About this event
The Saijo Festival is a traditional autumn festival in Saijo City that has continued since the Edo period. It is a Shinto ritual to thank the deities for abundant harvests, and is the collective name for the annual festivals of four shrines: Kamo Shrine, Iwaoka Shrine, Isono Shrine, and Iizumi Shrine. Well over 100 festival floats (danjiri, mikoshi, and taikodai) owned by various parishioner neighborhoods across the city are dedicated, and their number is said to be the highest in Japan. During the festival, floats adorned with carvings of warrior pictures, flowers, and birds line up, while the sounds of drums, gongs, and people singing Ise Ondo chants resonate throughout the town. Often described as 'gorgeous and magnificent,' this local ritual attracts numerous tourists every year. In mid-October, various festivals besides the Saijo Festival are held throughout Saijo City, bringing the total number of floats dedicated across the city to over 150. It is a regional event that can be described as marking the culmination of the year for the garden city of Saijo. In particular, the 'Kawairi' (River Entry) on the 16th, where danjiri floats gather on the Kamo River bed, presents a mystical and spectacular sight.
Official website (Japanese) ↗Venue
Itomachi Marche
284-2 Tsuitachi, Saijo, Ehime 793-0027
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