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Nationally known festivals in Fukushima Prefecture include the Fukushima Waraji Festival in Fukushima City and the Uneme Festival in Koriyama City, both of which are summer festivals held in early August
In this article, we will introduce three particularly recommended autumn festivals that will be held in Fukushima Prefecture in the future
When does the Autumn Festival start and end?
Tanagura Autumn Festival Source: Tohoku Tourism and Travel Information Site, Travel Tohoku
In the calendar, the beginning of autumn, one of the 24 solar terms, runs from August 7th to the day before the beginning of winter on November 7th. If we apply this to the Tohoku region, autumn begins at the end of the summer festivals held in various places in early August
In this article, we will introduce festivals that take place according to the calendar, from August 7th to November, as "Autumn Festivals."
What is the definition of a festival?
Aizu Festival Source: Fukushima Tourism Information Site Fukushima Travel
The definition of "festival" on Wikipedia is "an act (ritual) of worshiping gods, Buddhas, and ancestors for the purpose of gratitude, prayer, and consolation."
On the other hand, there are also "music festivals" and "harvest festivals" that are different from festivals at shrines and other places with history and tradition, and these events where people enjoy music and food are also considered festivals in a broad sense
Aizu Festival (Aizuwakamatsu City: September 21st-23rd, 2024)
The Aizu Domain Lord's Procession Departing from Tsuruga Castle Source: Fukushima Tourism Information Site Fukushima Travel
It is held over three days in late September every year, with various events taking place at venues such as the center of Aizuwakamatsu city and Tsuruga Castle, including the popular "Aizu Domain Lord Procession."
The Aizu Festival is said to have its roots in a lantern procession held in 1928 to celebrate the marriage of Matsudaira Setsuko, the granddaughter of Matsudaira Katamori, the 9th and last lord of the Aizu domain, and Prince Chichibu Yoshihito
The Lantern Procession marks the start of the Aizu Festival
Held in the city center on the first night of the festival to mark the festival's opening, children's groups from each district of the city parade through the streets carrying lanterns, an event reminiscent of the lantern processions held to celebrate weddings, which are said to be the origins of the Aizu Festival
The Aizu Bandaisan Dance adds color to the festival night
The venue for the Aizu Bandaisan Dance Festival. Source: Fukushima Tourism Information Site, Fukushima Travel
A large-scale circle dance is held on the first and second nights on Shinmei Street in the city center
Not only can individuals participate in the Bon Odori dance, which is set to the famous folk song "Aizu Bandaisan," but local communities and groups are also welcome to participate in costumes, wearing matching happi coats and yukatas
Prizes are awarded to individuals and groups who make the most of the dancing, and an awards ceremony is held after the dancing on the second day
Ancestors Thanksgiving Festival to express gratitude to the ancestors who built Aizu and to commemorate and pray for the souls of the victims of the Boshin War
On the morning of the second day, the ceremony is held on a special stage set up in the main citadel of Tsuruga Castle prior to the Aizu Domain Lord Procession. It is a sacred event to express gratitude to the ancestors who built the foundations of Aizu, and to offer prayers for the souls of the samurai and townspeople who lost their lives in the Boshin War
Enjoy the magnificent historical picture scroll "Aizu Domain Lord Procession"
Aizu Festival "Aizu Domain Lord Procession Departure Ceremony" Source: Fukushima Tourism Information Site Fukushima Travel
This is the main event of the Aizu Festival, and on the second day, more than 600 local citizens dressed as warriors and daimyo from various eras who have had connections to Aizu parade through the city in a procession, creating a magnificent historical picture scroll
The procession includes troops from successive feudal lords from the Sengoku period when the Ashina clan ruled until the end of the Edo period, as well as troops from the Takato, Kuwana, and Tonan domains with ties to Aizu, the Shinsengumi at the end of the Edo period, and the Byakkotai and Jositai corps from the Boshin War
Depending on the year, there are surprise special guests, such as Haruka Ayase, who stars in the NHK historical drama " Yae no Sakura ," who has appeared consecutively, and celebrities and famous people with ties to Aizu in various ways who take part in the event dressed as feudal lords and other characters.
Nisshinkan Children's Procession and Drum and Fife Corps Parade
On the final day, elementary school students dressed as warriors and representing the students of the Aizu Domain school, Nisshinkan, known for its "Ten Commandments," including " What must not be done must not be done, " will march from the school grounds of Aizu First Junior High School to the main keep of Tsuruga Castle.
