Back at the shrine on Saturday morning things were a bit wet.  Not everyone's enthusiasm was dented though.  People queued up for merch, that's what グッズ means in the picture below.

Drummers lost none of their energy.

Ceremonial continued

Even from the youngest.

And no-one stopped eating

Saturday also includes a parade through some other districts.  Not only was I unsure about the timing and the geography of this but it was also uninviting weather so I didn't try to get to it.

Sunday was a much brighter day weatherwise and from dawn to dusk was devoted to the return to the shrine of numerous mikoshi (portable shrines carried on palanquins with much ceremony).  I didn't spend all day watching them but I was there from around 9am for a couple of hours and when I passed the same spot at 4.30pm there was still a group arriving at the shrine.

The process involved a front party of half a dozen proceeding slowly with a series of steps that took them from side to side as well as forward, then a group of musicians in a tumbril (the wrong word but describes the vehicle) and finally a great swell of singing and cheering palanquin bearers who almost danced along.

When they got towards the entrance there was much whistling and clapping of hands as they turned the palanquin through 90 degrees.  Then someone ahead of it was raised up, banged sticks together and motioned the crowd first to stop their advance and then to continue. 

I've got a bit of video but it's too big for blogger so when I get home I'll try to edit it down.  In the meantime here are a couple of pics.

 

In the afternoon I went to the East gardens of the Imperial Palace which had been closed (because it was a Friday!) when I tried to go two years ago.  There was a lovely section of proper garden with a pool and so forth in which I was able to sit in the shade and relax for a while.  It was bliss. One picture to set the lotus eating mood.