The name Kagurazaka is a combination of kagura (a shrine-dance to music) and saka (hill) and evokes the sites and topography of this beautiful part of Tokyo.   The layout of the area is much the same as it was when the town was built in the 17th century despite the fact that most of the area was burned down as the result of an air raid on Tokyo in 1920.

The annual Kagurazaka festival takes place each July and features a Hozuki Ichi (Ground Cherry Pod Fair) and parades featuring Awa Odori folk dancers.  This years festival takes place from July 22nd through the 25th and it’s a great opportunity to explore the area.

Festival events are schedule in the evening so head out early and explore the cobblestone alleyways and shops of this area where Karyukai, or Geisha culture, was born.   In 1910 there were as many as 600 Geishas who made the area home and a few Ryotei (Geisha houses) still operate in the area.  The Shinjuku City Tourism Association offers a great guide to Kagurazaka with some photos and history of the various points of interest.  Also, be sure to ask an area vendor for a copy of the Walking Guide for Kagurazawa.

Awa Odori on Kagurazaka Slope

The highlight of the festival is the Awa odori, a local bon dance from Tokushima Prefecture featuring  fifteen dance troupes parading down Kagurazaka Dori from 7-9PM on July 24th & 25th. (Kagurazaka Festival Map)

Hozuki Ichi

The area around the Bishamonten Zenkokuji Temple hosts the Hozuki Ichi (Ground Cherry Pod Fair) on July 22nd & 23rd from 5-10PM.  Enjoy the beer garden and consider taking advantage of the yukata (summer cotton kimono) dress up service so you can strolling through the area like a local.

Kagurazaka is conveniently located and accessible from the JR IIdabashi station on the Yamanote Line. As you exit the station, turn to your right and a one minute walk will place you at the base of Kagurazaka-dori.  Tokyo Metro Iidabashi and Ushigome-Kagurazaka stations also provide access to the area.

If you plan on attending the festival with children you will find the tips and advice in Take your Kids to a Festival in Japan helpful.

Image Credit:  Flickr, P1000984 Kagurazaka & Awa Odori, Tokushima, Japan [2008]

Accompanied but the thundering sound of beating drums, the music of bamboo flutes and shouts of “rasseera” by Haneto dancers this is more than just a parade.  It is a dramatic six night festival that is considered one of the best in Japan as evidenced by the three million people that visit annually.  The Aomori Nebuta Festival culminates on the final evening when a large toro, lantern, is floated out to sea, symbolically taking evil spirits with it, as large and colorful display of fireworks light up the night sky.

Some historians believe that this event is a local variation of Tanabata celebrations, and others think it originated with a general who created large creatures to scare away rebels in the area sometime in the 800′s.

Japan in Motion offers a great video of the festival and says that “The Aomori Nebuta Festival is, unquestionably, one of the most visually dramatic, energetic, and well attended festivals in all Japan”.  More than thirty nebuta floats participate each year – each takes up to a year to construct and some tower five meters above the street and are spun about by their handlers as they move along the parade route.

Visitors are encourage to participate with area vendors renting Haneto costumes for around Y5,000 per person.

Hirosaki, also in Aomori prefecture, also hosts its won festival, the Neptuta Festival, where a much quieter, but no less impressive, version of the events in Aomori take place.

The Aomori Nebuta Festival takes place from August 2nd through the 7th and the Hirosaki Neputa Festival starts a day earlier, on the first, and also ends on the 7th.

Visit the Japan Nation Tourist Organization website for Nebuta Festival access information for both sites.

Image Credit:  Flickr, Aomori Nebuta festival, Japan [2008], 2006-0802 (191) & Hirosaki Neputa festival, Japan [2008]

Orihime, the daughter of Emperor Tentei, was a skilled weaver and made lovely clothes for her father.  On day as she sat alongside the the river of heaven ( amanogawa – the milky way) she was overcome with sadness as she had been so busy with her weaving that she hadn’t had time to fall in love.   Tentei, believed to be the ruler of the heavens, witness her woeful state and arranged a marriage for her with Hikoboshi who lived across the river.  The couple was very much in love and were very happy but Orihime was neglecting her weaving.  This angered Tentei so much that he decided to separate the couple putting them back on opposite sides of the river.

Tentei decreed that the couple would only be allowed to see each other on one night each year – on the seventh day of the seventh month.  On that evening a boatman (the moon) comes to ferry Orihime over the river to her beloved Hikoboshi.  But if Orihime has not given her best to her weaving Tentei may make it rain causing the river to flood so the boatman cannot make the trip.  In this case the kasasagi (a group of magpies) may still fly to the milky way to make a bridge for Orihime to cross.

