Charming Ogawamachi Town, in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, Announces Festivals for 2025
Washingtoner/10287190

OGAWAMACHI, Japan - Washingtoner -- About 90 minutes northwest of Tokyo's Ikebukuro Station, on the Tobu Tojo Line, Ogawamachi, in Saitama Prefecture, prospered as a bustling town with numerous markets during the Edo period. Often called a "Little Kyoto," it is today designated as "Saitama Prefecture's Historical Model District," where buildings such as Nagaya townhouses and warehouses still remain. Here, visitors can experience laid-back Saitama culture, tour a saké brewery, enjoy hot springs and stay overnight at Ogawa Onsen Kawara no Yu, and try Japanese papermaking, a 1300-year-old local craft. The technique for making Hosokawa-shi – the specific regional Saitama washi, which uses only Japanese kozo – mulberry fiber, was designated one of Japan's Important Intangible Cultural Properties in 1978, and was registered as an Intangible Cultural Property by UNESCO in 2014. Visitors can experience making this traditional paper at Ogawa Washi Learning Center.

More on Washingtoner

• Mach One Reports Launches Voice-First Software That Builds Inspection Reports On Site
• Building a Diversified Healthcare Platform as Exosome Science, Telehealth, Diagnostics & Strategic Acquisitions Converge: NexTel Medical (OTCID: MAJI)
• Most Indiana Plane Crashes Happen Away from the State's Major Airports
• L2 Aviation Welcomes Jason Marshall as Vice President of Sales and Business Development
• Mom Era, Still That Girl: Family Art Tees 25% Off

This charming town is also famous for its festivals.

In Ogawamachi, seasonal flowers such as cherry blossoms, dogtooth violets and spider lilies bloom in profusion, and there is also a butterfly release event for Oomurasaki, the Japanese "national butterfly," the Great Purple. Other festivals are also held throughout the year. The Tanabata Festival in July is particularly colorful, making abundant use of Ogawa's washi paper, and the Washi Paper Festival itself in November celebrates this town's most famous traditional craft.

Events and Festivals

April

Yotsuyama Shrine Festival at Yotsuyama Shrine - Yotsuyama Peak, Takami Castle (1125 Takami, Ogawamachi or 1008 Takami, Ogawamachi)

June

Purple Emperor Butterfly Festival at the forest of dogtooth violets and purple emperors (25-minute walk from Ogawamachi Station)

July

77th Ogawamachi Tanabata Festival - The main area is around Ogawamachi station and fireworks at the Miharashi no Oka Park.  More info: Ogawamachi Tanabata Festival Executive Committee, Tel: 0493-72-0280 (Japanese only)

November

Ogawa Washi Festival throughout the town

For more information on Ogawamachi its attractions, experiences, and festivals, visit: https://saitama-supportdesk.com/courses/post-29108/. Phone calls can also be made to  Ogawa Town Hall, Lively Creation Division, Tel: 0493-72-1221, but in Japanese only.

More on Washingtoner

• Fashion vs. Fascism - Because Democracy Should Always Be In Style
• Lee Gunn IV Shares Lessons From 40 Years in the Courtroom on PodNumbra Podcast
• Michael H. Kaplan Recognized for 17 Years on PHPA Workers' Compensation Panel and Advocacy for Professional Athletes
• City of Spokane Announces New Tools, Resources to Support Fire Recovery and Rebuilding
• Tacoma Residents Invited to Turn Recycled Glass Into Art Through New Pilot Program

***Festival Dates and contents are subject to change.

About Tobu Railway Group

TOBU Railway Co., Ltd. is a major Japanese corporation consisting of approximately 80 companies. The Tobu Railway covers the longest operating distance in Metropolitan Tokyo, leading to numerous tourist attractions including: Asakusa and TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN in Tokyo; Nikko and Kinugawa-Onsen, famous for its world heritage sites and hot springs; the Tatebayashi and Ashikaga areas, known for their blooming flower fields; and Kawagoe and Tochigi City, where the atmosphere of the old Edo era lives on. Tobu is also invested in a portfolio of hotels, including the newly opened The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko and FUFU Nikko Onsen Resort. For more information visit: https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/sightseeing/recommend/tourism/