Saijo Matsuri

Not everybody knows about the Saijo festival, but it is gaining in popularity. The festival is held from the 14th to the 17th of October and up to 77 portable shrines dedicated to 4 local shrines will be paraded through the streets and districts of the city.

The festivals features 3 different kind of floats:

• ‘Mikoshi‘ with two big wheels covered in fine cloth decorated with intricate golden dragon stitch-work.
• ‘Taikodai‘ with a weight of up to 2.5 tons but without wheels as it is carried aloft by as many as 150 men.
• … and the ‘Danjiri‘, up to 5 metres in height and adorned with beautiful carvings of traditional Japanese scenes.

The highlight of the festival is happening on the evening of the 16th of October with a number of the gorgeous floats getting carried into the Kamo River.

Besides this highlighted event on the 16th, there are also individual festivals held at each of the four Shrines: at Kamo Shrine on Oct. 10th & 11th; at Iwaoka Shrine on Oct. 14th & 15th; at Isono Shrine on Oct. 15th & 16th; and at Iizumi Shrine on Oct. 16th & 17th.

Website: Saijo City has a website about the festival.

Transport: JR Yosan Line to Iyo-Saijo Sta., and then walk 20 min. to the Kamo River or come by car – there is plenty of free parking available on the west side of the river bank.