What to do and see in Katori, Kanto: The Best Events

A flower festival held between late April and late May every year to coincide with the flowering of the cherry trees in Komiyama Shiroyama Park, Katori City, Chiba Prefecture, known as the best place to see cherry trees in the Hokuso area. Throughout the park visitors are greeted by about 1,000 cherry trees, such as Yoshino Cherry, and about 4,000 azaleas in full bloom. At night about 1,000 paper lanterns are lit, and you can enjoy a fantastic sight quite different from that in the daytime. On the weekends during the festival, crowds of people come to see a variety of events such as cherry blossom viewing concerts, product exhibitions, and street performances.

"Sawara Grand Festival" is held every year in Katori City (formerly Sawara City), Chiba Prefecture. It is known as one of the three major festivals in the Kanto region. A summer festival is held in July and an autumn festival in October, but particularly magnificent is the autumn festival that takes place in the Shinjuku district, on the west bank of the Onogawa River that runs through the city. 14 Floats, each weighing four tons and carrying large 4m-high dolls in the form of historical figures, are paraded through the town. A highlight along the way, referred to as "kyokubiki," is when the floats are manipulated in various ways, and every year the venue is enveloped in the steaming heat of the crowds.

The summer festival of "Sawara Grand Festival," known as one of the three major festivals in the Kanto region. While the autumn festival takes place in the Shinjuku district, on the west bank of the Onogawa River that runs through the city, the summer festival is held to the east of the river in Honjuku. The highlight is 10 floats, each weighing four tons and carrying large and elaborate 4m-high dolls of historical figures, accompanied by music as they are manipulated through the town. Another attraction is the elaborate carvings and ornaments which have been added to the floats. Along with the autumn festival the "Sawara Float Parade" has been designated as an Important Intangible Folk-Cultural Asset.

This historic firework display began in 1908 and takes place every summer in Katori city, Chiba prefecture. Every year, 800 fireworks are set off over the riverbed, downstream from Tonegawa River and Omigawa Ohashi Bridge. Spectators are treated to an intense performance, which includes the appearance of an extra-large water star mine that uses the surface of the river. The highlight is the "shakudama" firework contest, where pyrotechnic engineers from around the country compete to show off their skills. Each of the multicolored, ingeniously planned fireworks paint the night sky magnificently. There is a host of other things to see, including message fireworks and exhibition fireworks. One after another, they captivate the audience.

This flower festival takes place every year at Suigo Sawara Aquatic Botanical Garden in Katori city, Chiba prefecture, which is said to be the best garden for new species in East Asia. The dates of the festival are set to suit the blooming of the Japanese iris (Iris ensata) between May and June. Around 1.5 Million irises, in 400 different varieties, bloom all at once, blanketing the venue in carpets of vivid white, ultramarine, and purple. The garden has a small boat called a "sappa-bune" which used to be a mode of transport around the riverside area in the olden days. A boatman uses the sappa-bune to guide visitors around the garden's waterway at a leisurely pace. During the festival period there is a bridal boat that enables people to re-enact their weddings, musical performances, and dancing along the riverside.