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Japanese Parades A Tradition That
Dates Back Four Centuries
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November 21, 2005
The Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a holiday tradition for
the past 77 years, with its lineup of bands, balloons
and floats. In Japan, their parades have been a cause
for celebration and pride for four centuries.
We
have gigantic helium balloons that get all the “oohs”
and ”ahhs,” but in Japan it's the elaborately carved
three-story wooden floats that turn heads. There are 50
matsuri’s, or festivals, that take place in Japan every
year, and the Inuyama matsuri is one of the most
historic.
It dates back to 1635 and kicks off at
the Haritsuna shrine, located at the base of the Inuyama
Castle on the first weekend of April. Thirteen towering
three-tier floats are pulled through the streets during
the day, presenting mechanical puppet dance performances
called karakuri.
Originally created and funded
by locals, the puppets and their performances became
gradually more complex and sophisticated thanks to
special craftsmen who took over in the 18th century.
At night, the festival culminates with the
lighting of candles inside 365 dazzling paper lanterns.
In Inuyama resides the only living karakuri
master in Japan today, Tamaya Shobei, who carries on the
tradition for a ninth generation. He spends most of his
time restoring the ancient puppets and creating his own
dolls at his workshop. Visitors can drop in on him on
Fridays and Saturdays at the Puppet Annex of the Inuyama
Artifacts Museum.
Inuyama is in the center of
Japan, about a 30-minute drive from Nagoya. You can fly
into Nagoya or take the bullet train from Tokyo. For the
Inuyama City Visitors Bureau, visit http://www.inuyama.gr.jp/.
For
more information on Japan, go online to the Japanese
National Tourism Organization's website at http://www.japantravelinfo.com/.
Here's a "D'Elia Deal" you don't want to miss for
low fares to Tokyo or Nagoya. Go online to http://www.jtbusa.com/ and click on
"Deals from the East Coast."
For more "D'Elia
Deals" and travel information, visit http://www.travelwithval.com/.
- Valarie D’Elia |
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November 21, 2005 Japanese Parades A
Tradition That Dates Back Four
Centuries
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 Valarie
D'Elia
NY1 Travel Consultant Valarie
D'Elia is the host of "Travel with
Val." |
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