Unforgettable experience to join the oldest summer festival in Hokkaido “Ubagami Daijingu Togyosai”

Unforgettable experience to join the oldest summer festival in Hokkaido “Ubagami Daijingu Togyosai”

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What a special experience I have done with my customers!

We proud of ourselves to be able to let our customers to join such a special local festival! Even as local, we do not have much chance to do it unless you are come from this town. Esashi, Ubagami Daijingu Togyosai! Come to Hokkaido in Summer to join authentic local festival!

Esashi, the town of prosperity of rich herring fishing long ago, it is said that there is no other such a luxury festival in Japan even in Edo (the old name of Tokyo).

Look at this historical decorated floats “Yama”! Each area of the town keeps those Yama for now over 300 years! And they pull it following by the god of fishing whole day in the town to appreciate for the good catch of herring.

Get ready with real festival (Matsuri) costume and head to Esashi. Once we are in the middle of the head ceremony, we are really surprised that how many people are joining this festival and how it is traditional! We appreciated how the local let us participate in this special festival.

The town is packed with local young people, the local explained to me that they cannot resist to come back to this town to join this Matsuri every year! All the small kids who are playing instrument on Yama, they have done lot of practices for today and they grow up with those Matsuri sprit! Those kids are not only the local but also the grandchild whose grandparents are Esashi local. I asked grandparents how they can practice even they are living in other area of Hokkaido, then the guy who is actually the main person of this area of the town with very happy face “Sure, they even visit me only by themselves without parents all the way to Esashi to do practice for this festival”.

Almost every 20 meter or so, Yama stooped in front of the house and shops. Then all the guys go into the house or shop and start singing for the house owner. The voice was so valiant, and you cannot help shivering. The house owner provides food and beverage to those guys group who sing a traditional song for them and even they hand a congratulatory gift of money to them.

We were not pulling Yama only in the main street but in the very narrow local street too! At late afternoon, local mothers start to prepare the special pork miso soup for everybody. What a tasty soup it is after long day!

“Come back to join us next year and stay one night as the night time is much beautiful!” All the locals told us.
I thanked to the locals to let us join this special occasion and promised them to come back with next customers next year!

It is just a one of our local summer festivals, so you have a chance to be one of the very lucky customers! And we want to do it more!

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