Tsushima Shrine

• Japanese: 津島神社 (tsushima jinja)

Tsushima shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Tsushima City, Aichi prefecture, a short distance west of Nagoya. The shrine is famous for its annual summer festival, in which boats are floated down a river near the shrine.

Some fourteen surviving folding screen paintings depict the festival; one in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is said to be "the oldest and the finest." The festival took place on the 14th day of the 6th month of the lunar calendar each year, and involved sending a series of floats down the river. Each float is decorated with 365 lanterns, one for each day of the year. Traditionally, the festival was accompanied by numerous popular entertainments, including juggling, skits derived from the kabuki theatre, puppet shows, dances, and food stalls, and was attended by both commoners/villagers and elites.

"Night Festival at Tsushima Shrine," ink and colors on paper, folding screen, c. 1620s-40s. Collection of LACMA.

References

• "Night Festival of Tsushima Shrine," gallery label, LACMA.[1]