The Tanabata festival (also know as the star festival) celebrates the reuniting of these lovers separated by the milky way and the word tanabata can be translated as “weaving with the loom (bata) placed on the shelf (tana)”.

During the Tanabata festival sprigs of bamboo, sometimes small and sometimes the size of a tree, are hung with tanzuku, papers upon people write their wishes.  Traditionally people wish for improved technical skills and abilities in homage to the legend of Hikoboshi and Orihime.

Celebrate Tanabata in Japan

Bright and cheerful Tanabata decorations like those pictured above can be found throughout out Japan during July.  Look for festivals and other events, large and small, celebrating tanabata in the area you are visiting.  Here are just two:

Tokyo Tower

From July 1st-12th if you wear a yukata to Tokyo Tower you will gain free admission to the main observatory where you will see an illumination of the Milky Way along with the great city views.  You may also write attach your own tanzuku to the tanabata bamboo.  If it isn’t raining, free rickshaw rides and a souvenir picture will also be offered on July 4th (2PM – 6PM) and July 5th (11AM – 4PM).  Tokyo Tower itself will be illuminated in five Olympic colors on July 4th.

Tanabata Matsuri

The Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival will take place in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture from July 2nd through the 5th.  Over 3,000 bamboo tanabata decorations will line the streets of the city and will be lit each night until 9:30PM.

Events during the festival period include a Kiyari-Matoi (firemen’s chant) parade on July2nd at Noon, a parade of Sennin Odori (a thousand of folk dancers) from 1PM – 3PM on July 3rd and a parade of “”Miss Orihime Tanabata”" (Beauty Queens) with brass bands marching from 10:30 am on July 4th.

Hiratsuka Station is located about 70 minutes outside of Tokyo on the JR Tokaido Line.

Legend Source: Orihime, Kengyuu, and Tanabata
Image Credit:  Flickr, センター街の七夕 by fumi & Wish

The scene consists of more than just the parade, though. Often, on the streets surrounding the shrine, there are games and foods and vendors of various types all hawking their wares with loud voices and strong lungs.

For a parent, Japanese or foreign, the scene can be a frightening one. The crowds alone are enough to cause panic. Figuring out how to get the most out of the experience while still keeping the kids safe, happy and well-fed can cause quite a quandary. But it doesn’t have to be that difficult.

First of all, bag the pram. In most places the crowds are so thick on the day of the matsuri that there is no way to navigate while pushing a toddler in a stroller. And for the toddler, it is frightening to look out into a sea of unfamiliar legs. For the child who is under two years old (or as long as you’re comfortable) try a backpack. There are the soft ones that literally strap the child to an adult’s back or the steel-framed hiking backpacks. If you use the hiking backpack, the child can actually experience the scene by looking over his or her parents’ heads.

Some strollers these days fold very small and weigh very little. These small ones often come with a strap for slinging over the shoulder. I’d highly recommend the Aprica version sold all over Japan at places like Akachan Hampo. It’s less than three kilos and slings comfortably enough to hold both stroller and child. If you can do this, then you can go a little bit into the crowd and then fold and carry the pram when the crowd thickens. This type of stroller is also useful when using the trains in Japan because often the stations only have steps, not escalators.

Older kids just need a firm hand holding theirs. In our family we end up with children on our shoulders to see above the crowd, too. The myriad of sights and sounds and smells could potentially overwhelm some children, but we have found that our kids (ages 9 and 6) revel in the experience and ask to go to a matsuri whenever there’s a chance.

After watching the parade for a while, make sure to see everything around it. Many places will have games for the kids. There’s one where they get a little colander and fish little toys out of a stream of water. There is the omnipresent water-filled, thick balloons on a stick to bounce. Often there are masks of various Japanese and non-Japanese characters to buy. Sometimes there are even small goldfish to win. Each area of Japan has their own way of catering to the children, so you’ll find different games in different places, but there will always be some way for parents to spend money and children to walk away with small prizes.

The food will be as varying as the number of shrines in Japan. Hot dogs, which Japanese refer to as sausages, will almost always appear along the walk of vendors. Most kids will be excited to eat that. Often men and women clad in yukata are sautéing noodles for yakisoba. It might differ in style between Kansai and Kanto, but okonomiyaki will most always put in an appearance at a matsuri. Sometimes referred to as a Japanese pancake and sometimes as Japanese pizza, the reality is somewhere between the two. It’s a flour-pancake base with heaps of veggies and some seafood heaped on top before folding over, omelet style. The sauce is slightly thick and sweet. Some kids might shy away from all the things that are in it, but if they’re remotely adventurous with food, they’ll love it! Especially as summer progresses, there will be sno-cones with as many as eight different flavor choices available. Buyers get to pump their own syrup right on their shaved-ice. It’s decadent!

