Mikoshi is common thing to find in Japanese festivals. But what is it?

With simple words, Mikoshi is portable shrine for god to go out from the sanctuary.

Normally, Mikoshi is something to carry by many people over their shoulders in Japan but actually, the floats of Gion festival, Kyoto and ox carry is kind of Mikoshi, too.

Some of the festivals, carries roughly the Mikoshi or hitting Mikoshi each other. Doesn’t god get sick? Well, it says those festivals have to be rough to be active supernatural power of god by doing that. And people pray to god for good harvest and large catch.