(Show:
all events
within 1 month
within 3 months
past events
)
11/02/2009 - 11/04/2009Karatsu Festival
Karatsu,
Japan
Karatsu Kunchi, designated as part of Japan's intangible ethnic and cultural heritage, is an autumn festival at the Karatsu Shrine. For three days the festival atmosphere takes over the whole town of Karatsu. As many as 14 enormous floats with huge lanterns representing sea bream, lions, samurai helmets and other designs are carried swinging through the town and, on the second day, down to the sea. The floats, which are built from gilded paper, date back to the 19th century. Every year, over 150,000 spectators crowd the streets to celebrate the harvest. After the festival, the floats are exhibited in the float museum behind the Karatsu Shrine.
Themes:
Religion
, Culture
, Dance
, History
, Kids' Stuff
, Music
Hours: All day.
Cost: Free.
Where: Karatsu Shrine
City centre
Karatsu, Japan
Getting there:
Rail: from Hakata Station (central Fukuoka) west to Japan Rail Chikuhi extension.
Contact Information:
Japanese National Tourist Office
Tourist Information Centre
10th Floor Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan Building
2-10-1 Yurakucho
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo
100 0006
Japan
Telephone: +81 (0)3 3201 3331.
Website: www.seejapan.co.uk
