Winter in Japan is very lively. There are many activities held here, such as winter light shows and fireworks shows, as well as some snow festivals and other festival activities. They are all very lively and have Japanese characteristics. , if you come to Japan to travel here, you can go and find out! Chichibu Night Festival (_Tama Prefecture) CHICHIBUN Night Festival
"Chichibu Night Festival" is one of Japan's representative festivals and was selected by UNESCO in 2016 A festival of intangible cultural heritage. It is held from December 1st to 6th every year, especially the eve festival on December 2nd and the main festival on December 3rd. Many tourists come to visit, and the streets of Chichibu are very lively.
The origin of the Chichibu Night Festival has a history of more than 300 years. In the Edo period, Chichibu was a road fortress connecting major cities. Moreover, the sericulture industry was very prosperous, and there was even a famous product called "Chichibu silk", and the whole city became lively. The Chichibu Night Festival is held at the end of the year after the people of Chichibu are busy with farm work and raising silkworms.
The huge, luxurious floats are very famous and parade through the streets of Chichibu during the festival. The gorgeous float is made entirely of wood without using a single nail, and is a work of art that showcases the craftsmen's superb skills. In addition, the golden decoration and colorful carvings are also works of art worthy of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage. The dreamlike atmosphere created by lighting up the candles in the lanterns at night is definitely worth seeing.
The charm of floats goes far beyond that. First on December 2nd. This day is the eve of the festival to warm up for the next day’s activities. People have started dragging floats in the parade since the morning, and the highlight is the float enthusiasts trying their best to pass each other first. The float is danced to the accompaniment of Japanese traditional music, and the performance of using the lever at the corner, where the men try their best to turn the giant stick and change the direction of the float is also worth watching.
At this time, the most lively and beautiful moment is when the float leans forward like a bow.
Then December 3rd came. On this day, floats will parade in sequence starting at 9 a.m. The streets of Chichibu are very lively during the day just like the night before, but at around 20 o'clock in the evening, you can see that there is a big difference from the previous day. After the floats parade through the streets in order, they ascend the steep slope "Dangozaka". This slope is about 3 meters long and has an inclination of about 25 degrees. It is very difficult to drag a heavy float up. This is the biggest attraction of the Chichibu Night Festival, so don’t miss it. In addition, Dangozaka is very crowded and sometimes there are admission restrictions. Those who want to watch the parade are recommended to reserve a paid viewing seat.
While the floats run along Dangozaka, there will also be a fireworks display. The night sky of Chichibu is colorfully decorated with fireworks, and the music accompaniment and the shouts of men in the streets are even more noisy. The climax of the Chichibu Night Festival is very moving.
Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture, where this festival is held, is easily accessible from within Tokyo. Take the limited express Chichibu train on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line from the terminal Ikebukuro Station and it will take about 1 hour and 20 minutes. This winter, please come and experience the festival "Chichibu". Transportation
3-minute walk from Chichibu Railway Chichibu Station
10-minute walk from Seibu-Chichibu Station on the Seibu-Chichibu Line
※Transportation to Chichibu Shrine, the center of the festival
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Sapporo Snow Festival (Hokkaido) as of January 31, 2020
The Sapporo Snow Festival is a festival held in Hokkaido, the northernmost tip of Japan, and is a world-famous festival One of the snow festivals. Located in Odori Park in the center of Sapporo, there will be many huge snow sculptures for tourists to feast their eyes on. The snow festival held in early February every year is one of the three major snow festivals in the world, with 2 million tourists visiting during the period.
This festival originated from the snow festival held by a local elementary school in 1950.
At first, local middle and high school students made snow sculptures. Later, citizens gradually began to actively participate, and now the scale continues to expand. In particular, the 1972 Sapporo Olympics was a turning point, and the snow festival has attracted widespread attention from overseas.
There are many wonderful attractions in the Sapporo Snow Festival, the most famous of which is the large snow sculpture in Odori Park. This is a giant snow sculpture jointly built by the Ground Self-Defense Force and citizens. Its super shocking power becomes a hot topic every year.
It is recommended to watch the projection mapping at night. The interplay of sound, light and shadow places all the snow sculptures in a colorful world, bringing visitors the ultimate visual enjoyment. The snow sculptures will continue to shine from after sunset (around 17:00) to around 22:00, presenting a magnificent scenery.
The snow sculptures in Odori Park are also spectacular, but the ice sculptures at the other venue "Susukino Venue" are also highly recommended sights. The exquisitely carved ice sculptures create a dreamy atmosphere under the neon lights and lights of the bustling streets.
In addition, it is also a pleasure to skate on the ice rink attached to the venue and taste winter Hokkaido delicacies at the shops along the way. Scallops, crabs, grilled lamb, etc. are all delicious and you won’t get tired of them. Please come to Hokkaido to enjoy winter fun. Transportation
1 minute walk from Sapporo Municipal Subway Odori Station
※ Transportation to Odori Park, the center of the festival Yokote Snow Festival (Akita Prefecture) YOKOTESnowFestival
Akita Prefecture in the Tohoku region holds the "Yokote Snow Festival" every year in mid-February. This festival consists of two ritual events: "Igloo", where the beautiful scenery stretches out in the snow, and "Brahma", where men fiercely show off their superb skills to each other. It can be said that it is a festival with a sharp contrast between stillness and movement.
