Niu Festival (Laughter Festival)
This festival is held every October at Niu-jinja Shrine in Hidakagawa, Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture. Legend has it that long ago, the goddess Niutsu Hime no Mikoto was looking forward to attending a gathering of the gods of Izumo, but overslept and missed the event. The local villagers, concerned by her sadness at missing the event, comforted her by telling her to laugh, thus beginning the tradition of this festival. A so-called bell ringer, his face painted white with the character for laughter written in red on his checks, famously leads a procession of portable shrines and floats through the town while encouraging onlookers to laugh, laugh!