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Kanuma Autumn Festival
Kanuma Autumn Festival
The Kanuma lmamiya Shrine Festival's Yatai Float Event takes place every year on Saturday and Sunday at the beginning of October. Gorgeous carved floats called "yatai" go on a spirited parade through the main streets of the city. One highlight is the impressive music battle called "Buttsuke," in which multiple floats compete with their own music band when they meet at intersections.
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage event
Carrying on the tradition and "iki," or the aesthetic ideal developed in Edo period (1603-1868), the Kanuma lmamiya Shrine Festival's Yatai Float Event was listed as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of Japan in 2003, and registered on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016.
Buttsuke, an impressive music competition among the gorgeous floats
The gorgeous floats with intricate engravings march around the streets of Kanuma City. In the evening, all floats gather at the shrine and light up their lanterns. The main highlight of the festival is Buttsuke, in which multiple floats (around three to seven floats) compete with music when they meet at street crossings. The intense music battle is impressive with the thunderous sound that echoes into the night.
Location
| Name | Kanuma Autumn Festival |
|---|---|
| Web Sites | (In Japanese) http://buttsuke.com/ |
| Address | 1688-1 Imamiya-cho, Kanuma-shi, Tochigi (Kanuma Autumn Festival Executive Committee Secretariat) |
| Access | Approximately 20 minutes' walk from Kanuma Station on the JR Nikko Line Approximately 10 minutes' walk from Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line Approximately 15 minutes' drive from Kanuma IC on the Tohoku Expressway |
| Inquiries | TEL: 0289-63-2188 (Kanuma Autumn Festival Executive Committee Secretariat) |
| Period of the Event | At the beginning of October every year (Please see the website for details.) |