A cheapo's guide to Japan
The two days of the Horikawa festival feature quite different but equally impressive processions.
Day one features an after dark procession with taiko drums accompanying a parade of impressive dome like structures strewn with lanterns.
Day two happens mainly during the day with a giant 10m tall tower on wheels towed by rope through the streets by residents. The tower is taller than the power lines, so great care is required.
Held at Mt. Taihei Miyoshi Shrine every year, the Miyoshi Bonden festival is a sometimes-violent race to place offerings to pray for a bountiful harvest. Bonden are scared wands which are markers for Gods entering the world and are now […]
One of the most impressive sights in Japan this January, the Wasakusa Yamayaki sees the entire mountainside go up in flames as fireworks are launched behind it. Although its origins are unclear, possible explanations include disputes about boundary lines between […]
An amazing chance to see a remote, snow-covered thatched village illuminated with hundreds of lanterns.
While most snow festivals feature man-made sculptures, the snow monsters of Zao are entirely natural. Created in rare circumstances that require specific weather and tree formation, the snow gathers in such a way that monsters are formed in the mountains. […]
