March 13, 2015

Shizukumiya Festival (March 15)

The 12th Shizukumiya Festival  will be held within Takayama city coming Sunday. on March 15. This festival is held every year in March to celebrate the production of new Japanese sake, as well as to wish for a rich harvest for the year.

On that day, you will see groups of local youngsters carrying sake casks around. Ceremonies will also be held along the Miyagawa river, near the Miyamae bridge (where the huge torii, or gate is located).

There are two main venues for the festival, the first being the open space near Jinya (also the venue of regular morning markets), where a variety of activities will be held, including traditional Japanese art performance, as well as a market selling local food.  At the Miyagawa venue, near the huge Japanese gate, there will be Japanese drum performance as well as hand-held fireworks display. A special kind of  Japanese sake specifically made for the festival will also be sold during the day. 

Don't miss this fun-filled festival!



Date: March 15, 2015 (Sunday)
Time: From morning till around 3.30 pm
Venue: (1) Open space near Jinya 
           (2) Miyamae bridge, near the huge Japanese gate, along Miyagawa river 

March 2, 2015

Watanabe Sake Brewery Festival




*Watanabe Sake Brewery Festival

When it comes to specialties in our region, Sake, we cannot really ignore this one.

In a small and very nice and cozy town “Hida Furukawa” 15mins away by train from Takayama, there is up-coming fun event at Watanabe sake brewery there.

At this event, you can visit the sake brewery and also try some sakes which are limited within the day.
You can even have a look around a part of the brewery that is rarely open to public, and it helps you to know more what is going on the backstage sake making.

Come visit the lovely cozy town and enjoy Sake and some foods!

Date: March 21st(Sat) and 22nd(Sun), 2015
Time: 9:30 am – 4:00pm
Venue: Watanabe Sake Brewery * 5mins walk from JR Hida Furukawa station
*Access to JR Hida Furukawa station>> Take either trains bound for Hida Furukawa(飛騨古川) or Sakagami(坂上) or Inotani(猪谷) from JR Takayama, and it takes you for 15mins to reach to JR Hida Furukawa staion.

Admission fee: Free (Some foods and sake provided for free, but you can also buy Sake and some local foods as well.)