A exciting summer night festival of Enoshima

Enoden Train passing aside of Dashi festival float
Yoimiya [宵宮] is a general Japanese word that means a festival held on the eve of main festival.
In Tennosai, Shinkosai main festival is held on 2nd Sunday of July normally, so Yoimiya is held on the evening of 2nd Saturday of July.
The venue is divided into 2 places, Enoshima Island and the shopping street in Koshigoe neighboring town and different events are held in each venue.

Festival guide and timeline

  • "Machinagashi" Bon dance by local ladies and "Dashi" (wooden festival float) parade are held at Koshigoe Shopping Street from 18:00.
  • Both dance parade and float parade goes to Koyurugi Jinja Shrine to worship there.
  • "Ohayashi" (Japanese traditional festival music band) parade goes to Enoshima Jinja Shrine via Nakamise Street slope from Higashimachi in eastside of the island from 19:00.
  • Ohayashi parade worship to Yasaka Jinja Shrine at specially enshrined at Red Torii gate of Enoshima Jinja Shrine during the festival period.

In Koshigoe Shopping Street venue

18:00 in the street

Local ladeies wearing Kimono dance at the street in Koshigoe.
When a train approaching, the dance teams are give way to train."Machi-nagashi" Bon dance (hundreds of local ladies wearing a kimono dance in the street) begins in Koshigoe Shopping Street.
A color and design of Kimono uniform is different by the district of the town.
The street that will be the festival's venue will be closed to the car. But Enoden train continue to operate normally during the festival. So, when a train approaches, the dancing ladies are give way and see off the train.
A color and design of Kimono is different by the district. Enoden train passing aside of the ladies while dancing.

19:30 in the street

Dashi festival float appearing on the street in Koshigoe.
After Machi-nagashi Bon dance time, "Dashi" (wooden festival float) that decorated with the illuminations, appearing on the street. These Dashi march to Koyurugi Jinja shrine while often spinning round on the way.
Because of Enoden train passes while on the festival, the scene that a Dashi often makes way is seen.
Dashi float spinning round in the alley. Enoden train passing aside of Dashi float.
The dashi float is able to spin. The people who jioin the festival seeing off a train.

In Enoshima Island venue

Mikoshi of Yasaka Jinja shrine placed in front of Zuishinmon tower gate.
Local children carries small size mikoshi and parade the street.During the festival period, a special temporary shrine for the festival is built in the red Torii gate of Enoshima Jinja Shrine.
Also at the island side end of the bridge, there is a special banner that shows that the festival is being held.

17:30 at the front of Red Torii gate

Local children carries small size mikoshi and parade the street.In front of Red Torii gate of Enoshima Jinja Shrine (at the end of Nakamise Street slope), "Kodomo-mikoshi" (Mikoshi portable shrine carried by local children) goes down and up in crowded Nakamise Street.

19:00 at Higashimachi alley

Team of Ohayashi music bands walks slowly in the alley.
At the alley in Higashimachi town in Enoshima Island, Enoshima Hayashi (festival music band by residents) parade depart the town and go to Nakamise Street slowly.
A tone of sorrow sounds of traditional music echoing in the quiet night town.
Musical instruments of Ohayashi are composed of flute [笛], drum [太鼓], shamisen [三味線], bell [鐘], trumpet [ラッパ] etc.
A Ohayashi band to show off dance in the alley. Ohayashi music band team passing through the alley.

20:00 at Nakamise Street

Ohayashi music bands goes to the shrine.
When the parade of the Ohayashi band teams arrived at the green torii gate that stands Nakamise Street in Enoshima Island, they will walk slowly while playing the traditional "Ohayashi" music toward the shrine on the sloping road.
Because the row of the Ohayashi will walk very very slowly, it is around 1 hour after that the back of the row goes through the torii gate and enters the street.
Two large Chochin lanterns stand at the top of the row. Ohayashi music band often stops on the slope and shows music.
A row of Ohayashi goes slowly between tourists returning home. Local people welcoming the Ohayashi band.
A scene of a slope covered with Japanese traditional sight, such as people wearing kimonos and Chochin lanterns The end of the row passing through the Torii gate.
The people who join the festival visit the shrine. When the "Ohayashi" parade arrive at the end of Nakamise Street slope, worship to Yasaka Jinja Shrine by every Ohayashi team.
Special shrine for the festival is stands in front of the gate. Participants praying for the safety of the next day's main festival

21:30 at Nakamise Street near red Torii gate

Ohayashi music band goes down the slope.
Around 21:30, the teams of Ohayashi band starts again a parade to leave the shrine and go down Nakamise Street.
The harsh atmosphere of the outward trip has changed completely. The participants sing and dance lively and go down the slope at night.
The return trip of Ohayashi music band.
Children singing and dancing. People singing and dancing lively on the slopes of the night.
Yoimiya evening festival of Enoshima Tennosai festival.

Around 23:00 in front of green Torii gate

The last event of Yoimiya evening festival of Enoshima Tennosai.
The team of Ohayashi band who came down the slope and gathered in front of the green Torii gate, once it is divided into 4 directions and repeat the movement which hits towards the center many times. It seems like a wave of the sea.
The evening festival is over in this way, but that fervor will continue to the main festival of the next day.
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