2014/08/25
[a parade of ancient boats]
Period: September 1st, Monday – September 3rd, Wednesday
[Mifune Festival is the Shinto ritual, boats boarding portable shrine cross the river, lake and sea.]
Kashima Shrine dedicated to Takenikazuchi-no-kami as deity of martial arts and success.
It is known as Hitachi-no-kuni Ichinomiya which means the highest shrine rank in a province or prefecture.
Many festivals are held at Kashima Shrine. Especially, Mifune Festival, which is celebrated on the Year of the Horse, every 12 years.Mifune
A fleet of vessels boarding a portable shrine raised Bunrei [it is indicates both the process of division of a Shinto kami to be re-enshrined somewhere else, and the divided spirit which is the result of the division.] of Takemikazuchi-no-kami goes to Katozu sandbank in Katori City, Chiba prefecture through the Ichi-no-torii gate by waterway, it goes back to Kashima after it received welcome from a fleet of vessels on boarding Shinto priests of Katori Shrine.
This festival is just magnificent Water Festival.
Takemikazuchi-no-kami of Kashima Shrine and Futsunoshi-no-kami of Katori Shrine appears in mythology written in chronicles of Japan, too. They are said to both the brave god of war.
In Mifune Festival two Gods who are deeply linked from ancient times have a reunion on the water.
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For the held Mifune Festival, Ichi-no-torii gate was built as a torii in water accordance with the ancient design.
Usually, to see this torii gate at close quarters is difficult for us, however, a plan to lengthen a pier from the land to the tori gate is in progress for this coming big festival.
An Omikoshi with O-gami (great god) is leave from land to lake passing through splendid red tori gate. You can watch the scene only once in twelve years. You may see the precious scene at close in this festival.
Please come to see the stately big festival which has a long unbroken history from the ancient time to the present time.
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Perid |
from September 1st , Monday to September 3rd, Wednesday n September 1st , Monday Annual Festival Chochinmachi, Shinko Festival n September 2nd Tuesday The Big Shinto celebration of shikinen, Mifune Festival n September 3rd Wednesday Angu Festival, Kanko Festival |
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Place |
Kashima Shrine and surrounding area Address : 2306-1, Miyachu, Kashima City, 314-0031 |
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Transportation |
【Car】approx.15 minutes drive from Itako IC of Higashi-Kanto EXPY 【Train】approx. 10 minutes by walk from Kashima Jingu station of JR Kashima Line
On September 2nd, “Kashima jingu Mifune Festival extra train” will run from Tokyo station to Kshima jingu station.
[If you need more information, please contact JR East Japan Railway Company Chiba. |
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Parking |
Daiichi Parking … ordinary vehicle 53 cars , mini vehicle 7 cars, bus 4 cars Daini Parking … ordinary vehicle 40 cars , large sized vehicle 5 cars |
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Inquiry |
Kashima Jingu Shrine Office TEL: 0299-82-1209 Kashima City Tourism Association TEL: 0299-82-7730 WEB SITE : http://www.kashimajingu.jp/ |