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Autumn Festival
(October 14 to 16)
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■ AN OMIKOSHI ■
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An omikoshi （portable shrine） weighing a ton is carried out by 32 young people 50meters into the sea. The purpose of the festival is to ask the gods for safe seas and a bountiful catch.
★5 minutes on foot from the JR Ito Station. |
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Anjin Festival, August 8 to 10
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■ FLOATING OF THE LANTERNS ■
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■ PARADE ■
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| Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa's diplomatic advisor Miura Anjin （the Englishman William Adams） built the first Western Ships in Japan with the cooperation of the Ito shipyard located at the mouth of the Matsukawa River. This festival commemorates the launching of these ships. During the festival lanterns are launched onto the Matsukawa River and float to the sea. Activities include a concert and drum competition. On the 10th, there is a ceremony and parade, and the main event is fireworks over the sea. The fireworks are set off continuously for an hour. |
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The Matsukawa River Tub Races and Rieti, Italy
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■ TUB RACE ■
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In Ito as a summer tourist attraction, a tub race that is fun for all has been held on the Matsukawa River which flows through the center of the city every year since June, 1956. The contestants ride in large tubs which are 1 meter in diameter and 30 centimeters deep with large ladles used as oars.
In Rieti City there has also been a tub race since 1969 in which a wine vat is cut in half and used as a tub. The contestants ride the Velino River through the center of the city.
Rieti City, which became aware through the inter-national news that the same type of race was held in Ito, proposed cooperation between the cities and exchange of friendship delegates via the Foreign Ministry in April of 1980.
Later, exchanges between the two cities at the level of the local citizenry began, and in July 1981, a sister city agreement between the Ito City Tourist Association and the Rieti Sun Festival Committee was arranged and a friendship agreement was reached between the two cities in July 1985. This has ensured the strong tradition of exchanges maintained to the present. |
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The burning off the grass of Mt. Omuro
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■ Mt. OMURO ■
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The 581-m high Mt. Omuro is covered with grass and "Yamayaki" （burning off the grass） is a traditional ceremony going back 700 years which is celebrated to invite a warm spring to the area. (first Sunday in March)
★12 km from the JR Ito Station and 30 minutes by car. |
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Hashi Festival (End of August)
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| This festival is held to show the thanks to the chopsticks (hashi) used (more than 1,000,000 a year) in Ito with dance and fireworks display. |
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Shiritsumi Festival (10th October)
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| After the ceremony at the Otonashi Shrine, Hip Bump Match is held among both tourists and Ito citizens. |
| Festival Highlights The Ito Event Calendar |
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| Jan 7 |
Arai shrine Festival |
Aug 8 〜10 |
Anjinsai （William Adams Festival） |
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| Late Jan to Late Feb |
Early-flowering cherry-blossom viewing, At Jogasaki |
Aug 8 |
Floating of lanterns on the Matsukawa River （7:30pm）
Fireworks（9:00pm） |
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| Feb 1 |
chinese citron picking （until May 30） |
Aug 9 |
Drum competition （7:00pm）
Fireworks （9:00pm） |
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| Mid Feb |
Camellia season, At Komuroyama park |
Aug 10 |
Anjinsai ceremony （10:30am）
Anjin parade （1:30pm）
Fireworks over the sea （8:00pm） |
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| 1st Sunday in Mar |
Mt. Omuro Yamayaki （burning starts at noon） |
Aug 22 |
Hashi Festival （7:00pm） hand-held fireworks |
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| 2nd Sunday in Apr |
Cherry park Festival, Izu Kougen, at the foot of Oumuroyama |
Oct 1 |
Mandarin orange picking until the end of January |
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| Apr 29 〜 May 5 |
Tsutsuji （Azalea）Festival, At Komuroyamakoen |
Oct 14 〜 16 |
Akimatsuri carrying of a mikoshi （portable shrine） into the sea |
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| Early Jun |
Matsukawa sweetfish fishing season begins |
1st Sunday in Jul |
Matsukawa River tub race （Tarainori kyouso） |
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| Nov 10 |
Shiritsumi Festival, At Otonashi Jinja, Hip Bump Match |
Late Jul |
"Singing Insects" Festival, fireworks and Japanese All Saints Festival dance |
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