SAT • 14 OCT
COST BY AGE GROUP:
$30 (4 & Up)
$30 (3 & under if a seat is needed)
ITINERARY:
Depart 12:30 p.m.
Kawagoe 2–8:30 p.m.
Return 10:30 p.m.
Tour cost includes bus transportation. Not recommended for smaller children as the festival will be very crowded. There is a 20-minute walk to the festival area from the bus parking. There will be a lot of walking at the festival area.
Spectacular festival floats, carrying crafted dolls with Japanese festival decorations, are paraded around the center of Kawagoe’s landmark Kurazukuri Area (traditional “old Japan” architecture). Spectators will be surprised by the sheer scale of the many festival floats as they pass each other. The Kawagoe Festival’s biggest highlight is the “Hikkawase,” when the floats meet at an intersection, face one another and compete in Japanese style music comprised of flutes, drums and hand bells. Though the competition has no winner, the exchange of festival music and wildly moving lanterns is fantastic. This festival is designated as a National Folk Cultural Property under the title of “Kawagoe Hikkawase Festival Float Event.”
