oshio matsuri

As far as I could make out…

Everyone from the local area gathers together in and around a shrine conveniently located next to a large open area (and the hospital…) and has a bit of a jolly in the still-quite-hot autumn afternoon: food, music, games, more food.

Each neighbourhood has a team of young gents that limber up during the afternoon…

…in preparation for all hell breaking loose once it gets dark.

Each team has a large omikoshi carriage thing (but no wheels and no horses!) that weighs about 2 tonnes and must be carried out of the shrine, out into the large open and then used to try and nudge an opposing team into submission.

As you can see from this video clip, the crowd is right in there supporting their team, so it gets a bit hairy when the omikoshi suddenly launches itself in a particular direction: people have to try and scatter out of the way. It gets really interesting when you find yourself trapped between three of them all converging towards you!

and then the next day you’re back to seeing men with flashing beacons emplyed to safely guide you around completely fenced off road-workings…