A timeless festival to welcome the autumn season

The "Autumn Festival" has been held at Ibuki Hachiman Shrine since the Edo period. It is a festival to thank the gods for a bountiful catch of anchovies, the raw material for Ibuki Iriko, after the fishing season is over. A portable shrine is carried from the Ibuki Hachiman Shrine at the top of steep stone steps, and it descends a steep slope to the harbor accompanied by a drum stand "survey. The "funatogyo," or boat procession, in which the mikoshi is carried around the island on a fishing boat, is a cultural event unique to Ibukijima. The passion for the island shines through in the loud shouts of the boatmen as they sweat to preserve the island's traditions. At the end of the festival, the participants carry the float over and over again in the precincts of Ibuki Hachiman Shrine with all their might and energy to reach an enthusiastic finale.