Calendar of Events July 2016 Notes: 1. Published by Tourist Information Center of Japan National Tourism Organization and all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. ©2016 Japan National Tourism Organization 2. Dates, times and functions are subject to change without notice. Especially schedule of outdoor events and flower festival may change due to the weather. Be sure to check the latest information in advance. 3. The access shows only major route. Please refer to following URL for alternative transportation from the station where you want to start. http://www.hyperdia.com/en/ 4. Japanese words appearing in the column provide the name of the event, the place and access for you to point out to Japanese passerby when you need help. 5. Please refer to URL (basically in Japanese) for each event. If you have further questions, please call TIC, JNTO at following number. TIC, JNTO Tel : (03)-3201-3331 from overseas +81 3 3201 3331 Tanabata 七夕 Tanabata, Star Festival is held on July 7 in most parts of Japan or Glossary： August 7 in some areas. Based on a Chinese folk legend in which two Horen Palanquin Special Remarks: starts - Altair (Cowherd) and Vega (Weaver) - love each other but Kodomo-Kabuki Traditional play by boys Dates and Times are shown as follows which is common in Japan. only allowed to cross the Milky Way to meet once a year on this day. Matsuri Festival, Event Dates : M/D April 3 ⇒ 4/3 Wishes are written on long colored strips of paper and hung from a Mikoshi Portable shrine bamboo branch with other decorations. Okasa/O-yatai Float Time : 24 hours system 8:00am ⇒ 8:00 Otabisho/Okariya Portable shrine resting place 8:00pm ⇒ 20:00 Ukai 鵜飼 Cormorant fishing, an ancient method of catching Ayu (sweetfish or trout-like fish), handling cormorants. This usually takes place at night under the blazing torches fastened to the prows of fishing boats from May until October. Region Dates Pref. City Venue Event Summary Access URL JR Chitose Line to Sapporo Sta. From Summary: there, Summer Festival in the city. If it heavily rains, fireworks display will be (1) Fireworks display JR千歳線札幌駅より http://www. Toyohira River, postponed to Aug. 2. site: (1) 花火大会会場: 地下 welcome.city O-dori Park Sapporo Natsu take Namboku Subway 鉄南北線で中の島駅下 .sapporo.jp/ Hokkaido Hokkaido Sapporo 7/20 ～ 8/17 and others Matsuri Schedule & Key events: Line to Nakanoshima 車、徒歩5分 event/summ 北海道 北海道 札幌市 豊平川南大橋上流、 さっぽろ夏まつり ●7/20-8/15 12:00-21:00 Open-air beer halls set up in O-dori Park Sta., and then walk 5 (2) 盆踊り会場: 地下鉄 er/sapporo_s 大通公園ほか ●7/29 19:40-20:30 Fireworks display near Minami Ohashi min. 南北線又は東豊線で大通 ummer_festi Bridge over Toyohira River (2) Bon Odori site: 駅下車 val/ ●8/11-8/17 18:00-21:00 Bon Odori in the O-dori Nishi-2-chome area take Namboku or Toho Subway Line to O-dori Sta. ©2016 Japan National Tourism Organization 1/15 Region Dates Pref. City Venue Event Summary Access URL Summary: Shiogama-jinja Port Festival features a parade of two giant Mikoshi of the shrines. If it Shrine, heavily rains, fireworks display will be postponed to Jul. 23. Shiwahiko-jinja http://www. Shrine, Schedule & Key events: JR Senseki Line to Hon- miyagi- Marine Gate Shiogama Minato JR仙石線本塩釜駅より Tohoku Miyagi Shiogama 12:00- Parade of two Mikoshi on each boat escorted by a fleet of Shiogama Sta., and kankou.or.jp 7/18 Shiogama Matsuri 徒歩10分 東北 宮城県 塩釜市 boats, leaving Marine Gate Shiogama for sailing in Matsushima Bay then walk 10 min. /theme/detai and others 塩竃みなと祭 l.php?id=141 塩釜神社、 16:00-18:30 Parade of two Mikoshi by townspeople from Marine Gate 96 志波彦神社、 Shiogama to each shrine, through the city マリンゲート塩釜 ほか ●7/17 (eve of the festival) 20:00-20:50 Fireworks display over Shiogama Pier Summary: Festival of the shrines, designated as one of the National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties. Schedule & Key events: From Tobu Asakusa Tadeuga-jinja ●7/22 Sta., take Tobu Isesaki Tajima, Shrine, 東武浅草駅より東武伊勢 12:30- Kodomo-Kabuki performance on the floats set in the center of Line to Aizu Tajima Sta. http://www. Minamiaizu- Kumano-jinja Aizu-Tajima Gion 崎線で東武日光線、野岩 Tohoku Fukushima the town (via Tobu Nikko Line, minamiaizu.o 7/22 ～ 7/24 machi Shrine Matsuri 鉄道会津鬼怒川線、会津 東北 福島県 16:00- Parade of four O-yatai , on which Kodomo-Kabuki are played, on Yagan Railway Aizu- rg/event/001 南会津町 and others 会津田島祇園祭 鉄道会津線経由会津田島 Kinugawa Line and Aizu 722.php 田島 田出宇賀神社、 the town's main streets 駅下車、徒歩10分 Railway Aizu Line) and 熊野神社ほか ●7/23 7:30- Nanahokai-Gyoretsu (a procession of women in traditional then walk 10 min. attire) 10:30- Parade of Mikoshi 16:00- Parade of four O-yatai , on which Kodomo-Kabuki