OMBASHIRA MATSURI
(Sacred Post Festival)
at SUWA-TAISHA (Shrine)


One of the most well-known, masculine and spectacular festivals in Jaopan
is held every 6 years in year of tiger and monkey in Japanese calendar
People who live in Suwa area in Nagano Pref. participate in this festival.
They drag 16 big fir trees called ombashira from the forest of Mt. Okuyama to erect them
at the four corners of Suwa -taisha (shrine) as posts for the foundation.
They don't use any machines but instead only levers and ropes.
Each of the logs is approximately 16m long and 12 tons in weight.




Date: 2004 (Heisei 16)

Yamadashi-Matsuri
: Kami-sha / April 2(Fri).3(Sat).4(Sun).
Shimo-sha / April 9(Fri), 10(Sat), 11(Sun)

Satobiki-Matsuri::
Kami-sha / May 2(Sun).3(Mon),.4(Tue)
Shimo-sha / May 8(Sat), 9(Sun), 10(Mon)

Otakaraden-senza-sai
Kamisha / June 15(Tue)
Shimo-sha /