Information for the 2023 Fukaya Omaeda Float Festival.
Each year in October there is a traditional float festival in the Omaeda area of Fukaya. But you can see the festival floats of this festival all year round at the Hanazono Roadside Station.
Fukaya Omaeda Float Festival
The Fukaya Omaeda Float Festival is held annually on two days in the middle of October: on the second Saturday and Sunday of the month. In 2023, that is Saturday October 14th and Sunday October 15th. The same as the famous Kawagoe festival. If you would like to see traditional festival floats, but want to avoid the chaos and crowds of Kawagoe festival, this festival is alternative. However, it is much much smaller and therefore, much less attended. But it is also much further from Tokyo and that bit harder to get to.
However, you can see the floats all year round, from behind glass, at no cost, at the Hanazono Roadside Station. But there is nothing quite like seeing them as they are being dragged around the streets, piping traditional music as they go. They do the ‘yatai hiki mawashi’, pulling of the floats, on the Saturday. On the Sunday there is traditional music and events at the roadside station.
I found this Youtube video of the festival. I have no affiliation to this Youtube channel:
Information
Event: Fukaya Omaeda Float Festival 深谷小前田屋台まつり
Date: Saturday October 14th and Sunday October 15th 2023
Time: from 3 pm to 8 pm on the Saturday and from 11 am to 3 pm on the Sunday.
Cost: there is no fee for spectating.
Venue: the festival starts from Hanazono Roadside Station, 458-1 Omaeda, Fukaya, Saitama 369-1246. View on Google Maps.
Access
The roadside station is really close to the Hanazono Interchange of the Kanetsu expressway. The problem is that there is very limited parking at the roadside station and there will be even less on the days of the festival. By public transport the roadside station is about a 15 to 20 minute walk from Omaeda Station on the Chichibu Railway line.
I remember Takayama’s festival is famous for the floats and you can see them year round in a little museum. all such a big part of Japanese culture!