🏮 Imari Tontenton
伊万里トンテントン
Imari, Saga (Imari Shrine) · Every year in mid October
31 days to go
Rooms around Imari, Saga fill up while the festival is on.
Imari Tontenton is the Gojinkosai (festival of the deity's procession) of Imari Shrine, held in late October in Imari City, Saga Prefecture, and is also known locally as Imari Kuyubi. Brave shouts and the sound of flutes and drums echo through the city, and the festival is known for preserving the sounds of a bygone era. It is run mainly by the Imari Shrine Gojinkosai Executive Committee, which works to protect its history and traditions. The highlight of the festival is the gallant battle scene between the aramikoshi (rough portable shrine) and the danguruma (float), in which, signaled by the drumbeat of "ton, ten, ton," controlled but fierce clashes unfold at several places in the city. Of particular note is the final "kawaotoshi gassen" (river-dunking battle), in which the two sides grapple together and fall into the river, and the side that is pulled back onto land first is said to win.
Getting there
The nearest station is Imari Station on the JR Chikuhi Line. The area in front of the station is one of the battle sites.
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