Autumn Festival

　　The annual autumn festival was held for three days in my hometown. It might be the counterpart of Thanksgiving in western countries. The guardian deity of the town usually stays in the shrine, but the deity makes the neighborhood tour during the festival riding on the Mikoshi, the portable shrine. He moves to the portable shrine from his home and drops in at newly-built houses, newcomers' houses, and several places set for prayer. The bearers of the portable shrine have to work from early morning to late at night. My daughter went our in the early morning for taking care of them, mainly for their meals. I'd like to join them, but I wasn't able to leave my office. The picture was shot at the nearest prayer site from my house. Look at the picture. They are setting the offerings to the deity before the priest's prayer.

お祭り

今年もお祭りのシーズンがやって来た。西洋の収穫祭に当たるだろうか。通常は神社の中に鎮座する町の守り神がこのときだけは神輿に乗り移り町内を巡る。新築の家、新しく町内へ転入してきた人たちの家、また町内のあちこちで立ち止まり、住民のために神主が祝詞を上げる。神輿の担ぎ手は早朝から深夜まで忙しい。娘はその方々の食事の世話などに早朝から出かけたが僕は勤務のためそうはいかない。こういうイベントには参加しなければつまらないのだが。写真は我が家の近くでの神事の風景。