The Kazusa Junisha Festival showcased its rich heritage at Tsurigasaki Beach, featuring nine portable shrines, a sacred procession, and lively community spirit. Published on By Under the vast blue sky, the coastline of Kujukuri Beach seems to stretch endlessly. Every year on September 13, young men and women dash along the shore, carrying portable shrines ( ) in a lively race.
It is part of the sacred procession of the Kazusa Junisha Festival. The festival is held at in the town of Ichinomiya in Chiba Prefecture, a famous surfing destination and the site of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic surfing events. The Kazusa Junisha Festival is believed to have originated from the legendary arrival of the goddess Tamayorihime, the deity of Tamasaki Shrine, who is said to have come ashore at Tsurigasaki.
According to the tale, the deities of her family gather here once a year. The festival is believed to have begun in 807 CE, giving it a history of over 1,200 years. Known as the oldest seaside ritual on the Boso Peninsula, it features nine brought from shrines within and outside the town.
"Even if spears fall from the sky or a typhoon comes, the festival is always held on September 13. One year, we carried on despite a typhoon," said Kazunori Morita, chief of the Tamasaki Shrine's representative council. "We went to the sea and shouted, 'Don’t you dare wash the away!'" Amidst the lingering summer heat, the , having left their respective shrines, made their way toward the sea.
The from Tamasaki.
