"mikoshi, portable shrine" for the local festival

(posted; Japanese culture page)
My husband's one of the band member made 2 kinds of "mikoshi; portable shrine" for the local festival. We were invited to see the finished mikoshi (one of them) at his house last month.  The festival was held in the next city today where my husband was brought up and had been worked.  In honor of the founder of the cement company (the person who made them retired from the company), the festival is held by the local shrine. You might find the shapes of them uncommon from the ones you may know. 

*First one is modeled after the Tokkuri←link -shaped kiln (we put sake in tokkuri) to burn limestone. This old type kiln is no longer in use now.

The each brick parts were made separately and it took 3 years for him to complete the whole kiln part. The real kiln is made of about 125,000 bricks and 17.8 meters high.  It was closed in 1,913; and this page (Sorry that I couldn't find the English page.) explains a lot about it with more detailed pictures. From the page, we learn that the one I show you below is the only cement burnt kiln in existence and designated as "Important Cultural Property".    Before the festival, we went there to take pictures.

*Second one is called "セメン樽, semendaru. cement barrel" 

They used to use barrels to carry cement. 

(this picture taken today before they are on the street)

this sweet is a well-know specialty of the city holding the same name 

"cement barrel"; sweet beans inside 

Thank you so much for reading this long post. I'll post these portable shrines being carried at the festival in my next post.  I figured too much for one post :))

 Linking this post to "Our World Tuesday".