 Most viewed - Shimosuwa 下諏訪町 |
But my camera captured the log going down, even though I could hardly see it. Onbashira Festival, Shimosuwa, Nagano. 木落とし坂 春宮一之柱357 views
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Erecting Onbashira Log No. 4 for Harumiya Shrine on May 9, 2004. Shimosuwa, Nagano. 春宮四之御柱270 views
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Onbashira Festival. They included one woman.232 views
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Onbashira-sai, Shimosuwa-machi, Nagano.213 views
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Shimosuwa Station on May 8, 2004. Here for the final three days of the Onbashira Matsuri's climax, the Satobiki when they haul the Onbashira logs to the Shimo-sha Shrines (Akimiya and Harumiya) and erect them.211 views
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This was Log No. 1 for Shimo-sha's Harunomiya Shrine.177 views
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Then came the log, and a lotta dust which made it difficult to see what was going on.173 views
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The only woman on the log. After this log-raising, I had seen enough. This No. 1 log offered the best view of all the four Akimiya logs.173 views
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Now they descend.142 views
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It was over after a few seconds. We walked for an hour from the train station and waited hours for just a few seconds of mostly dust.140 views
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Everything is done with great fanfare, with these men riding on the log as it slowly rises by a system of cables and pulleys.138 views
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Billboard depicting Ki-otoshi (Log Drop) at Shimosuwa Station.137 views
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The Ax Man. He cuts the rope which sets the log loose down the slope.137 views
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The log heading to the Shimekake resting place. If you don't like crowds, don't see this festival. Also see photos of Shimo-sha Satobiki.136 views
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Erecting Onbashira Log No. 4 for Harumiya Shrine on May 9, 2004. 春宮四之御柱132 views
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127 views
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Log in Harumiya Shrine.126 views
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The log pullers split into two.124 views
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124 views
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Onbashira Log No. 1 already erected for Harumiya Shrine on May 8, 2004.123 views
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"Yoisa! Yoisa!"123 views
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Onbashira monument in front of Shimosuwa Station. This Onbashira log was used in the opening ceremony of the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998.122 views
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Shimenawa sacred rope on Kaguraden122 views
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Banners unfurled.122 views
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Taiko performance at Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine's Kaguraden121 views
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Thank goodness for telephoto lenses.120 views
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Now we walked back together with hundreds of thousands of people...120 views
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I was forced to join this crowd.118 views
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This is May 9, 2004, the second day of Shimo-sha Shrine's Satobiki. Shimo-sha Shrine consists of two separate shrines called Akimiya and Harumiya.118 views
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Umbrella dance117 views
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Ropes to pull the Onbashira log from Harumiya Shrine.117 views
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117 views
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Parade of Nagamochi which are long chests. 長持116 views
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Hole for the No. 4 Akimiya Onbashira log116 views
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Small support poles.115 views
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Harumiya Shrine ahead.115 views
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On the way to Harumiya Shrine, you see this bridge. It is a rest stop for the Akimiya Onbashira log procession. 下馬橋115 views
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Harumiya has a little slope where the logs are slid down.115 views
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The bridge is normally closed to the public. In the old days, this bridge marked Harumiya Shrine's sacred area where even warlords had to get out of their palanquin or get off their horse out of respect before proceeding further. 下馬橋115 views
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Music Box Museum115 views
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Parade115 views
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In front of Shimosuwa Station.114 views
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People everywhere.114 views
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Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine 秋宮 幣拝殿113 views
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Onbashira Log No. 3 for Harumiya Shrine.113 views
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Here is where anybody can get on the logs and play.112 views
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Hole for the No. 2 Akimiya Onbashira log112 views
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Sake is given for free.112 views
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The base of the Onbashira log is reinforced by these smaller logs.112 views
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So after this log came out, we were allowed to proceed to the giant slope.111 views
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Finally, people pulling the log appeared.111 views
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Hole for the No. 2 Akimiya Onbashira log111 views
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People along the small slope.111 views
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One Onbashira log at a rest stop.111 views
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We sat there for hours.110 views
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Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine. That's a support pole for erecting the No. 1 Akimiya Onbashira log. 秋宮110 views
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When the log is erected, a banner is unrolled.110 views
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The men now descend from the log.110 views
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110 views
