Ishidori Matsuri

Ishidori Matsuri (石取祭) can be literally translated from Japanese as "stone bringing festival."

[1] Every town within the central part of the city has its own 3 wheeled, highly decorative festival cart.

They can not touch the carts again until Tatakidashi (叩き出し), which is at midnight between Friday night and Saturday morning before the First Sunday of August.

July 20 There is a Kawarabarai Ceremony (川原祓式) at Machiya River to pray for a safe festival.

2 days before the Festival (Friday) Each age group attends their local shrine for the Okattsan Ceremony (お勝さん), which includes singing and praying.

The festival carts are paraded through their towns on this day, and once again it leads up to silence, awaiting the next Tatakidashi.

The taikos and kane start playing simultaneously and the carts are paraded around their town for another long night of celebration.