Kawagoe is in Saitama prefecture which is next door to Tokyo. It takes about an hour from central of Tokyo. You can get there without transferring by Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin line from Shibuya.

The Kawagoe Station.

Kawagoe Matsuri is held from morning, around the station is full of people.

One float (山車) was standby around the station. At the Kawagoe Matsuri, a total of 29 gorgeous floats are drawn around the city.

A float is going to the central of the festival. Everyone is waiting!

There are many outdoor stands at the festival.

Beer and Takoyaki (たこ焼き) are staple of Japanese festivals! Kawagoe has the original beer.

At the central of Kawagoe, there were so many people and floats!

Each float pop their top in and out of the roof. On top of each float there are dolls under which is a round stage. The floats are made of lacquer and gold leaf and have exquisite sculptures of Zelkova trees on them. Half of these are appointed as cultural treasures.

When floats pass by each other, that round stage rotates and they compete with each others festival music. It called “Hikkawase (曳っかわせ).”

The festival becomes exciting because of the cheers of the people pulling the floats and the spectators.

The floats proceeding down the streets lined by warehouses are lit up in the daytime as well as nighttime by lanterns. This festival has not changed from more than 360 years ago.

Young girls wearing yukata (summer kimono) around Roppongi Hills.

People enjoyed Bon dances (盆踊り) at Roppongi Hills square. Bon dances were originally a religious ceremony held to send off these spirits, but they have become local festivals for entertainment.

We came to Azabu-Juban!

WOW! Huge crowd of people!

There are many outdoor stands at the festival.

“Goldfish Scooping (金魚すくい),” a game in which the aim is to scoop goldfish with a thin paper scoop out of a shallow water tank, is a staple attraction at summer festivals.

Young people are sitting outside… They are tired.

Yosakoi (よさこい) is a unique style of dance that originated in Kōchi Prefecture of Japan. Yosakoi means “Come at night” in Kōchi dialect. Original Yosakoi festival, which originated in 1954 as a representing people’s wishes for the recovery from World War II, is held in Kōchi Prefecture every year. Yosakoi dancing has a lot of flexibility in music, dancing and costumes, and its style of dance is very energetic. The charm has spread throughout Japan, and now there are more than 200 of Yosakoi style festivals all over the country.

Yosakoi dancers are preparing at the starting point of Omotesando.

Many people are enjoying Yosakoi dancing.

This year, 88 Yosakoi dance teams attended the festival.

To Nagaoka, it takes about two hours from Tokyo by shinkansen. Around the gate of shinkansen’s platform is always full of many people.

I bought an Ekiben (駅弁) that is a boxed meal sold at stations and on trains. This is my certain routine before I get on shinkansen. Ekiben is one of the attractions of domestic travel in Japan, and there are hundreds of ekiben in Tokyo Station.

Ekiben is ready. OK, let’s hit the road!

This shinkansen was all booked. Everybody is going to Nagaoka Matsuri.

Let’s dig in! Eating ekiben (and sometimes with can of beer) in shinkansen is the best thing to do.

Here we are!

Nagaoka Matsuri is held in the Shinano River (信濃川), and it takes about 15 minutes from Nagaoka Station by taxi or bus. Nagaoka is crowded with fireworks-goer, so I recommend that you arrive in plenty of time so that you would not be rushed. On this day, about 430,000 people visited here.

Nagaoka Matsuri charges for the riverside area.

Reddening, and indigo bluing sky…

WOW! Fireworks have started!

The sky is full of beautiful fireworks. What a dreamy scene… Our thoughts and prayers extend to sufferers at this time.

The fantastic time is over. Let’s all go home.

This firework display will be held on the same day next year again.