All in all, a matsuri is a not-to-be missed experience, no matter what ages your kids might be. There are definitely ways in which the whole family can have the uniquely Japanese experience without any trauma. It will be a day to remember for everyone.

There are thousands of festivals in Japan every year – many small towns have their own shrines and accompanying festivals. Check the city or town’s website for a specific listing or peruse the Japan Event Calendar where you will find links to a number of festival listings as well as movie listings, and art & design events that you can add to your itinerary.

This article is by, writer and writing professor, Aimee Weinstein.  You can read more from Aimee on her website The Weekly Weinstein: Tales of Tokyo Life where she blogs about Tokyo, parenting and the intersection of the two.

Image Credit:  Flickr, Child, The ball catchers, YoyogiHachiman shrine & Stick Your Wieners, But Wrap ‘Em First

Fuji Rock Festival ’09

The 12th annual Fuji Rock Festival is Japan’s largest outdoor festival and will take place from July 24th through the 26th at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture, part of the Chubu region of Japan.  The original festival was held near Mt. Fuji in 1997 and retained the name despite moving to Naeba in 1999.

Over 100,000 people will attend the event to see headliners Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and Weezer.  Other artists announced June 2nd include:

Altan Urag, THE BIRTHDAY, BOIKOT, CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH, CRAZE & KLEVER, Dachambo, DE DE MOUSE, DJ TASAKA, esne beltza, JET, nakamura mari, NEWDEAL X TAMAKI ROY, ROVO, YUKIHIRO TAKAHASHI, animanimus, bouzumans, THE CENTERHITS, THE DESCRIPTIONS, gekitetsu, Harp On Mouth Sextet, Jaribu Afrobeat Arkestra, KATE SIKORA, kowarekakeno tape recorders, mahiruno, nenem, reito, SuiseiNoboAz, taizan ni asobu and uchikubi gokumon doukoukai.

“High up in the mountains, far away from city life and daily grind, you’ll love this festival and it’s unique atmosphere.”

Various Fuji Rock Festival Tours including accommodations and transportation from 16 cities in Japan can be booked in advance.  Access to the Fuji Rock Festival site and accommodations in the area can also be arranged independently. Free shuttle buses will operate between Echigo-Yuzawa station (about 1.5 hours outside of Tokyo by train) and the festival site.

Fuji Rock Festival ’09 Event Details

Dates: July 24(Fri), 25(Sat), 26(Sun) 2009
Hours: Gate Open 9:00 / Stage starts 11:00 / Stage close 23:00
Tickets: 3-day tickets: ¥39,800; 1-day tickets:  ¥16,800 (limited to 10,000/day) Pre-booking for all ticket types closes June 5th and regular sales will start on Saturday June 6th.
Car park pass: ¥3,000/car/day for 2+ persons (Not sold separately from entrance tickets)
Campsite ticket: ¥3,000 valid for festival period (Not sold separately from entrance tickets)

Summer Sonic 2009

The 10th annual Summer Sonic is held in two different cities over the weekend of August 7-9, 2009.  The artists will perform in Osaka on Maishima Island and at Chiba Marine Stadium and Makuhari Messe, approximately 40 minutes outside of Tokyo.

Headlines include Beyonce, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Nine Inch Nails, Limp Bizkit, Elvis Costello and The Imposters, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts and Lady Gaga/Klaxons among others.  The list of artists performing at Summer Sonic 2009 is impressive.

Tickets range in price from ¥13,000 for a one day ticket to ¥39,500 for a three day pass. Summer Sonic 2009 Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased online.

Rising Sun Rock Festival 2009

Taking place in Ezo, Hokkaido on August 14th & 15th, the Rising Sun Rock Festival is an outdoor event featuring a line up of Japan’s contemporary artists covering a range of genres including rock, AOR, alternative, industrial, techno, jazz, ska and more.

Tickets range in price from ¥18,000 to ¥21,000 plus camping and parking if needed.  Tickets to the Rising Sun Rock Festival are currently on preorder.  Regular ticket sales start on June 27th.

Image Credit: Flickr, Fuji0037 & Chiba Marine Stadium: The Verve

In 12th century Japan, territorial battles were commonplace and were often bloody affairs.  Warlords enacted elaborate military attacks with the sole purpose of gaining control of more land and thereby increasing their status in the eyes of the Emperor or Shogun of the day.  The story of the Soga brothers is such a story:  it is considered of the three great vendettas in Japanese history and has been dramatized in both noh and kabuki plays since the Edo Period (1603-1868).

