Favorite Rural Matsuri (Festivals) Advice
 

Hi Everyone,

What are your favorite rural matsuri? I am tired of the large city matsuri and love the traditional ones in small towns. I am hoping to return to Japan sometime this year with my wife (she is Japanese from Tokyo) and I want to introduce her to the countryside :D where people really get into the festivals, (and really really drunk)

I'll start it off with two of my favorites:

Wajima Taisai, in Wajima-shi Ishikawa-ken
Great old style festival full of kirko lanterns, mikoshi in the sea, and a fight over burning strips of paper

Sagicho Matsuri, Omihachiman-shi Shiga-ken
Fighting matsuri where large mikoshi are slammed into each other and then burned

Thanks, and I am looking forward to finding some new hidden gems.

Todd

I like the Danjiri Fight Festival in August in Amagasaki, Hyogo Pref.

Never heard of this festival, what is it about?

This video might help....

Danjiri＜尼崎 築地　だんじり山あわせ 2009＞ - AOL Video

Ayabe's is really cool.

And, of course, I am partial to Fukuchiyama's. ;)

How about a much "harder" Danjiri in Kishiwada, Osaka? :p Been wanting to go see it.

Which matsuri do you mean? do these towns have Danjiri as well?

Osaka's Danjiri is great but WAY too many people, more spectators than participants.