Location: Kawasaki-Ward, Kawasaki-City / Wakamiya-Hachimangu Shrine
Kanagawa This Month - Latest Kanagawa Tourist Information
April 2008
Kanamara Festival : April 6 (Sun)
A festival, popular even among foreigners, to pray for fertility and protection from AIDS. Starting at 10:00, a “fire carrying festival” ceremony where a bonfire is lit by striking flint, annual ceremony, and putting the deity in the “mikoshi” (portable shrine) will take place. Then, Kanamara group volunteers will carve daikon radishes into male and female forms and offer them to the god, followed by a masked procession. 3 portable shrines will be brought out, around which costumed participants parade in the street. Participation is free. Samurai costumes, kimono, swords, etc. are available.
For details, contact Wakamiya-Hachimangu Shrine (Kanayama-jinja Shrine) (Tel: 044-222-3206)
From Keikyu Kawasaki Station on the Keihin Kyuko Line, take the Keikyu Daishi Line and get off at Kawasaki Daishi Station (approximately 3-minute walk)
> Kanamara Festival
Doi Festival and Warrior Parade : April 6 (Sun)
Location: Yugawara-Town / Gosho-jinja Shrine to Yugawara Station, other locations
Approximately 70 people costumed in handmade armor as historical personages including Jiro Sanehira Doi, Minamoto no Yoritomo, lords, etc. will parade about Yugawara. Calling of the names of the warriors going into battle and a departure ceremony will take place at Gosho-jinja Shrine, and calling of the names of the warriors going into battle, “joumou no mai” dance, and a departure ceremony will take place in front of Yugawara Station. A Jiro Sanehira Doi and Minamoto no Yoritomo memorial service, “joumou no mai” dance, grave visits, etc. will also be held at Jougan-ji Temple.
For details, contact the Yugawara-Town Tourist Association (Tel: 0465-63-2111)
Kamakura Festival : April 13 (Sun) to April 20 (Sun)
Location: Yukinoshita, Kamakura-City / Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, other locations
A magnificent festival heralding the arrival of spring in the old capital of Kamakura. Events include an opening concert (Sunday the 13th), warrior procession, bands, mikoshi (portable shrines), hayashi (Japanese orchestra) parade, Miss Kamakura 2008 debut ceremony, taiko drum and yagi-bushi music performances, koto performances, “shizuka no mai” dance, Mt. Fuji horseback archery taiko drums, and horseback archery (Sunday the 20th at the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine riding grounds).
For details, contact the Kamakura-City Tourist Association (Tel: 0467-23-3050)
Get off at Kamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line
> Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine
> Kamakura Festival
Ooka Echizen Festival : April 19 (Sat) to April 20 (Sun)
Location: Around Chigasaki-City
A festival held in honor of Ooka Echizen no Kami Tadasuke, a famous magistrate from the Edo period. A graveside Buddhist memorial service (Jouken-ji Temple), graveside Echizen procession (Jouken-ji Temple), and tea ceremony (Chigasaki Station North Exit) will be held on Saturday the 19th, followed by an Echizen procession, “big parade,” and mikoshi parade on Sunday the 20th.
For details, contact the Chigasaki Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Tel: 0467-58-1111)
Yokohama Street Performance : April 19 (Sat) to April 20 (Sun)
Location: Naka-Ward, Yokohama-City / Isezaki Mall 1-3 chome, Yoshida-machi Street, Kannai Bashamichi Street
Street performers from within Japan and overseas will gather and perform in the street at Isezaki Mall (8 stages: 30 people in 18 teams) and Yoshida-machi Street (jazz performances: 30 people in 5 teams / art exhibition and sales: 80 people). Also featuring specially invited performers from Beijing.
