The Sumiyoshi Festival
involves sacred mikoshi palanquins — essentially portable shrines — of Osaka’s Sumiyoshi-taisha shrine, which travel about 7 km to Otabisho, the temporary shrine in Shukuin, Sakai, to ward off summer epidemics. These folding screens, in the style of the early Edo Period, depict the lively festival held in the city of Sakai, where merchant houses stand side by side.
Festival of Sumiyoshi Shrine / Left screen ＊Important cultural property of Sakai (17th century (Edo period))Original Source: Sakai City Museum
Left screen
Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine is on the top left.
Starting from the shrine, which is in Osaka, procession of the sacred palanquins are heading off to Sakai.
Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine
Sumiyoshi-taisha is worshipped as the god of safe sea travel.
As Sakai has prospered near the sea, people there are devout believers in the shrine.
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Now-existing main inner shrines of Sumiyoshi-taisha
Festival of Sumiyoshi Shrine / Left screen ＊Important cultural property of Sakai (17th century (Edo period))Original Source: Sakai City Museum
Sacred mikoshi palanquins
Four palanquins are leaving the precinct of the shrine.
The first one is about to finish crossing the arched bridge.
The second one is at the gate.
Chief priest
The person on the white horse under the torii gate is the chief priest of Sumiyoshi-taisha.
Dressed in a black robe with a gold pattern, he has an air of dignity about him.
Horse attendants
Horse attendants are showing off their conspicuous uniform.
Monks and Priests
On the horses preceding the chief priest are two monks from the Jinguji Temple and two priests from Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine.
We can see how the procession was like in the times Shinto and Buddhism were syncretized.
Sarutahiko
The head of the procession is the person with a long nose mask as Sarutahiko.
Falconer and Street vendor
On the roadside, the falconer of the Sumiyoshi-taisha, with his eyebrows raised, is issuing a warning to a street vendor about something.
The vendor is trying to make a good excuse.
Festival of Sumiyoshi Shrine / Right screen ＊Important cultural property of Sakai (17th century (Edo period))Original Source: Sakai City Museum
Right screen
The town of Sakai is depicted.
Townspeople parade through the streets in various costumes to welcome the gods of Sumiyoshi.
Merchant houses
Sakai was facing the sea on the west side and surrounded by a moat on the other three sides.
On this screen the moat on the north side and the wooden gate are shown.
Inside the moat are many kinds of merchant houses standing side by side.
Pharmacy and Pawn shop
The shop with a lot of hanging triangular bags is a pharmacy.
The curtain with a picture of a drawstring bag probably indicates a pawn shop.
Thread shop
At the thread shop, three women are braiding threads.
Horo warriors (Samurai warrior with balloon-like cloak)
Some townspeople are dressed as horo warriors.
Though horo were originally used in battles for protecting the wearer from shot arrows, those in this painting are customized for the festival ornaments.
Viewers on boats
The town of Sakai was facing the sea at the time.
People on the boat are viewing the parade.
Among the people parading down the street along the beach are townsmen dressed as Europeans.
Big merchant houses
The parade is making a turn at a merchant’s house with a noren that shows the emblem of a fan, and is heading to the Otabisho, the temporary shrine.
Otabisho Shrine
At the Otabisho shrine, the fundraising sumo match is being held, gathering spectators.
There are men approaching women on the street.
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Now-existing Otabisho Shrine (Shukuin Tongu) in Sakai
Sakai City Museum https://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/yoyakuanai/bunrui/bunka/hakubutukan/hakubutsukan.html