5 Japanese Spring Festivals that you cannot miss
Spring in Japan is also commonly referred to as the season of beginning-of-year festivals. In this article, GoEMON will introduce you to some spring festivals and several interesting activities to participate in!
1. Hiwatari fire crossing festival
The Hiwatari Festival is the traditional festival of the Yakouin Takaosan Temple featuring the Yamabushi monks walking on barefoot fire. The Hiwatari festival is based on the oath of Izuna Daigongen, the main deity of Mount Takao, about the salvation of all sentient beings. It is a prayer for longevity, eliminating calamities, and bringing happiness.
2. Hanami - Cherry blossom viewing
Hanami - the traditional cherry blossom viewing festival in the country of cherry blossoms originated in the Nara period in 710. "Hana" in Japanese means flower and "mi" means to watch. This festival usually takes place from the end of March to the beginning of April - when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Japan.
Some of the many famous cherry blossom festivals in Japan include:
- Goryokaku Cherry Blossom festival
- Hirosaki Cherry Blossom festival
- Tsuruoka Cherry Blossom festival
- Kitakami Tenshochi Cherry Blossom festival
3. Sanja Spring festival
The Sanja Festival is one of the three major festivals of EDO (now Tokyo), held on the third Saturday and Sunday of May every year by Ujiko at Asakusa Shrine. This festival is meant to commemorate the 3 gods who founded Sensoji Temple. On the day of the Sanja festival, people flock to the streets to admire the traditional procession of the palanquin. During the festival, there are about 100 parish-owned portable shrines in town and 3 portable shrines owned by Asakura Shrine.
4. Hina Doll Festival
The Hina Doll Festival, held on the 3rd of March every year, is an event featuring the display of dolls and cherry blossoms to pray for the healthy growth of girls. Families can decorate Hina dolls with cherry blossoms, peach blossoms, Hina arare rice cakes, and Hishimochi rice cakes, while also enjoying chirashizushi and clam dishes. Events like decorating Hina dolls are held all over Japan.
5. Koinobori Carp Festival
If Hinamatsuri is a holiday for girls, then Koinobori Matsuri would be for boys. The festival takes place from late March to early May in Kanta, Gunma Prefecture.
During the festival, families would make Obento in the shape of the carp and Chimaki or Kashiwa Mochi with red bean paste filling. Families in Japan would hang carp flags, wishing for the boys to be like the fish - strong with high vitality and growing up healthily.
Spring in Japan is not only beautiful because of nature but also the festivals held during this period. GoEMON definitely recommends experiencing the festivals that we have mentioned in the above article!
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