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Event information

Spring (Mar.-May)
Doll Town Iwatsuki - Street corner hina doll tour
This is a stamp rally featuring a tour of dolls created by craftspeople still active in the doll town of Iwatsuki, old dolls handed down from generation to generation in merchant families and others. There are lots of diverse projects on the themes of seeing, creating and eating.
Time Mid-February-Mid March
Venue Shopping streets in the Iwatsuki Station area
Doll Town Iwatsuki - Floating Hina Dolls
This is a special springtime event consisting of floating sandawara, said to reflect the original form of hina dolls, entrusted with hopes for the sound health of children. This is also thought to be the origin of the hina doll festival.
Time March 3, just before Sunday
Venue Iwatsuki Castle Park
Iwatsuki Castle Park Cherry Blossom Festival
Iwatsuki Castle Park is one of the most outstanding cherry blossom sites in the prefecture boasting of some 600 cherry trees. When in full bloom, they are illuminated by floating paper lanterns, arousing even greater excitement in a festive atmosphere.
Time 1st Saturday and Sunday of April
Venue Iwatsuki Castle Park
Primrose Festival
This is an event that is held to coincide with the blooming of the Tajimagahara primrose, a designated Special Natural Monument. Refreshment stands, stage shows and other events are held in the Primrose Park area, its native habitat, and primrose exhibits, sales and other activities are carried out at the city hall venue.
Time 3rd Saturday and Sunday of April
Venue City Hall (both Saturday & Sunday), Primrose Park (Sunday only)
Omiya Bonsai Festival
This is a bonsai event held at the Omiya Bonsai Village, the worldwide mecca of bonsai. Featuring exhibits of especially outstanding bonsai of masters in the art and of local residents as well as sales of bonsai and bonsai tools, it throngs with crowds of bonsai lovers.
Time May 3-5 every year
Venue Bonsai Shiki no Ie and vicinity
Rose Festival
This is an event that is held to coincide with the blooming of the roses in Yono Park. With sales of rose bushes, refreshment stands, stage shows and other activities, there are lots of things to do.
Time 3rd Saturday and Sunday of May
Venue Yono Park
Omiya Takigi Noh (noh theater by firelight)
These performances of Takigi Noh theater are a rare event with actors of three schools of noh theater, Konparu, Kanze and Hojo, all performing at the same time. Take delight in the fantasy of noh theater illuminated by firelight in the midst of the emotion-filled hushed silence at the Musashi Ichi-no-miya Hikawa Shrine.
Time late May
Venue Musashi Ichi-no-miya Hikawa Shrine
Urawa Unagi Eel Festival
This event was originally started with the intention of drawing attention to the unagi eel of Urawa, said to the birthplace of the eel dish kabayaki (charcoal broiled eel).
Activities include demonstrations of eel cooking, kabayaki tasting, an unagi grabbing event and sales of unagi eel boxed lunches.
Time Saturday in late May
Venue Outdoor open space at the Saitama City City Hall
Summer (June. - August)
Passing through the straw hoop and the tree, nursery stock and flower market at Hikawa Shrine
Trees, nursery stock and vegetables are on sale at the market, which is held at Hikawa Shrine, and, at the same time, you can also pass through the straw hoop as a way of praying for good health for the next half year.
Time June 30 every year
Venue Front pathway leading to Musashi Ichi-no-miya Hikawa Shrine
Doll Town Iwatsuki – Morning Glory Market
This is a market for the sale of morning glories (asagao), a special product cultivated in Iwatsuki which are also shipped to the morning glory market in Iriya, Tokyo
Time 1st Sunday in July
Venue Atago Shrine
Yono Summer Festival
The o-mikoshi (portable shrines) of the four neighborhoods, Kamimachi, Nakamachi, Shimomachi and Kamimine, are lined up all together on the first day and each is carried through the area on the second day.
The shrines bursting with the vigor of the young bearers and the night stalls along the streets, though simple, gives one the impression of how festivals were first conceived.
