Matsue’s summer highlight, the Shinto-based Tenjin Festival, took place at Shirakata Tenmangu Shrine on July 24 and 25. This festival honours SUGAWARA Michizane, the god of literature and calligraphy. During this vibrant event, local communities come together to console the god’s spirits. The shrine area was bustling with numerous stalls, attracting throngs of people, mainly teenagers, who eagerly immersed themselves in the festive atmosphere even before the event began, reminiscent of Harajuku’s Takeshita Street in Tokyo.
On the evening of the first day, about 500 bearers wearing happi coats and chanting ‘soiya-sa’ carried portable shrines from Shirakata to Shirakata Tenmangu Shrine. The parade, featuring six portable shrines representing various companies, a women’s team known as gal mikoshi, and the main shrine from the Tenjin-machi district, drew a large crowd of spectators, including the teenagers, despite the muggy summer weather. The Tenjin Festival is an annual event held on July 24 and 25, commemorating the death anniversary of SUGAWARA Michizane.
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