Sumiyoshi Taisha

Held at the height of summer from July 21 to August 1, the Sumiyoshi Festival is one of Osaka’s three major summer festivals and centres on a purification ritual conducted to cleanse the city of impurities. The main rituals take place from 5pm on July 31, with sacred prayers and dances for a bountiful harvest and national peace. For the purification ritual, a large ring of kaya grass is constructed, and anyone can walk through the ring to cleanse themselves of impurities and bad fortune and receive blessings for good health. The highlight of the festival is the August 1 procession of mikoshi – ornate portable shrines that weigh almost 2 tons each. These are carried on long wooden beams by the shrine parish, bringing the Sumiyoshi deities’ presence and divine blessings to areas around the city. The four-hour procession starts at Sumiyoshi Taisha in the afternoon and spans 4.6km from the shrine all the way to Tonogu Shrine in Sakai. It’s especially photogenic when it crosses the Yamatogawa Bridge in Sakai, showcasing the blend of traditional practices and modern infrastructure that characterises Japan’s third-most populous metropolis.