Sawara Grand Festival Autumn Festival

About this event

The Sawara Grand Festival Autumn Festival is a historic festival held as the annual rites of Suwa Shrine. Counted as one of the Three Great Float Festivals of Kanto, it is designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property as 'Sawara Float Event' and inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list as 'Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals'. 14 gorgeous floats are pulled through the town of the Shinjuku district. In particular, the 'Nono-ji Mawashi,' where a float weighing 3 to 4 tons and standing up to 7 meters tall is rotated multiple times as if drawing the Japanese hiragana character 'no,' is a stunning highlight. The floats are decorated with gigantic dolls of legendary and historical figures, making for a powerful sight. The sounds of 'Sawara-bayashi,' known as one of Japan's three major festival musics, resonate throughout the area, and watching the floats graze past the streets rich in Little Edo atmosphere fully evokes the emotion of a traditional festival passed down for around 300 years. At night, lanterns are lit, allowing visitors to enjoy a mystical atmosphere distinct from the daytime.

Venue

Suwa Shrine

1020-3 Sawara-i, Katori, Chiba 287-0003