According to tradition, this festival began when a Shinto deity was being moved from Shiouji Shrine to the current shrine. Parishioners fought for a straw-woven enza (cushion) that carried the deity so as to obtain such blessings as longevity and the warding off of disasters. Now men dressed in tight-fitting costumes take the enza from the shrine building and battle in the shrine precincts till the enza is pushed into the Ariake Sea ending the ceremony. After the cushion is cleansed with sea water, it is cut into small pieces which are placed on household altars to ensure household safety and protection from disasters.