Time Saturday & Sunday in mid-July
Venue Hon-machi-dori and vicinity
Urawa Festival
Summer in Urawa is given a bright cheerful touch by a musical parade through the city by elementary through high school students, the Urawa Odori dance performed by several dozen groups in colorful costumes and more than 20 o-mikoshi (portable shrine) paraded along Nakasendo Road and the popular high-spirited dance Urawa Yosakoi.
Time Sunday in mid to late July
Venue Nakasendo (Urawa-ku) area and Minami Urawa Station area
Omiya Summer Festival
Summer in Omiya is highlighted by various unique events including the Spark Carnival with samba dancers and o-mikoshi vying with one another, the Nakasendo Festival featuring a grand gathering of o-mikoshi and parade floats in front of Omiya Station and the Omiya Nisshin Tanabata Festival with beautiful wavering bamboo decorations entrusted with dreams.
Time August 1 (Spark Carnival), August 1-2 (Nakasendo Festival), August 6-7 (Omiya Nisshin Tanabata Festival), held every year
Venue Omiya Station and vicinity, Nisshin Tanabata Dori street and vicinity
Doll Town Iwatsuki Festival
This is a doll costume parade that is distinctively characteristic of this doll town, including a jumbo-size hina doll display stand measuring 10m wide and 8m high, lantern o-mikoshi, yosakoi dance and lots of other events.
Time Sunday in mid-August
Venue Area around the east exit of Iwatsuki Station
Autumn (Sept. - Nov)
Kita-Urawa Awa-Odori Dance Festival
This is the oldest awa-odori dance event in Saitama Prefecture. More than ten groups, led by the local Kita Urawa awa-odori dance troupe, participate in this well established dance event, adding a touch of poetic charm to late summer.
Time 1st Saturday of September every year
Venue West exit of the Kita Urawa Station and vicinity
Yono Railway Station Dance Taisho Period Festival
Since Yono Station was established in 1912, the first year of the Taisho Period (1912-1926), there is a costume parade recreating the atmosphere of the Taisho Period as well as horse carriage rides, refreshment stands and other attractions that give a sensation of the good old days.
Time Last Saturday of October
Venue Street in front of the west exit of Yono Station
Doll Town Iwatsuki - Doll Memorial Ceremony
This is a traditional event in the doll town of Iwatsuki. Participants light incense for dolls that are no longer displayed or used or are broken and then burn them together with memorial cards and pray for their repose while a priest recites a sutra.
Time November 3
Venue In front of the doll memorial in Iwatsuki Castle Park
Winter (December. - February)
Toka-Machi (10th Day Market)
This is a traditional Tori-no-Ichi held to coincide with the Daitosai, a ritual ceremony held at the Musashi Ichi-no-miya Hikawa Shrine. Some 1,300 street booths line the streets selling good-luck rakes, food and other articles and bustling crowds of people come seeking good fortune.
Time December 10
Venue Musashi Ichi-no-miya Hikawa Shrine and vicinity
Juninichi-Machi (12th Day Market)
This is the traditional Taisai Market that has continued since the Meiji Period (1868-1912). The streets are lined with about 800 street stalls that sell good-luck rakes, food and other articles and bustling crowds of people come seeking good fortune.
Time December 12
Venue Tsuki Shrine and vicinity
Yono Tour and Procession of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune
On January 1-7 every year, you can receive commemorative stamps at sanctuaries at seven locations. There are ema (horse picture tablets) depicting each of the seven gods of good fortune at each location and the idea is to obtain a complete set of them by making the rounds of all seven locations.
Time 1-7 day in January every year(seven gods of good fortune act January 3)
Venue Seven gods of good fortune festival temple company in Chuo Ward
Plum Blossom Festival
This is an event that is held to coincide with the blooming of the plum trees in Omiya No.2 Park. There are 520 plum trees of 45 different varieties in the plum grove and elsewhere in the park, serving as a exuberant backdrop of the many enjoyable events that are held there.
Time Mid-February – mid-March
Venue Omiya No.2 Park