Ikachi Tenjin Festival

This is a festival dedicated to the deified scholar Sugawara no Michizane, held on the first Sunday of April every year in the Ikachi district.
After Shinto rites are performed, a portable shrine is pulled from the main shrine to the Otabisho (temporary dwelling).
The procession is led by a saddled horse ridden by a child, and the members of the shrine community bring offerings such as flags, joinery, and arrow quivers.
A highlight of the festival is the ox-drawn palanquin, evoking the Heian period (8th to 12th centuries). The ox, which is donated to the festival, is decorated with beautiful ornaments, and pulls the wickerwork palanquin in the procession.
This is a rare festival where an ox plays a major role, and is often called the “Ushi-Tenjin” (Ox Tenjin). It is held by Himuro Kameyama Shrine.