The 29th Yokohama Port Opening Festival
Date: May 29 (Sat) to May 30 (Sun), June 2 (Wed)Location: Yokohama-City, Rinko Park, Minato Mirai District, Yamashita District, Shinko District, and other locations
Kanagawa This Month - Latest Kanagawa Tourist Information
June 2010
Recommended events in Kanagawa
Location: Yokohama-City, Rinko Park, Minato Mirai District, Yamashita District, Shinko District, and other locations
A large-scale festival put on by Yokohama townspeople. Events include the earliest fireworks display in the Kanto region and a chorus of 1,000 townspeople performing “Dream of Harmony.” Free concerts and other events will also be held.
For details, visit http://www.kaikosai.com/ (Japanese)
Jamokamo Festival
Date: June 6 (Sun)Location: Hara Shinmeisha Shrine, Namamugi, Tsurumi-Ward, Yokohama-City
A festival held for approximately 300 years to protect against disease. Two large snakes (male and female) made out of grass are carried throughout the town.
These snakes, approximately 1 meter wide and 20 meters long, are made within the shrine precincts from 6:30 the morning of the festival, then depart from the shrine at 1:00 pm. After they are carried around the town and brought back to the shrine at 5:00 pm, they are then burned within the precincts the following morning.
Other event information: http://www.kanagawa-kankou.or.jp/english/festival/jun.html
Summer Purification Rites
Date: June 30 (Wed)- Location:
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Yukinoshita, Kamakura-City
- Enoshima-jinja Shrine, Enoshima, Fujisawa-City
- Samukawa-jinja Shrine, Miyayama, Samukawa-Town
- Hakone-jinja Shrine, Moto-Hakone, Hakone-town
Events are held at various shrines to rid oneself of the impurities of the last half-year, including ceremonies and Chinowakuguri (Passing through the Circle of Miscanthus).
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine: Tel: 0467-22-0315
- Enoshima-jinja Shrine: Tel: 0466-22-4020
- Samukawa-jinja Shrine: 0467-75-0004
- Hakone-jinja Shrine: Tel: 0460-83-7123
Other event information: http://www.kanagawa-kankou.or.jp/english/festival/jun.html
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine: Approximately 10-minute walk from Kamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line
- Enoshima-jinja Shrine: Approximately 15-minute walk from Katase-Enoshima Station on the Odakyu Line, or approximately 20-minute walk from Enoshima Station on the Enoden Line or Shonan Enoshima Station on the Shonan Monorail
- Samukawa-jinja Shrine: Approximately 5-minute walk from Miyayama Station on the JR Sagami Line
- Hakone-jinja Shrine: Take the bus from the East Exit of Odawara Station and get off at Moto-Hakone (approximately 60 minutes)
- http://www.hachimangu.or.jp (Japanese)
- http://www.enoshimajinja.or.jp/ (Japanese)
- http://hakonejinja.or.jp/ (Japanese)
Topics
The Jamokamo Festival and Folk Events:
This festival is a folk event belonging to Namamugi, which is located in Tsurumi-Ward, Yokohama. It has been passed down from the Edo period and designated as a Yokohama Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Asset. According to lore, around 300 hundred years, sickness ran rampant throughout the area. However, since there were no doctors during this era, people were stricken by hardship. In order to expel the sickness, snake bodies were made out of grass, evil spirits were sealed within them, and they were carried out to the sea. This is said to be the origin of the festival. In addition to warding off sickness, this event also offered prayers for rain in order to facilitate rice production during the period when the area was a farming and fishing village. As a result, this seasonal festival is also connected with abundant harvests and plentiful hauls of fish and performed in conjunction with a celebration to pray for the healthy growth of children. There are many other folk events like this one in Kanagawa.
Summer Purification Rites:
Without realizing it, people commit sins or are exposed to contamination in their daily lives, which they then spread around. This traditional event has been held since ancient times to purify the hearts of people and to pray for protection from disease after the summer season. It is held all over Japan near the ocean, rivers, springs, and wells. It currently takes place at shrines in many different areas. It is said that passing three times through the ring made of bundles of grass located in front of the shrine will protect you from disaster.
Information about Kanagawa Prefecture
Exhibition of the complete collection of the gorgeous ukiyoe Japanese woodblock series“Chiyoda Palace: Outside the Walls” and “Court ladies of Chiyoda Palace.”
Date: June 7 (Mon) – June 26 (Sat)
Location: Isago, Kawasaki-Ward, Kawasaki-City
It is envisioned that the period of cultural enlightenment heralded in by the Meiji era through the collapse of the Shogunate and the samurai system was a time of wonder for those born and raised in Edo.
The works of Yoshu Chikanobu, an artist of ukiyoe Japanese woodblock prints who represents the Meiji era, depict the nostalgia of growing up in the Edo period. Despite being Meiji era woodblock prints, they utilize Edo period ukiyoe techniques and portray imagery including Edo’s annual festivals, visits to the territories of various shoguns, attendances at the castles of feudal lords, and hunting excursions. During the course of three months, the collection of all seventy-six works (front and back) will be put on display.
Location: Isago, Kawasaki-Ward, Kawasaki-City
It is envisioned that the period of cultural enlightenment heralded in by the Meiji era through the collapse of the Shogunate and the samurai system was a time of wonder for those born and raised in Edo.
The works of Yoshu Chikanobu, an artist of ukiyoe Japanese woodblock prints who represents the Meiji era, depict the nostalgia of growing up in the Edo period. Despite being Meiji era woodblock prints, they utilize Edo period ukiyoe techniques and portray imagery including Edo’s annual festivals, visits to the territories of various shoguns, attendances at the castles of feudal lords, and hunting excursions. During the course of three months, the collection of all seventy-six works (front and back) will be put on display.
- No entrance fee
- Closed on Sundays and public holidays
- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Kawasaki Isago no Sato Museum (ukiyoe)
For more information, please visit: http://www.saito-fumio.gr.jp/ (Japanese)
5-minute walk from Keikyu Kawasaki Station on the Keihin Kyuko line
Firefly Banquet: June 4 (Fri) to June 20 (Sun)
Location: Flower and Tree Garden, Manyo Park, Yugawara
This event is held in the early summer in Yugawara, which is known for its pure water. Every evening, Japanese fireflies dance about the shores of Manyo Park. During the event, food, beverages, and local craft items will be sold. At the same time, approximately 4,500 flowers (300 types of iris) will be displayed at the plaza in front of the Sightseeing Hall.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.yugawara.or.jp/english/e_festival.htm (English)
http://www.yugawara.or.jp/hotaru.htm
http://www.yugawara.or.jp/english/e_festival.htm (English)
http://www.yugawara.or.jp/hotaru.htm
Take the Oku-Yugawara/Fudotaki-bound bus from Yugawara Station and get off at Ochiaibashi
Sankei-en Garden Firefly Evening: June 5 (Sat) to June 13 (Sun)
Sankei-en Garden was open in 1906 by Sankei Hara, a businessman who gained riches through the raw silk trade. The spacious park features skillfully-arranged buildings of great historical importance that have been moved from Kyoto and Kamakura, and is a popular sightseeing spot in Yokohama that is also visited by many foreign tourists. Fireflies emerge within the park and light up the dark, creating a mystical atmosphere. During the event, the park is open until 8:30 p.m.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.sankeien.or.jp/index.html
Take the bus from Negishi Station on the JR Negishi Line and get off at Honmoku. Sankei-en Garden is a 7-minute walk.
http://www.sankeien.or.jp/index.html
Take the bus from Negishi Station on the JR Negishi Line and get off at Honmoku. Sankei-en Garden is a 7-minute walk.