saw the festival twice, in 2006 and 2013.133 views
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Katsube Shrine in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture. The Honden main hall behind the building you see here is an Important Cultural Property.133 views
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Six more torches were right outside Katsube Shrine. They will be carried into the shrine one by one to be burned.133 views
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In the foreground are torch stands, partially burnt.133 views
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According to legend, 800 years ago during the Kamakura Period, Emperor Tsuchikado fell ill. A fortune-teller said that it was due to a monster orochi dragon in the marsh in the area of present-day Moriyama.132 views
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The men receive sacred sake and a good-luck charm from a shrine priest. The ceremony is called, Shushi-mairi (しゅうしまいり 牛玉参り).132 views
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These little pieces of wood symbolize the scales of the orochi dragon.131 views
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All the Torch and taiko drum bearers (たいまつぐみ 松明組) and helpers (せわかた 世話方) now line up in front of the shrine to receive sacred sake (おみき お神酒) and a good-luck charm (おふだ お札).131 views
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Photographers stake their place hours before the festival started. The prime viewing spots were already taken by 4 pm.130 views
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A total of 12 giant torches would be lit up for the festival. In the old days, they had more torches, but the number has decreased due to the difficulty of procuring materials.130 views
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Poster recruiting torch/taiko drum men aged 13-34 to carry the taiko drums and giant torches on the day of the fire festival.129 views
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The emperor sent hunters to kill the dragon which they finally did and burned the body. The emperor then recovered from his illness. When the dragon was burned, the body fell on Katsube Shrine while the head fell on Sumiyoshi Shrine.129 views
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The lantern bearers lead the way as the taiko drum bearers exit the shrine.129 views
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Road marker. Established in 1642, Moriyama-juku was the sixty-seventh of the sixty-nine stations or shukuba post towns on the Nakasendo Road. It is the eighth Nakasendo station in Shiga (following Musa-juku in Omi-Hachiman).128 views
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Amid rain, the procession going back to Ozu Shrine.128 views
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Katsube Shrine torii.128 views
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Some 400 bundles of rapeseed hulls are used for the 12 torch heads. The torch head smells like tatami mat.127 views
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They all carry a shushi stick imprinted with "Prayer for family safety and health" (奉納勝部神社 家内安全 かない あんぜん).127 views
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127 views
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Both Katsube Shrine and Sumiyoshi Shrine hold a fire festival on the same day and same time so you cannot see both fire festivals on the same day.126 views
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Another Katsube Shrine torii.126 views
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The torches are about 5 meters long and weigh over 400 kg.125 views
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Marker indicating a boat landing at this street corner across from the shrine.124 views
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Unoke is the former home of the late Prime Minister Uno Sosuke. Now owned by the city, it has been renovated as an exhibition space and restaurant/cafe.123 views
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The torches are made of tree branches, bamboo, and straw from rapeseed hulls. Many people are involved in gathering the materials and making the torches.123 views
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Unfortunately, it later rained in the afternoon.121 views
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Biwako Ohashi Bridge as seen from Mt. Hiei.120 views
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Old Nakasendo Road and Dobashi Bridge. Supposedly, this is the bridge from where Hiroshige drew his print of Moriyama-juku.117 views
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They also danced in front of the shrine. For more info about the festival, call the shrine at 077-585-3380 (in Japanese).116 views
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Portable shrine114 views
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The festival is also called Naginata Matsuri (festival) and Naginata-furi held in Moriyama, Shiga. 長刀振り112 views
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Tenmangu Shrine110 views
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The festival got its start when the legendary Toyoki-iribiko-no-Mikoto crossed Lake Biwa from the west shore to Moriyama on a log raft to subjugate the eastern provinces. A local villager then offered him pickled carp caught in Lake Biwa as an offering.110 views
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Tenmangu Shrine109 views
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Inside Pieri Moriyama. It was in financial trouble due to competing megamalls in southern and eastern Shiga. Many stores closed. MAP109 viewsThe mall is being revived.
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Dobashi Bridge108 views
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Stone for safe childbirth107 views
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Fire truck and burnt torch.107 views
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Road marker. Go right for the Nakasendo Road. MAP106 views
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How spectacular can a pair of boys be, cutting up a fish? This festival always receives a lot of publicity on TV and newspapers, but I didn't see that many people attending. Not so many photographers either, although NHK TV was standing next to me.106 views
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Sumiyoshi Shrine is on the west side of JR Moriyama Station. This side has an area called "Fuke" written with the same kanji for "uwaki" (cheating on your partner).105 viewsI wonder what married couples think of living in this area...
