Sawara no taisai Autumn 2024

“The Sawara Grand Festival” (Sawara no Taisai) is a collective term for the Honjuku Gion Festival held in July and the Shinjuku Autumn Festival held in October in the city center of Sawara, located in the city of Katori, Chiba Prefecture. Together with the Kawagoe Hikawa Festival and the Hitachi Kuni Sousha Shrine Grand Festival (Ishioka Festival), it is recognized as one of the three major festivals in the Kanto region. The festival was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2016.

The festival features two-tiered floats, with the upper tier (Odai-tenjou) adorned with large dolls of historical figures and oversized decorations made from straw by the townspeople. The lower tier (Naka-tenjou) carries a group playing the “Sawara Bayashi” music, entertaining the locals as they are paraded through the streets. Additionally, traditional hand dances known as “Teodori” are performed in front of the floats.

In addition to the decorations, intricate carvings featuring lions, dragons, and stories are placed around many of the floats. The Onogawa River flows through the town, dividing it into the Honjuku (east side) and Shinjuku (west side) areas, each hosting separate festivals.

 

• Honjuku District – Yasaka Shrine Gion Festival (10 floats):
  • Dates: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays after July 10th (Since the year 2010, the festival schedule has been “Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays after July 10th.”)
• Shinjuku District – Suwa Shrine Autumn Festival (14 floats):
  • Dates: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays around the second Saturday of October (Centered around the second Saturday of October)

 

 

 

 

Outline of the event

Location Sawara, Katori City, Chiba Prefecture

Date October 11, 12, 13, 2024

Official Web：Click Here