関西在住の外国人家族のための遊び場情報サイトです。
This website is to provide information about Kansai to foreign families.


NATIONAL HOLIDAY & EVENTS IN JANUARY.
●Jan. 1st New Year's Day
●The 2nd Monday in Jan. Coming of Age Day

Jan. 7th Rice gruel is eaten with seven kinds of vegetables to prevent sickness & to give your stomache a rest after New Year's meals.

Jan. 1st

Saitan Sai in Kyoto

Kamigamo Shrine

http://www.kamigamojinja.jp/
339 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto
TEL:075-781-0011
Kamo-wake-ikazuchi-Jinja in the Kita Ward of Kyoto is the oldest Shinto shrine in the ancient city.

Ofukucha in Kyoto

Rokuharamitsuji

TEL:075-561-6980
It is a festival for the first tea ceremony of the first three days of the New Year.

Jan. 1st-3rd

Arima Hot Spring Irizome Shiki in Hyogo

Arima Onsen is one of the oldest springs in Japan. This traditional event started in the Edo Period.
TEL:078-904-0708
If you take the cable car up Rokko Mtn., there is a petting zoo.
You can see about 30 kinds of animals in the safari park by car or in the zoo.
You can ride a pony, pet small animals & feed them.

Jan. 4th

Toka Shinji in Osaka

Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine

http://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/
A lot of people visit the temple praying for a good harvest and their happiness.

Kemari Hajime in Kyoto

Shimogamo Shrine

http://www.shimogamo-jinja.or.jp/
TEL:075-781-0010
The Kemari game held at Shimogamo Shrine was played in the court of the Heian period.

Jan. 9th-11th Toka Ebisu (The 10th Day Ebisu Festival)

Ebisu (The God of Business) Festival held at all the Ebisu Shrines.
Imamiya Shrine / Horikawa Ebisu Shrine in Osaka

The Ebisu Festival extends over three days, the 9th being the Festival Eve, the 10th the Ebisu Festival Proper & the 11th the Leftover Lucky Day. A large crowd of worshippers
gather with bamboo in hand to pray for a good business year.

Nishinomiya-Ebisu Shrine in Hyogo

The Nishinomiya Ebisu shrine is the Head shrine of Ebisu.

http://www.imamiya-ebisu.net/htm/top.html
TEL:0798-33-0321
There are 3 500 shrines in the whole country.

Kyoto Ebisu Shrine in Kyoto

125 Komatsu-cho, Yamatoojidori Sagaru, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
TEL:075-525-0005

Coming of Age Day

Coming-of-Age Day in Kyoto

Fushimiinari Shrine

The festival celebrates men & women entering adulthood at the age of 21.

Jan. 14th

Doya Doya Shitennoji in Osaka

http://www.shitennoji.or.jp/index.htm
One of Japan's three major strange festivals.
Men in fundoshi-hachimaki scramble on top of each other to be the first to reach for a symbolic card.

The day before Coming of Age Day (the 2nd Monday)

Burning of Wakakusaya Mtn. in Nara

Official site
http://www.kasugano.com/wakakusayama
It is a New Year's festival since 1760, to celebrate fire by burning the mountain.
TEL: Nara Park Management Office: 0742-22-0375

The 3rd Sunday

Toshi-ya Sanjusangen-do in Kyoto

New adults gather in Sanjusangendo Temple in Higashiyama & participate in Japanese archery. People dressed in traditional costumes shoot arrows at the targets.

Jan. 21st

Hatsukoboichi, Toji in Kyoto

Toji

A New Year's poetry event. Crowds of people with parts of a poem search for each other to complete the poem and wishes each other good health when they find them.
Kobo Ichi is held every month on the 21st.
TEL: 075-691-3325

Jan. 25th

Hatsutenjin no ichi in Kyoto

Kitano Tenmangu

http://kitanotenmangu.or.jp/
The first Tenjin Festival of the year. Tenjin Festivals are held every month on the 25th.

End of Jan.-Feb. (Depending on the lunar calendar.)

Chinese New Year's Nankinmachi in Hyogo

Official Site
http://www.nankinmachi.or.jp
The Chinese celebrate the New Year by having a lions dance & setting off firecrackers. There are a lot of different Chinese foods that can be bought & eaten while walking around. It is a very colourful event but also very crowded.