Menkake-gyôretsu

面掛行列

“mask procession”

The menkake gyôretsu is held at Gôryô Shrine in Sakanoshita, Kamakura City. Men wearing masks parade through the streets. At the head of the group, the god Sarutahiko, wearing a tengu mask. He guides the gods. The procession is also called haramitto matsuri (“pregnancy festival”) – the okame wears a stuffed belly and plays the part of a pregnant woman, touching her belly will be praying for a safe delivery.  There are various folk tales about the origin of this parade. The ten different masks date from around the middle of the 18th century. Until the separation of Buddhism and Shintô in the Meiji period (1868-1912), the parade was held at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. As with most Shintô celebrations, ritual purification activities take place before the procession.