The igloo is a traditional ceremony that features a unique snow cave and has been going on for 450 years. It was originally a first-month ceremony to worship the gods. Children would drink sweet wine and eat rice cakes. At the Yokote Snow Festival, the sight of layers of igloos intertwined in the snowy landscape is beautiful and deeply moving. In addition, at night, mini igloos with twinkling candles appear on the banks of the Yokote River that flows through Yokote City, so be sure to check it out.
The "Brahma" is the front end of a 5-meter-high log with a distinctive upper decoration. It is said to have been transformed from a flag used to fight fires in the Edo period.
The giant "Brahma Ten" is lifted from the center of Yokote to a shrine about 3 kilometers away. It is worth watching the bravery of each town to worship it first.
"Yokote Snow Festival" allows you to enjoy the two ritual activities of the igloo and Brahma at the same time. Please come and experience Tohoku’s winter festival. Transportation
10-minute walk from Yokote Station on the JR Ou Main Line
※ Transportation to Yokote City Hall, the center of the festival Tennen-Ji Temple Shujo Onie Fire Festival (Oita Prefecture) Tennen-JiTempleShujoOniefirefestival
The Tennen Temple Correction Ghost Festival is a strange festival held by Tennen Temple in Bungotakata City, Oita Prefecture on January 7th every year. It has been selected as a national important intangible folk cultural heritage and has extremely high A festival of cultural value. The character on the stage is a "ghost". The sight of many ghosts holding up torches and the demons dancing wildly in the temple is worth watching.
In Japan, when it comes to "ghosts", it feels like they have been wiped out, but ghosts can be summoned at the Revised Oni Association. This festival was originally related to the Buddhist culture inherited in this area and is said to have a history of more than 1,200 years. In folklore, ghosts are actually the incarnations of Buddha. The purpose of this festival is to welcome the gods once a year, avoid diseases and disasters, and obtain a good harvest.
On days when the ghost correction meeting is held, monks chant sutras from 15:00, and ghosts appear at around 22:00 in the middle of the night. The ghost-calling ceremony is very unique, with monks and villagers dancing and sometimes singing together to create an incredible space. After that, the red ghost and the black ghost appear. The ghost first performed several rituals, then held a torch and danced enthusiastically. Finally, he waved the torch and started playing with the villagers and people in the temple one after another. The atmosphere in the temple was warm and the climax of the event was ushered in. The sense of presence and atmosphere at that time was a special experience that can only be felt here. Sparks will constantly fly during the festival, so please be careful with your clothes.
Transportation
Take a 25-minute taxi from Usa Station on the JR Nippo Main Line. Toka Ebisu Festival
Toka Ebisu Festival is based on the Imamiya Ebisu Shrine in Naniwa District, Osaka City. Center, a festival held every year from January 9th to 11th. Since the festival is held on the 10th day of the first lunar month, it is called "Ten Days Rong".
The Imamiya Ebisu Shrine’s festival dedicated to the god of business prosperity, “Ebisu God”, has been popular in the prosperous commercial city of “Osaka” since the mid-1600s. Even in modern times, this is an important festival for merchants in Osaka. One of the charms of Tokaharu is the lucky bamboo that brings good luck. Many people come to the temple specifically to get the lucky bamboo from the lucky goddess. Blessed girls are women who are selected through a review process several months before the festival. Be sure to hang many ornaments on the lucky bamboo to bring good luck.
The second charm is the rows of rooftops. The variety of food in Osaka will make people exclaim, "Does it need to be so comprehensive?" Osaka's representative local delicacies are "takoyaki" and "fried skewers", as well as "chopstick rolls" rolled up with chopsticks like okonomiyaki, "egg pancakes" with fried eggs on top of pancakes, etc. Osaka gourmet food It has everything you need. It is said that as many as 500 shops have set up yatai, and the yatai stalls on the streets are endless as far as the eye can see. Finding your favorite rooftop is also fun.
The third attraction is the costumed parade from Minami Ward to Imamiya Ebisu Shrine. In the parade held on January 10, entertainers and kabuki actors will sit on cars raised by people and parade from the "Minami Ward" in the center of Osaka to the grounds of Imamiya Ebisu Shrine. Since you can see celebrities up close, it has become a popular event with many tourists and a lively atmosphere.
Tenri Rong is full of energy. Be sure to come and experience it, you will be blessed at the beginning of the year. Transportation
1-minute walk from Imamiya Ebisu Station on the Nankai Koya Line
5-minute walk from Daikokucho Station on the Subway Midosuji Line
5-minute walk from Ebisucho Station on the Subway Midosuji Line 5 minutes
Everyone should master the information about these winter festivals. If you have time, go and take part. I believe you will love these activities!