The night before Tenjin Matsuri, Temmangu Shrine becomes a hive of activity in preparation for the main event.
We arrived in the area at around 7.30pm, and the roads surrounding the shrine were already packed, luckily it turned out the gates didn’t open until 8pm and we hadn’t missed anything. Heading as close to the main gate as possible, we waited for 8pm to arrive, and shuffled in with the rest of the eager crowd.
Inside Temmangu, there was so much happening, drummers and dancers performing, elaborate Mikoshi on display with crates of beer stacked in front of them as tribute and a real life cow – all of which will be in the parade tomorrow. As well as all the items related to tomorrow’s parade, the usual Matsuri staples were present also, food stands filling the air with delicious smells and the game stalls keeping the younger ones occupied.
Getting into Temmangu on Yomiya-sai was certainly worth the bustle and wait outside, it’s been the most diverse shrine event I’ve been to yet. A few more pics and video below!
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