Chichibu Yomatsuri

In the small town of Chichibu, near Tokyo, night festivals are termed as Chichibu Yomatsuri. This town is the annual venue for fireworks. It also celebrates customary performing arts. However, the prime attraction of this locale is a gorgeous action-packed parade of enormous, illuminated floats in one of the most spectacular night festivals.

This magnificent fiesta has a record of more than 300 years and is celebrated in honor of the town's six protective kami. In Japanese, deities are called kami. Each of the six deities occupies one of the floats.

There are three grandest float festivals in Japan. And this is one of them.
During this time, huge floats become stages. Upon these stages children carry out traditional Kabuki dramas and folk dances. Besides, there you will find many illumined and well fashioned stalls selling foods. Have beer and hot sake for refreshment. There are also street entertainers and musicians performing for the crowds consisted of locals and tourists.

Here each float is at least ten metres high and weighs around ten tons. These are pulled by dozens of enthusiastic young men; and they look extremely gorgeous in the festival dress. The parade is accompanied by wild drumming and flute music. Everywhere of this little town, enjoyment seems to be at full brim. The logistics of getting the enormous, not-altogether-stable floats around the town's many street alleys offer an interesting as well as dangerous challenge! The crowds are vast, but very good-humored, and the party goes on all night.

The best part is unquestionably the parade after the sunset. At around 7pm six huge floats depart from the grounds of Chichibu Shrine. These are all bedecked with tinted carvings and flowers and lightened with colored lanterns. They make their noisy drunken way through the streets of the town against a backdrop of fireworks.

Event Details:
Date(s): Various Dates
December 2, 2007 - December 3, 2007 *
December 2, 2008 - December 3, 2008 *
* To Be Confirmed.
Location: Chichibu, Kanto, Japan

Venue Details:
Venue Name: Chichibu-jinja Shrine
Address: 1-13 Banba-cho, Chichibu City 368-0041
Phone: +81 (0) 4 9422 0262
Directions: From Ikebukero Station (Yamanote Line) take the Seibu Railway's Limited Express (Tokkyu)   -  Red Arrow  -   to Seibu-Chichibu Station (¥1370).

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