Newsletter, May 2024

 

(September-October 2024 has been designated as 'Japan Month' with the objective of advancing bilateral relations between India and Japan across multiple areas, including politics, security, economics and culture. Many events focusing on trade, investment, culture, people-to-people exchanges and other fields including seminars, symposia, exhibitions, etc., will be organized.)

 

Festival Fun in Japan

 

Festivals give a wide-open window to the culture of Japan to the guests. The country welcomes everyone to join the local festivals and feel the high vibration of the age-old culture.

Here are some festivals along the "Golden Route” (Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto-Hiroshima) to enjoy:

 

 

 

Sumida River Fireworks Festival (Tokyo):

 

The festival occurs every year on the last Saturday of July. On this day, the sky on Sumidagawa river is lit with thousands of fireworks and celebrated by throngs of people warmly with food and drinks. As it is a competition among pyrotechnic (fireworks display) firms every year there is an element of surprise and innovation involved. Especially, the fireworks around Tokyo Skytree will make the guests awestruck. Hence, it is advisable to book tickets of the Skytree for your guests well in advance. However, the fireworks festival can be enjoyed free of cost if the guests can grab a place beside the Sumida River. But getting the place beside the river on this day will be quite challenging.

 

Access: The nearest station is Asakusa which is served by Ginza, Asakusa and Tobu Skytree line

 

 

Tenjin Festival (Osaka):

 

This is Japan’s one of the top 3 festival. It centers the Japanese deity of learning starts from the Osaka Tenmangu shrine on 24th to 25th July of every year. This is a 2-day affair of music, dance, plays and finally the fireworks festival of around 3,000 shots. After all the preparations are completed, the drummers in red hats start the festivity with vibrational drumbeats. 100 ships carry thedeity in a portable shrine down the Yodo river throughout the city to bless the city with prosperity. Guests can enjoy the traditional lion dance, umbrella dance, traditional plays on floating boats.

The guests can put on a cotton yukata and a pair of traditional sandals (geta) and soak in the traditional festival of Japan.

 

Access: The nearest station to the festival area is JR Tozai Line “Osaka-Tenmangu Station”.

 

 

Gion Festival (Kyoto):

 

The festival of Yasaka shrine starts from 1st July and lasts till 31st July with the main festivals on 17th and 24th of July. In traditional Japanese festivals, people transfer the deity from one shrine to a special place during the festival, and then, return it to the original place as the festival ends. 34 gorgeously decorated floats are on the roads of the city with throngs of people celebrating the grand festival.

 

his festival has a similarity with our Indian festival of Rathayatra in Odisha.. During this festival, the deities are usually worshiped in the sanctum of the temple and then they are brought out onto the main street of the city and travel (3 km) to the Shri Gundicha Temple, in huge chariots (ratha), (look like floats) allowing the public to have the Holy view. In addition, this festival occurs generally in the month of July.

 

 

 

 

Good News for the travellers!! “Villa Fontaine Grand Haneda Airport” located directly connected to Haneda Airport Terminal 3 has come up with a guest friendly policy named “MY 24 Hour” where the guest has the flexibility to check-in at any time and 24 hours will be calculated from that time. Not only flexibility but the property is offering convenience like free shuttle bus to the center of the city.