Kurayami Matsuri
In May, I attended the Kurayami Matsuri (Darkness Festival) held at Okunitama Shrine in Fuchu City, Tokyo. It was one of the biggest festivals I have been to. It lasted for a few days but I only went there once. The day I attended was the day of the mantou competition (万灯大会): It is a contest between neighbourhood groups about which team can hold a decorated pole and twirl it around the longest. There were also other events involving mikoshi and children dancing to hayashi music. Unfortunately, I missed the main event, which is the carrying of mikoshi at night.