Golden Huashan Longjin Festival, Dragon (Snake) Dance Votive Service

A festival to thank the gods for the new harvest. In conjunction with the "Niiname-sai," a festival of gratitude for the new harvest held at the shrine, the first fruits harvested from the shrine's rice fields are loaded onto two portable carts weighing 7 tons and 2 tons, along with locally produced products from Shiogama, as about 600 parishioners pull the carts along a 1.5 km path to the shrine, chanting "Enya, Enya." Image provided by Shiwahiko Shrine and Shiogama Shrine.

At an ancient shrine with over 1000 years of history, the deity enshrined is Mizuhayame no Mikoto, the goddess of water. It is said that the golden snake, forged by Sanjo Kaji Munekata in the Heian period, serves as the sacred body, and the deity is revered for its miraculous powers in business, wealth, and protection from misfortune. In early May, visitors can enjoy 1,300 peonies and azaleas in the adjacent peony garden, while wisteria flowers bloom within the shrine grounds. From mid-May, the peony garden will be in full bloom.

One of the great festivals of spring, which gorgeously color the city of the forest, which shines on the new green. It originated from the Sendai clan's largest festival, "Sendai Matsuri", which began in the Edo period (1655), and has been known as a festival for many mountain harshers to work around. In 1985, 350 years after the death of Date Masamune, it was revived as the "Sendai/Aoba Festival", a festival for citizens. It is held every year on the third Sunday of May and the previous day for two days, and is now established as one of the three Sendai festivals. Traditional performing arts "Sendai Suzume Odori" and a period of time-e-maki are performed on the venue, including Jozenji Street, where the new green line of zelkova trees is beautiful. Image courtesy: Sendai/Aoba Festival