You will receive a free quarterly E-mail Newsletter! Ryokan & Restaurants in Hyogo which are English-friendly. Guided Tours Available by volunteers in Hyogo Translation Service is also available. Winter (from January 2010) / Don't Miss It! (Recommended Events Each Month) January / February / March / April / May / June July / August / September / October / November / December / January °°Arima Hot Springs Irizomeshiki (the first ceremony of the year to celebrate Arima Hot Springs) ---------- January 2 This ceremony, dating from the Edo period, commemorates the area's ancestral forefathers and prays for the success of Arima Hot Springs. There is a parade and yumomi (stirring the hot springs) by Arima geisha who dress up as yuna (helpers in the hot spring in the Edo period). Phone: 078-904-0708　(Arima Hot Springs Tourism Association) Access: 10 minute-walk from Arima Onsen Station on the Kobe Dentetsu Arima Line Venue: Onsendera Temple, Arima Elementary School Auditorium °°Toka Ebisu -------------------------------------------------------- 1/9 ~ 1/11 Ebisu is the God of Wealth and Commerce, one of the Seven Deities of Good Fortune. Toka Ebisu is held every year for 3 days, and more than a million people visit it hoping for good business and the health of their family. Phone: 0798-33-0321     Access: 5-minute walk from Nishinomiya sta. on Hanshin line. Place: Nishinomiya Shrine 1-17, Shake-cho, Nishinomiya °°Shunsetu-sai ------------------------------------------- Late Jan. or Early Feb. The biggest event of Nankin-machi, the Chinese town in Kobe is a celebration of the New Year’s Day on the Chinese calendar. Attractions are Shishi-mai, or lion dance, Ryu-mai, the dragon dance, a parade of people in beautiful historical costumes, and more. Phone: 078-332-2896 (Nankinmachi shopping street cooperation office) Access: 5-minute walk from JR/Hanshin Motomachi sta. Place: Nankinmachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe The Top of This Page February °°Kaibara Evil Warding-off Festival (Yakuyoke Taisai) ----------------- 2/17 ~ 2/18 The oldest evil warding-off festival in Japan. More than 100,000 people visit it to see the solemn performance of the ritual at midnight. Phone: 0795-72-0544 (Kaibara-cho Tourist Information Desk) Access: 10-minute walk from Kaibara sta. on JR Fukuchiyama line Place: Hachiman Shrine, Kaibara-cho, Tamba The Top of This Page March °°Eddying Tide Festival (Uzushio Matsuri) ------------------------------ 3/1 ~ 5/31 Eddying tide, one of the largest in the world, especially during the spring tide. You can go close to the whirlpools safely by boat. Phone: 0799-52-2336 (Minami-Awaji Nandan tourist offce) Access: From Sannomiya sta. on JR line, take a highway-bus for Fukura to the last stop Place: boarding place to whirlpools sightseeing boats, Fukura Port, Minami-Awaji The Top of This Page April °°Hashigo jishi (Lion Dance on Ladder) ------------- Sunday between April 5 and 11 A thrilling performance of shishi-mai (lion dance) given on a ladder 10 meters above the ground. It dates back 200 years. Phone: 0799-62-5558 (Tsuna-cho Tourist Information Desk) Access: From Iwaya Port, take a bus for 40 minutes. 10 minutes from Tsuna- Ichinomiya Exit Place: Isenomori Shrine, Tsuna-cho, Awaji °°The Genji Annual Celebratory Parade ------------------ The 2nd Sunday of April The Genji Matsuri (festival) is held every April under cherry blossoms in the vicinity of the shrine and many of people enjoy the parade featuring actors playing samurai warriors and princesses related to the Genji clan. Phone: 072-740-1161 (Kawanishi Tourist Association) Access: 15 minute-walk from Tada Station on Nose Dentetsu line Venue:Tada Shrine, Tadain Tadadokoro-cho, Kawanishi °°Kinosaki Onsen Matsuri (Hot Springs Festival) ---------------------- April 23-24 This is the