An event which boasts 800 years of history and tradition. A hama-ori-shiki (going to the beach ritual) will be held on the morning of Tuesday the 14th. On Wednesday the 15th, mikoshi (portable shrines) will be infused with the spirit of the god and carried throughout the parish area. The main shrine’s three mikoshi as well as Shinto priests, sacred horses, and people carrying ritual items such as pennants, shields, and spears will proceed from Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine to the second torii gate, where yaotome mai (a type of Kamakura kagura, or Shinto ritual dance) will be performed. On Thursday the 16th, annual stately yabusame (horseback archery) will be performed. In addition to these events, offerings of tea and flowers will take place and activities such as martial arts, music, and traditional dance will also be held.

For details, contact Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine (Tel: 0467-22-0315)

For more information, please visit:
http://www.city.kamakura.kanagawa.jp/english/index.html (English)
http://www.hachimangu.or.jp/index2.html (Japanese)

Yokohama Sankei-en Garden Moon Viewing

Date: September 22 (Wed) to September 26 (Sun)

Sankei-en Garden was opened in 1906 by Sankei Hara, a businessman who became rich 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.

Old buildings including the three-storied pagoda will be lit up, and traditional gagaku music will be performed at the Rinshunkaku building, which was the holiday house of the Kishu-Tokugawa clan. Visitors can view the moon while enjoying the uniquely Japanese atmosphere. During the moon viewing period, Sankei-en Garden is open until 9 p.m.

Moon viewing information:
http://www.sankeien.or.jp/event/14.html (Japanese)

Sankei-en Garden website:
http://www.sankeien.or.jp/index.html (Japanese)

According to the historical work Azuma Kagami (The Mirror of the East) which was written during the Kamakura period, in 1187 the traditional ceremony of yabusame (horseback archery) and a religious ritual called “hojoe” (in which captured fish, birds, and wild animals were released into a field to admonish against killing) began. These were the source of the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine Annual Festival. Since then, it has been held every year for 800 years. These traditions have been passed down to the current era and became a large scale festival.

In 1192, Minamoto no Yoritomo became shogun and established the Kamakura shogunate. He honored the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and made it the patron shrine of the Minamoto family. At the same time, he worked on urban development focused on creating the town of Kamakura, and as the feudal lord of Kamakura he built the basis of the samurai government.

The character traits of “austerity and soberness” flourished in Kamakura, where many people were devoted to this shrine. Afterwards, these characteristics became the basis of the Japanese spirit that is represented by “bushido,” the Way of the Warrior. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu’s main shrine is currently designated as an Important Cultural Property, and is visited by many worshippers from Japan and overseas.

Ever since ancient times, Japanese people have loved beautiful natural scenes and atmospheres. In particular, customs in honor of the moon still remain in many areas. Moon viewing takes place during the season of the harvest moon, and involves gazing at the full moon rising into the sky on August 15 of the old lunisolar calendar (September 22 on the modern calendar).

Autumn is the season of harvests, and people used to offer potatoes to the moon as a symbol of the year’s harvest. In more recent times, people offer dango (rice dumplings) instead of potatoes.

However, September and October on the modern calendar are right in the middle of the typhoon season and the autumn rainy season, and have traditionally had few days of good weather. Hopefully the harvest moon will come on a clear day this year!

Date: September 18 (Sat) to September 19 (Sun)
Location: Three venues (Ito-Yokado parking lot, Atsugi Baseball Ground, Atsugi Central Park)

Organizations that are bringing life to their region through food present their culinary masterpieces, and the best “B-Grade” local gourmet offerings are chosen by popular vote according to number of chopsticks.

Forty-six groups from all over Japan will exhibit their food. This is the largest such festival that has ever been held, and 300,000 people are expected to attend. “B-Grade local gourmet” refers to famous regional and local foods that are beloved by the people living in a given region, and which are not at all inferior to so-called “A-Grade” foods. They are known for allowing people to experience the culture, history, and lifestyle of a given region. Admission to the event is free. By comparing different food offerings and adding voting with your chopsticks for your favorite selection, a Grand Prize winner will be decided.

Four groups from Kanagawa Prefecture will have food for sale, including maguro ramen, “tan-tan yakisoba” noodles, curry stew bread, and “Atsugi shirokoro horumon” offal meat, which previously won the grand prize.

* This event will be conducted exclusively in Japanese.

For more information, please visit: http://b-1gp.jp/ (Japanese)

For other events, please visit:
http://www.kanagawa-kankou.or.jp/english/festival/sep.html (English)

This sightseeing spot in Hakone has been selected as one of the 100 most beautiful places to view flowers in Kanagawa Prefecture and one of the fifty most beautiful scenes in Kanagawa. Every March, the field at the vast foot of the mountains is burned to prevent harmful insects and grow hearty grasses. Green plants are visible during the summer. In October, the susuki grasses cover the plain, and the walking trail is visited by many hikers and photography fans.

Hakone sightseeing information:
http://www.hakone.or.jp/english/index.html (English)

Sengokuhara Susuki Grass website:
http://www.hakone.or.jp/blog/special-feature/index.html?page=1130 (Japanese)

Other events in September: http://www.kanagawa-kankou.or.jp/english/festival/sep.html (English)