OH TAZAWAKO WHERE ART THOU?: Tazawako Festival

Showing posts with label Tazawako Festival. Show all posts

Aug 3, 2011

Tazawako Dragon Festival 2011 (Part 4: Fireworks Show)

Tazawako Dragon Festival 2011 welcome many visitors in the hiking tour, Taiko performances, and dragon floats. The finale is fireworks show. The fireworks were shown by one of the competitiers of Omagari National Fireworks Competition. This year, we had more thank 1,000 works. Here are some videos!

Tazawako Dragon Festival 2011 (Part 3: Two Dragons Reunited)

Tazawako Dragon Festival （たざわ湖・龍神祭り）was held on July 23, 2011. The event features a hiking tour which traces the legendary routes Tatsuko took from her hometown to Lake Tazawa, as well as some stage performances by local amateur bands and Tazawako Ryujin Daiko, a taiko performance group that was established when Tazawako Festival started about 41 years ago.

One of the main attractions in the evening is the ceremony of Ryujin Matsuri, or Dragon Festival, in which finally Tatsuko and Hachiro-taro are reunited and lead the dragons to the water.

This ceremony symbolizes the unity of man and woman.

Two dragon floats moves towards the water.

This year, due to the increased level of water for more power generation, the ceremony was held at shrine near the stage, not at the beach. This allowed the audience to watch the sequence even closer than usual year (see last year).

The dragon floats are carried by volunteers from local Tazawako area and students group from Akita University and Akita International University. Some people joined at the last minute too. It added up to 100 participants!

Here are some quick videos to show you the ceremony procedure:

Part 1: Tatsuko appears to the crowd, steps up to the shrine to make a prayer.

Part 2: Taro appears to the shrine, leading his dragon, to meet with Tatsuko.

Part 3: Two dragons of Tatsuko and Hachiro-Taro are reunited at the shrine.

Part 4: The priest purifies Tatsuko, Hachiro-Taro, and the crowd.

Part 5: Tatsuko prays.

Part 6: Taro prays.

Part 7: The dragon floats start to move to the beach.

Part 8: Dragons meet at the beach.

Part 9: Dragons finally meet in the water.

Anyone can join the ceremony. Hopefully, we will welcme even more people next year.

Now it is the finale of the event – Fireworks show!

Aug 2, 2011

Tazawako Dragon Festival 2011 (Part 2: Ryujin Daiko Performance)

While Tatsuko and the hiking tour were en route after a ritual ceremony in In-nai area, we welcomed visitors at the event site in Shirahama Area with food tents and stage performances!

Starting from 12pm, seven amateur bands around Semboku City performed on stage, as followed by a Taiko drum group from the local Tazawako Area, Tazawako Ryujin Daiko (田沢湖龍神祭り）.

The music stage and food tents at the event site.

Who Are Tazawako Ryujin Daiko?

Tazawako Ryujin Daiko (“Dragon drums”) is a group whose history dates back as old as Tazawako Dragon Festival. The group was formed by the mayor of Tazawako-machi had gathered some traditional Taiko drum players and formed the group, so that they can entertain the audience at Tazawako Dragon Festival.

Since then, with a few changes of members, the group have been performing at community celebrations such as JR’s shinkansen openings etc. Annually, they perform at local events around Akita prefecture, such as Tazawako Snow Festival in February, Tazawako Dragon Festival in July, and Dakigaeri Foliage Festival in late fall.

At Tazawako Dragon Festival this year, they performed in front of hundreds of visitors! The seats were fully taken, and many people cheered and clapped hands with the rhythms. Here are some videos from the performances. The group was requested an anchor performance!

Tazawako Dragon Festival 2011 (Part 1: Tatsuko's In-nai Mountain Pass Hiking Tour)

Tazawako Dragon Festival (たざわ湖・龍神まつり；Tazawako Ryujin Matsuri) is the biggest summer event at Lake Tazawa. It is held annually on the 4th Saturday of July. This year it was held on Saturday, July 23rd.

The event features daytime activity such as a hiking tour and amateur music band performances. Traditional drum performance follows in the evening and welcoms thousands of visitors to watch the 2 dragon floats are carried to the beach and the night finale is a show of a thousand fireworks!

Part 1: Tatsuko’s In-nai Mountain Pass Hiking Tour:

Tazawako Dragon Festival starts with a ritual festival to commemorate Tatsuko, the legendary girl who became the guardian dragon of Lake Tazawa after 100-times prayers to attain her eternal beauty.

