24Mikoshi (Divine Palanquin)
The gods are encased in mikoshi, a divine palanquin or a portable Shinto shrine, which is the centerpiece of the procession.
In 1636, Tadaoki Hosokawa, lord of Yatsushiro Castle at the time, dedicated the magnificent mikoshi whose inside and outside were covered with gold leaves, with auspicious patterns of the traditional themes of natural beauty drawn on the walls. Tadaoki himself drew the image of the dragon on the ceiling.
Mikoshi made in the early Edo period were passed down with repeated repairs and was made new in 1998 because damage had become worse over the years. Until then, mikoshi were carefully preserved at Yatsushiro Shrine.
