Isono Jinja, Saijo City, Ehime
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愛媛県西条市内 伊曽乃神社
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October 15th and 16th
10月15日・16日
Tourism Promotion Section, Saijo City
+81-897-56-5151
西条市観光振興課/0897-56-5151
Isono Jinja Reitaisai (Isono Shrine Annual Festival) is one of the largest festivals in the Saijo Festival. More than 80 Danjiri (decorative festival floats) and Mikoshi (portable shrines) are dedicated to this luxurious and gorgeous festival. The most fantastic view is of each carriage, lit by more than 100 lanterns, parading past the street stalls from midnight until daybreak.
This two-day festival starts from “Miyadashi” on October 15th every year, and ends with “Miyairi” on the evening of the 16th. The “Miyadashi” comprise more than 80 carriages of Danjiri and Mikoshi gathered from the precincts and dedicated late at night. The “Mikoshi” for this festival is a drum carriage decorated with gold and silver embroidered cushions and is different from the Mikoshi that carries Shinto gods. The Mikoshi that carries Shinto god is called “Goshin-yo” for this Isono Shrine Festival. A Saijo Danjiri is large and has two or three storied platforms with railings, and stunning carvings. Weighing 1 ton, it is a fantastic site to see the Danjiri coming up the stone steps to join together at the shrine. When the sun rises, the splendid decorations on the Danjiri and Mikoshi are clearly visible. The highlight in the morning is at the site of the jinya (the regional government office) called Gotenmae. The line of the Danjiri reflected on the surface of the moat is overwhelming.
The Danjiri line moves to the Kamo River by the evening, a gathering that marks the finale. The Danjiri line along the bank of the river to see the Mikoshi crossing the river returning to Isono Shrine. The scene is quite distinct and spectacular. In the river, more than 10 Danjiri surround the Mikoshi returning to the shrine. They walk around the Mikoshi and splash water. This, the final performance, is the climax of the festival in the water town.
西条祭りで最大の規模を誇るのが伊曽乃神社例大祭。80台余りのだんじり・みこしが奉納される豪華絢爛な祭りで、深夜から夜明けまで百以上の提灯を灯して屋台が練り歩く姿が幻想的である。
例年10月15日の“宮出し”に始まり16日夕方の“宮入り”まで2日にわたって行われる。“宮出し”は深夜に奉納される80台以上の“だんじり”・“みこし”が神輿を迎えに境内に集まる。ここでいう“みこし”は金銀刺繍の座布団で飾られた太鼓台の事を指し、神が載る“神輿”とは異なる。この祭りでは、神の乗る“神輿”は区別して“ごしんよ”と呼ばれる。西条のだんじりは2段3段の欄干を持つ大型のもので、見事な彫刻が施されている。重さ1トン近いだんじりが、石段を上がり一堂に集まる姿は幻想的かつ迫力のある光景である。日が昇ると、だんじり・みこしの装飾がはっきり見え、豪華絢爛な様子が見られる。御殿前と呼ばれる陣屋跡は午前中の見所で、堀の水面に姿を映しながら進むだんじりの行列が圧巻である。
行列は夕方にかけて、加茂川に一同に集まりフィナーレを迎える。川をわたって伊曽乃神社に帰る神輿を見送りにきただんじりが、土手に並ぶ姿は壮観で、川の中では神社に向かう神輿を10台あまりのだんじりが取り囲み、水しぶきを挙げながら練り歩く、水の都にふさわしいクライマックスを迎え、祭りが終了する。