Nov 9, 2016 - 1 min read

Culture Day Parade in Hikone

Festivities to celebrate history

By Jemma King

Community writer

Locals waiting for the parade to commence

Traditional Samurai clothing with a smile

The whole town was around the next corner

One of the many brass bands playing as the sun came out

Young and old joined in the celebrations

One of the many traditional costumes that children wore with a smile

Young women wear traditional Uchikatsugi Veils, originally worn to protect noble identities

Edo style fire fighting display. You could hear the locals yell "Kaji" (fire)

One after another acrobatic displays of strength and courage

You could hear a pin drop as the crowd stood still

Three ladders were held in place down the street

Hashigo-nori enabled the fire fighters to get a birds eye view of the cities to determine the location and severity of the fire

I was taking the train from Nagoya to Kyoto and decided to make a stop half way as I realised it was Culture Day in Japan (November 3rd) and wanted to take in some of the countryside. My first impression of Hikone was of a quiet and tranquil town with narrow windy streets and tiny cars. Then I stumbled across their lively street parade and celebrations. The end of the parade featured Hashigo-nori a century old firefighting display of acrobatic skill and courage. I didn't see any other obvious tourists for the afternoon and it was a nice change to sink into a crowd and feel like a local. This town is situated on the edge of Lake Biwa and is steeped in history from the Edo period. A visit here to recharge is highly recommended before heading onto Kyoto or back to Tokyo.