Every local shrine celebrates its own deity and holds festivals, so there are a lot of festivals or matsuri in Japan. The main purpose of the matsuri is to celebrate Shinto gods and to pray for prosperity and good harvests. One of the important elements of the matsuri is the procession, in which the god of the shrine is carried through the town in a “Mikoshi”(a sacred palanquin).
Also, lots of people are dancing at Matsuri. This is called “Yosakoi”, which is one of very popular dance style in Japan.
