Shikoku Summer Festival: Summer Trip Ideas in July

The biggest attraction is the activity of carrying God Sedan Chair named "Speed Walking" on the night of 24th. Guided only by a torch, the young men shoulder the three sacred sedan chairs that were carried by ship from the port of Uwajima to the mouth of Sukagawa River in the dark river. When they arrive at the shrine, they carry the sedan chair and dance around the sacred bamboo standing in the river. Then, the young men begin to scramble up the bamboo pole to seize the talisman hanging on it The rumbling drums, the enthusiasm of the young people, and the excitement of the tourists gradually push the scene to a climax. To get a better view of the scene, some tourists have been waiting here since the day. In addition, fireworks and dance assembly are also held in the festival of the Spirit of Sacrifice You can also visit the bullring operated by the Uwajima city to view the fighting between the giant bulls. As the central site of the festival, the entrance to the Warei Shrine stands the "Torii which is built by stones (entrance door to the shrine)", which is the largest archway in Japan. They are really worth visiting!

Awa Odori Dance is characterized by a strong arbitrariness, without fixed pattern, but having exhilarating rhythm. Stepping to the beat of the bass drum, gong (it is used for chanting Buddha or sacrificial bells), Shamisen (Japanese stringed instrument with 3 strings), and flute, the male and female dancers form squares separately and march along the street. The trick of dancing is to step on the rhythm of 2 beats, with right hand and right foot, left hand and left foot interacted forward The attraction of the day is "the famous company (a group of dozens of people) that performs Awa Odori Dance selection assembly" on the stage. After 6 P.M., the streets get even busier. In the center of various assembly halls, such as park in the city center, "dance floors" where tourists can view the dancing, "dance squares" where the tourists can participate in, and "dance avenue" connecting different dance pools, as well as "corner squares" hosted by the town council and the mall, the atmosphere of the assembly gradually reaches its climax and continues until about 10:30 P.M.

On the eve of the sacrifices held on August 9, Natsumaturi Fireworks Display is also held in Kochi and about 4,000 fireworks are fired on the festival. Yosakoi Dance Festival is one of the three major sacrificial activities in Shikoku. The formal activity is held in 9 competition venues and 6 performance venues in Kochi prefecture. More than 150 well-rehearsed teams participate in the dance performance with a total of about 15,000 people, which is a summer carnival full of vitality and power. The festival takes place in a dress-up parade, with dancers wearing colorful costumes, wearing colorful makeup, and holding musical instrument like castanets-"Clappera". The dancers dance forward while hitting the clappera. Today, the dance has developed from a single dance form of Obon Festival to the free form with coexistence of multiple dance styles, such as Samba, Rock, and Hip-hop.

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"Uwajima Cow Demon Matsuri Festival" held in the day is fully refreshing. The people parade down the street carrying the odd creature wrapped in a red cloth about six meters long. The appearance of the odd creature is strange, with "a ghost head" called monster on the cow body.

Kochi Natsu Maturi Festival is held as the opening ceremony of "Yosakoi Dance Festival" which begins with on August 9. Natsu Maturi Fireworks Display is held in three places, including top, midriff, and river bank of the Mount Hitsuzan, which is the landmark of Kochi-shi. The fireworks ignition range is very large. About 4,000 diversified fireworks are ignited on that day, making it the best ever festival. In the next four days, a dance assembly will be held inside Kochi-shi.

On the three days from August 12 to 14 every year, the fireworks display is held in the middle day of "Sanuki Takamatsu Matsuri Festival" held in Takamatsu, Kagawa prefecture. About 8,000 large and successive fireworks are shot into the sky from the sea continuously, making the sea surface colorful. It is worth mentioning that the Fireworks Display ends with some activities, such as Yosakoi dance and Awa Odori dance. In addition, there are nearly 200 outdoor booths around the venue, lighting up the festival atmosphere.

Imabari Onma くFireworks Display is the largest fireworks display in Ehime prefecture. About 14, 000 fireworks shot into the sky and exploded in all their glory. Onma くFireworks Display, with the 20th anniversary in 2019, is themed with "Beginner's Mind" and brings audience more romantic and wonderful memories.

Every year, "Komatsushima Minato Matsuri" is held on July 15, and July 16 in Komatsushima, Tokushima prefecture. The Fireworks Display is held in the second day. The types of the fireworks include Star Suigin and Shakutama. You can enjoy the summer evenings. On the day of Minato Matsuri Festival, there are many stalls in the temple fair; moreover, there are also a series of colorful activities, such as Awa Odori dance and bathrobe competition.