Rei-Taisai (Annual Grand Festival)

The rei-taisai is the most important annual festival held at each Shinto shrine. The date is specific to each shrine and typically commemorates a significant event related to the enshrined kami — such as the deity's mythological birthday, the anniversary of the shrine's founding, or a historical event associated with the shrine.

During the rei-taisai, the shrine conducts its most elaborate ceremonies. Special offerings are prepared, the most senior priests officiate, kagura may be performed, and the mikoshi may be taken out for a grand procession through the community. At shrines with chokusaisha status (those that receive imperial envoys), the rei-taisai includes the formal reception of an imperial messenger bearing offerings from the emperor.

For the local community, the rei-taisai is often the highlight of the social calendar. It is a time when former residents return, families gather, and the bonds between people and their local kami are most strongly renewed. The timing varies enormously — some fall in spring, others in autumn, some coincide with well-known dates and others are known only to the local community.