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to leave, and as a gift to the townspeople, he relocated the of the largest in Western Honshu. Some years ago the shrine
shrine to the center of Himeji. To celebrate, the townspeople reappeared on the tower’s top floor, where it still holds special
held a festival, but because the relocation happened on such significance. Himeji residents had long honored the shrine’s
short notice they did not have time to prepare formal kimo- god as the castle’s protective deity. Since Himeji Castle sur-
nos, so they were permitted to don casual kimonos, known as vived a firebomb, that deity has been honored as the “god of
yukatas. This event, known as the Yukata Matsuri festival, is disaster” who protects the castle from fire and other destruc-
still celebrated annually during the summer solstice and is one tive forces to this day. Such is our good fortune. u

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