Tokyo Metropolis

Taking place annually on the 3rd Saturday and Sunday of October, the Kawagoe Festival is the pride of the City of Kawagoe every year and has over 360 years of traditions behind it.  The entire “Little Edo” area of town is blocked off to automobile traffic and the Karazukuri Old Warehouse zone comes alive with dashi floats, traditional drum and flute bands, lion, and jester dancers. A Little History Starting out as the Jinkosai festival in 1648, you can visit Hikawa Shrine while you’re in the area and check out some of the first preserved festival instruments and garb.  In 1844 the festival floats being seen as the most popular part of the procession, the 10 neighborhoods of Kawagoe Village at that time decided to have one procession with each float representing the shrine in their neighborhood. To this day, each neighborhood shrine in Kawagoe is represented by its own float, hayashi dancers and musicians. Also, a number of visiting floats from around Japan are also invited every year to participate Battle of the Bands The highlight of the city’s festival is called “hikkawase,” which is sort of a traditional battle of the bands…  After dark, the floats are lit…