Otsu Matsuri

Back in 1638 a salt seller named Jihei from Kajiya-cho (Blacksmiths town) was having fun dancing with a tanuki (a raccoon-dog) mask and that is how the festival in Otsu started. Over the years the festival evolved and instead of just people dancing in raccoon masks they also added 3-wheeled floats (called “Hiki-yama”) to the event.

On “Yoi-miya” evening (held each year on a Saturday in early October) they exhibit the floats in the streets of the old town and the next day there is a parade with them. Merchants in the streets open their houses to the public and exhibit old artwork and treasures.

The evening before the parade reminded me very much of the Yoiyama nights in the Kyoto Gion Matsuri … just a bit on a smaller scale (which is actually a good thing). The floats are all beautifully decorated with golden ornaments and Gobelin tapestry and the old part of town in Otsu with the many shops just looks nice and interesting. The Otsu matsuri made it on my top-5 list for festivals and i am looking forward to next years one!

Transport: 5 minutes walk down the hill from Otsu-station.

Website: The festival has it’s own website here.