For details, contact the Yokohama Street Performance Committee (Tel: 045-662-0931)
Get off at Sakuragi-cho Station, Kannai Station, Hinode-cho Station on the Keihin Kyuko Line, or Bashamichi Station on the Minato Mirai Line
> Yokohama Landmark Tower and Queen's Square Yokohama
> Yokohama Minato Mirai Manyo Club
> Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse and Red Brick Park
> Noge Street Performance Festival
Hadano Tanzawa Festival : April 19 (Sat) to April 20 (Sun)
Location: Hadano-City / Hadano Tokawa Prefectural Park
A festival celebrating the start of the mountain climbing season in Tanzawa. A Zenyasai festival in the Nishi Middle School yard (“yosakoi odori” dance and wadaiko drumming) and Yonekura household graveside festival will be held on Saturday the 19th. The start of the mountain climbing season in Tanzawa ceremony, the festival’s main event, will take place on Sunday the 20th. Against the backdrop of the beautiful mountains, wadaiko performances, 100-person chorus performances, and alphorn performances will be held. A ceremony of opening the mountain entrance blessed by yamabushi (mountain priests) will take place, then groups of climbers will depart for the peak of Tounodake. Other events include a Yonekura Tango no Kami children’s daimyo procession (a parade of bands, yamabushi, child daimyo, “nagashi odori” folk dance, mikoshi, etc. led by Harley-Davidson motorcycles).
For details, contact the Hadano-City Tourist Association (Tel: 0463-82-5111)
A bus will run from the North Exit of Shibusawa Station on the Odakyu Line only on April 20 (Sun) every 6 minutes from 7:00 to 8:12 (13 buses). Or, take the Okura-bound shuttle bus and get off at the last stop (approximately 15 minutes). Nishi Middle School / approximately 5-minute walk from the North Exit of Shibusawa Station.
Sannomiya Hibita-jinja Shrine Spring Festival : April 22 (Tues)
Location: Sannomiya, Isehara-City
Powerful “abare mikoshi” and 3 doll floats decorated with Kiyomasa Katou, Naozane Kumagai, and Danjo Nikki wind-up kabuki dolls will leave the shrine and parade throughout the town to the accompaniment of hayashi music. After returning to the shrine, chimaki dumplings will be tossed. On the same day, kagura dance will also be performed at the kagura platform within the shrine, and a potted plant fair will take place behind the shrine.
For details, contact Sannomiya Hibita-jinja Shrine (Tel: 0463-95-3237)
Take the bus from the North Exit of Isehara Station on the Odakyu Line and get off at Hibita-jinja Shrine or Sannomiya (approximately 15 minutes)
> Sannomiya Hibita-jinja Shrine Auual Spring Festival
Kanrin Maru Festival : April 26 (Sat)
Location: Uraga Harbor area, Yokosuka-City / Within the Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. Uraga Plant
An event celebrating the Kanrin Maru, the ship that departed from Uraga carrying the Japanese envoy to America at the end of the Edo period and accomplished Japan’s first trans-Pacific crossing. Events include “mizu koi-koi” water carrying races, stage attractions (Japanese dance, shamisen performances, country dances), egg grabbing contest, visits to Uraga historical sites, refreshment stands, flea market, etc.
For details, contact the Yokosuka-City Uraga Public Administration Center (Tel: 046-841-4155)
Approximately 5-minute walk from Uraga Station on the Keihin Kyuko Line
Flying Carp Streamers at the Sagami-gawa River : April 29 (Holiday)
Location: Suigoutana, Sagamihara-City / Upstream from the Takadabashi Bridge
An exhilarating event where 5 wires are strung across the Sagami-gawa River, and approximately 1,200 carp streamers are strung from them and flown above the river. An opening ceremony will be held on the 29th. Drum and fife performances, performances of Okinawan Eisa dancing, hayashi music, folk drumming, and band performances will also be held on a specially constructed stage. A commemorative event where visitors can experience stocking the river with sweetfish will also be held from 14:30 in the specially constructed rivers venue.
For details, contact the Sagamihara Tourism Association (Tourism Promotion Department) (Tel: 042-769-8236) or “Oshiete Call Sagamihara” (Tel: 042-770-7777)
Take the Suigoutana-bound bus from Fuchinobe Station on the JR Yokohama Line or the JR Sagamihara Station and get off at the last stop (approximately 30 minutes)
> Sagamigawa River
> Carp Streamers Koinobori Sagami River
http://www.e-sagamihara.com/index.html (Japanese)