The climax of the Itsukinomiya Plum Festival is when Saio appears with a plum grove in the background! I have always been fascinated by the elegance of this event, which can be enjoyed by both parents and children.

The Itsukinomiya Plum Festival is held from the end of February to the beginning of March every year, coinciding with the peak of the plum grove south of SaikuHistoricalMuseum in MeiwaTown.
This year's 14th event was held on March 3rd (Saturday) under clear skies that made us feel the arrival of spring.

A large number of people were visiting the large lawn area even before the event started.
You can also see hot air balloons over there, and a special event called ``Hot Air Balloon Mooring Flight Experience'' is being held. You can enjoy a 5-minute walk in the air.

A variety of sales tents are lined up at the venue, selling everything from festival staples like squid and takoyaki to local MeiwaTown specialties and local vegetables.
I'm excited to see what kind of fun awaits!

“Yuru-kyara” characters are also rushing to support us. This is Meihime, the mascot character of MeiwaTown.
Other popular figures from the Nanse area, such as IseCity 's ``Ise Mairin-kun'' and TamakiTown ``Taamu'', appeared at the venue and entertained the children.

Various performances such as taiko drums and cheer dance will be performed on the special stage.
Local elementary school students perform ``Saio no Mai'' with a plum grove in the background. The dignified appearance in the elegant music is wonderful. Although the dance is tense, it has a gorgeous atmosphere, which shows that they have been practicing diligently.

"Saio" is particularly familiar to the people of MeiwaTown, as the "Saio Festival" is held in June every year, but there may be some people who don't know about it.
Long ago, a special female member of the IseJingu family was sent from the capital to Ise to serve Amaterasu Omikami at Ise Grand Shrine on behalf of the Emperor. That is the existence of Saio. saikuu is the place where Saio lived. It has been recorded since the time of Emperor Tenmu (around 670).

SaikuHistoricalMuseum, located next to the festival venue, uses materials, models, and videos to introduce the state of saikuu at the time.
Also, at the `` ItsukinomiyaHallforHistorical'' at the north exit of saikuu Station, you can experience the culture of the Heian period, when the Saio era was flourishing, and the experience of wearing a Juni-hitoe kimono is especially popular. By the way, Itsukinomiya is another name for saikuu.

At the Saio Festival, women selected through a selection committee every year play the role of Saio, and a total of 120 people perform the Saio Gungyo, recreating the dynasty picture scrolls of the Heian period. One of the attractions of the Itsukinomiya Plum Festival is being able to see such a magnificent figure of Saio, but that is the story that decorates the last part of the festival.
Let's enjoy the venue for a while.

Crowds of people had been gathering since the morning for the Plum Festival's famous ``Plum Seed Throwing Competition.''
Pop the seeds of pickled plums made from plums from the plum grove into your mouth and let them fly as hard as you can.
When the locals were thinking about what kind of event they should hold for the Plum Festival, the first thing they decided on was to skip the plum seeds. This is a popular event that has been held since the first time.

Can you see the small plum seeds flying toward the sky ahead of this man's gaze?
The competition is divided into children's divisions and adults by gender, and the winning record in the men's division is over 10 meters!
It's something that can fly like that.

When I turned my feet in the direction where I could hear the children's cheers, I saw cute animals interacting with each other.
Rabbits, chicks, guinea pigs, and other ``fluffy'' guests had come from `` GokatsuraLake Furusato Village'' in TakiTown.

Oh, it wasn't all fluffy things.

The tortoises were also popular with the children. Land tortoises have a gentle personality and are popular as pets.
The older brother in charge of the zoo, who was watching over the situation, had a lizard on his arm and let the children touch it.

Giccho is a game in which you hit a ball (a wooden ball) with a long-handled mallet carved from a tree branch.
The ``Annual Event Picture Scroll,'' which describes the Heian period, depicts four or five people, mainly children, enjoying the ball-jo.
At ItsukinomiyaHallforHistorical, you can enjoy old games such as ``Kemari'', ``Kemari'', and ``Kaikamaki'', which is similar to playing cards.

After enjoying the ancient games, let's take a turn and enjoy some modern games.
"Transformation combination screws", which create robots by combining screws, are toys born in Mie Prefecture. When two or more bodies are combined, they will "transform and combine" into a different shape.

Among the rows of tents selling local agricultural products and special products, there was also balloon art making.
You will receive detailed instructions, so if you and your child work together, you can complete such a masterpiece in about 15 minutes.

Handmade amazake will be served at the venue.
Amazake tastes better than ever when you enjoy it amidst the warm sunshine and the bustle of the festival. Your body will also feel warm.

The stalls also have a menu that will satisfy your stomach, such as takoyaki, squid, oden, and mitarashi.

Once your stomach is full, take a walk and check out the plum grove inside the venue.
There are over 100 plum trees, both red and white, making it a famous spot for those in the know.
Sit on the grass and enjoy the scent of plum blossoms in the spring breeze. It's very atmospheric.

There will also be a ``Saio Quiz Rally'' held at the venue where you can win wonderful prizes by solving quizzes set up at five locations. One of the questions asked was, ``How many times did Saio-san go to IseJingu in a year?''
The answer is three times when important festivals are held at IseJingu. Saio spent most of the rest of the year in saikuu, worshiping the gods.

As I looked around the venue, the area around the stage became lively.
Yuru characters perform a dance centered around Meihime. Next, ``Saio's Dance'' was performed, and then ``Saio'' finally appeared.

Saio approaches quietly from the depths of the plum grove.
You can hear the sound of shutters being fired by photographers who had been preparing for hours in advance to get the best shots.
Walk slowly and gracefully, and finally make your way to the stage.

As expected, it is the main star of the festival's finale. You will be mesmerized by its breathtaking beauty.

On stage, the 69th chapter of The Tale of Ise, ``The Hunting Envoy'', will be recreated.
This is a story depicting the encounter between a man (Narihira Ariwara) who came to Ise Province as a hunting messenger and Saio. A scene is enacted in which the performer receives the poem he has written and then composes the poem in return.
The beauty of the words and the depth of the Tales of Ise made me want to read it again for the first time in a while.

Many visitors aim their cameras to capture the magnificent figure of Saio.
Saio also cooperated with the photography by changing his direction from side to side.
After taking some time for a photo, Saio quietly leaves the venue again. People with cameras moved around chasing them.

The ``Itsukinomiya Plum Festival'' is an event held jointly by various organizations related to saikuu in MeiwaTown as the ` saikuu Ruins Tourism Council.'' MeiwaTown Tourism Association is in charge of organizing this.
Chairman Yasuaki Higashitani can breathe a sigh of relief as the festival ends with great success.
“Now that we are in our 14th year, the members have become familiar with each other, and the operations have started to run smoothly.Every year, we have many events that children can enjoy, so please come and have fun with your family. Please." I received a message.
The festival also plays a role in deepening ties between the people of the town.

MeiwaTown Tourism Association is holding "Itsuki Miya's 'Spring' Photo Contest". It would be a good idea to submit a photo that captures Saio's appearance.


【basic information】

■Event period
early March
■Event time
　10:00～14:00
■Venue
Around SaikuHistoricalMuseum Furusato Hiroba Plum Grove
■Address
503 Takekawa, Meiwa-cho, MeiwaTown-gun, 515-0325
■Telephone number
0596-52-0055 (MeiwaTown Tourism Association)
■Fees
Free admission *Paid events also available
■Access by public transportation
Approximately 15 minutes walk from saikuu Saiku Station
■Access by car
Approximately 20 minutes by car north from Tamaki IC on the Ise Expressway
■ Parking lot
Free (approx. 200 units)