Most viewed - Hachioji Matsuri Festival 八王子まつり |
The Hachioji Matsuri is Hachioji's biggest event of the year. Held during the first weekend (Fri-Sun.) of Aug., it is basically a festival of ornate floats paraded around the main streets near JR Hachioji Station. 286 views
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Tekomai at Hachioji Matsuri, Tokyo.227 views
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In the evening on the second day of Hachioji Matsuri is a large folk dance parade called Minyo Nagashi during 4 pm to 6 pm. 民踊流し203 views
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Taiko drummer at Hachioji Matsuri. She was very good.196 views
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This float had a group of tekomai women, Hachioji Matsuri.195 views
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Women in yukata watching the Hachioji Matsuri.192 views
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She was doing it to music. Hachioji Matsuri.185 views
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Very crowded at Hachioji Matsuri.185 views
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Pulling a float at Hachioji Matsuri.180 views
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Shishimai lion dance, Hachioji Matsuri.179 views
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My YouTube video of the Hachioji Matsuri in 2009.150 views
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Poster for Hachioji Matsuri in 2009.142 views
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From the Edo Period, the festival was originally held by two local shrines, the Hachiman Yakumo Shrine and Taga Shrine. Both shrines are still involved, but today the festival is more of a community event organized by a large group of local organizations.113 views
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I went on the second day years ago, and on the third day on Aug. 9, 2009. The second day features a parade of the 19 floats. The festival attracted over 600,000 people during the three days in Aug. 2009.109 views
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Coming down on Yu Road.109 views
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Near the train station is this diagonal road called "Yu Road" leading to the Koshu Kaido (Route 20) main road where the festival is held. 108 views
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Koshu Kaido is filled with people during the mikoshi procession.108 views
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Minyo Nagashi folk dancing at Hachioji Matsuri, Tokyo.105 views
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JR Hachioji Station is a very busy train station.104 views
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JR Hachioji Station is decorated with Hachioji Matsuri paper lanterns. The station also had a festival information booth where you could obtain free festival maps/pamphlets and information (in Jaoanese).102 views
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All-female mikoshi bearers.102 views
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Yu Road is a shopping road.101 views
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During the Edo Period, the floats originally had dolls. But since the late Meiji Period, the floats have become sculptured wooden floats. Eight of the floats were lost during World War II, but they were rebuilt. So some of them look quite new. 99 views
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Mikoshi bearers98 views
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The floats have a masked person dancing as a fox, etc. They are messengers of the gods.98 views
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Taiko drummer at Hachioji Matsuri.97 views
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A float procession is ready to walk down Yu Road at 5 pm.97 views
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There are 19 floats (dashi). Nine of them belong to the Shimo-chiku area of Hachiman Yakumo Shrine in the east part of the city. And ten of them are from the west part (Kami-chiku) under Taga Shrine.97 views
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Geisha-like musicians, playing the samisen.97 views
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The second day also has a taiko drumming contest for the Kanto region.96 views
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Flute players96 views
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On the Koshu Kaido main road, they started a mikoshi (portable shrine) procession from 5 pm on the third day.95 views
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Earlier during the third day, they had Shishimai lion dances by this pair of lions displayed here.95 views
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After the buttsuke meeting, the floats disband into the street.95 views
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One traditional float featuring dolls.95 views
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Back to the more crowded Shimo-chiku was a meeting of nine floats at 7:45 pm. They were together for 30 min. 山車年番送り 札の辻95 views
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One float had a group of geisha-like musicians.94 views
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A girl twirling a decorative pole.93 views
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Then at 6 pm, they held a "buttsuke" meeting between a few floats which performed at an intersection. This was at the Yokoyama-tsuji intersection. ぶっつけ93 views
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Tekomai93 views
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Sometimes two floats would meet up again and perform together.92 views
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White fox92 views
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They pulled the floats up and down the main road.90 views
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Another float procession.87 views
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Now this is the Kami-chiku (上地区) section of Koshu Kaido where more floats were being paraded. However, I noticed that there were fewer people here. It's further away from the train station.86 views
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Two floats in Kami-chiku.86 views
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There are always people riding on the roof of the floats.83 views
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Finally, the floats disbanded as they left one by one.83 views
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