Shinmachi Matsuri Festival

A festival of Shinmachi Daijingu Shrine, Shinmachi Matsuri features a large lion dance called "Takami-jishi," which parades through the streets. Takami is a bamboo or wisteria sieve used by farmers to separate grains from husks and dust. In Shinmachi, the idea for the lion head was reputedly born when two takami sieves piled up resembled one. Made up of all the shrine parishioners to pray for the year's good harvest, the teams go from door to door accompanied by drums, and make the lions click their teeth in rhythm. A children's sumo wrestling tournament is held at the shrine, too. Shinmachi is lively and full of excitement on this day.