Special feature on summer festivals and events in Mie Prefecture Enjoy the hot summer! [2023]

This festival is held mainly at Kasuga Shrine KuwanaCity, and is known as ``Japan's Noisiest Festival'' and ``The World's Strangest Festival.''
It is a vibrant and heroic festival where over 30 ornately decorated ritual cars are equipped with gongs and drums, and the sound they make all at once overwhelms the onlookers.It is a summer tradition in Kuwana, and is loved by the locals. It has been popular for a long time.
On March 7, 2007, it was designated as a national important intangible folk cultural property, and on December 1, 2016, it was registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage as the "Yama, Hoko, and Yatai Festival." it was done.

“Big Yokkaichi Festival” is the representative festival of Yokkaichi.
The first day of the festival is known as ``Odori Day'' and is a day full of dancing, centered around the Odori Festa.
On the second day, we will focus on ``local cultural assets and traditional performing arts,'' and enjoy watching performances by Yokkaichi's Neri and floats.
The ``Onyudo'' karakuri doll with its long neck is worth seeing!

Suzuka's summer tradition is Suzu Festival! (Suzuka Festival)
Approximately 2,400 dancers from within and outside the prefecture will perform at various locations around the city, with Bentenyama Park as the main venue, enlivening Suzuka's hot summer.
The best part of Suzu Festival is the all-out dance where the dancers and the audience all dance together and have fun! First, memorize the choreography and dance at the venue.

In the Edo period (1603-1867), it was considered one of the five major festivals in the Kansai region, along with the Gion Festival in Kyoto and the Sumiyoshi Tenjin Festival. 16 gorgeous floats paraded through the streets during the Bunka period. In the Bunka era, 16 gorgeous floats paraded through the streets. Currently, four floats from Nakamachi Sanbancho, Yonbancho, Kisaki and Oura parade through the streets. Tokaido Sekijuku The parade is a colorful summer evening event that thrills the crowds with the old townscape of Nakamachi.

The Matsusaka Gion Festival, which heralds the arrival of summer to the wealthy merchant town of Matsusaka, will be held in full for the first time in four years!
On the 15th, the three mikoshi shrines are paraded grandly through the city in matching happi coats.
On the 16th, dances and dances will be performed on the central stage, and street food stalls will also add excitement to the festival.

It is said that the Gion Festival in izawacho was started in the late 1600s to quell an epidemic, but this is not certain.
A total of 12 large and small decorated stalls and two portable shrines from each of the six districts of the village, which prospered for the production of light powder since the late Middle Ages, parade bravely through the town accompanied by ohayashi music.

This year, in commemoration of the 270th anniversary of the Oyodo Gion Festival, there will be a ``Mikuma-soro-tomi'' event in which three floats gather together.
Other impressive festivals include sea crossings and fireworks!

A traditional event handed down in ageki area, designated as a cultural property by InabeCity. The sight of the Abare Mikoshi parading through the city with chants of “Sanyo! Sanyo!” is truly impressive!
In addition, various events and stalls in the festival plaza will make the hot summer festival even more exciting!

This is a nationally rare folk event in which whale boat floats, which are registered as UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage, are moved heroically to recreate the appearance of whales after their ups and downs. On the 14th, there will be a town drill, and on the 15th, a drill will be held at Toride Shrine.

A unique festival that boasts a tradition of over 780 years. To celebrate the return of the sea goddess Ichikishimahime no Mikoto to a shrine on Oshima, ama divers and fishermen offer the catch of the day, such as abalone, and pray for safety at sea and a good catch. Afterwards, it's a world-famous festival where boats and people splash seawater on each other and throw seawater into the sea! The festival plaza is crowded with stage events, fireworks displays, Arami Taiko performances, and night stalls.

Various events are held every year, including fireworks, Toryu Taiko drums, and the impressive Kitayama Cannon. The main event, the Pillar Festival, involves spinning torches with strings attached to them and throwing them into bamboo baskets attached to cedar pillars about 20 meters high. It has been held in the Kumano River system since ancient times to pray for the safety of the rafters, good health, and a big catch by releasing all kinds of disasters into the night sky with torches.

ShirongoFestival is a festival for divers, who dive into the sea at the sound of a conch shell and compete to be the first pair to catch abalone.
The first abalone harvested is offered to a shrine to pray for a bountiful catch and safety at sea.

There are many events such as youth mikoshi, children's mikoshi, melody drum corps, night stalls, and Kawasaki Ondo.
The climax is underwater goldfish fireworks in the Seta River!

The fire festival is designated as an intangible cultural property of AsahiTown.
The festival car is carried around the area while beating a large drum and gong, and is paraded to obuke Shrine. Inside the shrine grounds, the participants are divided into two groups, shirtless young people and older adults, and they beat each other with lit bundles of straw to drive away the evil spirits that have infected people.
Finally, a large torch 5 to 6 meters high is lit and a pillar of fire is raised. This is a ritual that brings the plagues that are common in midsummer to heaven with a pillar of fire.

Oyamada's summer tradition. The fireworks will be launched very close, so it will be very impressive and will be crowded with people!

At the Tanabata Festival, an event just before summer vacation, everything is handmade, including handmade trains and bamboo decorations.
In addition to the popular mini SL, you can enjoy various games. There are Tsutakatora Taiko drums, Yosakoi, bingo, marche, food stalls, and more, so people of all ages can enjoy it.