[2024 Edition] What is the "Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival"? A thorough explanation of the history, highlights, access, parking information, and more!

▼Table of contents

• What is Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival?
• History of Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival
• About the schedule
• Sekijuku Highlights of the Gion Summer Festival
• ① “Dashi parade”
• ② “Seki Dashi” is “Seki no Yama”
• ③“Stage rotation”
• ④“Night Sekijuku”
• About stalls and other stalls and restrooms
• About access, parking, and traffic regulations
• Access by train
• About access by car and parking lot
• About traffic regulations

What is Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival?

Sekijuku Gion Festival is a traditional summer event held every July in Sekijuku in KameyamaCity, Mie Prefecture, the 47th inn town of Tokaido the 53rd itinerary.

In 2024, the festival will be held on Saturday, July 20th and Sunday, July 21st, when four gorgeous floats will parade along the old Tokaido road at Sekijuku.

“Dashi parade” is the origin of the word “Seki no Yama”

The impressive ``stage mawashi'', in which the top of the float rotates vigorously, is a must-see attraction.

The Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival is a traditional festival worth seeing, with the old buildings and streetscape of Sekijuku, a post town, making you feel like you have traveled back in time to the Edo period.

History of Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival

Sekijuku The Gion Summer Festival is a traditional summer event that has continued since the Genroku era (1688-1704) of the Edo period. At its peak, as many as 16 floats Tokaido Sekijuku paraded through the entire area, competing with each other with their gorgeous decorations of side curtains, farewell curtains and lanterns.

Because of its splendor and liveliness, it was one of Japan's representative festivals at the time, along with the Gion Festival (Kyoto Prefecture) and Sumiyoshi Tenjin Festival (Osaka Prefecture), as one of the ``Five Great Kansai Festivals.''

Currently, there are four floats in the Shinjo, Nakamachi, and Kizaki districts (Nakamachi Sanbancho, Nakamachi Yonbancho, Kizaki, and Kitaura), but the festival floats run along the entire width of the highway that continues through the old Sekijuku. ) sights,

The scene when the floats change direction at each intersection of the highway,

The impressive spectacle known as ``stage mawashi,'' in which the top of the float rotates vigorously, continues to this day.

About the schedule

The 2024 Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival

It will be held on Saturday, July 20th and Sunday, July 21st.

The main event schedule is as follows.

*Please note that some events may be cancelled in the event of rain.

[Mikoshi Togyo] Will be held rain or shine
20th (12:30-17:00) Seki Shrine - Otabisho
21st (12:30-17:00) Otabisho to Seki Shrine

[Float parade] Cancelled in case of rain
20th and 21st (17:00-21:30) Sekijuku Kaido

[Children's float parade] Cancelled in case of rain
21st (10:00-11:00) SekinoyamaKaikan- Former Ochiai Residence East

[Sekijuku Information Center]
20th and 21st (11:00-16:00) Former Ochiai Family Residence

[Lantern Lighting] Postponed due to rain
20th (18:00-20:30) Shinsho area (foot bath community facility)
*Lamps will be lit along the street.

Sekijuku Highlights of the Gion Summer Festival.

① “Dashi parade”

Sekijuku, which has an old townscape, is a post town along Tokaido that was developed during the Edo period.

At that time, Tokaido (formerly Tokaido) was not as wide as today's large national highways, but was only about one lane wide. The sight of large floats cruising the entire width of the road is a sight to behold.

It looked like the floats were blocking the entire width of the road, making it impossible to pass any further.

It seemed like it couldn't pass any further, as if it was just brushing past the eaves.

One of the highlights is how it is full of threads.

By the way, the word ``dashi'' has been used frequently, but it is usually pronounced as ``dashi.'' However, at Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival, it is not pronounced "dashi".

At Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival...the floats are called ``yama''. This has a lot to do with the word ``Seki no Yama'' which will be mentioned later.

