On May 1, 2011, I went to see the Aburahi Matsuri (油日祭り・奴振り) in Koka, Shiga, near Aburahi Station on the JR Kusatsu Line. The festival is held every year, but the yakko-furi procession is held only once every five years. And it was held this year. They walked along a 9-km route in Aburahi. The performance at Aburahi Shrine was the highlight. Here’s the video I took:
Koka
Shiga fireworks in summer 2010
Here’s the fireworks (hanabi) schedule for Shiga Prefecture in summer 2010 listed by date:
July 17, 2010
Echigawa Gion Noryo Hanabi Taikai in Aisho, 7:30 pm – 9:20 pm
Along the Echigawa River bank near Miyukibashi Bridge. If rained out, to be postponed to July 18.
愛知川祇園納涼祭花火大会
More info: 愛荘町秦荘観光協会／愛荘町愛知川観光協会 TEL：0749-37-8051
http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~e-machi/new/hanabitaikai.html
July 24, 2010
Kashiwabara-juku Yaito Matsuri fireworks, 9 pm – 9:20 pm
Near JR Kashiwabara Station in Maibara.
柏原宿やいとまつり
More info: 中山道柏原宿やいと祭実行委員会 TEL：0749‐57‐0256
http://yaito.kashiharasyuku.com/
Aug. 1, 2010
Hikone Dai-Hanabi Taikai at Matsubara Beach, Hikone, 7:45 pm – 8:30 pm
30-min. walk from Hikone Station. If rained out, to be postponed to Aug. 4.
彦根大花火大会
More info: （社）彦根観光協会 Phone: 0749-23-0001
http://www.hikoneshi.com/event/?itemid=641
Ogoto Onsen Noryo Hanabi Taikai in Ogoto Port, 8 pm – 8:30 pm
20-min. walk from Ogoto Onsen Station. Fireworks can be seen from most ryokan in Ogoto.
おごと温泉納涼花火大会
More info: おごと温泉観光協会 Phone: 077-578-1650
http://www.ogotoonsen.com/sightseeing/hanabi/
Omi-Imazu Furusato Natsu Matsuri, 9:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Climax of Imazu’s summer festival starting from 1 pm.
近江今津ふるさと夏祭り やっさ！今津！！２０１０
More info: 近江今津ふるさと夏まつり実行委員会事務局 Phone: 0740-22-2108
http://www.takashima-kanko.jp/new/20100620_613.html
Hachiman Tenbin Matsuri in Omi-Hachman, 7:30 pm
At Kitanoshosawa area. Shuttle buses provided.
八幡てんびんまつり
More info: 八幡てんびんまつり事務局 Phone: 0748-32-6654
http://tenbinmaturi.hp.infoseek.co.jp/
Aug. 5, 2010
Nagahama Kita-Biwako Hanabi Taikai at Nagahama Port, 7:30 pm
10-min. walk from Nagahama Station. Very crowded so go early to save a spot or pay 3,000 yen for special seating. If rained out, to be postponed to Aug. 9.
長浜・北びわ湖大花火大会
More info: 長浜市観光振興課 Phone: 0749-65-6521
http://nagahamashi.org/news/hanabi2010.html
Aug. 6, 2010
Biwako Dai-Hanabi Taikai at Hama-Otsu and Nagisa Park, 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
This is the big one, but prime viewing areas all charge admission of about 4,000 yen (even for children above age 3). The free area is farther away and terribly crowded. People are no longer allowed to save a place with vinyl mats, etc., until the fireworks day. Would you believe people saved a viewing place on Nagisa Park as early as 2 weeks before the fireworks day? If rained out, to be postponed to Aug. 10.
びわ湖大花火大会
More info: びわ湖大花火大会実行委員会 TEL:077-511-1530
http://www.biwako-visitors.jp/hanabi/index.html
Aug. 7, 2010
Makino Summer Carnival at Makino Sunny Beach in Takashima
マキノサマーカーニバル２０１０
More info: 四季遊園マキノ交流促進協議会事務局 Phone: 0740-28-8002
http://www.biwako-visitors.jp/search/event_12577.html
Ujisato Matsuri Summer Gathering in Hino
Fireworks is the climax of this summer festival (bon dance, etc.) held in the northern parking lot of Hino Town Hall.
