In autumn, there are Matsuri or Japanese festivals across the country to appreciate and pray for harvests that year.
There is one of those at Ko-Myo temple in Kamakura which is another historical town in Kanagawa prefecture. Because it is held at a temple, it is actually a buddhism festival. However it is open to everyone!
The festival continues for three days and nights and there are traditional parade and music on the second and third days. Incessant sutra will be echoing from the main building hall of the temple.
Little shops here and there will welcome you with sweet smell.
There are also little toy shops and lottery shops. Kids get busy discussing which one they should try first.
This is a shop of shooting game (with toy guns.)
Masks of popular characters, pricy but attractive to all ages lol.
The tung crest of the temple. It looks even more sacred when it gets darker.
It is nice and busy at night but for children, it will be little easier to play around in day time with less crowdedness.
The sign of 試食してください （shi -sho-ku-shite kudasai) means “come and try, please.”
They were selling peanuts, a heaping bowl for ¥300. They dare you how much you can mount peanuts in a bowl.
The darker it gets, the more people gather after school or work.
This Okonomiyaki shop had a long waiting line. It is actually a good sign that they serve tasty ones.
This festival is called “Ojyu-ya”, that has started since the year of 1495. Yes it started about 500 years ago.
Ko-Myo temple itself was established in 1243 under the order of Tsunetoki Hojo in Kamakura period.
If you go up to the gate toward mountain side, you may see a historical gate with very old almost fading sign made in those days.
Oju-ya festival is held from Oct 12 through 15 every year.
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