Wanted. Volunteers to help organize festival or bear mikoshi for Kitsunezakiinari shrine March 16,17

JEN is going to volunteer to help Kitsunezakiinari shrine at Higashihama hold a festival as its reconstruction support on March 16 and 17, 2012. JEN hopes that not only men who have the physical strength to carry a portable shrine but women will be joining us.




Why don't we help the community members in Higashihama who are making self-help efforts toward recovery with pumping up the festival? At the end of the festival, naorai 1(feast) will be held together with the community members. JEN and the community members look forward to your participation in naorai.

1. Naorai is an event that is held at the conclusion of a festival at the shrine where everyone who assembled for the Shinto ritual is made to drink sacred sake and eat the sacred food (a ritual to share drink and food).

The volunteer work will be as follows:
1. The work includes setting up the festival site, cleaning the precincts of the shrine, arranging mikoshi and labarums, carrying mikoshi etc at the Kitsunezakihamainari shrine.
2. The festival days are from Saturday April 16 to Sunday 17, 2013.
3. Please participate in clothes that you won't bother getting dirty, boots, carrying a rain cape, cotton work gloves and rubber gloves with you.
4. Applications will be accepted via JEN's website. Please check the notes on joining JEN volunteer carefully before application. Applications must be submitted by 18:00 on Saturday, March 9, 2013.

Kitsunezakiinari shrine festival in Higashihama district

The mikoshi, which features Kitsunezakiinari shrine festival, has a history dating back as many as 300 years. But the number of persons who bear that mikoshi is on the decline lately due to a declining population. Last year's disaster spurred the depopulation and that makes it more difficult to ensure enough persons who organize the festival or carry the mikoshi. Although it's expected that young people from neighboring fishery villages come for help, volunteers from outside are really helpful in pumping up the festival.

Click here for more information about JEN's activities on the Oshika Peninsula
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