The Aizu Tajima Gion Festival of Fukushima – A Top 3 Summer Festival in Japan
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CONTENTS
A flashy parade makes this summer festival a special event for northern Japan!
The Aizu Tajima Gion Festival
Not too long ago I wrote about my road trip through Minamiaizu, and took you to some of the best spots to enjoy a relaxing summertime getaway in Fukushima. But, while it's pretty easy to rent a car in Japan, if you're just heading north to the Tohoku region of Japan for a little while, and using public transportation, try to time your trip for the Aizu Tajima Gion Festival in late July! When I went in 2019, not only did I get to see one of the most famous Gion Festivals in Japan, I also got to join right in!
The Aizu Tajima Gion Festival is one of the most popular Gion festivals in Japan, together with the Kyoto Gion Festival and the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival, and it has over 800 years of history. Held every year for the three days between July 22 and July 24, it's a big event for this laid-back part of Japan.
Children’s Kabuki (子供歌舞伎)
A tradition stretching back over 200 years, this part of the festival isn't just kabuki theater for children, it's kabuki performed by children! Every role is performed by children, all on an outdoor stage, but these kids are clearly experienced and into their roles. The actors may be young, but that doesn't make them sloppy or untalented by any means!
The audience was entranced by the entertaining performance!
The Yatai (大屋台運行)
Pushed forward by the strength and enthusiasm of locals shouting to eachother using local slang, and full of excited little children, these "floats," called "yatai" (屋台) are noisy and bright, and they surge forward through the crowds with a chaotic energy. It almost looks like the different yatai are rushing eachother as if to fight, but at the last second they avoid disaster!
Like a feud going on for centuries, the yatai go at eachother.
That moment where you think "oh my god, they're really going to crash into eachother!" is something you can't quite feel just looking at pictures.
If you're traveling with a young child, they can ride in a yatai, too!
The Nanahokai Procession (七行器行列)
The real purpose of this particular procession is to bring offerings of wine, rice, and fish to present to the gods of the local shrine. But these offerings are carried by a long line of women all wearing gorgeous traditional Japanese bridal wear in eyecatching colors, making it one of the most popular events of the festival.
Originally the parade was made up of only women from local families, but these days people of all sorts walk with the procession, and unmarried women can sign up to participate as well! The participation itself is free, but you have to pay for the impressive hair, makeup, and borrowed clothing on your own. Of course, I had to try it out myself! Because there are so many participants, local beauty salons start the process at around midnight the night before. Of course, when I finally had my makeup and wig on, it meant I couldn't go take a nap, either! It was a fascinating and fun experience, but… it's probably easier to just watch!
Starting the makeover in the dead of night!
The kimono is fitted very tight and you end up wearing it for a few hours, so it can get a little uncomfortable.
All dressed up and ready to go!
With all the ways local children get involved, and the colorful costumes, parades, and performances, this lively festival is a little different from others in Japan! If you can make it up to Minamiaizu in the summer, don't miss the chance to check out all the different events that happen over the three days, and see if you can participate yourself!
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NAME:Aizu Tajima Gion Festival (会津田島祇園祭)
【A Taiwanese Girl Living in Senda: The Tohoku Girl】 I like Kotaro Isaka's novels so I ended up in Sendai. Let me introduce you to the beauty of Tohoku! ♡
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Niigata is a prefecture on Japan's main island of Honshu, situated right on the coast of the Sea of Japan, and abundant with the gifts of nature. It's known for popular ski resorts such as Echigo-Yuzawa, Japanese national parks, and natural hot spring baths, plus local products like fresh seafood, rice, and sake. Visitors often spend time in the prefectural capital, Niigata City, or venture across the water to Sado Island.
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Nara Prefecture's important history reaches back to 710, a time now called the Nara era, when it was once capital of Japan. Called "Heijo-kyo" during its time as a capital, it's said that nara was once the end of the silk road, leading it to flourish as a uniquely international region and produce important cultural properties of all kinds. To make the most of each season, travelers head to Nara Park, where the Nara deer who wander freely, or climb Mount Yoshino, a famous cherry blossom spot.
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Osaka is known for friendly (and funny) people, but its history is nothing to laugh at, playing a major part in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th century unification of Japan. Thanks to long years of economic activity, it's one of Japan's biggest cities, and Osaka's popular food culture earned it the nickname "The Kitchen of the Nation." To this day Osaka is the model of western Japan, and alongside historic structures like Osaka Castle, it also has major shopping malls like Umeda's Grand Front Osaka and Tennoji's Abeno Harukas. Osaka is a place to eat, eat, eat, with local specialties like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushi-katsu, and for extra fun, it's home to Universal Studios Japan.
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The Chugoku Region (中国地方) consists of five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In Chugoku you’ll find the sand dunes of Tottori, and Hiroshima’s atomic bomb site, plus centers of ancient history like Grand Shrine of Izumo.
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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SHIKOKU
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KAGAWA
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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KYUSHU
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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FUKUOKA
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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KAGOSHIMA
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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OKINAWA
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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