In the Legend of Tatsuko, she is said to be from In-nai Area, about 5km south of Lake Tazawa. First, a ritual ceremony was held at the birthplace of Tatsuko. Miss Tatsuko and other community members gathered to visit Tatsuko’s descendant family and gravestones of Tatsuko and her parents – to wish for the safety around the lake and the success of the festival.

Tatsuko's family still lives here.

A Shinto ritual was held in front of the graves.

Every year, a girl and a man are appointed as Tatsuko (辰子）and Hachiro-Taro（八郎太郎）. “Miss Tatsuko” is no pageant – there is no beauty contest. A person who is recommended can be chosen each year. Tatsuko for this year was Miss. Chiho Katsuta, 24. She was chosen not only for her beauty but also her hard-working reputation. She is a very sweet and bright girl!

Some locals came to take a glimpse of the year’s Miss Tatsuko. Some teenage girls had come this year as “future Tatsuko” and were asked to join the ritual as well.

Miss Tatsuko was given the amulet of Okura Shrine.

After the ritual, the group moved to a trailhead to Mt. In-nai, near the ruins of Okura Shrine (now it is relocated in Jindai area.). A hiking tour departs from there, which follows the route that is believed that Tatsuko had taken to after receiving a divine message at the shrine to search for “a spring in the north”.

While the group hikes up in the mountains, the rest of us awaited at the event site in Shirahama area, about 10 km away. (Part 2)

Jun 24, 2011

Tazawako Festival 2011 is Announced! (July 23, 2011)

The 41st Annual Tazawako Ryujin Festival will be held on Saturday, July 23rd. 2011.

Besides the Dragon Festival (Ryujin Matsuri) and the beautiful fireworks show on the lake, the event is known for music performances on stage and a hiking tour to trace back the mountainous route which, in a legend, Tatsuko had taken from her hometown to find “the lake in the north.”

Here is a slideshow from last year.

Date:

Saturday, July 23rd, 2011.

Place:

Shirahama Area at Lake Tazawa

Schedule:

9:00 Tatsuko’s Hiking Tour

(Free/ 30 people/ A souvenir is given.) *Inquire FOLAKE

12:00 Music Festival on Stage

19:00 Ryujin Matsuri (Dragon Festival)

20:00 Tazawako Great Fireworks

Jan 12, 2011

Tazawako Dragons Visit Mizu Festival in Iwate Prefecture

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).

Jul 29, 2010

Tazawako Festival 2010

Tazawako Festival is an annual event held late July each year with highlights including fireworks and a dragon festival that represents Tatsuko's reunion with Hachiro Taro, her lover in Legend of Three Lakes.

This year's Tazawako Festival was held last Saturday, bringing more than 8,000 people to our small town.

Each year, two people are chosen to take the role of Tatsuko and Hachiro Taro. Past few years the roles were played by persons from neighboring cities. This year the candidates happened to be the natives to Tazawako-- It brought so much joy to the local people!

A hiking tour was scheduled to follow the route of Tatsuko— starting off from her birthplace in Innai area, pay a visit to historical landmarks, hiking up through the mountains all the way to Lake Tazawa.

Innnai Area, Tatsuko's birthplace.

Tatsuko for this year 2010 was Miss Shinobu Kanaya.

A shinto ceremony in front of Tatsuko's grave.

Tatsuko's Grave

Unfortunately, the tour was called off due to the unpredictable weather and route condition, for it is meant to be Tatsuko's pilgrimage that greatly concerns her safety.

Instead, the group visited ruins of Okura shrine. It is a shrine, according to the legend, to which Tatsuko is said to paid 100 night visits to wish for the eternal beauty.

A monument at the ruins of Okura Shirine.

At the site now remains a few kannon statues.

The ruins are embedded deep in forest.

Many food stalls welcomed guests at the event site, among which was a produce market by Omagari Nogyo High School. Another group from the same high school performed traditional dance on stage.

Omagari Nogyo High School specializes in agriculture courses.

Omagari Nogyo High School's Traditional Dance Club

Other food stalls included Keitora Ichi, a market of light-weight ("kei" class) trucks loading different products.

The biggest attractions of Tazawako Festival are held in the evening: Ryujin-Sai (Dragon Festiva) and fireworks on the lake!

Last year Dragon Festival was cancelled due to the shortage of hands. It was a disappointment to many people, so that this year a great effort was made to to spread the words, bringing more than 100 participants-- more than we expected!