If you plan to visit Miyajima (Island) on the 25th of August, we would recommend to go there in the evening:
On Aug 25th, you will see many Miyajima islanders carring their Tanomo boats. These boats will be
purified at Momiji dani and then released to float on the sea. This custom is performed to ensure a good harvest.
It will be a beautiful and interesting event. You should not miss it!
Date: Aug 25th. 2014
Place: Shinomiya Shrine (Momijidani Park) - Itsukushima Shrine
Time:from 8PM
Origin
It used to be the common belief in Miyajima that the whole island was holy, and that the cultivation of the land was not allowed. There was a strict prohibition of agriculture, industry, weaving by machine, and putting the ‘Oinari’ Fox statue on the island. After the Meiji restoration, islanders lived by forestry, harvesting and carving the wood to make souvenirs, marketing them to earn a living. Islanders had very strong feelings of gratitude toward the agricultural products, even beyond our imagination. They built the Tanomo boat to express their feelings and put in dumpling dolls (rice balls coated with sweet red bean paste), fruits, and other offerings, then let the boats float across the water to Oinari in Ono cho where some agricultural products were grown. The feelings were mutual ever since, and this has been the folk custom of Minami Machi.
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