On Sunday I followed the Hiyoshi Sanno Festival as it meandered around Matsushima. I found them by following the sound of drums and chanting. Sparrow dancers from Sendai danced energetically while many men in white whirled and lurched a portable shrine around the downtown area.
It is an unusual festival, as it is a Shinto festival to bless and protect the Buddhist Zuiganji Temple, but the lines between religions aren't so hard here in Japan.
The Hiyoshi Sanno Festival takes place each year on the third Sunday of April.
Getting there
Five minute walk from Matsushima-kaigan Station.
Roger Smith @roger.smith
Roger was inspired to move to Tohoku following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami to help support the recovery. He worked with the Town of Matsushima to make it easier for foreign travelers to visit and later was the inaugural editor for Visit Miyagi. When in Tohoku you might just find him catching ...
