Information for the Setsubun Festival at Musashino Reiwa Shrine and Tokorozawa Sakura Town in 2023. Musashino Reiwa Shrine The Musashino Reiwa Shrine was designed, under the supervision of Kengo Kuma, as part of the Cool Japan project. There are many unique elements to the shrine, but the design is theRead More →
The Setsubun festival at Fudougaoka Fudouson Souganji Temple in Kazo is famous throughout Kanto and beyond. It is probably Saitama’s most famous setsubun-kai? So much so, champion sumo wrestlers, even yokozuna have participated in the mamemaki bean throwing in the past. It has the reputation of being one of theRead More →
For the first time in three years, Kitain Temple in Kawagoe will have their Setsubun Festival with a mamemaki bean throwing ceremony. Below you will find a first hand account of the setsubun celebration at Kitain Temple, as well as the information for the 2023 bean throwing ceremony. Setsubun celebrationsRead More →
Information for the Kasukabe Shishimai performance at Choshi guchi Katori shrine annually in January. Choshiguchi Shishimai Choshiguchi shishimai (lion dance) was brought to Kasukabe from the current Koshigaya city in 1697. It is a lion dance to music with three single “lions” performed at Choshiguchi Katori shrine in Kasukabe. ThreeRead More →
Short notice, but I just heard myself earlier today that the Daruma Market in Eigenji, Sakado will be on tomorrow. If you missed the Daruma Market in Kawagoe, here is another chance to buy a Daruma for this year. But don’t worry if you can’t make this one either, thereRead More →
The Minami Otsuka Mochitsuki Dance, with a history of more than 200 years, is held every year on the Sunday before Japan’s Coming-of-Age day. However, the event was not on in 2021 or 2022 due to the pandemic. This is the first time in three years that the event willRead More →
The Japanese New Year tradition of Hatsumode… Hatsumode is the first visit of the year to a shrine or a temple, an important and much practiced tradition in the New Year in Japan. There are many shrines and also temples all around Saitama where you can practise Hatsumode. It doesn’tRead More →
Iwadono Shohoji is a small mountainside temple, known for its Purple or ‘Mitsuba’ Azalea, in Tokigawa Town. I was updating the information for the 2023 Kasa natural ice rink in Tokigawa town today. Which reminded me that Shohoji temple is one of more than 300 posts I have sitting inRead More →
New Year Event Dezome Kumagaya – One of the many New Year traditions in Japan. Dezome Shiki has been practised since the Edo period. It involves a ceremony of firefighters with an acrobatic show, put on to simultaneously entertain the audience and raise safety awareness. It is one of myRead More →
The Chichibu Night Festival is held on the 2nd and 3rd of December annually. On account of the pandemic, the festival was very basic in 2020 and 2021. They only carried out some of the religious parts of the festival. Moreover, in 2021 it was for invited guests only. Also,Read More →