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The photo shows a portable shrine descends on the steep stairs of Tsukuda Park.
A ship portable shrine is waiting below.
I felt that the portable shrine, carried at the Sumiyoshi-jinja Shirine festival, was quite large.

The bearer desperately carries it to the ship.
Whether it is due to the weight of the large portable shrine itself, or by the extra gravity on the slope of the stairs, or by the weight of passing down the festival that has continued since the Edo period. The spirits of the bearers are so distorted that their faces are terrible.

There is a considerable step between the ground and the ship when carrying the portable shrine into the ship. I was worried about what would happen, but the bearers were overcoming it with enthusiasm.

I photographed a young man (* white costume (Yukata)) stretched his arms and raised portable shrine high.
It's cool!
Oh! The cheers and great applause were heard.

(The photo shows portable shrine imperial procession on the streets of Tsukuda Island)

I am deeply impressed by the fact that the portable shrine Ship imperial procession, which is not the imperial procession under the sea of portable shrine during the Edo period.
The ship imperial procession I really saw was smart and wonderful.

In this picture
　●The crowd is filling the stairs of Tsukuda Park
　●A ship with a portable shrine (float ship)
　●The Musical Ship (Yellow Ship)
　●A ship carrying people involved in the festival (houseboat)
It's like that.

(The ship imperial procession in the photo was taken from Tsukuda-ohashi Bridge)

(The figure is quoted from "Famous Edo Hundred Views Tsukudajima Sumiyoshi Festival-National Diet Library Digital Collection")

The figure shows the festival of Tsukudajima Sumiyoshi, which is included in the masterpiece "Hundred Views of Edo" by the famous ukiyo-e artist "Hiroshige Utagawa" of the Edo period.
In this Ukiyo-e, the banner of the festival of Sumiyoshi Daimyojin is displayed, depicting a large portable shrine being carried into the sea.

These are also handed down at the current Sumiyoshi-jinja Shirine festival.

One is "imperial procession underwater in portable shrine." In the past, during low tide, people carried portable shrine into the water.
At present, portable shrine is carried on the float ship that Mr. chief priest rides, and then goes around Tsukuda, Tsukishima, Kachidoki, Toyomi and Harumi.

The other is the banner of the festival. The presence of the banner drawn in the center of Ukiyo-e!　It is said that the flag was seen from the grounds of Edo Castle.
Even now, fine banners are still alive. There are six banner pillars supporting the banner in the city of Tsukuda, and a banner of about 20 meters stands there.

It was a wonderful banner, and when I looked up at the flag fluttering up close, my heart trembled.
Also, when I heard the sound of a large banner of a thick fabric fluttered, I felt like a warrior trembling that was pushed by something.
Until I actually saw it, I couldn't imagine that the banner would stir so much.

Because it raises such a fine banner, it is convinced that the banner that supports it is worthy.
The people of Tsukuda had been preparing for a month to set up a banner.
The preparation was the last blog "Iyo Sumiyoshi-jinja Shirine Reisai Festival!　What are the highlights of the festival?…Please read ".

(Photo taken from Tsukuda-ohashi Bridge)

From a distance, you can feel the height of the flag.

It is said that during the Edo period, the banner of the "Tsukudajima-no-Sumiyoshi Festival" was seen from the site of Edo Castle (now the Imperial Palace), three kilometers away.
When I actually saw it, it was a considerable height and size.
I was convinced that if it was such a large banner, it would have been seen from Edo Castle.

(Photo taken from Tsukuda-ohashi Bridge)

A banner set up in six places in the city of Tsukuda. You can see all six flags from Tsukuda-ohashi Bridge.
The place where the banner stands was confirmed on the map of "Sumiyoshi-jinja Shirine Reisai Festival (Main Festival) Gyoji Schedule".

[Reference] Sumiyoshi-jinja Shirine Official Site “2023 Sumiyoshi-jinja Shirine Reisai Festival Event Schedule and Tour Map”
https://sumiyoshijinja.or.jp/pdf/2023_summer_map.pdf