FESTIVALS

Canceled Events

NAKAYAMA FIREFLY FESTIVAL in Nakayama-cho, Iyo City　

OTAUE (Planting Rice) FESTIVAL　御田植祭　

                        At Oyamazumi-jinja (shrine) 大山祇神社　　　

Scheduled Events

May 21-June 12 　NANRAKU-EN 南楽園 HANA-SHOBU (Iris) FESTIVAL     

                                                       9:00-17:00　　 Uwajima City　　

Nanraku-en is the biggest Japanese-style garden in Shikoku. There are many kinds of trees and flowers. Around the end of May 250,000 iris plants are particularly impressive.

Main events:

   Shamisen Performance June 12 11:00, 13:00

   Ushioni and Wadaiko (Japanese drum) Performance    June 5 11:00, 13:00

   Take-toro (bamboo lantern) Art Evening May 28- June 5　　17:00-21:00

Tobe-yaki (pottery) Sales / Local Product Sales / Tea ceremony

Admission Adults (Older than 18) \310 Children \150

http://www.nanreku.jp/

Transportation: Take a JR train bound for Uwajima (an 80-minute ride). Then take a Uwajima bus bound for Nanrakuen, and get off at Nanrakuen-mae (a 40-minute ride).

June 1-Sept. 20 UKAI (Cormorant Fishing) on the Hiji-kawa (river) Ozu City

This year, Ukai in Ozu city will be held as usual after a two-year interval.

In Japan the tradition of fishing with cormorants goes back at least a thousand years. In Ozu it started as a tourist attraction in 1957 and now the Hiji-kawa is one of the three most famous ukai spots in Japan, including the Nagara-gawa in Gifu Prefecture and the Mikuma-gawa in Oita Prefecture. The fishing is done from a boat called u-bune, which is lit by torches as it sails down the Hiji-kawa, which runs through Ozu. Cormorant fishermen called usho, beat the sides of the boats to encourage trained cormorants to catch fish. Long strings are attached to rings around the birds’ necks, which prevent them from swallowing fish. When a cormorant makes a catch, a fisherman pulls the bird in and has it cough up the fish on the boat. Ukai is viewed by awase-ukai 合わせ鵜飼　in which u-bune and yakata-bune, boats for sightseers, sail down the river together. You can order a bento to eat on board or just ride the boat and watch, and some hotels offer a special ukai package. Ukai will be canceled if the weather is bad. Prices range from \4,000 to \12,000.

You need to make a reservation at Ozu kanko sogo-annaisho

(Tel. 0893-57-6655).

Transportation: Take a JR express train bound for Uwajima and get off at Ozu (a 40-minute ride).From Ozu station take a taxi or walk for 30 minutes.

July 1-10 OYAMA-BIRAKI お山開きFESTIVAL (Opening of Mt. Ishizuchi)

Details of the event have not been announced yet.   (Tel. 0897-55-4044 Ishizuchi-jinja)

NOTES: Events might be canceled or postponed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection. Please check the latest information.