Mie: Whale boat festival revived after 21-year hiatus
16:56 JST, September 25, 2022
YOKKAICHI, Mie — A whale boat festival was held for the first time in 21 years in the Isozu area of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, on Saturday.
The traditional Kujirabune Festival made a comeback to revitalize the district, where many people suffered from asthma due to the air pollution in the city. Spectators along the street were delighted and participants in the festival vowed to carry on the tradition.
The festival is said to have begun in 1920 as a shrine ritual to pray for a good fish catch, among other things. However, the festival had not been held since 2001 after a number of disruptions caused by slumps in the fishing industry and the worsening of pollution.
A whale boat, adorned with gold-leaf carvings, vermilion lacquer and other decorative items, excited the crowds as it was paraded through the district and chased a papier-mache whale.
"Features" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Tokyo Meiji-era Station Bustles with Life Once More; Former Station Remodeled into Commercial Facility, Observation Deck to Watch Passing Trains Up Close
-
Colorful Summer Has Arrived; More than 1 Mil. Visitors Expected to Visit Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival
-
Wonder of Freezing Foods; Serving Sweets, Snacks Frozen Gain Popularity in Japan
-
I Feel Resentment Toward My son’s Wife for Going Abroad on a Working Holiday
-
My Co-Worker with a Child is Often Absent, Leaves Early
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Prices of over 10,000 Food and Beverage Items to Rise This Year; Figure is down from over 30,000 Last Year
- Sony Group to End Production of Blu-ray Discs; Market Has Shrunk Due To Growth Of Hard Disk Drives, Streaming
- Japan Ministry Concerned Over Same-Sex Couple Receiving City-Issued Resident Certificates Referring to ‘Common-Law Husband’
- Japan Court OKs Sex Change without Surgery
- Pacific Islands Leaders Not Totally in Tune on China Approach as Meeting Ends in Tokyo; Positions Differ on Treated Water, Joint Drills