[Fukushima Prefecture] Recommended Tohoku Six Prefecture Autumn Festival "Fukushima Edition", Autumn in Fukushima is a warrior procession and a fight festival!

Nationally known festivals in Fukushima Prefecture include Fukushima City's Fukushima Waraji Festival and Koriyama City's Uneme Festival, both of which are summer festivals held in early August.

In this article, we will introduce three of the upcoming autumn festivals in Fukushima Prefecture that we especially recommend.

When does the "Autumn Festival" start and end?

According to the calendar, the ``Ritshu'' of the 24 solar terms runs from August 7th to the day before the ``Risshu'' of November 7th, and if this is applied to Tohoku, it would be the end of the summer festivals held in various places in early August. It's autumn.

This article introduces festivals held from August 7th to November as ``Autumn Festivals'' according to the calendar.

What is the definition of festival?

The definition of "matsuri" listed on Wikipedia is "the act (ritual) of worshiping the gods, Buddha, and ancestors for the purpose of gratitude, prayer, or solace."

On the other hand, there are ``music festivals'' and ``harvest festivals,'' which are different from the festivals held at shrines and other shrines, which have a long history and tradition, and these events where you can enjoy music and taste are also considered festivals in a broader sense.

Aizu Festival (Aizuwakamatsu City: September 21-23, 2024)

Held for three days in late September every year, the festival takes place in central Aizuwakamatsu City, Tsuruga Castle, and other locations, and features a variety of events, including the popular "Aizu Domain Public Parade."

The roots of the Aizu Festival are the lantern procession held in 1928 to celebrate the marriage of Setsuko Matsudaira, the granddaughter of Matsudaira Katamori, the 9th and last lord of the Aizu domain, to Imperial Prince Chichibunomiya Hinahito. That is to say.

"Lantern procession" to mark the start of the Aizu Festival

An event to mark the opening of the festival is held in the center of the city on the first night of the festival.Children's groups from each area of ​​the city take the lead in holding up lanterns and parading around.This is the lantern procession to commemorate a wedding, which is said to be the origin of the Aizu Festival. It is an event that makes you think of

“Aizu Bandaiyama Odori” lights up the night of the festival

A large-scale ring dance will be held on Shinmei Street in the city center on the first and second nights.

Not only individuals are welcome to participate in the Bon dance set to the famous folk song ``Aizu Bandaiyama,'' but locals and groups are also welcome to participate in costumes, such as wearing matching happi coats and yukatas.

Awards are given to individuals and groups that make the dance more exciting, and there will be an awards ceremony after the second day's dance.

``Ancestor Appreciation Festival'' to express gratitude to the ancestors who built Aizu, and to console and repose the spirits of the victims of the Boshin War.

On the morning of the second day, a ceremony was held on a special stage built in the main enclosure of Tsuruga Castle prior to the ``Aizu Domain Public Parade'' to express gratitude to our predecessors who laid the foundations of Aizu, and to thank those who lost their lives in the Boshin War. It is a sacred event to offer prayers for the souls of feudal samurai and townspeople.

``Aizu Domain Public Procession'' where you can enjoy a magnificent historical picture scroll

Considered the main event of the Aizu Festival, over 600 citizens dressed up as samurai and daimyo from various eras associated with Aizu marched through the city on the second day, displaying a magnificent historical picture scroll. It will be expanded.

Those organized in the procession include those of successive feudal lords from the Sengoku period ruled by the Ashina clan until the end of the Edo period, as well as the Takato, Kuwana, and Tonan domains, all of which have ties to Aizu, as well as Shinsengumi and Boshin at the end of the Edo period. These are formations such as the Byakko-tai and Musume-tai in war.

Depending on the year, there are surprise special guests, such as Haruka Ayase, who starred in NHK's taiga drama `` Yae no Sakura '', who regularly participates, and various entertainers and celebrities connected to Aizu participate in the costumes of feudal lords. There are things you can do.

Nisshinkan doji procession and drum and flute corps parade

On the final day, Nisshinkan , known for its laws of law such as ` What shall not be, shall not be,'' walked from the schoolyard of Aizu Daiichi Junior High School to Tsuruga. March to the main castle.

A drum and flute corps parade will also be held on the same day, featuring all elementary school children in the city, an event where you can feel the vibrancy of the Aizu people under the autumn sky.

Aizu Festival＜Information＞

• Name: Aizu Festival
• Event period: 3 days in late September every year, September 21st (Saturday) to September 23rd (Monday, substitute holiday) in 2024
• Venue: Aizuwakamatsu city center, Tsuruga Castle, etc.
• Contact: Aizu Festival Association
• Phone number: 0242-23-4141
• URL: Aizu Festival Association official website

Google Map

B-class gourmet food you want to try in Aizu! "Sauce cutlet bowl"

A B-class gourmet dish that is considered the soul food of Aizu people is the sauce cutlet bowl, which is a bowl of white rice covered with shredded cabbage and topped with a tonkatsu cutlet soaked in sauce.

