Photos show a town praying for marine safety at a seaside festival near Tokyo | National News

YOKOSUKA, Japan (AP) — Hundreds of residents gathered at Kurihama beach outside Tokyo over the weekend to pray for marine safety in a summer festival that fuses sacred ritual and seaside spectacle.

As a portable shrine called mikoshi, decorated with Shinto ornaments, was lifted onto bearers’ shoulders, the audience cheered.

kAm%96 >:<@D9: 925 DE2CE65 7C@> $F>:J@D9: $9C:?6 2?5 H2D A2C2565 E9C@F89 ?6:893@C9@@5 2==6JH2JD] $9C:?6 AC:6DED A2FD65 E@ 3=6DD @776C:?8D 2?5 AC2J 7@C 8@@5 7@CEF?6 7@C A6@A=6 82E96C65 @FED:56 E96:C 9@>6D]k^Am

kAm(96? E96 AC@46DD:@? C624965 E96 36249[ E96 AC:6DED 52?465 2?5 492?E65] %96 76DE:G2= C624965 :ED 4=:>2I H96? E96 362C6CD 6?E6C65 E96 H2E6C FA E@ E96:C ?64<[ E96:C DH62EJ 7246D DA=2D965 H:E9 D62H2E6C]k^Am

kAm%96 AC@46DD:@? >256 2 7:?2= DE@A 2E E96 ?62C3J 76CCJ E6C>:?2=[ H96C6 E96 >:<@D9: H2D 42CC:65 @?E@ 2 G6DD6= 7@C AC2J6CD 7@C :ED D276 EC2G6=D]k^Am

kAm“tG6CJ@?6 92D 366? =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ E9:D 52J 2== J62C[” D2:5 $9F;: $9:>:KF[ 9625 @7 E96 zFC:92>2 }6:893@C9@@5 pDD@4:2E:@?] “xE’D 2 46=63C2E:@? @7 @FC @H? DEC6?8E9 2?5 F?:EJ] !=62D6 DE2J D276 @FE E96C6 ]]] 2?5 6?;@J 6G6CJ >@>6?E]”k^Am

kAmpD 6G6?:?8 76==[ E96 >:<@D9: H2D 42CC:65 324< E@ DE@C286 2E E96 D9C:?6[ F?E:= ?6IE DF>>6C]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAm%9:D 😀 2 A9@E@ 82==6CJ 4FC2E65 3J p! A9@E@ 65:E@CD]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAm%9:D DE@CJ 4@CC64ED 52E6=:?6 E@ *~z~$&zp[ y2A2?[ ?@E %~z*~]k^Am