宮入（みやいり）

This is taken at the stone steps leading to Isanami Shrine located in Dogo, which is nationally well-known for its time -honored hot springs named Dogo-onsen. People are carrying their portable shrine up the steps to the precincts of the shirine.Contrary,early in the morning they carried the mikoshi down the steps from the precincts,which is called "Miya-dashi." During the daytime, while raining all the time, the mikoshi has been carried through various areas and it must have received a welcome treatment,for the spirit of the deity of Isanami Shrine intentionally approached common people's daily life fronts.

Speaking of the mikoshi's receiving a treatment of welcome, I watched a kind of such scene. Just before the stone steps of the shirine a famous ryokan inn is located. At the front entarnce of the ryokan, a few of tables are set up with a lot of white paper cups and several bottles containing something....of course,it's sake.Mikoshi carriers and others seemd to be treated as a good fortune carrier there. I don't drink there because I came there by car.

参考：接続詞のfor には理由を後追いで説明する使い方がある。

宮入の風景です。夕暮れ時長い坂を神輿が上がっていく風景は幻想的であった。
そのすぐ前で、老舗旅館の従業員たちが、酒をふるまうのである。一つの神輿が坂を上がって、それでしまいではない。またほかの神輿が帰ってきて坂を登っていく。次の神輿の一団が来るのを、うきうきした様子で、彼らは待っているのである。　雨が1日中降っていて、深夜から翌朝にかけてさらに激しくなりそうである。だが、今日1日、神輿の運行に支障はなかったようである。
稲作、秋、収穫、神社、祭り、神輿、酒。私の中では一体の絵のような風景に映る。

みこし

This mikoshi represents a type of mikoshi we often see in Matsuyama. The first thing you probably notice is that the body of the mikoshi is wound by very thick ropes. This is because this type mikoshi is to clash with another mikoshi, which is locally called "hachiawase" here, and so for protecting the mikoshi's body.