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Entertainment stage in front of Shimosuwa Station.109 views
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109 views
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Nagamochi chest decorations109 views
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109 views
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Harumiya Shrine torii 春宮109 views
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We weren't the only ones there.108 views
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Crowded street108 views
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Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine torii108 views
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108 views
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Onbashira Grand Park108 views
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Log standing by in front of Akimiya Shrine.108 views
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Now it's May 10, 2004, the last day of the Shimo-sha Satobiki. All four logs will erected at Akimiya Shrine on this day.108 views
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They waved their pom-poms and cheered all the while.108 views
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After walking for 30 min., we reached this place called Shimekake, a resting place for the logs which had been hauled from the mountains. This is Log No. 2 for Akinomiya Shrine. 注連掛107 views
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We waited for the log scheduled to come down at 3 pm, but it was delayed by 2 hours...107 views
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107 views
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Hole for the No. 2 Akimiya Onbashira log106 views
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Harumiya torii 春宮大門106 views
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This looks like Log No. 2 for Akimiya Shrine.106 views
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Ax man106 views
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The banner reads, "Thank you everyone for your cooperation."105 views
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Ropes at rest105 views
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The logs will rest here for about a month until early May when they will be hauled to the shrines for the Satobiki erection.104 views
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104 views
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The Ki-otoshi slope, and one of the icons of the festival. This is the larger slope for Ki-otoshi compared to the one for the Kami-sha Shrine in Chino. 木落とし坂103 views
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The crowd extended all the way to the rear. All to see the 3pm Ki-otoshi log drop.102 views
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Another Onbashira log makes its way through.102 views
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All the Onbashira logs are hauled manually by human hands from when it is cut in the mountain forest. No motor vehicles of any kind is used to haul the logs.102 views
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The log can move quite fast, even with all those people riding it.102 views
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Parade continues even in the rain.102 views
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Finally, something to photograph.102 views
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They threw out free streamers and I caught one. "Yoisa! Yoisa!"102 views
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Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine priests 秋宮101 views
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These people are from Suwa city.101 views
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We waited in the rain for Onbashira Log No. 1 to be erected first at Akimiya Shrine at 10:00 am. However, we had to wait, standing up in the rain and in the crowd, for 2.5 hours before they finally started to raise the log.101 views
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The logs are pulled by people from various districts or parishes in the Suwa region including Chino, Shimosuwa, Okaya, and Suwa.100 views
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Log standing by in front of Akimiya Shrine.100 views
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Store your luggage here. Not enough lockers at the train station so they provide this service. 400 yen/day.99 views
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Log No. 4 for Shimo-sha Shrine's Akinomiya Shrine which already went down the big slope for Ki-otoshi (Log Drop) comes out at 1:30 pm. 秋宮四之柱97 views
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Shimosuwa Station 下諏訪駅96 views
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96 views
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Hiroshige's woodblock print of Takasaki (30th post town on the Nakasendo) from his Kisokaido series. 95 views
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Until we were stopped here. Sign says that only people with tickets can proceed further. Yeah, we walked all this way only to be told we cannot go further. Our destination was the Ki-otoshi slope where the huge logs slide down for the Yamadashi.94 views
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There it is, the slope.94 views
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Log No. 4 for Shimo-sha Shrine's Akinomiya Shrine. 秋宮四之柱94 views
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This was my view of the slope.93 views
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We had to wait until the Ki-otoshi at 1pm was over. That's the one we wanted to see. But the place was already too full.92 views
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92 views
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People everywhere along the edge of the slope.92 views
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The Ki-otoshi slope up close. Very rough-looking. 木落とし坂91 views
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The numerous people and trees made it impossible to see the slope itself.91 views
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We had to walk it. This was April 10, 2004, one of the days for Shimo-sha Shrine's Yamadashi when they hauled the logs from the mountain forest.90 views
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90 views
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It was very steep and uncomfortable to sit on, so I decided to leave this place.89 views
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After the Shimekake, we walked further.88 views
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Go straight on this road in front of the station.84 views
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There are no buses nor taxis to where we want to go.81 views
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We had to wait until the 1pm Ki-otoshi log came out.81 views
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