Sauce cutlet bowl＜Information＞

• URL: Official website of Traditional Aizu Sauce Katsudon Association

Iizaka Fight Festival (Iizaka Town, Fukushima City: October 4th to 6th)

Considered one of Japan's three major fight festivals, it is the regular autumn festival of Iizaka Hachiman Shrine, which is located in the Iizaka hot spring town and has a tradition of over 300 years, and is held for three days on the first Saturday of October every year .

Each of Iizaka town's six neighborhood associations brings out their floats and parades them through Iizaka Onsen Town.On the Saturday of the main festival, the floats from each town gather at the shrine grounds after the daytime mikoshi passing, and fights begin as they jostle and bump into each other. .

The custom of smashing stalls against each other is said to have originated from the idea that once the mikoshi had finished its parade through the town and entered the shrine, the festival would have ended, so people would smash stalls against each other in order to stop that from happening.

Festival drums that follow the flow of Gion Hayashi

as a local performing art by the Iizaka Hachiman Shrine Festival Taiko Preservation Society , is said to descend from Kyoto's Gion Hayashi.

The four types of taiko drums, ``Ugari-han,'' ``Sankiri,'' ``Nagashi,'' and ``Miyairi,'' convey a sense of dignity and bravery, and the sounds of the colliding stalls creaking and the shouts of the bearers echo throughout the shrine grounds. Masu.

Iizaka Fight Festival＜Information＞

• Name: Iizaka Kenka Festival (Iizaka Hachiman Shrine Autumn Festival)
• Event period: 3 days including before and after the first Saturday of October every year, October 4th (Friday) to October 6th (Monday) in 2024
• Venue: Iizaka Hachiman Shrine, Iizaka Town, Fukushima City
• Contact: Iizaka Hachiman Shrine
• Phone number: 024-542-2560
• URL: Iizaka Hachiman Shrine official website

Google Map

“Disk Gyoza” that you can eat in large quantities

Danban Gyoza which is famous as a B-class gourmet food in Fukushima City originated from Gyoza no Terui in Iizaka Onsen

The gyoza dumplings are laid out tightly in a circular shape in a frying pan and baked, and have thin, crispy skins that are small and easy to eat, so you can eat as many as you want. There are 8 restaurants in Iizaka Onsen Town alone, and many other famous restaurants throughout Fukushima City, so we recommend walking around and tasting their unique flavors.

Disc dumplings＜Information＞

• URL: Iizaka Onsen official site

Tanagura Autumn Festival (Tanagura Town, Higashi Shirakawa District: October 12-13, 2024)

This is the annual autumn festival of Uga Shrine, which was revered as the 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-gumi" and the "Shinmachi-gumi", and each group brings out large floats (large floats).The first day is from 15:00 to 21:00, and the second day is from 10:00 a.m. to 21:00. will be operated.

Musicians ride on top of the large stalls and performances such as hayashi drums are held throughout the town, and various entertainment performances such as Japanese dance are held at the theaters set up by each group.

Full of power! The highlight of the festival is “sliding”

The highlights are the mikoshi being passed through the city and the heroic collision called ``Hikigigai'' that occurs when five large floats meet.

On top of each of the large stalls, children who have practiced extensively perform their energetic hayashi drums.

Tanagura Autumn Festival <Information>

• Name: Tanagura Autumn Festival (Uka Shrine annual festival)
• Event period: Saturday and Sunday before Sports Day (second Monday in October) every year, October 12th to October 13th in 2024
• Venue: Tanagura Town, Higashi Shirakawa District, etc.
• Contact: Tanagura Town Tourism Association
• Phone number: 0247-33-7886
• URL: Tanagura Town official website

Google Map

Tanagura's local specialties are freshly fried minced meat cutlets and croquettes from a butcher shop.

Recommended B-class gourmet food in Tanagura Town are freshly fried minced meat cutlets and croquettes made with plenty of Fukushima pork, made by a local butcher.

There is also a butcher shop with an eat-in space where you can enjoy piping hot minced meat and curry-flavored croquettes that are fried to order. Why not take a walk and watch the Tanagura Autumn Festival while munching on some juicy freshly fried food? The unique minced meat and croquettes can be enjoyed not only in Tanagura Town, but also at butcher shops in Hanawa Town and Yamatsuri Town along the JR Suigun Line.

Minced meat cutlet & croquette <Information>

• URL: Tabelog (Minced meat cutlet and croquette shop along the JR Suigun Line)

summary

In addition to the three festivals introduced here, there are other fall festivals in Fukushima Prefecture that are fun to watch, each with their own interesting history and traditions.

The best way to enjoy these festivals is to research how they started and their history up until now before watching them.

By watching ``Reminiscing about the past,'' you will deepen your understanding of the festival and enjoy it even more.