氏郷まつり「夏の陣」2010
More info: 日野町イベント実行委員会 Phone: 0748-52-6562
http://www.town.shiga-hino.lg.jp/contents_detail.php?co=cat&frmId=1386&frmCd=4-15-2-0-0
Kotonarie Summer Festa in Higashi-Omi’s Hibari Park
Part of an illumination festival.
コトナリエサマーフェスタ２０１０
More info: 東近江市湖東商工会 Phone: 0749-45-2571
http://www.biwako-visitors.jp/search/event_373.html
Aug. 9, 2010
Ishiyama-dera Sennichikai and Setagawa fireworks, 8:30 pm – 9 pm
Fireworks along the Seta River near Ishiyama-dera. 10-min. walk from Ishiyama-dera Station on the Keihan Line.
石山寺千日会と瀬田川に煌く炎のページェント
More info: （社）石山観光協会 Phone: 077-537-1105
http://www.biwako-visitors.jp/search/event_304.html
Aug. 16, 2010
Somagawa Natsu Matsuri near Kibukawa Station, Koka
Fireworks are part of the summer festival with taiko drummers and lantern floating on the river.
杣川夏まつり
More info: 甲賀市観光協会 Phone: 0748-65-0708
http://www.biwako-visitors.jp/search/event_301.html
Aug. 17, 2010
Setagawa River Hanabi Taikai at Seta River in Otsu, 7:50 pm – 9 pm
Near Seta-no-Karahashi Bridge. Short walk from Karahashi-mae Station on the Keihan Line. Fireworks will climax a waterborne festival on boats.
瀬田川花火大会
More info: 瀬田川流域観光協会 Phone: 077-537-1105
http://www.biwako-visitors.jp/search/event_303.html
Aug. 25, 2010
Kinomoto Jizo Dai-ennichi fireworks near JR Kinomoto Station
木之本地蔵大縁日 8月22日（日）～25日（水）（花火は25日のみ）
More info: ふるさと夏まつり実行委員会 Phone: 0749-82-5902
http://www.biwako-visitors.jp/search/event_12358.html
Golden Week 2010 in Shiga
We saw fine weather during Golden Week in Shiga from late April to early May 2010. I went to see a slew of festivals in Shiga during this time. I traveled to Maibara, Ryuo, Tsuchiyama (Koka), Takashima, Yasu, and Kora. I’m trying to see all the major Golden Week festivals in Shiga. The problem is, many of them are held on the same day and at the same time. It will still take me a few more years to see them all, but after this GW, I can say that I’ve see more than half of them.
Here’s what I saw during Golden Week 2010 in Shiga Prefecture (in chronological order):
Photos: Sakata Shinmeigu Yakko-buri Procession 坂田神明宮の蹴り奴振り
Photos: Yuge Fire Festival 弓削の火祭り
Photos: Kenketo Matsuri Festival and Odori Dance ケンケト祭・踊り
Photos: Omizo Matsuri Festival 2010 大溝祭
Photos: Shichikawa Matsuri Festival 2010 七川祭
Photos: Hyozu Matsuri Festival 兵主祭
More spring festivals in Shiga
During this rainy season, I’m staying at home to sort through the thousands of photos I took in Shiga during spring. Here are a few more festivals in Shiga which I photographed during spring.
Sanno Matsuri held by Hiyoshi Taisha in Otsu (Part 1 and 2):
Sanno Matsuri photos: Sanno-sai Festival 山王祭
Minakuchi Hikiyama Matsuri is a festival of floats paraded during April 19-20:
Minakuchi Hikiyama Matsuri photos here.
Kenketo Matsuri in Ryuo (Photos here):
Naginata Odori in Moriyama (Photos here):
Taga Matsuri (Photos here):
I have more spring festivals to show and a full update will be posted soon on my home page (shiga-ken.com).
Tsuchiyama Saio Princess Procession
On March 29, 2009, I saw the Saio Princess Procession in Tsuchiyama (あいの土山斎王群行). It was very nice. The Saio princess was an unmarried, young Imperial princess, often the Emperor’s daughter, who was appointed (by divination) to be the High Priestess of Ise Grand Shrines in Mie Prefecture from the 7th to 14th centuries. Whenever there was a new emperor, there would be a new Saio princess appointed. She would travel in a procession from Kyoto to Ise, taking 5 nights and 6 days. She lodged in a special temporary palace (disassembled after she lodged in it) called the Tongu, and one Tongu was in Tsuchiyama. So this festival reenacts this procession. It’s also a continuation of Kyoto’s famous Aoi Matsuri.
