Location: Central shopping district in Hiratsuka-City
Kanagawa This Month - Latest Kanagawa Tourist Information
July 2009
- Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival
- 2009 Kurihama Perry Festival
- Enoshima Tenno Festival
- Yudate Shishi-mai Dance
- Kawasaki-Daishi Temple Wind Chime Market
- Soya-jinja Shrine Annual Festival
- Hamaori Festival
- Aloha Yokohama 2009
- Kanagawa Yamato Awa Odori Dance
- Kamimizo Summer Festival
- Odawara Summer Lantern Festival
- Yugawara Onsen Yassa Festival
- Kibune Festival
Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival : July 2 (Thurs) to July 5 (Sun)
Gorgeous, colorful bamboo decorations will be hung throughout Hiratsuka. At night the decorations are lit up, creating a romantic atmosphere. Approximately 3,000 decorations will be displayed within the city, about 500 of them in the central part of town. At Shonan Star Mall, the main event venue, 90 beautiful decorations will be available to view. Some decorations are as large as 10 meters, and many feature popular sports figures, animals, and characters. A parade will be held every day while the decorations are hung.
For details, contact the Hiratsuka-City Tourist Association (Tel: 0463-35-8107)
Just past the North Exit of Hiratsuka Station on the JR Tokaido Line
> Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Star Festival
2009 Kurihama Perry Festival : July 11 (Sat)
Location: Around Kurihama, Yokosuka-City
Events will include a ceremony in memory of Commodore Perry's landing, a Japan-America friendship parade, the “Yokosuka country opening bazaar,” a mikoshi and festival float parade, and the 2009 Kurihama Perry fireworks display.
For details, contact the Yokosuka-City Kurihama Administration Center (Tel: 046-834-1111)
Get off at Keikyu Kurihama Station on the Keihin Kyuko Line or Kurihama Station on the JR Yokosuka Line
> Kurihama Perry Festival
Enoshima Tenno Festival : July 12 (Sun)
Location: Yasaka-jinja Shrine to Koyurugi-jinja Shrine, Enoshima, Fujisawa-City
Get off at Katase-Enoshima Station on the Odakyu Enoshima Line, Enoshima Station on the Enoden Line, or Shonan-Enoshima Station on the Shonan Monorail
For details, contact the Fujisawa-City Enoshima Tourist Association (Tel: 0466-24-4141)
Get off at Katase-Enoshima Station on the Odakyu Enoshima Line, Enoshima Station on the Enoden Line, or Shonan-Enoshima Station on the Shonan Monorail
> Enoshima Tenno Festival
http://www.fta-shonan.jp/index.html (Japanese)
Yudate Shishi-mai Dance : July 15 (Wed)
Location: Suwa-jinja Shrine, Miyagino, Hakone-Town
After a quiet dance in the main hall and a sword dance in the garden, water will be boiled in a large cauldron and "shishi-mai" (lion dance) will be performed where the "lion" sprinkles hot water over the heads of visitors to pray for their health.
For details, contact the Hakone-Town Tourist Association (Tel: 0460-85-5700)
Take the bus from the East Exit of Odawara Station and get off at Miyagino (approximately 40 minutes)
> Yudate Shishi-mai Dance
http://www.hakone.or.jp/ (Japanese)
Kawasaki-Daishi Temple Wind Chime Market : July 17 (Fri) to July 21 (Tues)
Location: Kawasaki-Daishi Heiken-ji Temple precincts, Kawasaki-Ward, Kawasaki-City
Nothing expresses summer better than Kawasaki-Daishi Temple's wind chime market. Approximately 30,000 wind chimes of 880 varieties from 47 locations ranging from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south invite cool summer breezes.
For details, contact Kawasaki-Daishi Heiken-ji Temple (Tel: 044-266-3420)
Take the train from Keikyu-Kawasaki Station on the Keihin Kyuko Line to Kawasaki-Daishi Station on the Keikyu Daishi Line
> Kawasaki Daishi
http://www.kawasakidaishi.com/ (Japanese)
Soya-jinja Shrine Annual Festival : July 18 (Sat) to July 19 (Sun)
Location: Soya-jinja Shrine area, Soya, Hadano-City
On both days, approximately 25 mikoshi (portable shrines) including large mikoshi and children's mikoshi will be energetically carried around the vicinity of Soya-jinja Shrine.
