Festivals of Japan

Events across Japan. A collection ranging from traditional to seasonal offerings.

Grand Festival of Sawara - Chiba

Called one of the three major float festivals of Kanto, it has a history dating back about 300 years. The vaunted dashi floats made of zelkova wood are decorated with ornate Kanto engraving, with the tops adorned with figurines as tall as four meters made by famous craftsmen from the Edo and Meiji periods, along with other dolls. With the sounds of “sawara bayashi,” one of the three great festival musical performances of Japan, echoing through the streets, the floats make their way past the houses of “Little Edo” in a scene that evokes the Edo period.
It was registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in December this year.

Event Dates Summer festival: The Friday, Saturday and Sunday after July 10
Autumn festival: The Friday, Saturday and Sunday that surround the second Saturday in October.
Event Details Summer festival: July 15 to 17, 2022
Autumn festival: October 7 to 9, 2022
*Please see the official website for details.
Official site http://www.city.katori.lg.jp/sightseeing/multilingual/en/en-matsuri.html
Location (venue) Summer festival: Sawara Honjuku district (near Yasaka Shrine)
Autumn festival: Sawara Shinjuku district (near Sawara Station)
Address The area around Sawarai, Katori-shi, Chiba
View on Google Maps
Region Kanto
Category Processions and parades, Traditional performing arts

Event organizers may change the date and time. Please check the official website.

update: May.19.2022

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