Two warlords, Sukechika and  Kudo, were entrenched in a bitter battle over land on the Izu peninsula in the Chubu Region of Japan.  Sukechika took some of Kudo’s land by force and in revenge Kudo had Suechika’s son, Sukeyasu Kawazu, killed.

Sukeyasu Kawazu left behind a widow a two sons, Sukenari and Tokimune who were four and two years old at the time of their fathers murder.  The boy’s mother eventually remarried and the boys were adopted into the new husbands family and took the surname of Soga.

For eighteen long years, Sukenari and Tokimune Soga dreamed of avenging their fathers death and the opportunity finally came in May 1193.  The brothers surreptitiously joined a hunting party in Odawara that Kudo was a member of and on a stormy night the brothers succeeded in their mission by killing him with their swords. (Pictured on the right is a uniko-e print depicting the brothers practicing their swordsmanship on a pile of snow by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1798 – 1861)

It is said that after the Soga brothers avenged their father’s murder by killing Kudo, they burned a pile of umbrellas.

It’s a true tale of bravery and loyalty but the story doesn’t have a happy ending, both Sukenari and Tokimune Soga were captured and killed for their act of revenge at the respective ages of twenty-two and twenty.

Today, young children dress up as the Soga brothers and set fire to old umbrellas in front of their graves during the Soga Kasa-yaki Matsuri to commemorate their memories.

Event Details:

Date: May 28, 2009
Location: Jozenji Temple in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture
Times: The umbrella-burning ritual takes place at 11:30AM and 8PM
Access: JR Gotemba Line to Shimo-Soga Station (approximately two hours by train from Tokyo station), and then walk 5 minutes.  (Shimo-Sogo Area Map)

Image Credit:  Wikimedia, The Soga brothers practising swordstrokes on a heap of snow

Of course there are always exceptions. One type of festival, held all across the country is known as Yosakoi-Soran. It’s unique for many reasons, chiefly that it was invented only about 17 years ago.  Yosakoi itself was only started after World War II, as a way to encourage economic growth. The word actually means “come”-Yo “at”-sa ”night”-koi. At first people mostly danced Bon-Odori, from the traditional Bon period in summer. Since then it has morphed to include several, more dynamic styles of music and dance steps. In 1991 a student from Hokkaido was visiting Kochi prefecture on the island of Shikoku and experienced the Yosakoi festival there.

The next year about 1000 students got together and, by incorporating the rhythmic sounds of Hokkaido’s, fishing based, traditional soran bushi music with the dynamic dance of Yosakoi, Yosakoi-Soran was born. The festival in Sapporo has grown to be the largest in Japan, hosting over 300 teams with, more than 50,000 dancers, and 1 million visitors.

Now, Yosakoi-Soran festivals are held all over Japan, throughout the year. They vary in size from small villages hosting a few teams of dancers in conjunction with another annual festival, to large cities like Sendai, which hosts the Michinoku Yosakoi Festival, and is the third largest festival in Japan. Many of the festivals have competitions, which actually require teams to include the use of tradtional Yosakoi naruko clappers, and also include Soran music in their routines. Experiencing a Yosakoi-Soran festival is a great way to see one of the most simple things that Japanese people do so well…enjoy life! You can participate too, by joining the sou-odori numbers, which usually occur throughout the day or at the end of each days dancing.

The Hitachinokuni Yosakoi Festival in Daigo (located in Ibaraki prefecture in the Kanto region of Japan), is held the third weekend in May every year. This year the 6th annual staging is this weekend May 16-17 and is expected to have as many as 80 teams and hundreds of dancers.  There are also plenty of great local places to eat and grab a nice soak in an onsen.

Access:

By JR- Take the Joban Line to Mito, changing  to the Suigun Line, to Hitachi Daigo. (Approximately 4 hours from Tokyo)

By Highway bus from Tokyo Station, Yaesu Guchi to Daigo Jidosha Gakko Mae. The highway buses are limited, so your best bet is train or driving.

By Car- National Hwy 6 or Joban Expy to Mito. Take National Hwy 118, and follow signs in English to Daigo.

The Hitachinokuni Yosakoi Festival website is in Japanese, but this map of Hitachi Daigo will help you find the venue. A free shuttle is available between venues on during the main event on Sunday.

There are also many other Yosakoi-Soran festivals all over Japan – why not attend one and jump into neo-Japanese culture. It’s sure to be a great time!

