Matsuri BiyoriCalendar of Japan's UNESCO-listed festivals
Scene from Sawara Float Event
Photo: katorisi / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yama, Hoko, Yatai
Calculated

Sawara Float Event

Japanese name: 佐原の山車行事（さわらのだしぎょうじ）

Katori, Chiba

2027

  • Fri, Jul 16 – Sun, Jul 18

    Summer festival

  • Fri, Oct 8 – Sun, Oct 10

    Autumn festival

Check with the organizers or local government
ABOUT

About the festival

Held in Sawara, Katori City, this event accompanies the summer festival of Yasaka Shrine in the Honjuku district and the autumn festival of Suwa Shrine in the Shinjuku district. Floats decorated with giant dolls and other ornaments are pulled through the streets along the Ono River to Sawara-bayashi music. The floats have carved bodies made entirely of zelkova wood and are topped with giant dolls up to 4 meters tall.

  • Giant dolls made by doll makers of the Edo and Meiji eras

  • Nonoji-mawashi, a technique of turning the float in a curve

  • Floats moving to the signal of the wakagashira leader's wooden clappers, with Sawara-bayashi music

PHOTOS

Photos

Scene from Sawara Float Event
Photo: katorisi / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Scene from Sawara Float Event
Photo: ヒロ1116 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
DETAILS

Key facts

Category
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals
Location
Katori, Chiba
Main venue
The streets along the Ono River in Sawara, Katori
Getting there
Sawara Station on the JR Narita Line is the nearest station.

Sources

This description was written by Matsuri Biyori based on public information. Dates and details may change. Please check the organizers' latest information before you go. Translated from the Japanese original.

FAQ

FAQ

When is Sawara Float Event held in 2027?
In 2027, it is scheduled for Fri, Jul 16 – Sun, Jul 18, Fri, Oct 8 – Sun, Oct 10 (Calculated from the usual rule).
Where is Sawara Float Event held?
It is held in Katori, Chiba. The main venue is The streets along the Ono River in Sawara, Katori.
How are the dates of Sawara Float Event set?
Summer festival (Gion Festival of Yasaka Shrine): the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on or after July 10. Autumn festival (Suwa Shrine): the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday centered on the second Saturday of October.