Fukushima Waraji Festival

Fukushima Waraji Festival

Fukushima City’s local summer festival ‘Fukushima Waraji Matsuri’ started in 1970. It is said that, despite its short history, this festival has its roots in an Edo Period traditional event known as the ‘Akatsuki-mairi’ (or Mt. Shinobu Dawn Procession).

During the festival evenings, locals parade a huge straw sandal (known as a waraji) along Route 13. This procession is followed by many different groups, who perform dances around town. The first evening is filled with music from the Showa Era, while the songs of the second night are modern and very upbeat.

This waraji weighs around 2 tons, is 12 metres in length, and is thought to be one of the biggest in Japan. Every February, local people follow the tradition of dedicating the waraji to Haguro Shrine on Mt. Shinobu, which is thought to help keep legs healthy and strong.

Venue Details

Venue Details
Websitehttps://www.waraji.co.jp/en/
Contact

Fukushima Waraji Festival Executive Committee

(+81) 24-536-5511

Best Season
  • Summer
Related infoThis festival takes place in the evenings (Usually from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM)
Event RecurrenceUsually held on the first Friday and Saturday of August. There is possibility of change depending on the year.
Access Details
AccessRoute 13 in Central Fukushima City
View directions
Getting there

By Train: 5 min walk from JR Fukushima Station

Nearby

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Design Your Own Shirakawa Daruma

<p>There are records of Shirakawa Daruma (Japanese traditional dolls) being sold as far back as the feudal reign of the Niwa Domain in 1627. Current Shirakawa Daruma are known as &ldquo;Shirakawa Tsurugame Shochikubai Daruma.&rdquo; The faces of these dolls are painted to incorporate various animals and plants, with the eyebrows representing cranes, the mustache representing a turtle, the ears representing pines and plum trees, and the beard representing bamboo or pine trees. All of these images are thought to bring good luck. The daruma is known to be a very classical, lucky talisman, started by Matsudaira Sadanobu, the lord of Shirakawa, when he hired the renowned painter Tani Buncho to paint the now famous face on the daruma doll. Once every year a large <a href="http://fukushima.travel/destination/shirakawa-daruma-market/208">Shirakawa Daruma Market</a> is held to celebrate and sell the beloved daruma dolls. You can paint your own daruma at the two daruma workshops in town!</p>
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Mt. Adatara

<p>Mt. Adatara is actually made up of multiple active volcanoes that form a broad mountain. It last erupted in 1996. Poems in the book Chieko-sho by Kotaro Takamura (1883-1956) helped make the mountain famous.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The summit of Mt. Adatara stands at an altitude of 1700 m, stretcheing about 9 kilometers in a north to south direction. Views of Mt. Adatara are lovely in and of themselves, but the views that visitors have of the surrounding area once they reach the summit are breathtaking. Chosen as one of Japan&rsquo;s top 100 mountains, as well as one of the top 100 mountains for flowers, a viewspot at an altitude of 1300 m can be accessed by gondola lift. This means that it is relatively easy to climb even for beginners.</p><p>On summer evenings, a light-up event inspired by the Milky Way and the flowers of Mt. Adatara is held, gracing those scaling the mountain by gondola lift with a spectacular view. In autumn, visitors are afforded a stunning view of autumn leaves making it a popular place for scenic <em>momiji-gari</em> (autumn leaf viewing). Kurogane-goya Mountain Lodge is a rest stop for visitors (it even serves as lodging for those on long hikes). Stay here overnight to sample the lodge&#39;s famous curry, which is reserved for overnight guests only. The lodge&rsquo;s public hot spring facility uses naturally-sourced, cloudy hot spring water. Even if you aren&rsquo;t staying, why not enjoy a quick dip to relax your muscles after a hike?</p>
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<p style="text-align:justify">Established in 1836, the Yoshinoya family has been continuing the production of Enobori banners using traditional techniques. Originally the family business was a kimono shop, however, the side business of painting Enobori banners began to grow until is eventually became their main business.</p><p style="text-align:justify">These banners typically feature images of warriors and can be quite complex with their designs. They are made by painting on banners with a type of calligraphy ink.</p><p style="text-align:justify">To create clean and uniform design, stencils are made from various materials to be used as a guide for the design. Once the basic design is painted with a stencil, you connect the lines and add fine details by hand.</p><p style="text-align:justify">As a nod to a famous Sukagawa person, they began creating a design of Ultraman posing as a samurai warrior! You can try out the traditional banner making method explained above to create tote bags and small banners featuring a variety of samurai and Ultraman samurai designs.</p><p style="text-align:justify">&copy;円谷プロ</p>
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