Mikoshi stay in their shrines for most of the year, but during Shintō festivals, these portable shrines are carried around town by the local young men. As it was explained to me, local gods like to get out and travel around the area where they live, and the mikoshi is like a car for the gods. The young men who carry the mikoshi will first participate in a Shintō purification ceremony, and then drink a lot to prepare themselves for carrying the mikoshi around town. At certain places they stop to rock and shake the mikoshi violently, leading to many bruised shoulders and tired legs. Afterwards, the mikoshi is set on portable legs, and people crawl under it for continued health and good luck in the coming year while the young men take a break and have more to drink.

Portable shrine used in festivals.

A mikoshi (神輿、みこし) is a portable Shinto shrine. Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle of a divine spirit in Japan at the time of a parade of deities. Often, the mikoshi resembles a miniature building, with pillars, walls, a roof, a veranda and a railing.