are played, on the town's main streets ©2016 Japan National Tourism Organization 2/15 Region Dates Pref. City Venue Event Summary Access URL Summary: Wild Horses Chasing with over a 1000-year history, designated as one of the National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties. Festival features Yoinori-keiba (horse racing by local people with traditional attire), Ogyoretsu (a procession of warriors on horses), Kacchu-Keiba (horse racing by armored warriors), Shinki-Sodatsusen (scramble for three Shinki flags of the shrine by hundreds horsemen in ancient armor JR Tohoku Shinkansen Hibarigahara and helmets) and Nomakake , in which young men in white costumes try Line to Sendai Sta. Moor, to capture the wild horses bare-handed for the dedication to Soma From there, take JR JR東北新幹線仙台駅より Minami- Soma Odaka-jinja Odaka-jinja Shrine . Joban Line to JR常磐線で原ノ町下車 Tohoku Fukushima Soma Noma-oi http://soma- 7/23 ～ 7/25 Soma Shrine Haranomachi Sta. (take （途中、亘理駅から相馬 東北 福島県 相馬野馬追 nomaoi.jp 南相馬市 and others Schedule & Key events: alternate bus between 駅間は代行バスに乗り換 雲雀ヶ原祭場地、 ●7/23 Watari Sta. and Soma え） 相馬小高神社ほか 14:00- Yoinori-keiba at Hibarigahara Moor Sta. due to ●7/24 construction) 9:30-11:00 Ogyoretsu, marching through the city to Hibarigahara Moor 12:00- Kacchu-Keiba at Hibarigahara Moor 13:00- Shinki-Sodatsusen at Hibarigahara Moor ●7/25 9:00-12:00 Nomakake in the precincts of the shrine (1) JR Tohoku Shinkansen Line to Summary: Shin-Aomori Sta. Festival of Neputa features a huge papier-mache or a fan-shaped lantern (South Exit) From (1) JR東北新幹線新青森 with effigies of legendary heroes painted on it. The highlight of this there, take Konan bus 駅 (南口) より弘南バスで http://kurois Kuroishi Neputa Tohoku Aomori Kuroishi Kuroishi festival is a parade of about 60 carriages of lighted Neputa pulled on the to Kuroishi Eki-mae Bus 黒石駅前下車 (60分) hi.or.jp/even 7/30 ～ 8/5 Matsuri 東北 青森県 黒石市 黒石市 main street accompanied with the sound of drums and flutes. Stop (60 min.) (2) JR奥羽本線弘前駅よ t/summer/ku 黒石ねぷた祭り (2) JR Ou Honsen Line り弘南鉄道弘南線で黒石 roishineputa Schedule & Key events: to Hirosaki Sta. From 駅下車 ●7/30 & 8/2 18:30- Parade of Neputa there, take Konan Railway Konan Line to Kuroishi Sta. ©2016 Japan National Tourism Organization 3/15 Region Dates Pref. City Venue Event Summary Access URL Summary: Gorgeous festival of Sansha (three Shrines; Ogami-jinja Shrine, Chojasan Shinra-jinja Shrine and Shinmei-gu Shrine), designated as one Ogami-jinja of the National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties. Many Shrine, events are scheduled during the festival period. Chojasan Shinra- JR Tohoku Shinkansen http://www. jinja Shrine, Hachinohe Sansha Schedule & Key events: Line to Hachinohe Sta. hachinohe- Tohoku Aomori Hachinohe JR東北新幹線八戸駅より 7/31 ～ 8/4 Shinmei-gu Taisai ●8/1 & 3 From there, take JR cb.jp/festival 東北 青森県 八戸市 JR八戸線で本八戸駅下車 Shrine and others 八戸三社大祭 15:00- Parade of Mikoshi of each shrine and 27 colorful huge floats, Hachinohe Line to Hon- _sansha_cou おがみ神社、 proceeding in the city Hachinohe Sta. rse.html 長者山新羅神社、 ●8/2 神明宮ほか 14:00-16:00 Kiba-dakyu (Japanese polo) in the precincts of Chojasan Shinra-jinja Shrine 18:00-21:00 Parade of Mikoshi of each shrine and 27 colorful huge floats, proceeding in the city Summary: Cormorant fishing. It will be held every day during the period except on the night of the full moon (9/15 this year) or when the water is excessively muddy. Fee is 3,100 JPY (weekdays) or 3,400 JPY (Sat., Sun. JR Tokaido Honsen Line http://www. and national holidays), without meal. For reservation, please call 058- to Gifu Sta. From there, Chubu Gifu Gifu Nagara River Nagaragawa Ukai JR東海道本線岐阜駅より gifucvb.or.jp 5/11 ～ 10/15 262-0104 (Gifu City Ukai Kanransen Jimusho), or reserve through major take bus to Nagara- 中部 岐阜県 岐阜市 長良川 長良川鵜飼 バスで15分長良橋下車 /sightseeing/ travel agencies, like JTB. bashi Bus Stop (15 ukai.php min.) Schedule & Key events: ●daily (except 9/15) 19:15-20:30 (Boarding time: 18:15) ©2016 Japan National Tourism Organization 4/15 Region Dates Pref. City Venue Event Summary Access URL Summary: Cormorant fishing. Fee is 2,600JPY (weekdays on 6/1-7/15 & 9/1-10/15) or 2,900JPY (every Sat. & Sun., 7/16-8/31, 9/19, 9/22 and 10/10), without meal. There are also lunch cruise every Tue., Thu., Sat. and Sun. with 4,500JPY (Tue. and Thu. on 6/1-7/15 & 9/1-10/15) or 4,800JPY JR Tokaido Shinkansen (every Sat. & Sun., 7/16-8/31 and 9/22). For reservation, please call Line to Nagoya Sta. 0568-61-2727 (Kisogawa Kanko) or reserve through major travel From there, take JR東海道新幹線名古屋駅 Chubu Aichi Inuyama Kiso River Kisogawa Ukai http://kisoga 6/1 ～ 10/15 agencies.