[Toyama Festival 2-Day Tour] September Only! Owara Wind Bon Festival & Kamikochi & Shirakawa-go & Hida Takayama | Depart from Nagoya

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―Itinerary Introduction―

・A poem of the wind amidst the dancing lights: Introduction to the Owara Wind Bon Festival in Echichu Yao

Every year from September 1st to 3rd, a dreamlike traditional folk song festival, "Owara Wind Bon", is held in the "Echichu Yao" area at the southern end of Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, which retains a strong Edo style. This festival has a history of more than 300 years, and with elegant and sad melodies, delicate and graceful dances and twinkling lights, it weaves a poetic autumn night painting.

- On the night of the Ullambana Festival, praying for good weather and good harvests -

The origin of the name "Wind Odori" is said to be to pray for a good harvest and protect the area from typhoons. The festival is held on the 210th day of the 210th day from the beginning of spring, which is traditionally considered to be the most likely time for typhoons to strike. Therefore, residents use this festival to pray to the wind god, hoping for good weather and good crops.

When night falls, thousands of yellow lanterns light up along the cobblestone streets, illuminating the dancers in yukatas, happi hats, and woven hats. They move slowly along the streets, singing and dancing to the sad music played by shamisen, hugong, taiko drums, and singers. Their graceful dance moves carry traces of time and prayers for the land.

-Singing and dancing: the beauty of three kinds of dance styles-

The Owara Kaze no Bon is a combination of songs, musical instruments, and dance. There are three types of dance:

Harvest Dance: The oldest form of the dance, based on farming movements such as planting, transplanting rice, and harvesting, is a dance that expresses the wish for a good harvest. Later, it was also called the "old dance."

Male dance: Designed by Japanese dancer Yoshisaburo Wakayanagi, it emphasizes straight, powerful yet restrained and flexible movements, showing the straightforwardness of men and the strength of farmers.

Female Dance: Also known as the "Four Seasons Dance", it was designed by artist Kosugi Hoan for the poem "Yao Shiki" which eulogizes the spring, summer, autumn and winter in Yao. The dance style is graceful, depicting the elegant posture of women collecting fireflies.

It is worth mentioning that during the festival, you can also see dance troupes composed of local elementary school students and teams that retain the dance style of geishas. They dance slowly among the quaint wooden townhouses and cobblestone streets, like scenes of living ukiyo-e.

-Singing the sad soul movement-

The indispensable soul of the festival is the "jikata", which refers to the artists who are responsible for playing and singing. The singer leads the singing, the shamisen plays the melody, the hugong slowly follows with a misty and sad tone, the taiko beats the rhythm lightly, and the hayashi echoes the tune. The melody of each town is unique, making people feel the subtle emotional changes and deep cultural heritage.

-Eleven towns, eleven styles-

The performances of "Owara Kaze no Bon" are held in 11 old towns in Yao, each with its own unique dance style, costume design and performance method. These town-style teams will slowly move along the town from dusk to late at night, accompanied by lights, dyeing the entire Yao with the sadness and fantasy of "Owara". Participants and audiences, infected by the music and dance, seem to become part of the rhythm and become intoxicated by it.

・"God's Furusato" Kamikochi

Kamikochi is located in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. Although it is deep in the mountains, it is surrounded by Yakedake, Hotaka Mountain Range and other mountains. In addition, the Azusa River runs through it, forming a unique natural landscape. In summer, Kamikochi is a famous summer resort in the hearts of the Japanese. Not only is the climate pleasant, but the mountain scenery along the way is also amazing.

※When choosing a route, please consider your own ability and the time required for the return trip to avoid being late or getting injured.

◆Taisho Pond

The lake was formed naturally in 1915 when the eruption of Yakedake blocked part of the Azusagawa River and changed the local landscape. From the shore of Taisho Pond, you can enjoy the magnificent view of the Hotaka Mountain Range reflected in the water, making you feel like you are in a fantasy world.

◆Kappa Bridge

Kappa Bridge is the most representative building in Kamikochi. It is built with wood from both sides of the Azusa River. As the weather changes, you can enjoy different views from the bridge. In the novel "Kappa" by the famous writer Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Kappa Bridge and Taisho Pond are mentioned in particular. Because of this, Kappa Bridge became famous and became a representative attraction of Kamikochi.

・Hida Takayama Old Street

Takayama Old Street is a famous old town in Japan. It once prospered as a merchant town. In particular, the three main streets of Uemachi and Shitamachi are known as the "old streets". Walking along these streets, you can enjoy the endless lattice buildings, the water channels flowing under the eaves, and the sake breweries with the "Sake Forest" logo made of cedar leaves, showing a strong traditional atmosphere. These old buildings and shops are full of traces of history and are a symbol of the history and culture of Takayama City. In Uemachi, you will find many nostalgic candy stores, traditional craft shops, and food shops featuring the local specialty "Mitarashi Dango", which attract a large number of tourists. Shitamachi retains many shops that are closely related to the daily lives of citizens, such as cake shops, antique shops, farm tool shops, stationery shops, etc.

・Shirakawa-go Gassho Village

Shirakawa-go, located in the Hida region of Japan, is a village known as the "secret place of Japan" and is famous for its unique Gassho-zukuri architecture. These traditional buildings were designated as an important traditional building group preservation area in 1976, and were listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1995 along with Gokayama in Toyama Prefecture. Shirakawa-go not only showcases the original landscape of rural Japan, but also retains a deep rural culture and lifestyle, and is known as the "original Furusato of Japan." Shirakawa-go is located in the Hida mountain area, with the Sho River flowing through it, forming this unique village. This is a famous snowy area in Japan. The accumulated snow in winter will isolate the village from the outside world, making Shirakawa-go a secret place that is difficult to reach.