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December Festival Events in JapanUnusual and Intriguing Japanese Festivals, Some With a Dark Side
December is the month for Festival Events for warriors, daruma Buddha dolls, flaming purification ceremonies and gigantic lantern floats. All this and New Year's Eve.
From the early part of the month right the way through into January, Japan offers a festival for every occasion and every taste. The following are the main Festival events on offer in different parts of the country. Chichibu City - 2nd and 3rd December, 2008 In the Prefecture of Saitama, the Chichibu Yo-Matsuri (all night festival) is considered to be one of the best float festivals in Japan. On the evening of the 3rd, beginning from the Chichibu Shrine and proceeding along the city’s main street, there is a parade of lantern floats each weighing more than 10-tons. Tokyo – 14th December, 2008 – The Gishi Sai The Gishi Sai, Sengakuji Temple, Tokyo, is an annual memorial parade to the memory of 47 legendary ronin who killed their master’s rival to avenge his death and subsequently paraded his head through the city, after which they were ordered to commit suicide - which they did, of course! The festival is celebrated by traditional dances and warrior parades. Osaka – 14th December – Purification Ceremony At the Iwatsuta Shrine Fire Festival at Ishizugawa in Osaka, piles of wooden bundles are set alight and young men run through the flames in order to purify themselves. Odawara – 17th-18th December – Daruma Buddha Doll FestivalAt he Izumi Kannon Daruma Fair in Izumi Kannon Temple, Odawara, the daruma fair makes wishes come true. Daruma dolls are round, hollow Japanese dolls which are modelled on Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. At the fair the tradition is to paint one and make a wish, then when the wish comes true you paint the other one. Tokyo – 17th-19th December – Asakusa Kannon Hagoita Fair The fair at the Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo is a traditional fair dating back to the Edo period. Hagoita – a little like Badminton – are sold and played at New Year. The Hagoita Fair takes place in the Senso-Ji Temple precincts at the end of every year. Near the main hall of the temple will be found approximately 50 open air stalls selling hagoita, shuttlecocks, kites and other New Year fun things. New Year’s Eve – December 31st-January 1st 2009 – Tokyo and other Places.All over the world, New Year’s Eve is celebrated in similar fashion, and in Japan is no exception. On the stroke of midnight, many temples ring huge bells 108 times to signal the passing of the old year and beginning of the new (each peal represents a sin). Families visit temples and shrines to pray for good luck and prosperity. In Tokyo, Meiji Shrine, Kanda Myosin Shrine, Senso-ji Temple and Santo Hoe Shrine are the best places to witness how families celebrate as they usher in the new year. Coffee shops and restaurants in nearby Arauca stay open all night to serve the people, and many underground and train lines are open throughout the night..
The copyright of the article December Festival Events in Japan in Japan Travel is owned by Mari Nicholson. Permission to republish December Festival Events in Japan in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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