Yasukuni Shrine – Searchlights

Two searchlights are casting beams of light above the grand Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo during the Miraitoterasu festival last month.

Tetzutsu Hanabi – Yasukuni Shrine

Last weekend was the stylish (and quite tiny) Miraitoterasu festival at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine and on both the Friday that saw the torrential rains and the mild Sunday there was a display of Tetzutsu Hanabi, handheld fireworks. I wrote a little on the history and art of Tetzutsu fireworks in this blog, so please have look! The Yasukuni event had I think 100 bundles, quite large. One person waited to pick it up while the other one lit it. After a good fire had started it would be picked up and pointed to the sky before going out in a big bang and a final burst of fire directed downwards. Few festivals are as colorful, loud and smelly as this one!

Yasukuni Shrine Miraitoterasu Light Up

During the three day Miraitoterasu festival at the Yasukuni Shrine in in Kudanshita district, central Tokyo, one of the museum buildings attached to the shrine was lit up by projection mapping showing the four seasons of the shrine. I must have been here a hundred times but I never tire seeing the shrine covered in cherry blossoms or autumn leaves.

Kaguramai – Sacred Dance – Yasukuni Shrine

The famous Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward had a very nice three day culture festival during the weekend and I was there to enjoy the display of traditional sacred dances, the Kaguramai (神楽舞). Each day had between one and two hours of a few sets of dances, performed by one to four dancers. Some of the dances were very rare and not something most people are likely to see even once in their lives here in Japan. Once again Yasukuni brings the most sacred of traditions to the general public, and free of charge as usual. Thank you, Yasukuni Shrine!