May 5, 1999. Suitengu Spring Festival from Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture. This is the Suitengu Spring Festival that took place at Suitengu Shrine in Kurume City. This festival has a history of 800 years and is held every year in order to pray for safe deliveries and birth, to ward off drowning accidents,and the safe keeping of children. Officially, the festival is the three days from May 5 to May 7. Recently, however, perhaps due to adjusting for Golden Week, the street vendors opened and the Shinto ritual began on May 3.

Usually, this is a quiet place. But, for New Year, the Spring Festival, and the Summer Festival, it is crowded with many people. Even though the street vendors dazzled my eyes, I visited the shrine first.

The 'torii' or the Shinto shrine archway at Suitengu in Kurume. The street venders line the approach to the shrine.