Hiyoshi Taisha Sannō Festival

This colorful detailed painting illustrates the Hiyoshi Sannō shrine festival. Shintō deities associated with the Hiyoshi Taisha shrine are believed to protect nearby Mount Hiei, shown here in the third panel from the right. During the festival, participants carry seven consecrated mikoshi (portable shrines) to and from the shrine at Sakamoto, on the shore of nearby Lake Biwa, where they are loaded onto waiting skiffs together with the sacred shrine horses. A boat race ensues to the far side of the lake. This screen shows the race in progress, with the bell-shaped roofs of four lacquered mikoshi visible in the boats. Vibrant participants row the boats and beat drums while a crowd cheers them on from shore. The festival is still held today, from March 1 until the climax in mid-April.