March 5, 2000. Momote Festival Iyomishima City, Ehime Prefecture. This is a report of Momote (means a hundred hands) Festival held at Kawanoe Hachimangu. The festival started some 1400 years ago, in the era of Suiko Emperor. The legend says when dividing the reposed ancestors' souls from Usami Hachiman, which is dedicated to the god of bows and arrows, in Oita Pref. to this place, local people greeted holding bows and arrows. Now, people wish their happiness, safety and health by hitting unglazed 6cm-dishes set on the target in the grounds of the shrine filled with the ume blossoms with 1008 arrows, 36 arrows for each person. Their hard practice resulted in a great applause.

	Seven people shoot two allows each.		The distance to the target is 12-13m.
	Ume blossoms in the grounds of the shrine.		The main shrine of Hachimangu