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Tomon-in temple built by Buddhist Priest Saicho (Dengyo Daishi) to protect his Enryakuji temple on Mt. Hiei from demons from the east. 東門院103 views
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Marker for the Kabuto-ya inn99 views
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樹下神社99 views
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Rear of road marker98 views
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The festival ended quickly. A lot faster than the Katsube Shrine's Fire Festival held at the same time.97 views
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Mikoshi96 views
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Taming the firre.94 views
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Hiroshige's woodblock print of Moriyama-juku (68th post town on the Nakasendo) from his Kisokaido series. Tea houses in spring.94 views
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Pieri Moriyama, a new shopping mall near the lake shore.93 views
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Naginata odori dance93 views
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Mayor of Moriyama drinks the sake as Uno Osamu, one of Shiga's National Diet members, looks on.92 views
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Fire hydrant and hose just in case.91 views
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These boys are carrying a long sword called naginata. Later they will perform acrobatics (dance) with the naginata.91 views
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Great way to warm up.89 views
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First they moved the fish to the left side in unison. 88 views
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The naginata dance has been inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022 as one of Japan's furyu-odori (風流踊) ritual dances.88 views
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Monument indicating that Emperor Meiji worshipped here. 明治天皇遥拝88 views
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Not a spectacular view, but the lake can be seen.88 views
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All the while, the boys were heckled by men (mikoshi bearers) sitting on the steps in front. I didn't realize it then, but the heckling was part of the ceremony.87 views
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Within the shrine grounds is this monument indicating that legendary Emperor Jimmu worshipped here. 神武天皇遥拝87 views
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Pieri Moriyama's own boat dock.87 views
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View from Biwako Ohashi Bridge, 1.35 km long. The bus ride over the bridge from Moriyama to Katata takes about 36 min.87 viewsBiwako Ohashi Bridge also has a "melody road" with grooves on a 600m stretch of the bridge. When you drive over it, you can hear the melody for Biwako Shuko no Uta (Lake Biwa Rowing Song).
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Wearing hanagasa flower hats, the dancers performed here near the shrine before proceeding to Ozu Shrine. MAP87 views
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Flute players pose for a picture.87 views
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Mikoshi starts to leave.87 views
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Glad that this isn't a summer festival when all the flies would flock to this stink fish.86 views
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Kanko-no-Mai dance, a kind of lion dance. かんこの舞86 views
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Sumiyoshi Shrine torii. Notice the torches inside the shrine. 住吉神社 MAP85 viewsEvery Jan., both this shrine and Katsube Shrine light giant torches for the festival's climax. Unfortunately, you cannot see the festival at both shrines since they are held around the same time. Sumiyoshi Shrine's fire festival is smaller with fewer (six) torches which represent the head of the slain dragon.
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At times, the priest would give advice to the boy. 85 views
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The first cut. The knife is about 45 cm long and the chopsticks over 40 cm long.85 views
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Flower hat girls pose for a picture.85 views
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Before leaving Ozu Wakamiya Shrine, the boys performed their naginata dance which were more acrobatic than a dance.85 views
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More men light the torches. The straw ignited almosty immediateely and no kerosene was used.84 views
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The smell of the fish wafted through the air.84 views
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Local dignitaries attending the event. 84 views
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Sumiyoshi Shrine and the six giant torches.83 views
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Men in loincloths beat the wall in a building, then came out with small torches.83 views
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A red sake bowl is brought.82 views
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Sacred sake is served.82 views
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The shrne priest refuses another round of sake.82 views
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Sumiyoshi Shrine Fire Festival81 views
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Finally the main dish.81 views
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Oh yummy! Looks delicious. There are ten fish, but the boys cut only three fish during the ceremony. We could readily smell the fermented fish.81 views
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Wiping off their sweat.81 views
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Children's mikoshi make its way.81 views
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Before the torches burnt out completely, the men hauled away each torch one by one.80 views
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Sushikiri Matsuri festival started about 400 years ago.80 views
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Inside Shimoniikawa Shrine setup for the Sushikiri Matsuri held on May 4-5, but May 5 is the main event. The formal name of the festival is Omi-no-Kenketo Matsuri. 近江のケンケト祭.80 views
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A wooden cutting board with 10 funa-zushi each.80 views
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Plaza in front of Moriyama Station, west side. MAP80 views
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This Lake View room is a rest place.80 views
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Sitting in the front were the shrine priest, in red, and the man in black who was the chairman of the local neighborhood board 自治会長. The ceremony started at 12:30 pm.79 views
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First the two men are served various food and drink for a meal. Two young lads will cut funa-zushi fermented fish (crucian carp native to Lake Biwa) as an offering. The festival prays for abundant harvests and good health.79 views
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It takes 3 or 4 years to ferment the fish with salt and rice. It's Shiga's most famous delicacy. In the old days, it was common for people to make their own funa-zushi. Today, few make their own. Most buy it at the supermarket, fish shop, etc.79 views
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Then very stylishly, they wield their long metal chopsticks and a large knife to start cutting. Everything was done in unison between the two boys.79 views
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Naginata boys79 views
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Ozu Wakamiya Jinja Shrine torii. 小津若宮神社79 views
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The two local boys (age 14 and 15) arrive for the sushi-cutting ceremony.78 views
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The Sushikiri ceremony was over after about an hour. Then was the Naginata procession.78 views
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Biwako Ohashi Bridge as seen from Pieri Moriyama.78 views
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On the balcony of Pieri Moriyama.78 views
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Three mikoshi and two children's mikoshi are placed in front of the shrine to be blessed.78 views
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Head of torch. Different shape from Katsube Shrine's torches.77 views
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Torch stem77 views
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At Ozu Shrine, everyone went to worship upon arrival.77 views
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While ringing a bell, he provided the dance beat for the flower hat girls.77 views
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Back of the torch heads.76 views
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Sumiyoshi Shrine76 views
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The mikoshi portable shrines are taken out.76 views
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Some middle-aged (or older) men carry the mikoshi.76 views
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Naginata Festival Preservation Committee members.76 views
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Sumiyoshi Shrine and the six giant torches.75 views
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