Sahara Autumn Matsuri | Katori
Celebration
The Sawara Festival is an annual festival held at Suwa Shrine, located in Shinjuku on the west bank of the Ono River. It's known as the "Sawara Grand Festival," along with the Gion Festival at Yasaka Shrine in July. Fourteen floats, each adorned with intricately carved dolls approximately four meters tall, bravely pull the floats through the streets of Sawara, a small Edo city, to the strains of Sawara children's songs. The hand dances performed by the float pullers (young people) at various locations, along with the curving floats, such as the "noji kaisen" (spinning floats at intersections to change direction), and the sight of them weaving through the narrow streets are all highlights. At night, the floats are adorned with lanterns and pulled as they travel, creating a completely different atmosphere from the daytime. Hand dances accompanied by Sawara dance music are performed at the stage plaza near the Sawara Credit Bank, and food and beverages are available in plazas in front of Sawara Station and in the parking lots near Tadataka Bridge.