This post was written by Josh Fields who is living his dream in rural Japan.  Read more about Josh and adventures on his blog 者守(Josh) in Japan or follow Josh on Twitter.

Image Credit:  Josh Fields, used with permission

Kameido Shrine, also know as Tenmangu, was built in 1662 and is home to one of Japan’s few remaining red drum bridges that has been immortalized in on of Hiroshige’s 100 views of Edo. Originally published 1856, Wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine (pictured on the right) is just one of any iconic images of Japan from the series.

During the festival period the wisteria gracefully reflect on the pond as it hangs from overhead trellises and offers a lovely frame for the famous drum bridge.

Fuji Matsuri Schedule:

Dates: April 19 – May 6, 2009

April 19th: Taiko Performance from 1-4PM

April 26th & 29th: Ohayahashi or festival music from 9AM – 4PM

May 2nd: Koto (Japanese Harp) and Shanuhachi (Bamboo Flute) performances from 1PM- 2PM

Kameido Tenjin Access:  Take the JR Sobu Line to Kameido Station (South Exit) or Kinshicho Station (North Exit) and walk for 10 to 15 minutes or make the short trip in a taxi from either station.  Kameido Tenjin Access Map

Those who want to try traditional Japanese cuisine should plan to dine on Edo Kaiseki at Wakafuku within the shrine precincts.  The menu includes Kaiseki-ryori, prepared with carefully selected seasonal ingredients, nabe (Japanese stew), tempura or sushi and is reasonably priced.

Image Credit:  Wikipedia, 100 views edo 057 & Flickr, The annual wisteria festival…

“Huge pink and black phalluses were paraded down the streets of this Japanese town in an annual fertility festival, as some 30,000 worshippers asked for blessings and protection from sexually transmitted diseases.”
Source:  Reuters, Phallic festival celebrates fertility in Japan

The Kanamara Festival dates back over three hundred years when prostitutes came to the shrine to ask for protection from syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases.  Today, prayers are for fertility and protection from AIDS and the penis is the symbol of the festival. Volunteers carve daikon (Japanese radishes) in the the shape of the male and female sexual organs and offer them to the gods. 

Popular souvenirs from the event are phallus shaped candies and the area surrounding the shrine is decorated with images of the penis in all shapes and sizes!

This years festival will be help on April 5th and starts with a fire ceremony and the opening rites performed by a Shinto priestess.  After which a giant pink phallus will be loaded onto a mikoshi (portable shrine) and costumed participants will proudly and boisterously parade it through the streets.  This event goes on all day and long into the night.

It’s not your usual festival and certainly not one for the prudish!

How to get to the Kanamara Festival

From Shinagawa take a Keihin Kyuko (red) train towards Yokohama. Get off at Keikyu Kawasaki Station, go down the stairs and take a Daishi Line train three stops to Kawasaki Daishi Station. From there, walk across the street and you’ll find the shrine a few meters down on your right

From JR Kawasaki Station take the No. 23 bus for Daishi and get off at Wakamiya Hachiman-gu shrine.

Wakamiya Hachiman-gu Shrine Access Map – Kawasaki Daishi Station is located in the top right of the map near the number 18 and the shrine is in the red cross hairs at number 4.

Image Credit: P1010841.JPG & P1011672

Literally, taiko means “fat drum”, and the art form can be traced back the the sixth or seventh century in Japan, perhaps earlier.  Taiko drums were used by samurai on the battlefield as a way to intimidate and scare the enemy as well as to issue commands to the troops.

“One soldier would carry the taiko lashed to a backpack-like frame, while two other soldiers would beat the taiko, on each side.”
Source: Taiko Resource: Overview and History

Communities also used various taiko beat combinations to signal that a storm was coming or that hunters were setting out or returning.   Eventually, some came to believe that taiko drums were the voices of the gods and today both Buddhist and Shinto employ taiko drums in their religions ceremonies.

Witnessing a taiko performance, and the distinctive sound of the drums, is something that you won’t soon forget.  Long after you have left, the sound of taiko drumming will transport right back to Japan!

Narita Taiko Matsuri Schedule of Events

Dates: April 11 & 12, 2009

Location: Naritasan Shinshoji Temple (Naritasan Shinsyoji Temple Access Information)

Events:

• Sengan Hana-Daiko (festival opening ceremony) where over 500 parishioners present a taiko demonstration from 10-10:30AM each day.
• Naritasan Sennen Yobutai  (taiko by torchlight) – April 11th from 5-7PM.
• Omotesando Taiko Parade features drumming and dancing on along Omotesando (the main street approaching the temple) – April 12th from 3-5PM.

Image Credit:  Personal Collection