PLEASE SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY, JULY 17th!
Summer is coming with even hotter weather ahead, so let's get out of Tokyo and travel into the green countryside for an authentic COOL CHIBA* Edo-style Summer Festival!
It's the Sawara Big Festival, or "Yasaka-jinja Gionsai" Matsuri!
One of the Kanto region's most enjoyable festivals it's a famous celebration with more than 300 years of rich history.
https://www-city-katori-lg-jp.translate.goog/sightseeing/matsuri/introduction/natsu.html?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=ja
Traditionally held each year in July, but cancelled from 2019-2021, the fabulous "Yasaka-jinja Gionsai" festival is back for 2022!
This amazing "Matsuri", or Shinto shrine festival features the parading of 10 stunning ornate hand-carved wheeled-festival carts, or floats featuring huge figures, which have legendary powers to drive away disease & epidemics!
NOTE: * CHIBA IS COOL! Chiba is on average 3-4 degrees cooler than Tokyo, so why not leave the giant HOT concrete island that is Tokyo & join us?!
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The many dashi (festival floats) or Sawara's two festivals!
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This festival's chant "Sawara-bayashi", is one of the three major festival chants of Japan, as well as Sawara's traditional townscape recognized as Nationally-selected Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings, can be enjoyed.
【An official UNESCO designated Intangible Cultural Heritage event】
Here's the back story:
SAWARA (佐原) an old, once wealthy merchant town, flourished due to boats carrying people & cargo on its many canals, is designated as Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings (重要伝統的建造物群保存地区 Jūyō Dentōteki Kenzōbutsu-gun Hozon-chiku).
Sawara is located less than 1.5-hours east from Tokyo Station & is easily reached by the inexpensive JR Line. (￥1340 one-way) We'll ride together & you can enjoy beautiful country scenery on the way!
The main attraction of this festival is the parade of many incredibly beautiful hand-crafted floats (or "dashi") which are pushed, pulled & levered along the streets & canal-side areas of Sawara to the sound of flutes & drums, accompanied by many fan waving dancers!.
In addition there are wonderful shops which offer food and drink & original authentic handcrafted products of all kinds, perfect for gift-giving, consuming or collecting!
Enjoy the colors, the drums, the songs, flutes, food, drinks, history much more!
http://www.suigo-sawara.ne.jp/abroad.html
DETAILS:
We will meet at JR Ichikawa station and once assembled, we'll board the train for Sawara.
On arrival, we'll stroll along the willow-lined Ono riverside to the center of old Sawara to enjoy the food, the drinks, the sights, the music, the shops, visit the shrine, the museums & enjoy the cool of the early evening.
OKAY!
Sawara is sometimes called a "Little Edo" because of the fine condition of many sturdy, attractive old stone, timber & tile-built shops and fireproof storehouses, known as "kura" many of which stand beside a beautiful tree-lined stone canal running through the center of town which has several picturesque bridges.
Sawara still produces the best quality sake, miso, senbei (crackers) pickles, sweets, and many other delicious, gift-worthy traditional commodities, with many machiya, cafes, noodle shops, art galleries & other attractions.
Famous not only for colorfully ornamented rolling towers called "dashi" (many of which which feature animated sculptures of great historical and mythological figures) Sawara also has Katori-jinja (A very important Shinto shrine) and was the home of Ino Tadataka, famed as the great man who created Japan's first accurate modern map, which was completed in 1821. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In%C5%8D_Tadataka
The Ino Tadataka Home Museum in Sawara is another attraction we may visit during our tour: http://www.city.katori.lg.jp/museum/
The Dashi Kaikan, (festival cart museum), also known as the "Suido Sawara Floats Hall" is located right next to Yasaka Jinja, the host of the summer festival.
Yasaka Jinja: http://www.suigo-sawara.ne.jp/abroad_en_ca2.html
Festival Cart museum: http://www.city.katori.lg.jp/dashikaikan/
PLEASE NOTE: There is a very low ￥1000 Meetup fee. We work hard to plan interesting & enjoyable events for you, so please give more if you can! (Suggested: Students, elders or unemployed: ￥１000, others:￥2000-5000. Your choice!)
Coming late, being a "no-show" or changing your RSVP after the deadline affects your fellow members and organizers, so please be considerate.
This is a non-smoking meetup. If you wish to smoke, please do it only in proper smoking areas.
Japanese summer weather is quite changeable. A folding umbrella, a hat, sunscreen & insect spray may be useful!
Your comments and suggestions for future meetups are always welcome!
Thanks!
Your Meetup organizer, Kerry D
