 Most viewed - Little Edo Hikone Castle Festival Parade 小江戸彦根の城まつりパレード |
Ii clan warriors302 views
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Hikone Gun Battalion dressed like Ii Clan samurai with their trademark red armor nicknamed "Red Devils."297 views
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Little Edo Hikone Castle Festival Parade260 views
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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.240 views
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Hiko-nyan is Hikone's official mascot. A white cat wearing a samurai helmet modeled after Ii Naomasa.182 views
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The matchlock guns make a huge bang.174 views
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Fireman's ladder acrobatics169 views
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Chrysanthemum looking like Hiko-nyan.162 views
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Hikone Gun Battalion119 views
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Nicknamed Little Edo (Koedo), the castle town of Hikone holds the annual Little Edo Hikone Castle Festival Parade on Nov. 3 from 1 pm to 3 pm.117 viewsVery elaborate costume parade of mainly kids dressed as samurai and Edo-Period ladies. Highlights include the Hikone Gun Battalion giving a matchlock gun demo (in front of Horse Stable), Ii Naosuke played by an actor on horseback, fireman acrobatics, and Sarugaku dancers. The parade route starts from Joto Elementary School and proceeds along the road to the castle and passes in front of the Umaya Horse Stable. Short walk from JR Hikone Station. Parade route map:
http://www.hikoneshi.com/jp/event/articles/c/parade
Photo: Statue of Lord Ii Naomasa in front of Hikone Station.
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Hikone Gun Battalion whose members are licensed to fire matchlock guns.113 views
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The main highlight of the festival is the Hikone Castle Festival Parade held in the afternoon of Nov. 3 (national holiday called Culture Day).109 views
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Miss Hikone Castle109 views
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Before or after the castle parade, you might as well see the chrysanthemum exhibit at Gokoku Shrine (護国神社), a shrine dedicated to Shiga's war dead.102 views
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Next are groups wearing period costumes. They are junior high schoolers.101 views
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Miss Hikone Castle100 views
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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.98 views
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Military band89 views
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Kamakura Period (1185–1333) women wearing veiled straw hats called ichime-gasa. 市女笠89 views
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Hiko-nyan89 views
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Asahinomori Elementary School in Hikone.87 views
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Ii Naosuke procession86 views
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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. 85 views
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Ii Naosuke is portrayed by an actor.82 views
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Fireman's acrobatics is a crowd pleaser.82 views
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Dream Ambassador from Takamatsu, Kagawa Pref.79 views
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These photos were taken on Nov. 3, 2009.77 views
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77 views
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77 views
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Miss Plum Blossom from Mito, Ibaraki Pref. Mito's connection with Hikone lies in the radical samurai who assassinated Ii Naosuke near Edo Castle.76 views
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A few foreigners too.74 views
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Samurai laborers carrying luggage for a traveling daimyo.74 views
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Sarugaku is a centuries-old form of entertainment and a precursor to Noh and Kyogen.72 views
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Foreigners carry the shishimai lion heads, but they did not perform with it.71 views
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Kawase Junior and Senior High School band.70 views
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Firemen69 views
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Dragon dance69 views
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Flags from sister cities.68 views
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They fire their matchlock guns.68 views
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They hoist up the ladder for someone to climb up.68 views
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Castle parade route to Hikone Castle.67 views
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Heian Period (794-1185) women wearing veiled straw hats called ichime-gasa. 市女笠67 views
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Shrine maidens from Izumo67 views
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Hikone Traditional Fireman Preservation Group65 views
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Tourist Site Clean Campaign64 views
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Chief retainer who started the construction of Hikone Castle upon the wishes of Ii Naomasa. 家老の木俣守勝64 views
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Samurai wives64 views
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Ii Clan's "Red Devil" samurai vassals wearing their trademark red armor.64 views
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Banners with the crest of the Ii clan.64 views
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Dancers from Muromachi Period (1337-1573)63 views
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Sitting like royalty, local politicians such as the mayor sit in a special stand on the right in front of the horse stable. The rest of us stand and watch like peasants.63 views
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Fireman's ladder63 views
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Katsugi veiled kimono worn by the nobility in the Muromachi Period.62 views
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Start of the Hikone Castle Parade on Nov. 3. Boy Scouts help out by carrying signs.61 views
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Ii Naotaka61 views
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Shirabyoshi dancers from the Heian Period.59 views
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Sarugaku entertainers from the Omi Sarugaku Taga-za troupe. 猿楽59 views
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The Hikone Gun Battalion in formation for a firing demo.58 views
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Shishimai lion dance58 views
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A daimyo57 views
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Soldiers from the Ii clan.57 views
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