The Hanno Festival is scheduled to take place this Autumn for the first time in three years. However, it will be a smaller festival than usual. The last time this festival took place was the 49th annual Hanno Festival and fireworks in 2019. However, in 2022, they are not planning a fireworks display. Moreover, they are not releasing further details until just before the festival is due to start. Below is information to specific to 2022 and information for a normal year.
Hanno Festival 2022
The Hanno festival is on Saturday November 5th and Sunday November 6th 2022. This year it will be on for shorter than normal between noon and 6 pm on the 5th and between 10 am and 6 pm on the 6th. They are planning to have live performances and parade floats. However, even though the festival is less than a month away, they have not yet released the final details for 2022. This is quite common this year due to the pandemic. For one, they don’t want too many people coming. But more than that, there is always the possibility they will have to cancel, so many municipalities are playing their cards close to their chests, so to speak, this year!
Below is the schedule in a typical year, please note that not all of this will be available in 2022.
Hanno Festival Day 1 – Saturday (before the pandemic)
The festival takes place around Hanno and Higashi Hanno station areas. On Saturday the majority of the activities such as parades, performances, mikoshi and festival floats will take place on Central road and Ginza street.
Stage performances
The main stage on Saturday is by the west exit of the Higashi Hanno Station. Performances will run from 1 pm to 7 pm. Performances include music , dance and talks. They normally also have performances from 2 to 3 pm outside of Takeda Mishin, just down from the main stage.
Yosakoi
You can see yosakoi performances several times throughout the two day festival. There will be Yosakoi performances on Ginza street at 12.10 to 12.30, 12.45 to 13.05 and again at 4.30 pm to 5 pm. There is also a Yosakoi parade from 3.30 pm to 4.15 pm on central street, starting at Nakamachi and ending at Higashimachi.
Mikoshi
The children’s mikoshi also starts from Nakamachi crossroads, but will continue down as far as Takeda Mishin just before Higashi Hanno Station. When it is on it usually starts from 2 pm. However, there may not be a children’s mikoshi in 2022 as a preventative measure against you know what!
This is only a small sample of what is scheduled for Saturdays in a normal year. Unfortunately, in 2022, the festival will not be as large as usual. You can pick up detailed information for the festival at the tourism office in Hanno station.
Hanno Festival Fireworks
In a normal year, they launch the fireworks from 7 pm near the Children’s Library out by the Iruma river. You can see them from the festival area. While the fireworks are being launched the festival floats will play taiko and other traditional music. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any fireworks at the Hanno festival in 2022.
Hanno Festival Day 2 – Sunday
Festival floats
Day two of the Hanno Festival is the main day for the festival floats. They will be pulled and perform their “float wars” from 4.30 pm to 8.40 pm around Central Street, Ginza and Higashi Ginza streets.
Ibayashi
There are normally ibayashi performances in several locations between 11 am and 5 pm in the afternoon and between 5.30 pm and 8.30 pm in the evening. Ibayashi is a type of Noh performance with three seated performers in a festival float.
Wariiwa bridge light up
The Wariiawa bridge is usually lit up every evening from dusk until 10 pm at night around the time of the festival.
Festival Access
The roads around the station are normally closed during the festival period, so it is recommended that you come by train. You can either use the JR Hachiko line and alight at Higashi Hanno station or the Seibu Chichibu line and alight at Hanno Station.
For more seasonal information and events in Saitama, please see the main event category.