中野区国際交流協会（ANIC）

On the 28th of July, a Sunday, participated in Hachiman Shrine’s annual festival in Nakano’s Yamato-cho, which started when the Yamato-cho of Nakano’s Youth Association of invited people from abroad to experience the carrying of the Omikoshi (a divine palanquin often referred to as a portable shrine). This year, one Korean and three Americans participated. They began at the Yawata Shrine at about eleven in the morning and paraded within Yamato-cho. The participants asked pertinent questions, in terms of finding out for what purpose the palanquin is carried and how long this cultural practice has been in place. It was indeed a good cultural exchange opportunity.