 Most viewed - Little Edo Hikone Castle Festival Parade 小江戸彦根の城まつりパレード
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Hikone Gun Battalion dressed like Ii Clan samurai with their trademark red armor nicknamed "Red Devils."204 views
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Ii clan warriors204 views
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Little Edo Hikone Castle Festival Parade182 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.167 views
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Hiko-nyan is Hikone's official mascot. A white cat wearing a samurai helmet modeled after Ii Naomasa.126 views
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Chrysanthemum looking like Hiko-nyan.125 views
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The matchlock guns make a huge bang.117 views
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Fireman's ladder acrobatics111 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.86 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 Battalion83 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).79 views
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Hikone Gun Battalion whose members are licensed to fire matchlock guns.79 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.72 views
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Miss Hikone Castle71 views
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Next are groups wearing period costumes. They are junior high schoolers.71 views
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Miss Hikone Castle69 views
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Military band68 views
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Kamakura Period (1185–1333) women wearing veiled straw hats called ichime-gasa. 市女笠68 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.65 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. 62 views
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Hiko-nyan60 views
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Dream Ambassador from Takamatsu, Kagawa Pref.58 views
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Ii Naosuke is portrayed by an actor.58 views
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These photos were taken on Nov. 3, 2009.56 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.55 views
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Asahinomori Elementary School in Hikone.55 views
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Ii Naosuke procession55 views
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A few foreigners too.55 views
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Fireman's acrobatics is a crowd pleaser.55 views
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Samurai laborers carrying luggage for a traveling daimyo.52 views
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Sarugaku is a centuries-old form of entertainment and a precursor to Noh and Kyogen.51 views
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Kawase Junior and Senior High School band.50 views
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Foreigners carry the shishimai lion heads, but they did not perform with it.50 views
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Firemen49 views
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They hoist up the ladder for someone to climb up.49 views
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Flags from sister cities.48 views
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They fire their matchlock guns.48 views
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Dragon dance48 views
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Castle parade route to Hikone Castle.46 views
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Shrine maidens from Izumo46 views
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Tourist Site Clean Campaign44 views
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Heian Period (794-1185) women wearing veiled straw hats called ichime-gasa. 市女笠44 views
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Samurai wives44 views
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Dancers from Muromachi Period (1337-1573)44 views
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Banners with the crest of the Ii clan.44 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.44 views
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Ii Clan's "Red Devil" samurai vassals wearing their trademark red armor.43 views
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Hikone Traditional Fireman Preservation Group43 views
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Katsugi veiled kimono worn by the nobility in the Muromachi Period.42 views
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Fireman's ladder42 views
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Start of the Hikone Castle Parade on Nov. 3. Boy Scouts help out by carrying signs.41 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41 views
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Ii Naotaka41 views
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Shirabyoshi dancers from the Heian Period.39 views
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The Hikone Gun Battalion in formation for a firing demo.39 views
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Shishimai lion dance39 views
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Sarugaku entertainers from the Omi Sarugaku Taga-za troupe. 猿楽38 views
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37 views
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Soldiers from the Ii clan.37 views
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A daimyo36 views
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