BA・SA・RA, the end of summer

Every year at the end of August, two-day Basara Dancing Festival is held in Nara. This year 42 groups joined. It is not a dancing contest. The participants keep dancing, dancing, dancing and dancing. Long summer in Nara is gone with the end of the festival.

According to a calender, autumn started yesterday, September 1st. During daytime it is still hot. But at night, a hint of autumn in the air can be detected here and there - cool breezes, chirping grasshoppers or crickets under a beautiful moon.

Uneme Festival

Uneme Festival is a festival to console the soul of a heartbroken woman, Uneme. Once upon a time, there was a maiden called Uneme who fell in love with an emperor and then who eventually lost his love... What happened to her afterwards? Ask our guides during our daily tours! 

Sept. 12(mon) Uneme Festival (Uneme Matsuri)
@Uneme Shrine by Sarusawa Pond

17:00 ~ Procession of people in traditional costumes
 (JR Nara Station ~ Sanjo-dori St. ~ Higashimuki-dori St. ~ Oomiya-dori St. ~ Konishi Sakura-dori St. ~ Mochiidono-dori St. ~ Sanjo-dori St. ~ Sarusawa Pond ~ Uneme Shrine)
18:00 ~ Ritual Ceremony, Offering of Flowery Fan to Uneme Shrine
19:00 ~ Miss Uneme and Miss Nara ride on a boat to throw a flowery fan into Sarusawa Pond. There will be musicians on a boat playing traditional court music.

Sue
-NARAWALK guide  

NARA TO-KAE, Ten Nights Of Lantern Illumination (pictures)

At Sarusawa Pond


Approach to Great Buddha Hall


Near Todaiji Temple


As for the schedule, please refer to
http://narawalk.blogspot.com/2011/08/nara-to-kae-ten-nights-of-lantern.html

Fireworks Pickups! (2011)

Expect crowds, traffic jam, summer heat and beautiful fireworks! There are more fireworks festivals than listed below.

Mie: The 59^th Fireworks Competition Dedicated to Ise Jingu Shrine

July 16(sat) 19:25-around 21:15

(Postponed to 17th if weather is stormy)

@Riverbank of Miyagawa River near Watarai Bridge (upper stream side) (10min ride on a shuttle bus from Kintetsu Ujiyamada Station/JR Iseshi Station)

*Shuttle buses from the stations to the competition ground run 17:00~19:30, from the competition ground to the stations run from 20:00 to 30min after fireworks are finished. Runs every 15-20min. Fare: 180yen/person

ca. 9000 fireworks

Osaka: Fireworks Dedicated to Tenjin Matsuri Festival

July 25(mon) around 19:00-21:00

(Cancelled if rains)

@Ohkawa area in Kema Sakuranomiya Park, Sakuranomiya Park ground

ca. 3000 fireworks

Website

Nara: Fireworks Dedicated to the 55^th Onpara Matsuri Festival

July 31(sun) 19:30-20:10

(Go rain or shine; cancelled if weather is stormy)

@Shiba Undo Koen Park (15min walk from JR Miwa Station; walk towards west from the station)

ca. 2000 fireworks

Nara: Uda-city Haibara Fireworks Festival

August 4(thu) 19:30-21:00

(Postponed to 5th if weather is stormy)

@Udagawa River riverbank (3min walk from Kintetsu Haibara Station)

ca. 3000 fireworks

Osaka: The 23^rd Naniwa Yodo River Fireworks Festival

August 6(sat) 19:50-20:40

(Go rain or shine; postponed to 7th if weather is stormy)

@Yodo River riverbank (between Shin Midosuji Yodogawa railway bridge and National Highway Route 2)

Website

Kobe: The 41^st Minato Kobe Fireworks Festival

August 6(sat) 19:40-20:30

(Go rain or shine; cancelled if weather is stormy)

@Meriken Park

ca. 10,000 fireworks

Website(This is a link to last year’s website. Date and Time are wrong, but Map, Transportation and Inquiry parts are useful.)

 Shiga: 2011 Lake Biwa Fireworks Festival

August 8(mon) 19:30-20:30

(Go rain or shine; postponed to 11th if weather is stormy)

@Otsu Port, Lake Biwa(5min walk from Keihan Hamaotsu Station, 15min walk from JR Otsu Station) (Access to Otsu Port)

ca. 10,000 fireworks

Website (Jpn Only)

Kyoto: The 51^st Uji River Fireworks Festival

August 10(wed) 19:45-20:45

(Go rain or shine; postponed to 13th if weather is stormy)

@Uji Bridge area (10min walk from JR/Keihan Uji Station)

ca. 5000 fireworks

Website (Jpn Only)

Nara: The 40^th Yoshino River Fireworks Festival

August 15(mon) 20:00-21:00

(Go rain or shine; cancelled if weather is stormy)

@Riverbank of Yoshino River, near Ookawa Bridge (upper stream side) (10min walk from JR Gojo Station)

ca. 4000 fireworks

Sue
-NARAWALK guide  

Barbie Dolls are ready for Hinamatsuri!

In Konishi-Sakura St. in Nara, I found Licca dolls (Japanese Barbie dolls) dressed up in kimono. On March 3 we celebrate Hinamatsuri or Girls' Doll Festival to wish for a healthy growth of female children.

In most households with female children, dolls are displayed for this festival. Traditional dolls for this festival look like the ones below.


Sue
-NARAWALK guide

the Bon fire

Kyoto's Gion festival marks the start of summer (especially for people in Kyoto). With Bon fire, people feel the end of summer is approaching.

During Bon (usually in mid Aug.), ancestors have a summer visit to this world, and with Bon fire we send off our ancestors to the other world.

In Nara, this Bon fire is lit on Aug. 15 at Mt. Takamado. 108 fire beds are lined in the shape of "大(dai)" - a Kanji character that symbolizes "universe." You can observe this Bon fire from mostly anywhere in Nara Park.

Date: Aug. 15
20:00~ light up at Mt. Takamado
20:00~ concert by Nara city firefighters musical band at Tobihino in Nara Park

Also on this day!
19:00~22:00 about 2500 lanterns light up Great Buddha Hall at Todaiji Temple
* free admission to Great Buddha Hall during light up

Also on Aug. 15&14!
19:00~21:30 more than 2000 lanterns light up the precinct of Kasuga Grand Shire

Before going to these traditions, get to know the city and roads while the sun is up -by joining morning Nara Walk tours!

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

The Hina Doll Festival was held on March 3rd.

On March 3rd, families with daughters celebrate the Hina Doll Festival praying their good health and happiness. Parents display a set of Hina dolls dressed in gorgeous traditional court costumes on a tiered stand. The dolls represent Emperor, Empress, court ladies, two ministers and court musicians.

These Emperor and Empress are about 130 years old.

Look at her beautiful crown and elaborately embroidered kimono dresses.

Even they have a court lady who takes care of their pet, a Chinese dog.


As soon as the Hina Doll Festival is over, parents stow the set of dolls away in a closet.　Because there is a superstition that if the parents delay to do so, the chances of their daughters’ marriage also will be delayed.

I had a beautiful set of Hina dolls which my parents bought for me when I was born. But during the move, my Empress was accidentally broken. I thought they finished their rolls and took them to a temple. After a memorial service, they burnt my dolls and buried dolls’ ashes beneath a stone monument. Hina dolls are so special that we don’t treat them as things.
Keiko
-NARAWALK Guide