For details, contact Soya-jinja Shrine (Tel: 0463-81-0805)
15-minute walk from the North Exit of Hadano Station on the Odakyu Line
Hamaori Festival : July 20 (Holiday)
Location: Nishihama Beach, Chigasaki, Chigasaki-City
In the middle of the night, 40 mikoshi are carried from their respect shrines and are gathered together at Nishihama Beach in Chigasaki, where a purification ceremony is carried out during the early hours of the morning. Also called the "Dawn Festival," the sight of the participants as they push their way into the water and dance wildly about is an impressive, must-see event.
For details, contact the Chigasaki Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Tel: 0467-58-1111)
Aloha Yokohama 2009 : July 22 (Wed) to July 26 (Sun)
Location: Yokohama Port Osanbashi Hall and other locations, Naka-Ward, Yokohama-City
Events include one of Japan's largest Hawaiian markets, Hawaiian concerts and hula shows, workshops, 1,000-person hula performances, and 1,000-person ukulele performances.
For details, contact the Festival Committee Office (Tel: 045-664-6633)
Get off at Nihon Odori Station on the Minato Mirai Line
> Yokohama International Passenger Terminal "Osanbashi Pier"
Kanagawa Yamato Awa Odori Dance :
July 25 (Sat) to July 26 (Sun)
Location: Shopping street near Yamato Station, Yamato-City
Approximately 4,000 people will participate in large-scale Awa Odori dance performances taking place over two days.
For details, contact the Yamato Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Tel: 046-263-9111)
Get off at Yamato Station on the Odakyu Enoshima Line or the Sotetsu Line
Kamimizo Summer Festival : July 25 (Sat) to July 26 (Sun)
Location: Kamimizo shopping street, Sagamihara-City
The Kamimizo Summer Festival is the largest summer festival in northern Kanagawa Prefecture with well over a hundred years of history. This progression of 23 mikoshi and 8 dashi (a type of festival float) has been continued for many generations and is an important tradition of the region. In the evening, the paper lanterns attached to the mikoshi will be lit up.
For details, contact the Sagamihara Tourism Promotion Division (Tel: 042-769-8236)
Odawara Summer Lantern Festival :
July 25 (Sat) to July 26 (Sun)
Location: Ninomaru Square in Odawara Joshi Park, other locations, Odawara Castle, Odawara-City
An Odawara lantern dance parade and Odawara taiko drum performances will be held, among other events. In addition, an Odawara lantern art fair will also be held on the water (approximately 2,700 lanterns will be displayed on the waters of the castle moat, and will be lit up at night).
For details, contact the Odawara-City Tourist Association (Tel: 0465-22-5002)
10-minute walk from the East Exit of Odawara Station
> Odawara Castle
> "Akari no Saiten" Odawara Lantern Summer Festival
http://www.odawara-kankou.com/ (Japanese)
Yugawara Onsen Yassa Festival :
July 25 (Sat) and August 2 (Sun) to August 3 (Mon)
Location: Around Yugawara-Town
Festivities include a samba parade, summer evening fireworks display, and Yassa festival parade.
For details, contact the Yugawara-Town Tourist Division (Tel: 0465-63-2111)
Get off at Yugawara Station on the JR Tokaido Line
Kibune Festival : July 27 (Mon) to July 28 (Tues)
Location: Kibune-jinja Shrine to Manazuru Port, Manazuru-Town
Beautifully decorated boats cast their reflections on the blue waters for a spectacular sight during this boat festival. The festivities begin with "Mizu-uke," a launching ceremony for two kobayabune boats from the East and West. Hand-paddled boats will then tow the kobayabune, mikoshibune and hayashibune boats.
For details, contact the Manazuru-Town Tourist Association (Tel: 0465-68-1001)
Take the bus from Manazuru Station on the JR Tokaido Line and get off at Miyamae (5 minutes)
> Kibune Festival
http://www.manazuru.net/index.htm (Japanese)