I shot both video and stills:
Koka article in Japan Times
The March 8, 2009 edition of The Japan Times had a travel article about the city of Koka. It featured Shigaraki, Miho Museum, and ninja. Unfortunately, it did not mention the shukuba towns of Tsuchiyama and Minakuchi.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fv20090308a1.html
But I’m happy to see another Shiga-related article in the JT in less than a month since the last one about Azuchi:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fv20090215a1.html
Shiga is slowly getting more media attention.
Koka Ninja House (Yashiki)
I finally visited the Koka Ninja House 甲賀流忍術屋敷. I highly recommend taking your foreign friends here. Most foreigners are very interested in ninja. The Koga (Koka) ninja and Iga ninja are the two most famous ninja, but most foreigners do not know that Koga is in Shiga. We have to tell them it’s in Shiga.
The Koka Ninja House is unique because it is still in its original location. Other ninja houses in Japan (like in Iga-Ueno) were moved to the present location. Unfortunately, there’s no bus stop near the Ninja House. You have to go by car or taxi from Konan Station. Actor Harrison Ford visited this ninja house in 2000.
Photos here:
http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=687
I also visited Tsuchiyama-juku. I have now visited all of the shukuba post towns in Shiga along the old Tokaido and Nakasendo Roads. Tsuchiyama still has the original Honjin.
Photos here:
http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=689
I also saw the new JR Koka Station. I think it is one of Shiga’s best train stations (along with Nagahama and Notogawa Stations). It has huge murals of ninja.
http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=688
Koka has so many things, it will take me some time to see everything.
Koka’s English Web site
Koka finally has an English Web site:
http://www.city.koka.shiga.jp/english/index.html
It’s not bad. However, one common error is “Koka City.” It should just be “Koka.” If you say “Koka City,” it means “City” is part of the city’s name. The city’s name is “Koka,” not “Koka City” (=甲賀シティ市).
For example, in the US, we have “Kansas City” and “New York City.” In both cases, “City” is part of the city’s name.
In Japan, we don’t have any city names where “City” is part of the name. We can say “city of Koka.” And for Japanese cities whose name is the same as the prefecture, we can say for example, Niigata city, Saitama city, etc., to avoid confusionwith the prefecture’s name. In such cases, “city” should not be capitalized.
Emperor and Empress visit Shiga
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited Shiga Prefecture for the first time in 13 years during Nov. 10-13, 2007. The main reason was to attend the 27th Zenkoku Yutaka na Umizukuri Taikai (National Convention to Make Bountiful Oceans 第２７回全国豊かな海づくり大会) held in Otsu.
On the first day, they visited a nursing home called Care Town Karasaki in Otsu. Some 20 patients there sang Biwako Shuko no Uta (Lake Biwa Rowing Song) for the Imperial couple and the Emperor demanded an encore for them to sing it again. It is Shiga’s most famous song.
On the second day the 11th, they attended the formal opening ceremony of the National Convention to Make Bountiful Oceans held at the lakeside Biwako Hall in Otsu. In his speech, the Emperor reflected, “It hurts my heart that the blue gill fish I brought to Japan from America for human consumption is now damaging the ecosystem of Lake Biwa.” In 1960 as Crown Prince on a trip to the U.S., the Emperor brought back the blue gill fish given to him in Chicago, Illinois and intended it to be raised in Japan for human consumption.
Some of the blue gill subsequently escaped from a research facility and entered Lake Biwa. The fish multiplied rapidly during the 1990s. Since it eats the baby fish of native lake fish found nowhere else in the world, the blue gill (and black bass) has become a major ecological problem in the lake. After the formal ceremony, the Emperor and Empress went outside the lakeside hall and released baby fish of native lake fish into the lake. Some of the ceremonial pomp included water-spraying fireboats and fishing boats sailing in a procession on the lake. The convention also had pavilions and booths in the Hama-Otsu area for the public to become more aware of fisheries in Lake Biwa.
