As a dragon is a symbol of Lake Tazawa, it is also a symbol of Ryusendo in Iwate prefecture. That is why the dragon floats of Tazawako Festival are invited to join mizu (water) festival there.
This year the mizu festival was held on January 9th. Two dragon floats of Tazawako were transported to Iwaizumi-cho, a town known for Ryusendo, one of the most beautiful limestone caves of Japan. The dragons from two prefectures meet for a re-union once a year.
Mizu Festival in Iwaizumi-cho town in Iwate Prefecture
One of the main attractions in this event is mizu-harai, in which a group of young men and women perform a Shinto ritual to get purified and ward off the evil spirits by soaking in the freezing river. (Top 6 pictures) In late afternoon, each dragon is dragged around town by local volunteers like high school students and reunited in main street.
The festival is held annually in Iwaizumi-cho town in Iwate Prefecture . To go see the beautiful limestone cave (ryusendo) and the mizu festival, please visit their website (Japanese).
3 comments:
I really want to see the dragon floats in action one of these days.
just curious - is that the same dragon head as the one dispalyed at Tazawako Station?
Sorry for the late reply! Yes it is the same dragon heads displayed at the station! Thank you for noticing. The float is in action once a year at Tazawako Festival in July! Hope you catch it someday :) Thanks for the comment.
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