A mikoshi (Japanese: 神輿) is a divine palanquin (also translated as portable Shinto shrine). Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when moving to a new shrine. Often, the mikoshi resembles a miniature building, with pillars, walls, a roof, a veranda and a railing.
Often the Japanese honorific prefix o- (お) is added, making omikoshi (お神輿).
The typical way of shouldering the mikoshi is Hira-katsugi, which is also considered the most popular way of shouldering the mikoshi in Japan, whereby bearers walk at normal pace without shaking the mikoshi while calling out, 'Wasshoi-wasshoi.'
"Wasshoi" is one of the festival calls. The origin of "Wasshoi" is a theory that "carrying the harmonization (WA)", that is, "WA-shoi"（和-背負い）. "WA" in this case is thought to be a remnant of the ancient name of Japan as "WA", 和 (later "Yamato",大和). There are also some other popular theories.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoshi
