Traditional festival gathers tourists
 

Traditional festival gathers tourists

Shinto priests performed ancient music at sea in a time-honored festival at Itsukushima Shrine, a World Cultural Heritage site in western Japan.

A powerful warlord in the 12th century, Taira-no-Kiyomori, is said to have begun the festival in Miyajima, Hiroshima prefecture to honor the deities of the shrine.

On Saturday, after a ritual was performed at the shrine's main gate, a boat on which deities from the shrine are believed to ride was put out to sea.

The shrine priests aboard the ship played traditional instruments, including the flute and the harp-like instrument, the koto.

Numerous tourists gathered to watch the ancient festival be performed at sea, lit by the setting sun.

2008/07/20 10:17

NHK WORLD English