Some Japanese Temples

Pathécolor’s mechanical stencil colouring is put to good use illustrating a festival at an ancient shrine.

Surrounded by verdant forests, both the stately roofed gate of a temple and its stone staircase are presented in colour. At another shrine, people gather in the rain to watch a Shinto festive procession with lion dancers and priests dressed in traditional attire. The procession includes a pair of mikoshi (a palanquin for carrying deities), each of which can weigh over one ton. In the film, more than a dozen men are shown struggling to carry the heavy mikoshi down the stone steps.

Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital, is known for its numerous Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Although the film identifies one temple as ‘The Chiogama Temple’, we have been unable to locate such a temple or shrine in Kyoto. If you recognise any of the temples shown in this film, please let us know. Any information you can share is welcome! (Kosuke Fujiki)