I got the name of the Danjiri Inn from the Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri. It is the most famous of the danjiri ("cart-pulling") festivals, which feature portable shrines (o-mikoshi) the size of small trucks being pulled pell-mell through the narrow streets of the city.

If you think this sounds rather risky, you're right. We're talking about some serious Shinto shrine roller derby. Here's a compilation of near misses, collisions, and a few wrecks from past danjiri festivals.

Labels: japanese culture, serpent notes, serpent of time, shinto