Matsubara Hachiman Shrine

Three portable shrines are crashed into each other and seven grand floats are jostled by groups of men from different neighborhoods in Himeji as the crowds look on. “Kenka no matsuri” literally means “the fighting festival.” The dynamic action depicts a great battle from a mythological age. More than 100,000 people watch this exciting religious event every year. On the 15th, a spectacular performance takes place at a venue called Otabiyama where giant two-ton floats, partly broken at this point, are heaved at one another enthralling crowds of spectators.