Charms of Minamiboso (15) Floats and Portable Shrines

山車と神輿

Summer has come, and you’ll see clusters of Shinto shrine festivals scattered around the Minamiboso peninsula. The next time you come across some portable shrines or floats, take a closer look. Very often, the carvings are original works by skilled artisans from the Edo period, such as Nami no Ihachi and Yoshimitsu Goto. The locals have taken care of them for generations, and these festivals present a wonderful opportunity to showcase these treasured artifacts.

夏を迎え、南房総各地はお祭りシーズン。色鮮やかな緞帳や見事な彫り細工の山車や御神輿を目にします。南房総地域では、江戸から明治時代にかけて浪の伊八や後藤義光などの名工が活躍しました。彼らの作品は、今でも現役なんです。運良くそんな場面に出くわしたら、地域の人たちが代々大切に手をかけ、保存してきた自慢のその細工に、目をこらしてみてください。