- Over 100 boats paraded across the Genkai Sea as part of the Miaresai festival in Munakata Taisha, Fukuoka.
- The festival celebrates the Shinto goddesses’ journey from island shrines to the mainland.
- Participants included parishioners, students, and volunteers, all donning traditional attire.
The annual Miaresai festival at the Munakata Taisha shrine marks a significant Shinto event where goddesses are brought from two remote island shrines to the mainland.
This year, over 100 boats paraded across the Genkai Sea, escorting the goddesses in a breathtaking procession from Oshima Port to Konominato Port.
Munakata’s Sea Procession: Miaresai Festival Honors Shinto Goddesses’ Sacred Voyage
Once the boats arrived onshore, a ceremonial procession began as parishioners, volunteers, and local students dressed in traditional attire carried the portable shrines of the goddesses to Hetsu-miya, the main shrine of Munakata Taisha. The festival underscores the spiritual bond between the community and the sea, celebrating both the divine and the livelihood the sea provides.
Fishing boats adorned with colorful flags, symbolizing hopes for a prosperous fishing season, lead the sea procession across the Genkai Sea. These boats, along with the goddesses’ vessels, made their way from the sacred islands of Okinoshima and Oshima to Konominato Port, where crowds of spectators awaited their arrival. The boats’ grand entry marked the culmination of the sea ritual, an essential part of the festival.
Once the goddesses arrived on the mainland, local parishioners, students, and volunteers took part in the next phase of the festival: the procession to Hetsu-miya shrine. Dressed in traditional attire, they carried the portable shrines, symbolically reuniting the goddesses with the mainland. This ritual walk highlights the active participation of the local community in honoring its spiritual heritage.
Miaresai showcases how Munakata’s maritime culture and Shinto traditions intertwine. The festival, rooted in respect for the sea and its deities, serves as both a spiritual celebration and a moment of communal pride, keeping an ancient custom alive for future generations.
The Miaresai festival is a captivating blend of spiritual reverence and cultural heritage, where the bond between the community, the sea, and its deities is reaffirmed in a spectacular sea procession.
“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Cousteau
