Japan Events and Festivals

2/15/2008 - 2/16/2008Kamakura (igloo building) Festival

Everywhere you look in Yokote there are illuminated shrines inside little snow houses. "Kamakura" (nothing to do with the city of that name) are snow huts, traditionally used as shelters. Some 80 full-size igloos are built, not out of ice blocks, but by heaping snow to 3m (10ft) and then carefully burrowing out the interior. There are also 3,000 illuminated miniature igloos along the river bank. Children cry "Agattanse!" to invite you into their igloos for toasted rice cakes and hot, sweet sake (amazake). Yokote makes good use of its winter snow: daily falls of 20-30cm (8-12 inches) are normal. The purpose of the festival, apart from bringing cheer to the winter nights, is to pray for rain in the dry summer. If you can't get there in winter, an igloo is kept chilled all the year round at Kamakura Hall