A marching band parade by all elementary school children in the city is also held on the same day, and it is an event where you can feel the energy of the lively Aizu children under the autumn sky
Aizu Festival <Information>
Name: Aizu Festival
Event period: Three days in late September every year, from September 21st (Saturday) to September 23rd (Monday, substitute holiday) in 2024
Location: Aizuwakamatsu city center, Tsuruga Castle, and other locations
For inquiries, please contact: Aizu Festival Association
A must-try B-class gourmet dish in Aizu! "Sauce Katsudon"
Sauce katsudon with sauce Source: Fukushima Tourism Information Site Fukushima Travel
A B-class gourmet dish that is considered the soul food of the Aizu people is the sauce cutlet bowl, which consists of a bowl of white rice topped with shredded cabbage and topped with pork cutlet soaked in sauce
Iizaka Fighting Festival (Iizaka-cho, Fukushima City: October 4th to 6th)
Clashing food stalls Source: Fukushima Tourism Information Site Fukushima Travel
" Three Great Fighting Festivals of Japan ," this is the annual autumn festival of Iizaka Hachiman Shrine, located in Iizaka Onsen town and boasting a tradition of over 300 years, held over three days around the first Saturday of October every year.
Each of the six neighborhood associations in Iizaka Town brings out a float and parades through the Iizaka Onsen district, and on the Saturday of the main festival, after the portable shrine procession in the daytime, the floats from each neighborhood gather in the shrine grounds, where they start to fight, crashing into each other
The custom of crashing floats into each other is said to have begun when people tried to prevent the portable shrine from entering the shrine after completing its parade around the town, which would have meant the end of the festival
Festival drumming that draws on the tradition of Gion Bayashi
a local performing art Iizaka Hachiman Shrine Festival Drum Preservation Society , is said to have descended from Kyoto's Gion Bayashi.
The four types of drums - "Sagarihan," "Sangiri," "Nagashi," and "Miyairi" - exude dignity and grandeur, and they thunder throughout the temple grounds, along with the creaking of the clashing floats and the angry shouts of the carriers
Iizaka Fighting Festival <Information>
Name: Iizaka Fighting Festival (Iizaka Hachiman Shrine Autumn Festival)
Event period: Three days including the first Saturday of October every year, from October 4th (Friday) to October 6th (Monday) in 2024
Location: Iizaka Hachiman Shrine, Iizaka Town, Fukushima City
For inquiries, please contact Iizaka Hachiman Shrine
"Disc dumplings" that you can eat in large quantities
Disk dumplings Source: Fukushima Tourism Information Site Fukushima Travel
Disk dumplings a famous B-grade gourmet food in Fukushima City originated at " Gyoza no Terui
The gyoza are tightly packed in a frying pan in a circular shape and cooked, with a thin, crispy skin. They are small and easy to eat, so you can eat as many as you want. There are eight shops in Iizaka Onsen town alone, and many other famous shops throughout Fukushima city, so it's recommended to walk around and sample each one's unique flavor
Tanagura Autumn Festival (Tanagura Town, Higashishirakawa District: October 12th-13th, 2024)
Performance on a large float Source: Fukushima Tourism Information Site Fukushima Travel
This is the annual autumn festival of Uga Shrine, which is revered as the main guardian deity of Tanagura Town, and has been held for about 200 years since the days of the Tanagura Domain
There are two groups in the town, the "I group" and the "Shinmachi group," and each group brings out a large float (oyatai) which parades around the town from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm on the first day and from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm on the second day
Musicians ride on top of the large floats and performances such as hayashi drumming are held all over the town, and various entertainment shows such as Japanese dance are held in the theaters set up by each group
A very impressive sight! The highlight of the festival is the "Hikimachi" (folding gates)
Large floats passing each other Source: Fukushima Tourism Information Site Fukushima Travel
Highlights include the portable shrines being paraded through the town and the spectacular collision known as "Hikichigai" that occurs when the five large floats come together
On top of each of the large floats, children who have been practicing diligently take the opportunity to perform their spirited taiko drumming
Tanagura Autumn Festival <Information>
Name: Tanagura Autumn Festival (Uka Shrine Annual Festival)
Event period: Saturday and Sunday before Health and Sports Day (second Monday in October) every year, October 12th to 13th in 2024
Location: Tanagura Town Higashishirakawa , Tanagura Station Boulevard, etc.
Tanagura's local specialties are the butcher's freshly fried minced meat cutlets and croquettes
Freshly fried minced meat cutlet and croquette
Tanagura Town's recommended B-grade gourmet food is the freshly fried minced meat cutlets and croquettes made by a local butcher using plenty of pork from Fukushima Prefecture
Some butcher shops have eat-in spaces where you can enjoy piping hot minced meat and curry-flavored croquettes that are fried to order. Why not stroll through the Tanagura Autumn Festival while munching on some juicy, freshly fried food? You can also enjoy these unique minced meats and croquettes not only in Tanagura Town, but also at butcher shops in Hanawa Town and Yamatsuri Town along the JR Suigun Line
In addition to the three festivals introduced here, Fukushima Prefecture has many other autumn festivals that are fun to watch, each with its own fascinating history and traditions
To enjoy these festivals, it is recommended to research how they began and their history before watching them
By watching the festival while thinking back to the past, you will gain a deeper understanding of the festival and enjoy it even more
Autumn Festival Series of the Six Tohoku Prefectures
I'm a former Edokko man who loves Morioka and the six Tohoku prefectures, and I also love history, food, travel, sports, alcohol, and singing. I'll be introducing you to the interesting, delicious, and great things about Tohoku!
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