After the Word-War II, the beach at Yokohama was reclaimed from the sea and became an industrial area, especially heavy industries, like a power plant and steelworks.

The festival is held on the fourth Sunday in September, When I arrived at Owari-Yokosuka Station on the festival day, the "Honmachi Dashi", a float, was on the main street.

The float was being turned around. There are four districts in Owari Yokosuka. They are "Honmachi", "Kitamachi", "Kotsu" and "Daimon". Each district has their own float and these four floats parade at the festival ("Kotsu" has two floats and they are taken turns parading at every year.).

To the north of the main street, the warehouse of the "Honmachi Dashi" is located.

"Honmachi" is the main district of Owari-Yokosuka. After turned around, the " Honmachi Dashi" paraded the main part of "Honmachi" district to the west. The "Honmachi Dashi" was again turned around at the center of "Honmachi" district.

You will see the turning around of "Dashi" on the below YouTube. After the musical accompaniments became climax, bearers of "Dashi" shouted for joy and started "Dashi" to turn around.

I was born at "Honmachi" district in Owari-Yokosuka. When I was a kid, my parents often brought me to Owari-Yokosuka, where my grandparents lived. there were a department store and other shops at the center of Owari-Yokosuka. Now, almost all these shops had been closed.

One block to the west from the center of Honmachi district, there is an old book shop at the corner. "Honmachi Dashi" got another turn around.

In front of the float, you will see the marionette, "Karakuri Doll", shown in the below picture. The marionette makes dance performance with musical accompaniments, both drums and fifes.

If you turn to the north at the corner, you will see Atago Shrine.

Atago Shrine was founded in 1621. The shrine was well decorated with banners and flags for the festival. The hall of worship was covered by the shrine curtain.

Near Atago Shrine, the warehouses of "Dashi" are located. The below picture shows the "Dashi" warehouses of "Kitamachi" on the left and "Daimon" Districts on the right.

The below two pictures shows the warehouses of "Kotsu Dashi". "Kotsu" district has two floats, "Hachiko Dashi" and "Entsu Dashi".

These warehouses are relatively new, but "Dashi" were built at the end of eighteenth century and in the early nineteenth century.

The below picture shows all four "Dashi" in Owari-Yokosuka.

At night on the fourth Sunday in September, these four "Dashi" make parades and turn around at the down town Owari-Yokosuka. The night parade is very impressive,

In western part of Aichi Prefecture, where used to be "Owari" Domain, many old towns ahve the similar festivals with parade of "Dashi".

How to get there
From Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, you will take a "Nozomi" to Nagoya on the Tokaido Shinkansen. From Osaka, Kintetsu Limited Express "Hinotori" is an alternative to Nagoya. At Nagoya, take a "Meitetsu" train on the Tokoname Line to Owari-Yokosuka. bound for Tokoname or Chubu-Kokusai Airport, "Centrair". It takes approximately twenty minutes from Meitetsu-Nagoya to Owari-Yokosuka.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Tokoname
Handa
Agui Area
Ruins of Ohno Castle
Historical Sites in Ogawa Town