August is the hottest time of year in Asahikawa. It is also the time during which the summer festivals throughout Hokkaido are in full swing.

In 2008, the biggest night-life district in the North Hokkaido area, Sanroku, will host its summer festival,the Sanroku Matsuri, from the 31st of July to the 2nd of August.

During the Sanroku Matsuri, the main streets of the city centre (3 jyo 5 chome to 6 chome and 2jyo to 4jyo 5/6 chome ) are closed to traffic, allowing food and drink tents to dominate the scenery. These tents are managed by Sanroku area restaurants and bars and offer a diverse line-up of quality festival food and drink. Yakitori and grilled seafood are in abundant supply, as is the festival drink of choice - ice cold beer.

During the festival, many shops along the road have both a space to sell food and drink as well as space with tables and chairs for eating, drinking and relaxation. They all provide a great opportunity to try something new.

During the Sanroku Matsuri, one wing of the festival area is dedicated to Ramen. Since Asahikawa is famous for ramen, about 15 ramen shops can be found at the festival offering half-sized ramen portions in many different varieties. A ramen ticket will cost you around 1000 yen for 3 half-sized ramen portions as well as a raffle ticket. And although hot weather and hot ramen seem incompatible, it is enjoyable to compare the unique styles of ramen on offer,...well, at least for Japanese people it is.

San Roku Matsuri
Address:
3jyo 6 chome (3rd and 6th)
Asahikawa City

Duration:
31st July to 2nd August

Thursday 31st:
Start time: 4:00pm

Friday 1st:
Start time: 2:00pm

Saturday 2nd:
Start time: 2:00pm

Official Site Here (JP)

Yukata/Jinbei

A yukata is a summer kimono for girls. Unlike the kimono, it is relatively easy to wear and priced reasonably. A jinbei is the summer wear for men, a loose two piece summery wear usually made out of cotton or linen, it’s great for the warm festival season. Summer, and the festival season, is the time people really enjoy dressing up in yukata and jinbei. You can buy them at department stores, kimono shops, or on-line. The price range is from a few thousand yen for a complete set to,…well, the sky’s the limit.

Fireworks (Hanabi　花火)

Most of the Japanese festivals’ main event is the fireworks. The Asahikawa Summer Festival always commences with an elaborate, loud, and colorful fireworks display. The largest fireworks show in Hokkaido however, can be found in the city of Obihiro. While an average fireworks display uses 2000-3000 fireworks, the small  Obihiro shows fire up about 10,000 with the main fireworks festival in Obihiro launching about 20,000. I think that we can reasonably assume that people in Obihiro really like fireworks.

Floats (Andon　行灯)

Andon are huge floats that get lit up from the inside and paraded through the city streets during festivals throughout Japan. They are usually dragged or carried.

Portable Shrine
(Omikoshi 御神輿)

Omikoshi is best described as a portable shrine. If the festival celebrates some God, then the God should reside inside the shrine people carry. Sometimes people climb on the omikoshi or stand on top of it, to provide cheerful chants for the carriers. It is extremely heavy, ranging from a few hundred Kg to a few tons, requiring a large number people to carry it.

The second week of August
(Obon お盆)

Obon is the week that deceased ancestors come home visit you. Just about everybody gets the week off work to travel home and visit family. Obon is considered the highlight of the summer because there are so many festivals and family gatherings. Most places will be booked early and hotel prices fluctuate between extraordinarily high and insanely expensive around this season. Obon is usually in the 2nd week of August. Be aware that traveling during this week can be expensive so try and arrange flights or trains either side of it.