Sawara Float Festival

The Sawara no Taisai (Sawara Grand Festival) is a float festival with about 300 years of tradition, held in Sawara, Katori City, Chiba Prefecture. It takes place twice a year, as a summer festival (the Gion Festival of Yasaka Shrine) in July and an autumn festival (the autumn festival of Suwa Shrine) in October, and is counted among the three great float festivals of the Kanto region, alongside the Kyoto Gion Festival and the Hida Takayama Festival. In 2016 (December of the 28th year of Heisei), it was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage as one of the 33 float festivals (Yama, Hoko, Yatai events), and it is also designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. During the summer festival, held over three days from the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on or after July 10, ten floats are pulled through the Honjuku district on the east side of the Ono River.

The greatest attraction of the festival is its gorgeous floats, whose bodies are made entirely of zelkova wood, decorated with heavy Kanto-style carvings, and topped with giant dolls reaching heights of about four meters. These floats proceed through the old townscape known as Koedo (Little Edo), a nationally selected Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, brushing past the eaves of the houses while filling the town with the sound of Sawara-bayashi, one of Japan's three great festival musics. The atmospheric scene, reminiscent of the Edo period, draws visitors into a world like a picture scroll of old Japan.

History and Origins

The Sawara no Taisai is a festival with about 300 years of history, developed against the backdrop of the economic power of Sawara, which flourished as a key point of Tone River water transport. During the Edo period, Sawara was connected to Edo by boat traffic on the Tone River and thrived as a commercial city. Its prosperity was praised as Edo-masari (surpassing Edo), and it is said to have boasted a refinement that even exceeded that of Edo while adopting its culture. This rich townspeople's culture became the soil that nurtured the lavish float festival.

The summer festival is held as the Gion Festival of Yasaka Shrine, one of the guardian shrines of Sawara. The Gion Festival arose from beliefs aimed at pacifying epidemics and disasters and praying to pass safely through the hot summer, and it began in Kyoto during the Heian period before spreading throughout Japan. In Sawara too, it has been carried on by the people of the Honjuku district as a festival praying to ward off summer epidemics.

The giant dolls that adorn the tops of the floats were created by master doll makers of the Edo and Meiji periods, depicting figures from Japanese mythology, historical heroes, and legendary characters. Reaching heights of about four meters, these dolls symbolize the craft culture of Sawara and the spirit of its townspeople. Together with the Kanto-style carvings applied to the zelkova-wood float bodies, they heighten the artistic value of the Sawara no Taisai.

The operation of the festival has been carried out by the young men known as wakashu (waka-ren). All movement of the floats is signaled by the wooden clappers (chaki) struck by the young leader (kashira), and the heavy floats are skillfully maneuvered using levers. This system of festival bearers centered on young people has been the driving force that has passed down the tradition without interruption for 300 years.

Highlights

Floats Bearing Four-Meter Giant Dolls　The stars of the Sawara no Taisai are the floats, with bodies made entirely of zelkova wood, decorated with heavy Kanto-style carvings, and topped with giant dolls about four meters tall created by master doll makers of the Edo and Meiji periods. The sight of ten floats parading through the town is spectacular.

Floats Through the Koedo Townscape　The floats proceed through the old townscape known as Koedo, an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, brushing past the eaves of the houses. The sight of the floats passing by the willows along the Ono River is an atmospheric scene reminiscent of the Edo period.

The Sawara-bayashi, One of Japan's Three Great Festival Musics　Throughout the festival, the town resounds with Sawara-bayashi, counted among Japan's three great festival musics. Its distinctive melodies, tinged with melancholy, deepen the mood of the festival all the more.

The No-no-ji Mawashi Trick Pulling　Skillful trick pulling of the heavy floats is another highlight, and among them the no-no-ji mawashi, in which the float is spun to trace the shape of the hiragana character no, is a star performance that tests the skill of the young men.

Passing on Narrow Streets　The hiki-chigai, in which floats pass each other on narrow roads, is another chance to show off skill. After skillfully maneuvering the floats past one another, the participants praise each other with applause, revealing the sense of unity of the festival.

Lantern-Lit Floats at Night　As evening falls, lanterns are lit on the floats, giving them a fantastical appearance different from the daytime. The night floats, clad in light and advancing to the sound of the Sawara-bayashi, are a highlight unique to this festival.

Event Information

• Official name: Sawara no Taisai (the summer festival is the Gion Festival of Yasaka Shrine)
• Dates: The summer festival is held over three days, the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on or after July 10 each year
• Venue: Sawara, Katori City, Chiba Prefecture (the summer festival takes place in the Honjuku district, on the east side of the Ono River)
• Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (held even in rain, though vinyl sheets are placed over the float dolls)
• Floats: Ten for the summer festival (made entirely of zelkova wood, adorned with giant dolls about four meters tall)
• Access: Get off at Sawara Station on the JR Narita Line. About 10 minutes from the Sawara-Katori IC on the Higashi-Kanto Expressway. Temporary parking is available on the Tone River bank.

Around the Area

The townscape of Sawara is called Koedo (Little Edo) and is designated a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Along the Ono River, merchant houses and storehouse-style buildings from the Edo and Meiji periods still remain, and visitors can enjoy sightseeing of the townscape from a boat. Even outside the festival season, atmospheric strolls through the waterside town are popular.

Sawara is also known as a place associated with Ino Tadataka, who was the first to create a map of all Japan based on actual surveying. His former residence and a memorial museum remain, conveying the depth of Sawara's townspeople's culture to the present day. It is a historical spot well worth visiting along with the festival.

At the Suigo Sawara Dashi Kaikan (Float Museum), one float each from the summer and autumn festivals is displayed on a rotating basis, allowing visitors to see the gorgeous floats up close even outside the festival season. It is a beloved facility where one can learn about the history and culture of the Sawara no Taisai.

Related Information

• Gion Festival of Yasaka Shrine: The summer festival of the Sawara no Taisai, in which ten floats are pulled through the Honjuku district.
• Autumn Festival of Suwa Shrine: The autumn festival of the Sawara no Taisai, in which fourteen floats are pulled through the Shinjuku district in October.
• Three Great Float Festivals of Kanto: The Sawara no Taisai is counted among the three representative float festivals of the Kanto region.
• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Registered in 2016 as one of the float festivals (Yama, Hoko, Yatai events).
• Sawara-bayashi: One of Japan's three great festival musics, resounding through the town throughout the festival.
• Ino Tadataka: A great figure associated with Sawara, whose former residence and memorial museum remain in the town.

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