② “Seki Dashi” is “Seki no Yama”

``Seki no Yama''...isn't this a word you've probably heard before?

It means "to the best of one's ability," "to the fullest," "to one's limits," or "to the best of one's ability, no matter how hard one tries, one cannot go any further." The scene of the aforementioned floats passing through the streets of Sekijuku at Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival is said to be the origin of the word "Seki no Yama."

The “yama” in Seki was not a mountain, but a float!

There is a connection between the etymology of the word and the Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival!

It is no exaggeration to say that this is also one of the highlights.

③“Stage rotation”

There are currently four floats of Seki (Nakamachi Sanbancho, Nakamachi Yonbancho, Kizaki, and Kitura) that have been preserved, and are decorated with horizontal banners, farewell curtains, and lanterns. I think it's interesting to watch too.

Sekijuku The floats of the Gion Summer Festival have not only decorations but also other unusual features.

The structure is such that the part of the float above the cart rotates!

During the procession, the way the top of the float is rotated vigorously at each intersection of the highway is called ``stage mawashi'', and it is a sight that is rarely seen anywhere else, and it is a sight to behold.

This year, 2024, the stage rotation will take place on the east side of the former Ochiai family residence from around 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 20th. The spectacular sight of the four illuminated floats rotating is overwhelming! This is the only time that all four floats will be "rotating" together, so be sure to take a look at it.

④“Night Sekijuku”

Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival will also feature a float parade in the evenings on both July 20th (Sat) and 21st (Sun) (17:00-21:30).

I highly recommend the parade of floats with lanterns and lantern lights after dark, and the streetscape of Sekijuku have a different atmosphere from that of the daytime.

It looks like you'll be able to take some great photos surrounded by soft light.

It's also a time when it's easier to spend time compared to the hot midday hours, so if you take a cool stroll through the old streets of Sekijuku with the lights on, you'll probably discover something different than during the day.

About stalls and other stalls and restrooms

There are several restaurants and cafes along the road in Sekijuku, and it is said that around 10 stores will be opened.

Restrooms are available at the sightseeing parking lot, Sekijuku, the Ippukutei Jizo-machi strolling base facility, and the Machinami Cultural Center, so please refer here.

(This is an enlarged map)

Sekijuku Click here for a tourist map and a link to Sekijuku KameyamaCity Tourism Association, the organizer of the Gion Summer Festival.

・ Sekijuku sightseeing map

　　seki-B (kameyama-kanko.com)

・ KameyamaCity Tourism Association

　　TEL:0595-97-8877　FAX:0595-96-0700

　　http://www.kameyama-kanko.com/

How to access by train/bus

There is a tourist parking lot and Seki Elementary School ground (temporary parking lot), but the roads are narrow and traffic congestion is expected, so we recommend using public transportation whenever possible.

Access by train

It is about a 5-minute walk from Seki Station on the JR Kansai Main Line.

About access by car and parking lot

If you are coming by car, please use Sekijuku Tourist Parking Lot or the Seki Elementary School Ground (temporary parking lot).

About traffic regulations

Please note that there will be traffic restrictions scheduled from 16:00 to 23:00 on the day of the event, and no vehicles will be allowed on the old Tokaido (Oiwake in the west - Oiwake in the east).

How was it?

In this article, we have thoroughly explained the highlights and access to the Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival, a summer tradition in Sekijuku. We hope that by reading this article, you will be able to feel the charm of the Sekijuku Gion Summer Festival, including the parade of floats that gave rise to the name "Seki no Yama" and the "stage rotation" of all four floats.

Please enjoy this traditional festival in Sekijuku, where the old Tokaido townscape remains.

In addition, there is currently a sunflower field on the south side of JR Seki Station as a nearby spot.

The best time to see them starts from mid-July and lasts until mid-August, so it might be a good idea to stop by! !

Please refer to this link for flowering information and locations.

・ Blog | KameyamaCity Tourism Association (kameyama-kanko.com)