This silent 16mm film is a home movie shot by an American serviceman sometime in the early postwar (1945-1950) period. It shows a small local festival in a fishing village, with people carrying a mikoshi. We tried unfortunately can’t be identified, as it only bears generic Japanese characters for “local shinto shrine festival”. This film probably dates to closer to 1950 as there are only a few reminders of the past war – for example only one burned out building is visible in the village center, and only a couple of fishermen are wearing discarded Imperial Japanese Army clothing. Many other adults are otherwise wearing nice clothes and shoes, which was not commonplace immediately after the surrender.

0:28 Seascape with cliffs and hills. Fishing boats on the shore in the foreground

0:30-0:45 A fishing vessel, next to a rock, bearing a navigation mark, probably an “underwater danger” pole.

0:45 A lighthouse and a deep channel port entrance mark.

0:55 Boats on a slip, green warehouse building in the background next to an eatery,

1:08 Ship supplies and rigging shop next to a government building, lots of small fishing boats out on the shore, housing in the background

1:29 An important-looking bombed and burned-out building, probably strafed in 1945

1:35 Two commercial buildings on the waterfront, one of them bearing a number 5, in Japanese.

1:35 – 2:00 Ships in the harbor

2:00-2:14 Two fishermen bring buckets of salt, while two women with toddlers in slings on their back, watch.

2:10 Repurposed army truck in the background

2:15 Fishermen spreading their nets and rigging for repair and baiting

2:34 Fishermen, sitting in a pile of netting and floaters and making new floaters. A couple of them are wearing old Imperial Japanese Army fatigues stripped of rank.

2:59 A festival – children, wearing traditional headbands, bright work shirts and makeup for the occasion, carry a mikoshi — votive litter or palanquin for a god. Unfortunately the shrine can’t be identified, as only a syncretic Shinto-Buddhist mitsudomoe and a phoenix riding a golden ball, can be seen.

3:25 Adults and children in the street staring both at the big mikoshi, upon which sits a dancer, and the cameraman

3:57 The mikoshi up close – decorated with fake peach branches and peaches, a symbol of longevity and prosperity, and bearing the usual lanterns inscribed with the kanji of of “Local district Shinto celebration ceremony”

4:00-4:15 The sea in sunset light

4:16-4:27 A human billboard shop crier walks around with a loud din in his drum and tin instruments, while the children stare at him.

4:28 The sun has set and gave place to the crimson cloudy skies

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com