October is a great month for festivals in Japan and our island is no exception. The Shiraishi Aki Matsuri is my favorite event of the year. It's a time when you meet your neighbors at 8 a.m. and start toasting to the Shinto gods. The matsuri men come out and pull the mikoshi and all-day merriment follows.
The point of the festival is to please the gods who live on our island and who have lived here for thousands of years, watching over and protecting us.
The Shiraishi Aki Matsuri is one of the few real festivals left in Japan, that is put on merely for the sake of the Shinto gods, and not for commercial gain. There is not one yatai selling food or trinkets. It's just pure respect to the gods.