Looking ahead, and realistically ahed to where we might expect visitors to be able to come to Japan to visit, I would like to draw your attention to a very fun and exciting harvest festival held in Matsuyama, Ehime prefecture. In this festival, teams of young men battle it out on portable shrines crashing into eachother to show their strength and prowess. A lot of people get together to cheer them on. You can bet that at the end of it, and during it, there may be some drinking going on.
Nothing like being rowdy in calm serene Shikoku once in a while!
Hope you can come out to check it out!