Isonokami Jingu Annual Festival (Furu Matsuri)

The biggest festival of the year at Isonokami Jingu, one of Japan's oldest shrines, held every October 15 in Tenri, Nara. In the afternoon, the gohoren palanquin carrying the deity's sacred vessel travels about 4 km to the otabisho rest shrine in Tamachi (formerly Tamura) and back. The procession numbers around 200 people in period costume, and the shrine describes its gohoren as the largest in Nara Prefecture. In the morning, a child in court dress rides in on horseback from Tamachi to present offerings. A good pick if you want to watch an ancient shrine procession from the roadside.