festival commemorating Dochi shonin, a priest responsible for the founding of the onsen, or hot springs in Kinosaki. During this festival there is a classic parade and one with children in celestial costume. Phone: 0796-32-3663 Access: Get off at JR Kinosaki Station Venue:Kinosaki-cho, Toyooka City °°Infiorata Kobe ------------------------------------------- Late April-early May The word "infiorata" means "to deck with flowers" in Italian. This is the event that started in 1997 when people drew huge pictures with tulip petals on public squares and streets. Many visitors enjoy these wonderful scenes. Phone: 078-303-1010 Access: Near JR/Hankyu/Hanshin Sannomiya, JR Motomachi and JR Kobe Stations Venue: Sannomiya Higashi Ajisai-dori, Motomachi Anamon Shotengai, Motomachi 6-chome Shotengai and other places in Kobe City The Top of This Page May °°The Kobe Festival ----------------------------------- The 3rd Sat & Sun in May This Omatsuri parade and samba festival are held in downtown Kobe. The whole city has a festival atmosphere all over. Phone: 078-331-2413 Access: Short walk from JR/Hankyu/Hanshin Sannomiya Station Venue: Flower Road in Chuo-ku and other areas in Kobe °°Aioi Peron Regatta ----------------------------------- The last weekend in May A marine festival full of exotic sensations with the sounds of gongs and drums and white dragons sculpted on canoe heads. Phone: 07912-3-7133 (Aioi Peron Regatta Festival Office) Access: 20-minute walk southward from Aioi sta. on JR Sanyo line Place: Aioi Bay, Aioi The Top of This Page June °°Himeji Yukata Festival -------------------------------------------- 6/22 ~ 6/24 The Festival started from an annual celebration at Osakabe shrine. Today, almost a thousand food stalls line the main streets and parades are held. You’ll see hundreds of girls in pretty yukatas enjoying the early summer festival. Phone: 0792-87-3655 (Himeji Tourist Information Desk) Access: Get off at JR/Sanyo Himeji sta.     Place: Otemae Dori, Himeji The Top of This Page July °° Chorinji Summer Festival ----------------------------------------------- 7/17 In the Tsukai-Danjiri, highlight of the summer festival, the bearers carry a float, with two drummers keeping up a rhythmic beat on a drum. Phone: 0799-33-0160 (Goshiki-cho town hall) Access: From Sumoto Port, take a bus to Tsushi stop for 40 minutes and walk for 3 minutes Place: Goshiki-cho, Awaji The Top of This Page August °° Dekansho Festival ----------------------------------------------- 8/15 ~ 8/16 Famous for Dekansho dance originating in the castle during the Edo period. Men and women, young and old, wheel around to the song of Dekansho-bushi. More than 150,000 people visit to join the festival. Quite impressive! Phone: 079-552-0758 (Sasayama Shokokai Office) Access: from Sasayamaguchi sta. on JR Fukuchiyama line, take Shinki Bus for Hon-Sasayama to Nikaimachi, and 5-minute walk Place: Around Sasayama Castle Site, Sasayama The Top of This Page September °° Himeji Castle Moon Viewing Party ----------------------------- Mid September Held on the day of the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. Koto and taiko performances, local performing arts, local sake tasting, dumpling cakes and more. Phone: 0792-87-3655 (Himeji Tourism Association) Access: 15-minute walk from JR/Sanyo Himeji sta. Place: Sannomaru Hiroba of Himeji Castle and Kokoen The Top of This Page October °°The Annual Kobe Jazz Street ----------------------------------- Early October This festival is held every year in Kobe, the birthplace of jazz in Japan. Musicians from across the country and around the world will perform in more than 20 public facilities and music pubs across the city. Phone: 078-232-3211 Access: JR/Hankyu/Hanshin Sannomiya Stations Venue: Many places in the city including the Kobe Club, Kitano