All Reviews of Ichinomiya Tanabata Festival

Masumida Shrine was a last-minute addition to this trip, and I ended up visiting it unexpectedly. After actually going there, I thought it was well worth the visit. The grounds have a sacred pond, a vermilion Good Fortune Bridge, and Hachiryu Shrine. The overall scenery is a little different from shrines where you only visit the main hall, and there are quite a few places to take photos.
You can collect sacred water at the Shinsuisha, so if you want to drink some, remember to bring a bottle. There is also a row of red torii gates in front of Tomishima Inari Daimyojin. Although it isn't on the same scale as the seemingly endless thousand torii gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, it still looks beautiful in photos. Since this place is a little out of the way, most tourists don't come here, so it wasn't crowded when I visited and was pleasant to walk around. About 30 minutes to an hour should be enough.
Another thing I found interesting is its deep connection to Ichinomiya City's textile culture. Hatori Shrine on the grounds enshrines deities associated with textiles, and the Tanabata Festival held in Ichinomiya City every summer is also connected to the local wool textile industry and the worship of Orihime. The Ichinomiya Tanabata Festival is considered one of Japan's three major Tanabata festivals, alongside those in Sendai and Hiratsuka, which made me want to find an opportunity to come back during Tanabata.
The wool textile industry is also connected to Nagoya's breakfast ("morning service") culture. In the past, textile merchants often used coffee shops for business discussions, and the shops gradually began serving coffee with simple meals. This later spread throughout Nagoya and became a local specialty.
If I get the chance to come during Tanabata, I'll probably set aside a full day to really experience the local character of the area. I tried to fit a little too much into this trip, so I didn't leave enough time here, which was a bit of a shame.