Food Tour Scramble: Mitama Festival at Gokoku Jinja Shrine 2023

 

Although the temperature is still rising in Japan, this has not stopped the locals in having a good time. And since it is the Obon season, various festivals has taken place. Fukuoka is no exception. At the beginning of the month, I was fortunate enough to attend the Tenjin Summer Festival (click here to read more about it). And for this time, I was able to pay a visit to Gokoku Jinja for another festival. 

Tourists and locals paying their respects at the main shrine

Gokoku Jinja in Fukuoka is a dedicated to the Japanese people who died in the wars. In is mainly a place to pray for family and safety. The golden colour of the shrine building gives it a regal look. Additionally, the shrine is also known for its massive wooden torii gate, which makes the outer yard have a backdrop similar to Meiji Shrine in Tokyo

Before the illumination

During the four-day Obon holidays, the annual “Mitama Matsuri” festival is held on the shrine grounds. The main feature of this festival is the various lanterns. The illumination from those lanterns gave out a very mesmerizing environment. If you have not been to such a festival, it is strongly recommended that you go to one. And if you like a local festival with a more international flavour, then this is it. The stores here are much different than the one in Tenjin I went to weeks back. 

More and more people started coming as the evening passes. 

The food selection seems much more international and does not just consist of the usual staples like takoyaki and fried chicken, although they were present. Various food trucks and pop-up stalls were present that day, selling various types of edible goodies. The smell of freshly cooked food was amazing!

Line for salad? It must be amazing salad then!

After some looking around, I decided to try something that is more unusual in terms of festival fare, and that is a cured ham salad which stood at a hefty 600 yen. It was pretty good actually, the fresh vegetables and fruits were very refreshing and helped me beat the summer heat that evening.  Chunks of peaches were there, which gave off a floral and tangy backdrop. 

Not gonna lie, its really good

The dressing was pretty tasty too, which was also fruit-based. Combining that with some salty ham and cheese, you get a powerful salad. Then again, I cannot just survive on salad. So I decided to go to another food truck where my next choice was anything but greens and fruits, which was wagyu on a stick. 

Beefy!

Well, there is not much to say about this delicious morsel. Saying "wagyu on a stick" already explains it all. It was fatty, juicy, smokey, and such a joy to just gobble down. Slathered with teriyaki sauce and standing also at 600 yen, this was such a bargain. And within a minute, I wolfed everything down without much trouble at all. It was so good. 

Thirst breaker. 

Needing something to aid my parched throat after sweating so much under this heat, I was actually spoilt for choice. From smoothies, juices, craft soft drinks, and of course, a wide choice of alcoholic drinks, choosing one to take down was pretty hard. Eventually, I ended up having a melon squash made from real melons. This was pretty incredible and you can feel the pure essence of a melon in a drink. Standing at 500 yen, you can get an alcoholic one for 600 yen.   

The lanterns at the back makes for a great visual. 

After a final sip, I decided to call it a day and went home soon after. Needless to say, this was quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, the event was only held for 4 days from 13 August to 16 August. It would be nice if this was held longer so I can write about this and encourage people to check it out while it is still there. Well, there is always next year! 

Till next time!