What festivals have you been to in Japan?

[deadhippo]

In Japan there are so many festivals that it would be impossible t attend them all, but I'll try. At the moment I hae only been to festivals in the Kanto area.
If you come to Japan even just for a short while I think you should attend at least one festival.
The lastest festival I attended was the Samukawa Yabusame (Samukawa horseback archery) and tomorrow I'll go to a Hadaka Matsuri (naked festival) in Chiba.

**UPDATE**
well the hadaka matsuri wasnt really hadaka
just from the waist up
i expected fundoshi although its probabaly a good thing that it wasnt because to many middle aged naked male bums isnt really a turn on

[deadhippo]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a55/deadhippo/forum%20images/Kamakura_yabusame_teaser.jpg

Click here (http://www.deadhippo.com/photo_albums/Kamakura_Yabusame/index.htm) to see more Kamakura Yabusame Photos (http://www.deadhippo.com/photo_albums/Kamakura_Yabusame/index.htm).

[deadhippo]

Click here (http://www.deadhippo.com/photo_albums/menkake/index.htm)to see Parade of Menkake Photos (http://www.deadhippo.com/photo_albums/menkake/index.htm)

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a55/deadhippo/forum%20images/menkake_12.jpg (http://www.deadhippo.com/photo_albums/menkake/index.htm)

[deadhippo]

My latest addition is a photo from the Hadaka Matsuri in Chiba. These boys were crazy. With the typhoon coming the sea didnt treat them too kindly either.
Click here (http://www.deadhippo.com/photo_albums/hadaka_matsuri/index.htm) to see more photos

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a55/deadhippo/forum%20images/hadaka_matsuri_20.jpg (http://www.deadhippo.com/photo_albums/hadaka_matsuri/index.htm)

[Doug M]

Great photos, thanks.

I went to a festival in Misawa Japan. I think it was the Shimoda festival but I could be wrong. I do recall that it was great and the parade of Harley Davidson bikers stood out. Misawa is a small (or medium sized) farming city so I was quite stunned by the size of the festival and about 20 Japanese riding Harley Davidson motrocycles down the road.

Great fun.

[Junmai Ginjo]

Hello! This is something else I am interested in - do you know where I can get Japanese Festival Coats? I have not seen many on eBay and was not sure if they are a local thing or not? Also, can you tell me more about these coats - their history? Thanks!

[deadhippo]

Those coats are called happi coats. Click here (http://www.japanesekimono.com/happi.htm)for info.

There are many place to buy them online. (Google search (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=happi+coat&btnG=Google+Search))

[Junmai Ginjo]

Great link! Thanks!

[Doug M]

You can also find a selection of Happi Coats at Japan-Stores.com (http://www.japan-stores.com/gallery/happi_coats). This is a site I also own. These coats are originally provided by J-Life International (http://www.jlifeinternational.com/).

[Takebon]

I have been to Tukimisai in Osaka.
There are many portable shrines in the festival. They were very beautiful!!

25

The details are written in my site (http://blog.side.secret.jp/?eid=256787).
If you visit my site, you can see more pictures and movies.

I hope that you like it.

[Dutchbaka]

I have been to the Firework festival in kobe, 6august, and to some small festival in a local town 3hours west driving from kobe * no idea what the name of the town was.

the firework in Kobe was really fantastic, i wore a yukata, for the first time ever in my life and then walking 3 hours was a pain, but much fun.

i really hope to go to heaps of festivals the next couple of years, one that I really want to go to is the Gion festival *i know i know*..

i think it is just great that they have so many festivals in Japan, and every week a festival somewere, could be your Job!!

*btw Hi deadhippo, long time no spoken, nice photo's!!!

[deadhippo]

@Takebon - Nice article and the videos were cool
@Dutchbaka - lol, not so long, but hi, i know what you mean the gion festival is so famous its a bit corny but i too want to go there

[deadhippo]

Photo Album: The 57th Sapporo Snow Festival 2006 (http://www.deadhippo.com/photo_albums/snow_festival/index.htm)

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a55/deadhippo/forum%20images/Snow_Festival_2006_01.jpg

Thought I'd share these, the Snow Festival was pretty cool. If you get the chance I'd recommend getting up there. And after listening to people tell me how good the food was in Hokkaido for so long I finally found out it was true.

[Doug M]

Glad you made it. That's a long journey for you I think. You must have used a few vacation days.

I was pondering writing an article about this for Japan-101 but since it just passed, and since you've documented the Sapporo 2006 festival well, I'll move on to more important things... like those crazy Japanese toilets :smile:

Great photos on your site (http://www.deadhippo.com/photo_albums/snow_festival/index.htm), as usual. Thanks for bringing the info here and hope you enjoyed the festival. Keep taking those pictures.

[deadhippo]

Thanks Doug,
I could only take two extra days off so I didnt attend the whole festival, just the first few days. It was a bit of a trip but Haneda is so close to Yokohama its not too bad. Narita on the other hand...

[yaschan]

Snow Festival in Sapporo :)

[deadhippo]

Well, I went to another festival a few days ago. One that is a bit more familiar. The Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Yokohama. It was on March 11th, a few days earlier than the real deal (March 17th) but for those who want to experience the craic there are some more Parades happening around the country. You can find details here (http://www.inj.or.jp/stpatrick_e.html).
I will have a photo album soon, after I put up a second Sapporo Snow Festival one. When am I going to get the time?
Of course if you want to get some cool Saint Patricks Day gear (http://www.cafepress.com/deadhippo/1210641?pid=3367831&tid=japan101_forum), please visit my shop.

[deadhippo]

Well, I finally got around to adding a second Sapporo Snow Festival or Yuki Matsuri Photo Album (http://www.deadhippo.com/photo_albums/snow_festival_2/index.htm). For those who are interested.

[jackmood]

I thing Yabusame is a type of mounted archery in which the rider shoots arrows at full gallop on three targets.It is interesting festival.