Kunchi Festival

I can confidently say that Japanese festivals are on another level. Since my European experience with festivals usually includes a few open markets, pop music and quite a lot of booze I did not know what to expect in Japan. This post is dedicated to the 400 years old Kunchi festival in Nagasaki which is an autumn event in celebration of the Suwa Shrine. Even if it sounds very historical, it is an immense performance and roughly all citizens go out to celebrate. Aside endless flea markets and food stands, the main attraction of the festival is the parade which presents about 60 dance groups followed by replicas of ships. They travel around the port area and celebrate the city`s history by highlighting Japanese, Chinese and Dutch cultural features. The city parade is free for everyone but you must come early or be very tall to get a good view of the singing and dancing. In addition, there are special representations including the ones at the Suwa Shrine for which you have to pay for the entrance.

Our group of exchange students could not miss this special event so we organized a trip to the city centre in the afternoon. The celebration had already started and loud music was playing from everywhere. Streets were closed, leaving the parade to unfold freely with excited spectators on both sides of the pavement. I think everyone`s all-time favourite boat was the Dutch one only for the reason that the little captain was asleep the whole time no matter how loud the place got.

Moving through the city we found amazing markets set up at the Nagasaki port with fresh and cheap food such as red bean cakes, fried squid and octopus, corndogs and many more. There is something for everyone from gambling games to improvised playground for children. 

But besides all the fun, the festival is meant to celebrate the autumn harvest and that is why additional stages also serving as small shrines are being set up so people can pay their respects by offering a short prayer and trowing small coins as offerings.

Recommendations:

The heart of the festival is represented by a special ceremony held at the Suwa Shrine. In spite of this, tickets for the venue range between 100 to 250 euros and are sold months in advance. That is why I would recommend coming early in the morning (about 8 am) to catch a good and free spot in the city. The best viewing spots are at the Urakami station, Nagasaki Station and the Nagasaki Port Ferry Terminal. 

All photo credits by Sjors Huser

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