Journeys in Japan
Season 10 Episode 24 - Sawara: Festival Floats Keeping Ties Alive
Sawara lies in northeast Chiba Prefecture, around 70 kilometers to the east of Tokyo. Thanks to its location on a tributary of the Tone River, by the 18th century it had become a prosperous center for freight transportation. For some 300 years, Sawara has held festivals twice a year, in July and October. Backed by rich merchants, these developed into major events, featuring 24 large and lavish floats. The festivities have now been registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural asset. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, Saskia Thoelen discovers the excitement of the Sawara Grand Festival, and meets the craftsmen and neighborhood residents who make it happen.
Episodes in Season 10
Kamioka: Pedaling Ahead to the Past
28 min
Chugei, Kochi: Exploring the Yuzu Road
28 min
Nichinan: A Port City Reviving
28 min
Tottori: Crab Lover's Paradise
28 min
Nagahama: Heading North Along Lake Biwa
28 min
Iheya: Peaceful Winter Getaway
28 min
Kikuchi: Slow Food, Slow Travel
28 min
Okinawa: Architecture of History and Tradition
28 min
Iojima: A Volcanic Island with a Passion for Rhythm
28 min
Gliding Hokkaido's Powder
28 min
Minami-Uonuma: Weaving New Snow Country Tales
28 min
Oku-Echizen: Abundance and Tranquility
28 min
Road Tripping Around Miyazaki
28 min
Tateyama: Wondrous Underwater Encounters
28 min
Iga: Keeping the Ninja Tradition Alive
28 min
Hieizan: Mother Mountain of Eternal Prayer
28 min
Uchiko: Epic Kite Battle
28 min
Yamaguchi: Landscapes and Their Stories
28 min
Nishi-Izu, Hidden Gem
28 min
Shizuoka: Wonderland of Green Tea
28 min
Hachimantai: Timeless Landscape, Healing Water
28 min
Tonami: The Winds of Change
28 min
Mt. Hakusan: Sacred Peak of Natural Beauty
28 min
Sawara: Festival Floats Keeping Ties Alive
28 min
Steel City Muroran and Its Hidden Charms
28 min
Izumo: The Heart of the Japanese Spirit
28 min
Iwate: Blazing a Trail to the Future
28 min
Rausu: Coexistence with Nature's Bounty
28 min
Kagawa: Stepping into the Past
28 min
Nakanojo: The Force of Art and Nature
28 min
Yamanashi: Escaping the Heat by the Katsura River
28 min
Kishiwada Danjiri Festival: Thrills and Local Pride
28 min
New Wind Blowing in Iwamizawa
28 min
Ise: Pilgrimage to the Heart of Japan
28 min
Nanyo: From Wheels to Wings
28 min
Osaka: The Architecture of a Vibrant Metropolis
28 min
Climbing Fun on Sacred Mt. Myogi
28 min
