Kurayami Matsuri (Darkness Festival)

This is an annual festival of Okunitama-jinja Shrine in Fuchu City, Tokyo.
The festival has a history of more than 1,000 years, originating from the "Kokufu-sai / Konomachi " of Musashi Province, and is designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Asset by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Various Shinto rituals are held during the seven days from April 30 to May 6 every year, but the most exciting event is the "Mikoshi togyo (portable shrine procession)" on May 5, when six large drums are sounded to signal the start of fireworks and eight portable shrines move to Otabisho (the intersection of the old Koshu-kaido and Fuchu-kaido roads).
The name "Kurayami Matsuri" comes from the fact that this "Mikoshi togyo" used to be held in the dark, with all the lights in the city turned off.

Other events worth seeing include the "Koma-Kurabe" (May 3), in which six horses run back and forth along the old Koshu-kaido road, and the "Dashi gyoretsu / procession of floats" (May 4), in which as many as 22 floats in a parade.
During the festival, the town is crowded with about 500 stalls, and many visitors come for the Kanto Grand Plant Fair held on the east side of the shrine grounds, creating a festive atmosphere throughout the town.