Centred on Yoshida Shrine in Toyohashi, the Toyohashi Gion Matsuri has been celebrated for over 500 years and is best known for its spectacular Tenteko Matsuri parade and the extraordinary Tezutsu Hanabi (hand-held cylinder fireworks). During Tezutsu Hanabi, performers hold bamboo tubes filled with gunpowder and allow golden fountains of sparks to cascade directly over their own heads and bodies—a thrillingly dangerous tradition unique to this region. The festival also features ornate mikoshi portable shrine processions, traditional music, and dance performances spread over several evenings. It remains one of the most viscerally exciting matsuri experiences in all of Chubu.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Matsuri
- Season
- Summer
- Month
- Late July
- Region
- Chubu
- Prefecture
- Aichi
- City
- Toyohashi
Highlights
- ◆Tezutsu Hanabi hand-held cylinder fireworks over performers' heads
- ◆500-year-old festival tradition at Yoshida Shrine
- ◆Mikoshi portable shrine processions through the city
- ◆Tenteko Matsuri costumed parade
- ◆Uniquely dangerous and theatrical pyrotechnic performances