Japanese project

-Festivals

Submitted to : Prof. Megha Khare Submitted by

:
Rishabh Dad 08
Ria Shah 47
Vidhi Kamdar 22
 Nihongo no Matsuri

In Japan, there are more than 300,000 traditional matsuri, which

means festival in Japanese, and they are very different from area to
area. Normally, a matsuri is sponsored by a local shrine or temple
and is organized by the local community. People wear a typical
matsuri costume and carry a heavy Mikoshi, which is a portable
shrine around the street, hoping it can bless the town and people.
 Tanabata Matsuri

Time 6th - 8th of August

Location - Sendai City, Miyagi
Celebration - Thousands of colorful streamers are decorated in the city's shopping
arcades that include
paper stripsfor good handwriting, which people often write wishes on.
History - It is a festival based on the Chinese legend about two stars, Altair and
Vega.
 Yuki Matsuri

Time seven days in February (5th 11th feb in 2015)

Location Sapporo, Hokkaido
Celebration - Exhibits more than one hundred smaller snow statues and hosts several
concerts and events.
History - The origin of this festival was six snow statues built by local high school
students in 1950
 Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri

Time - Middle of September

Location - Kishiwada City, Osaka
Celebration - People pull their huge floats at breakneck speeds, with the team
leaders hopping and dancing on top of the floats.
History A harvest festival to pray for a good autumn bounty, began in 1703.
 Kochi Yosakoi Matsuri

Time - Middle of August

Location - Kochi
Celebration - People dance passionately with the uptempo music, carrying
clappers called Naruko which make a click-clack sound.
History - Began in 1954 after local people created the Yosakoi Naruko Dance.
 Awa Odori (Tokushima)

Time - 12th to the 15th of August

Location - Tokushima City
Celebration - Men, women and children wear summer cotton kimono and straw
hats and dance on almost all of the streets
History - Began in 1587, in celebration of newly-built Tokushima Castle, the
citizens became so drunk they started to dance in an unsteady gait.
 Sanja Matsuri

Time 15th - 21st May

Location Tokyo
Celebration Its prominent parades revolve around threemikoshi(portable
shrines referenced in the festival's name), as well as traditional music and dancing.
History It is believed that two fishermenbrothers named Hinokuma Hamanari
and Hinokuma Takenarifound a statuette of theBodhisattvaKannoncaught in a
fishing net in theSumida River.
 Hakata Gion Yamakasa

Time Between 1-15 july

Location Fukuoka
Celebration The festival is famous for the Kakiyama, that weigh around one ton
and are carried around the city as an act offloat-racing.
History - The festival is believed to be over 770 years old. It was designated
anImportant Intangible Folk Cultural Propertyof Japan in 1979.
 Gion Matsuri

Time July
Location Kyoto
Celebration The streets are lined with night stalls selling food such
asyakitoritraditional Japanese sweets, and many other culinary delights. Many girls
dressed inyukata walk around the area, carrying with them traditional purses and paper
fans.
History This festival originated as part of a purification ritual (goryo-e) to appease the
gods thought to cause fire, floods and earthquakes. In 869, the people were suffering from
plague and pestilence which was attributed to the rampaging deity Gozu Tenn
 Takayama Matsuri

Time In spring (april 14-15) and in autumn (oct 8-9)

Location Old town of Takayama
Celebration The festivals are famous for the large ornate floats, oryatai, which
roam around the city at night. Karakuri (mechanical) puppet plays performed on a
stage are superb.
History The Sanno Festival is held to pray for a good harvest and the Autumn
Festival is for giving thanks.
 Aoi Matsuri

Time 15th May

Location Kyoto, Japan
Celebration There are two parts to Aoi Matsuri: the procession and the shrine
rites.
History The ancient records reveal that a succession of disastrous rains with high
winds ruined the grain crops, and epidemics had spread through the country.
Diviners placed the cause on divine punishment by the Kamo deities.
 Aomori Nebuta Matsuri

Time 2nd 7th August

Location Aomori,Aomori Prefecture,Japan
Celebration The float is carried through the city during the evening from August
26, and during the daytime on August 7. A fireworks show is held on the evening
of the final day while the float is carried into the sea.
History Aterui , a general from Tohoku region united Emishi people and battled
for 12 years and was defeated and then beheaded and his people were buried
alive.
 Kanda Matsuri

Time Saturday and Sunday closest to May 15, but since it alternates with the Sann
Matsuri, it is only held on odd numbered years.
Location Kanda, Tokyoas well as surrounding central Tokyo districts
Celebration Its prominent parades involve about over 200mikoshi, in addition to
musicians, dancers and floats.
History The festival started in the early 17th century as a celebration ofTokugawa
Ieyasu's decisive victory at thebattle of Sekigaharaand was continued as a display of
the prosperity of the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period.
Arigatou Gozaimasu