After the convention, the Imperial couple took a boat ride to Karasuma Peninsula in Kusatsu to visit the Lake Biwa Museum. On the 12th, they visited Shigaraki Ceramic Park and the ruins of Shigaraki-no-Miya which was a detached palace of Emperor Shomu.
On the 13th, they visited Enryakuji temple on Mt. Hiei and returned to Tokyo via shinkansen train from Kyoto Station. It must have been a spectacle to see Shinto’s highest-ranking priest (the emperor) paying a visit to the headquarters of one of Japan’s largest Buddhist sects. Shiga Governor Kada Yukiko accompanied the Emperor and Empress during their tour in Shiga.
Met with Koka International Society
Today I went to Koka and participated in the Koka International Society’s (KIS) Kokusai Koryu Salon gathering 甲賀市国際交流協 国際交流サロン. It was a special occasion because nine people from Koka’s sister cities in Michigan came. It was a chance for them to meet and talk with local Japanese folks. They arrived in Shiga on July 26 and really enjoyed their stay, especially since they stayed with host families in Koka.
I also gave all the Michigan visitors a free copy of my Lake Biwa Rowing Song CD and introduced the song in English. It was my first time to give the CD to people from Michigan. So finally, 琵琶湖周航の歌 英語版、海を渡る！
I enjoyed meeting the friendly staff of KIS. Their office is very near Minakuchi-Jonan Station on Ohmi Railways. Koka is the farthest place from where I am (Maibara near Ibuki) so I don’t go there very often. When I do go again, it’s nice to know people to visit.
http://www.kis5.org/
Tsuchiyama, Koka and Shinagawa, Tokyo
Last weekend, I went to visit Shinagawa-juku 品川宿 in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo for the first time. Shinagawa was the first post town 宿場 on the Tokaido Road. Shinagawa-juku is near Shinagawa Station.
In Shiga, there are many shukuba-machi like Kusatsu , Minakuchi , and Samegai because we have the Nakasendo and Tokaido passing through. I’ve visited most of them and most of them have some shukuba-like traditional buildings such as the impressive Honjin guesthouse in Kusatsu.
So when I visited Shinagawa-juku, I was disappointed to see that there was nothing traditional. Everything was very modern and it looks like any ordinary street in Japan. But the people in Shinagawa-juku are very proud about the history of Shinagawa-juku and they have a tourist information office near the entrance of the Tokaido Road. They also have a walking map for Shinagawa-juku and signs in Japanese (sometimes English too) explaining about various historical spots in Shinagawa-juku.
There are also several pine trees along the old Tokaido Road in Shinagawa-juku. They were all donated to Shinagawa-juku from other shukuba-machi on the Tokaido Road. And one of the pine trees came from Tsuchiyama in Koka! The other pine trees came from Oiso, Hamamatsu, and Mishima. Tsuchiyama is the 49th post town on the Tokaido (there are 53 post towns in total).
The Tsuchiyama pine tree is at the site of Shinagawa-juku’s Honjin (see photo) which is now an empty space. (Looks very lonely.) I’ve never visited Tsuchiyama. Hope to go there soon.
See photos of Shinagawa-juku here.
Vocabulary:
Tokaido 東海道 – Major route which connected Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto during the Edo Period. Before train lines, people traveled on foot or horse. It took days to reach the destination so the travelers required lodging along the way. The Tokaido had 53 towns or stages called shukuba which provided lodging, food, and entertainment.
Shukuba 宿場 – Post town or stage town. Since Shiga is next to Kyoto with both the Nakasendo and Tokaido Roads passing through, there are many shukuba-machi towns. Nakasendo in Shiga includesKashiwabara , Samegai, Toriimoto , Musa , Moriyama , Kusatsu, and Otsu. And Tokaido has Tsuchiyama, Minakuchi, Ishibe ,Kusatsu, and Otsu. The Hokkoku Kaido which goes to the Hokuriku region also has Kinomoto as a post town.
Honjin 本陣 – The main guesthouse in a shukuba for VIPs like daimyo lords, Emperors, etc. Luxurious accomodations on a large plot. There is also the Waki-Honjin which is a second Honjin. In Shiga, the Kusatsu Honjin is the finest example.