Held on the Saturday closest to 11 February at Katsuyama Shrine, the Sagicho Matsuri is a unique winter festival in which women take the dominant role, dousing men on elaborately decorated floats with copious quantities of amazake (sweet rice wine) and water. The ritual is linked to a 300-year-old fire-prevention prayer and doubles as a rowdy community celebration that turns the snowy streets of this Fukui castle town into a cheerful chaos. The festival was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Fukui Prefecture.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Matsuri
- Season
- Winter
- Month
- Late February
- Region
- Chubu
- Prefecture
- Fukui
- City
- Katsuyama
Highlights
- ◆Women drench float-riding men with amazake and water
- ◆300-year-old fire-prevention Shinto purification ritual
- ◆Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Fukui
- ◆Colourfully decorated neighbourhood floats
- ◆Festive winter atmosphere with snow-dusted streets