(Video) Praying for a bountiful year at the Grand Shimenawa Festival. A 6 meter "centipede" is created/Kamakura

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1301080008/

January 8, 2013

Praying for the year's harvest while standing under the new "centipede"=Hakusan Temple, Imaizumi, Kamakura City

On the 8th, at the Hakusan Temple of Imaizumi, Kamakura City, the Grand Shimenawa Festival was held, in prayer of safety and a rich harvest throughout the area.

(Videos)

Local residents of the area wrapped up straw, creating a 6 meter Shimenawa in the form of a centipede, said to be associated with Bishamonten (Vaiśravaṇa). It decorated the shrine ground’s entrance.

Until three years prior, a local rice paddy was producing the straw used for the Shimenawa. Because it's no longer there, it's said that this year, farmers of a glutinous rice field in Zama City took over the process of supplying the straw.

Original text:

【動画】大注連祭で豊年祈願、６メートルの「ムカデ」作る／鎌倉

2013年1月8日

新しい「ムカデ」の下で豊年を祈願＝鎌倉市今泉の白山神社

鎌倉市今泉の白山神社で８日、豊作と地域の安全を祈願する「大注連祭」が行われた。

【動画】

地域の住民が、わらを編んで、毘沙門天の使いといわれるムカデを模した約６メートルの大しめ縄を作り、境内の入り口に掲げた。

３年前までは地元の田んぼのわらを使っていたが、田んぼがなくなったため、ことしは座間市の農家からもち米のわらを譲り受けたという。