🎎 Nihama Taiko Festival

The "Niihama Taiko Festival" is held for four days from October 15 to 18 each year in Niihama City, Ehime Prefecture. It is one of the "Three Major Festivals of Shikoku," alongside the Tokushima "Awa Odori Festival" and the Kochi "Yoroi Matsuri." The Niihama Taiko Festival celebrates the autumn harvest of crops and fish, featuring 150 men carrying large floats known as "taiko-dai" as they parade through the streets of the city, showcasing both strength and beauty. The sight of the massive taiko-dai moving amidst the shouts of "CHOSAJAR" and "SORYA-SORYA" is filled with vigor, living up to its reputation as a "men's festival." The gigantic taiko-dai, standing about 5.5 meters tall and weighing up to 3 tons, is decorated differently depending on the region, and the luxurious and splendid floats are also one of the highlights. The three-part curtains, known as "kamaku," "kōranmaku," and "budōn," feature three-dimensional embroidery and are a source of pride for the area, making them absolutely worth seeing.

One of the three major festivals in Shikoku, it celebrates the bountiful harvest of autumn crops and fishing. A massive float called Taiko-dai, about 5.5 meters tall and weighing up to 3 tons, is carried by 150 men as it parades through the streets. The luxurious and splendid Taiko-dai, each decorated differently according to the region, is also one of the highlights of the festival.