Meister Garden and other public facilities and pubs in the city. °°Nada Kenka Matsuri (Fighting Festival) -------------------------- 10/14 ~ 10/15 The biggest kenka matsuri in Japan. Brave men in loincloths carry portable shrines around competitively and smash them into each other. Phone: 0792-87-3655 (Himeji Tourism Association) Access: 5-minute walk from Shirahama-no-miya sta. on Sanyo Dentetsu line Place: Matsubara-Hachiman shrine, Shirahama-cho, Himeji °°Tambayaki Toki Matsuri (The Tamba Pottery Festival) -------------------------------------------------- The 3rd Sat & Sun in October Tamba pottery is one of the six oldest potteries in Japan and has been in the same family for more than 800 years. A lot of events will focus on ceramics in the home town of Tamba pottery. Phone: 079-597-2034, 079-552-1111 Access: 15 minute ride on Shinki Bus from JR Aino Station on the JR Fukuchiyama Line Venue: Tamba Dento Kogei Koen The Top of This Page Nobember °°Arima Great Tea Ceremony --------------------------------------- 11/2 ~ 11/3 The annual festival is held in memory of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the second of the three unifiers in the 16th century. He loved Arima and brought Sen-no-Rikyu, a major figure of Japan's tea culture, to have tea ceremonies there. Phone: 078-904-0708 (Arima Onsen Tourist Information Desk) Access: from Sannomiya sta. take subway to Tanigami sta., change trains to Kobe Dentetsu for Sanda, get off at Arima-onsen sta. Place: Zuiho Temple (Arima ,Kobe-city) °°The Miki Hardware Festival -------------------- The 1st Sat & Sun in November The festival centers around the city's largest industry, featuring an exhibition and hardware sale demonstration of traditional manufacturing processes, a repair shop, chrysanthemum show, a charity bazaar, and much more. Phone: 0794-82-2000 Access: 10-minute walk from Miki Uenomaru Station on Kobe Railways Venue: Surrounding areas of Miki City Hall Plaza The Top of This Page December °° Kobe Luminarie ---------------------------------------------- Early December Phone: 078-303-0038 (Kobe Luminarie Office) Access: 5-minute walk from JR Motomachi sta. Place: former foreign settlement and Higashi-yuenchi Park °° Akoroshi (Ako Loyal Samurai) Festival --------------------------- December 14 The Ako Loyal Samurai Festival takes place on December 14 every year to preserve the story of the revenge of samurai for future generations. The biggest special feature event is the Chushingura Parade starting from the main gate (Otemon) of the Ako Castle. Phone: 0791-43-6839 Access: 15 minuteswalk from JR Ako Station Venue: The Oishi Shrine, Central Ako °° Nada Kuroiwa Suisenkyo (Narcissus) Park ------ Late December-Late February More than five million narcissus flowers grow on the steep hills of southern Awaji Island. In the middle of January beautiful white blossoms cover the hillside contrasting with the blue of the Seto Inland Sea. Phone: 0799-56-0721 Access: 40 minutes from Seidan-Mihara I.C. or 50 minutes from Sumoto I.C. of Honshi Expressway by car. Venue: 2 Nada-Kuroiwa, Minami-Awaji City °° Tachikawa Suisenkyo (Narcissus) Park ------ Late December-Late February Tachikawa is one of the two narcissus parks on Awaji Island and stretches across a six hectare site which commands a fine view of the Kitan Strait. More than three million white and yellow narcissuses will be in bloom inviting sightseers from all over. Phone: 0799-27-2653 Access: 40 minutes from Sumoto I.C. of Honshi Expressway via National Hihgway #28 and Prefectural Road #76 by car Venue: 2877-22, Yura-cho, Sumoto City The Top of This Page Hyogo Tourism Association Hyogo Prefectural Government Bldg. No.1,5-10-1 Shimoyamate-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan Postal Code:650-8567 Tel:078-361-7661 Fax:078-361-7662 e-mail: