Traditional divine wedding ceremony

I went to Turugaoka Hachimangu, the largest and most famous shrine in Kamakura.
It was founded when the capital of Japan was in Kamakura over 1000 years ago.
There is a big red gate called torii, and this is the beginning.
Gatekeepers, fictional animals, sit and guard on both sides.


The road from here to the main hall is called Dankazura.


I saw a couple of weddings on this day as it was a auspicious day.
The wedding procession has begun from the road leading to Turugaoka Hachimangu.
The first two people got a wedding, followed by relatives and friends.


There was also a dedicated photographer who took pictures of the wedding.






There is a main hall ahead of this red big Torii.


The lower building is the Maiden, and the upper one is the main building called Honden.
The wedding will be held at Maiden.


It is a place to clean hands and mouth before the worship.


The another wedding had already begun at the red-painted Miden hall.


The bride and the priest and various tools used in the ceremony

People who play Gagaku

The golden pot possessed by the shrine maiden contains divine sake


A pledge of vows


The golden pot possessed by the shrine maiden contains divine sake




Saisi who performs the ceremony and Maiden






People who play Gagaku


The priest wore something like a wooden shoe


The wedding was over without delay and the bride left.


The groom and the bride were smiling with Seiji who went to the ceremony


Groom and bride


congratulations


The main hall is on the top of the stone steps from Maiden.


It is Maiden and Torii that I looked down from the main hall.


Reference : Turugaoka Hatimangu

Fox wedding procession（KITUNE NO YOMEIRI)

I went to see the fox wedding procession of Tsugawa in Aga Town, Niigata Prefecture.

It was reproduced on the basis of folklore from the days when it was believed long ago that foxes would turn people.

A long time ago, there were foxes on Mt. Kirin , and every night the voice of the foxes were heard, and it was told that fox fire was seen.
The incidence of fox fire in Tsugawa was said to be the best in the world, and there were many stories related to fox in Mt. Kirin.
In old-fashioned Japan, marrying took place at night, and the process was done by lowering the embankment in the dark.
It is said that the light of this banklight looks like a fox, and the fox wedding procession has been born.

At 5:00 pm, the bride procession began with the little foxes at the top. The members of the procession were all making foxes.
Finally, the bride and groom crossed the river, got on the boat and went back to Mt. Kirin on the other side.
It is an event in the world of a fairy tale, so to speak, it may be interesting to see the appearance of good old Japanese costumes and vehicles.

The town was full of tourists with foxes makeup.


The police officers were also foxes.


The procession has finally arrived. The top was the children foxes.


Officials and female officials followed. The female officers have good habits. Everyone wore the kimono.


The maidens continued as well.


The protagonist of the bride is acting on the fox. It is said that it is a person chosen by the public offering from the person getting married this year.


Lady officers came. The basket continued to carry people next. In old Japan, people with high status got on the basket.


Young servants followed.


Men in the post were also well suited.


Everyone was serious expression.


There was such a cute baby fox.


The camera moved along with the protagonist bride.


It was a bride who turned into a fox.


Wedding ceremony. The elder's narrator's narrator of the facilitator led the procession of fantasy and it was quite good.


The bride and groom took the boat and went to the fantastic Mt. Kirin. Completed successfully.


Reference : Fox wedding procession