 Most viewed - Ichinomiya 一宮町 |
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. 782 views
|
|
One great thing about this hadaka matsuri is that there are women as well. Most hadaka matsuri have only men.362 views
|
|
Women too, while they are careful to prevent any nip slips.353 views
|
|
Kazusa Junisha Matsuri Festival, Ichinomiya, Chiba on Sept. 13, 2009.313 views
|
|
Festival girls posing for me. They love the attention.290 views
|
|
|
Tossing the mikoshi into the air.279 views
|
|
275 views
|
|
264 views
|
|
257 views
|
|
To the beach and water.234 views
|
|
The men covered their bellies, while the women covered their bellies and chests.199 views
|
|
179 views
|
|
The portable shrines begin to leave Tamasaki Shrine.178 views
|
|
They give a few cheers before they started running on the beach.178 views
|
|
Kazusa-Ichinomiya Station on the JR Sotobo Line.168 views
|
|
From 7 pm, the mikoshi started returning to Tamasaki Shrine. At 8 pm, the god's spirit in the mikoshi was returned to the shrine.162 views
|
|
PR poster for Kazusa Junisha Matsuri.159 views
|
|
Women standing by to pull the mikoshi.157 views
|
|
A stampede.156 views
|
|
154 views
|
|
A portable shrine leaves Tamasaki Shrine.151 views
|
|
The mikoshi arrive on the beach.151 views
|
|
They run on the beach while carrying the mikoshi.151 views
|
|
Here they come.144 views
|
|
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.141 views
|
|
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.138 views
|
|
They are cheering and shouting throughout.134 views
|
|
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.133 views
|
|
More women in fashionable clothing to pull a mikoshi.130 views
|
|
On the beach. Good spot for surfing as well.129 views
|
|
Love these women running and pulling the mikoshi.129 views
|
|
Sacred dance at the Kaguraden by Sarutahiko.128 views
|
|
128 views
|
|
Women waved fans.128 views
|
|
Sacred horse127 views
|
|
|
|
125 views
|
|
124 views
|
|
Tamasaki Shrine torii123 views
|
|
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.123 views
|
|
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.123 views
|
|
One of the child horse riders.122 views
|
|
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).122 views
|
|
My YouTube video of the Kazusa Junisha Matsuri in 2009. Watch them in the water and the girls waving fans.122 views
|
|
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121 views
|
|
They head for Tsurigasaki Beach, where the torii is.121 views
|
|
In the water, maybe ankle deep. But the waves made it knee-deep.121 views
|
|
The beginning of the procession consists of a few portable shrines pulled by children.120 views
|
|
|
|
120 views
|
|
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.119 views
|
|
Child rider leaving Tamasaki Shrine.119 views
|
|
One child horse rider arrives.119 views
|
|
More mikoshi arrive.119 views
|
|
118 views
|
|
117 views
|
|
117 views
|
|
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.116 views
|
|
The mikoshi start to gather for a ceremony.116 views
|
|
116 views
|
|
115 views
|
|
They prop up the mikoshi before carrying it toward the ceremony place.115 views
|
|
115 views
|
|
115 views
|
|
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.114 views
|
|
The sacred horse and child riders soon join the procession as they leave Tamasaki Shrine.113 views
|
|
Tsurigasaki Kaigan beach is where they believe the gods arrive. 釣ケ先海岸113 views
|
|
113 views
|
|
It's amazing that no one tripped and fell.112 views
|
|
112 views
|
|
Child horse rider sits on a bunch of soft cushions on the horse.111 views
|
|
111 views
|
|
A procession departs Tamasaki Shrine at 1 pm, led by Sarutahiko.110 views
|
|
110 views
|
|
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.110 views
|
|
110 views
|
|
Back on land.110 views
|
|
I kept shooting their backs. Next time, I'll try to shoot more faces.110 views
|
|
110 views
|
|
109 views
|
|
Great spectacle, especially with women included. Great idea to allow women in the festival.109 views
|
|
Sometimes they tossed the mikoshi up.109 views
|
|
They then ran with the portable shrine. They will run while carrying the shrine to the beach several kilometers away.108 views
|
|
Shrine priest arrive on horseback. He looked very weary. It was a hot day too.108 views
|
|
108 views
|
|
108 views
|
|
Returning to land.108 views
|
|
The boy looked thrilled to be riding at full speed. Very bumpy though.108 views
|
|
107 views
|
|
107 views
|
|
You could go in front of them to shoot their faces, but the water would be deeper.107 views
|
|
The sacred horse arrive in town.107 views
|
|
They tossed the mikoshi into the air a few times.106 views
|
|
106 views
|
|
Very jovial and noisy.105 views
|
|
105 views
|
|
They kept waving their fans and cheering in the water.105 views
|
|
All the mikoshi headed for the torii.105 views
|
|
Then the mikoshi sped by one after another.105 views
|
|
105 views
|
|
105 views
|
|
105 views
|
|
Everyone is yelling and cheering.104 views
|
|
104 views
|
|
The mikoshi start to gather for a ceremony as they all run at full speed.103 views
|
|
After the ceremony, they head for the water.103 views
|
|
103 views
|
|
103 views
|
|
It would take them about an hour to get back to town.103 views
|
|
Shrine priest arrives.103 views
|
|
From 6 pm, they paraded the mikoshi on the main road near Tamasaki Shrine.103 views
|
|
Like on the beach, they wave fans and cheer.103 views
|
|
102 views
|
|
102 views
|
|
102 views
|
|
101 views
|
|
The next spectacle was them running through the torii on the beach.101 views
|
|
101 views
|
|
Making way for the horses.101 views
|
|
100 views
|
|
More horses arrive.99 views
|
|
98 views
|
|
First were the horses galloping through. Each horse was guided by two men running alongside.93 views
|
|
93 views
|
|
93 views
|
|
|
|
|
