Regarded as Japan’s lengthiest traditional festival, the Daradara Matsuri, whose name means ‘never-ending’ or ‘to kill time’ in Japanese, will be held at Shiba Daijingu Shrine for 11 days this September. Dating from the Edo period (1603-1868), the festival was popularised by the locals back then who wanted to pray to the Ise gods for a good harvest but couldn’t afford to make the pilgrimage to Ise Shrine in Mie prefecture.
As a shrine dedicated to the gods of Ise, the local Shiba Daijingu quickly gained popularity for its easy accessibility. And in order to accommodate as many devotees as possible, the shrine eventually extended the festival period to what it is today.
The highlight of the festival is the combined procession of 15 portable mikoshi floats, which starts at 2pm on September 15 along Daimon-dori Avenue near Daimon Station.