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| Japanese people wearing historical costume participate during the annual Jidai Festival on October 22, 2012 in Kyoto, Japan. Around 2000 people participate in the Jidai Matsuri festival which takes place every year on October 22 on the anniversary of the foundation of Kyoto. Participants dress in authentic costumes from almost every period of Japanese history and parade from the Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| Team of Shrine Parishioners bump bamboo poles during the Usuki Lantern Festival at Usuki Hachiman Shrine on October 21, 2012 in Himeji, Japan. The annual Bamboo Lantern Festival features more than 1000 paper lanterns atop 3 metre long bamboo poles, whereby participants attempt to bump and take down the lanterns of others. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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Japanese Miko shrine maidens attend a ceremony to present an offering
of the first harvest of sacred rice during the Takara-No-Ichi ceremony
at Sumiyoshi Shinto Shrine on October 17, 2012 in Osaka, Japan. The
Takara-No-Ichi Shinto rice harvest ceremony dates back about 1800 years,
and is held annually on October 17 with sacred rice that was planted
June 14. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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| Japanese Shrine Parishioners of Matsubara (front), Nakamura (center) and Kiga shrines, carry Yatai (portable shrines) during a parade as part of the Nada No Kenka Matsuri (Nada Fight Festival) at Matsubara on October 15, 2012 in Himeji, Japan. Each Yatai weighs approximately two tonnes. The parade is the highlight of the shrine's Autumn Harvest Festival and attracts roughly 100,000 people. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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A Japanese man wears Fundoshi, or loincloth as he
stands on the side of the road for attends to Nada Kenka Matsuri, or Nada Fight
Festival on October 14, 2012 in Himeji, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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| Japanese children perform traditional dance during the rehearsal preparation of Nada Kenka Matsuri or Nada Fight Festival at Shirahama town on October 5,2012 in Himeji, Japan. Nada Fighting Festival is one of biggest festival in Japan will hold on October 14 and 15 every years. Seven team of Shrine Parishioners carrying 7 portable shrine carried on the shoulders of the men in the parade and jolted against one another. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
