Held in the beautifully preserved Edo-period port of Tomonoura, this autumn festival features elaborately decorated mikoshi (portable shrines) paraded through streets that have barely changed in centuries. Local fishermen and townspeople don traditional happi coats and carry the shrine down to the waterfront in a dramatic sea blessing ritual. The festival reflects Tomonoura's long history as one of Japan's most celebrated harbor towns, famously inspiring Studio Ghibli's 'Ponyo'.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Matsuri
- Season
- Autumn
- Month
- October
- Region
- Chugoku
- Prefecture
- Hiroshima
- City
- Fukuyama
Highlights
- ◆Mikoshi procession through Edo-era townscape
- ◆Waterfront sea-blessing ceremony
- ◆Traditional taiko drumming performances
- ◆Historic Tomonoura harbor as backdrop
- ◆Local seafood stalls along the port