Little Edo Hikone Castle Festival Parade 2009 小江戸彦根の城まつりパレード

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Little Edo Hikone Castle Festival Parade 2009 小江戸彦根の城まつりパレード

Statue of Lord Ii Naomasa in front of Hikone Station. Nicknamed Little Edo (Koedo), the castle town of Hikone holds the Little Edo Hikone Castle Festival for a few days centering on Oct. 29, the birthday of Ii Naosuke.

The main highlight of the festival is the Hikone Castle Festival Parade held in the afternoon of Nov. 3 (national holiday called Culture Day).

The parade has children and adults dressed in historical costumes, especially the red samurai armor which was the trademark of the Ii clan. Even a modern samurai needs a cell phone.

Castle parade route to Hikone Castle.

These photos were taken on Nov. 3, 2009.

Start of the Hikone Castle Parade on Nov. 3. Boy Scouts help out by carrying signs.

Military band

Miss Something from Takamatsu, Kagawa Pref.

Miss Plum Blossom from Mito, Ibaraki Pref. Mito's connection with Hikone lies in the radical samurai who assassinated Ii Naosuke near Edo Castle.

Flags from sister cities.

Miss Hikone Castle

Tourist Site Clean Campaign

Elementary school

Local elementary school in Hikone.

Hikone Gun Battalion whose members are licensed to fire matchlock guns.

Hikone Gun Battalion

Ii Naosuke procession

Ii Naosuke is portrayed by an actor.

Ii Naosuke (井伊直弼) (1815-1860) as the Tokugawa shogunate's Chief Minister (Tairo) who favored and concluded commercial treaties with the Western powers and thus broke Japan's isolation from the world.

Next are groups wearing period costumes. They are junior high schoolers.

A few foreigners too.

Chief retainer who started the construction of Hikone Castle upon the wishes of Ii Naomasa. 家老の木俣守勝

A daimyo

Ladies in waiting.

Shrine maidens from Izumo

Dancers

More people in period costumes.

From the Muromachi Period.

Soldiers from the Ii clan.

Banners with the crest of the Ii clan.

Ii clan warriors

Ii Naomasa (井伊直政) (1561-1602 ) was the first lord of Hikone from 1600. He was a general under Tokugawa Ieyasu whom he helped to win the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. He was rewarded with the fief of Omi (now Shiga) and built Hikone Castle.