WAREI TAISAI

'Great matsuri of the Warei jinja' at Uwajima, Ehime prefecture. This seafaring festival began in the eighteenth century and among other activities involving ships, flags and the carrying ofmikoshiinto the sea features an extraordinary effigy of a broad, long-necked creature called an ushi-onior 'cattle-demon', a whale-like dragon who is paraded round the town carried by 15-20 youngsters.