Built almost a thousand years ago during the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333), the Shishikui Yasaka Shrine, alongside the Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto and Nunakuma Shrine in Hiroshima prefecture, is considered one of Japan’s three great Gion shrines.

This shrine also hosts the Shishikui Gion festival, held annually in July. During this festival, locals parade through the town of Shishikui pulling a sekibune, a large portable boat-shaped shrine, and three danjiri, smaller portable wooden shrines.

The ceremony is centered around the local children, and various traditional performing arts, including the traditional dances sakiyari-no-mai, the yatsuhashi-no-mai and the shishimai, are dedicated by the local children at the main shrine during the ceremony.

On the evening of the first night, night stalls line the road in front of the shrine and a fireworks display is also set off.

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The shrine can be accessed via car, or via a 5 minute walk from the Shishikui Station. Check out the town’s tourism website for the latest information about the shrine and festival.