Aichi Now Special Feature
Yama, Hoko and Yatai Float Festivals of Aichi - Registered UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
"Yama, Hoko, Yatai, Float Festivals in Japan"

Light Up The Night

The festival begins with exciting antique samurai matchlock gun firing demonstrations, and hand-held fireworks resembling upright bazookas sending shafts of fire, the "Tezutsu Hanabi", sparks and smoke tens of meters into the evening air. There's singing and dancing before the highlight begins. Five large and graceful traditional Makiwara boats, made of two boats roped together and decorated with over 400 large paper lanterns arranged in a dome-like shape, glide along the Tenno river to the sounds of festival flutes and drums. The reflections of the hundreds of lanterns in the dark, calm waters adds to the ethereal effect.
The dome shaped arrangement features 365 lanterns, one for each day of the year, and a further 12 or 13 lanterns towering above it. Under the orange-yellow dome of lanterns hang a further 30 red lanterns, with more lanterns decorating the bow of this fantastic, floating festival float.

Many come dressed in light summer kimono called Yukata to watch from the riverside, others enjoy a meal, drinks and entertainments in smaller boats. All the while, cameras click as the lantern boats sail by, and fantastic fireworks burst like thunder in the sky above.

The Morning Festival

The next morning, the same five boats are redecorated with gorgeous red, black and gold hand woven tapestries and mannequins dressed in traditional Noh performing arts costumes. These boats are joined by a sixth, also decorated with dolls. Ten men armed with halberd-like samurai weapons take part in a ritual, in which they dive off the boat with the halberd, and swim or walk to shore to present the broad bladed pole-arm to the gods of the Tsushima Shrine.

Like most Japanese festivals, the Owari Tenno Matsuri is filled with various displays, events, food and enjoyment.

If you find yourself in Japan in late July, be sure to visit Tsushima for one of Japan's biggest and most spectacular festivals, the Owari Tsushima Tenno Matsuri.