Kotohiki Hachimangū Taisai

The Kotohiki Hachimangū Taisai is the grand autumn festival held every October at Kotohiki Hachimangū in Kan'onji, Kagawa Prefecture. As the annual festival of the ancient Kotohiki Hachimangū, which sits on Mt. Kotohiki overlooking the Seto Inland Sea, it is beloved as a spirited celebration coloring autumn in Kan'onji.

The stars of the festival are the magnificent and ornate drum-floats called "chōsa." Adorned with hanging curtains embroidered in gold thread, the chōsa are hoisted by large numbers of bearers to the rousing chant of "chōsa ja." The "kakikurabe," in which several chōsa gather together to compete in strength and skill, raises the crowd's excitement to its peak. The sight of men lifting the heavy drum-floats high aloft is overwhelming.

Kotohiki Hachimangū is an ancient shrine enshrining Hachiman, the guardian deity of the sea, and a scenic spot also known for the gigantic "Kan'ei Tsūhō" coin-shaped sand drawing rendered on the sands of Ariake Beach spreading below. Held under the mild climate of the Seto Inland Sea to give thanks in the harvest autumn, this grand festival conveys the drum-float culture rooted in western Kagawa and the festival traditions of a region nurtured by both sea and mountain.