Hyakumangoku Matsuri
Encyclopedia
The Hyakumangoku Matsuri (百万石まつり) is the main annual festival taking place in Kanazawa
, Japan
. The festival commemorates the entry of Lord Maeda Toshiie
into Kanazawa Castle
in 1583. The highlight of the festival is the Hyakumangoku Parade, which begins on the second Saturday in June.
The Hyakumangoku Parade reenacts the entrance of Lord Maeda Toshiie and his entourage into Kanazawa. The participants are dressed in 16th-century period costumes and parade around several city blocks.
The name Hyakumangoku refers to rice
production. Hyakuman means "1,000,000", and the koku
is a measurement of rice production. 1,000,000 koku is around 150,000 tonne
s or 5,000,000 bushel
s of rice.
In the evening after the main parade there are Bon Festival
dances starting from 19.00 h and ending late in the night. Employees from different companies wear different kimonos, but everybody including foreigners can join the dances. The traditional Japanese dance along the central street near Kohrinbo is a picturesque event, and the column of dancing people is several kilometers long.
Tourou nagashi (灯篭流し) commences the night before the main festival. Lit Kaga Yuzen lanterns are floated down the river Asano
at dusk, starting near the Tenjin-Bashi bridge. The lanterns then float under the Ume-no-Hashi bridge before finishing at the Asanogawa Ohashi bridge.
Other events during the festival include tea ceremonies staged in Kenroku-en
, performances of traditional arts and folk dancing, a "Miss Hyakumangoku" beauty contest, and a children's drum and lantern parade.
Kanazawa, Ishikawa
is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.-Geography, climate, and population:Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. Its total area is 467.77 km².Kanazawa's...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The festival commemorates the entry of Lord Maeda Toshiie
Maeda Toshiie
was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi-Momoyama period. His father was Maeda Toshimasa. He was the fourth of seven brothers. His childhood name was "Inuchiyo" . His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as...
into Kanazawa Castle
Kanazawa Castle
is a large, well-restored castle in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located adjacent to the celebrated Kenroku-en Garden, which once formed the castle's private outer garden.-History and description:...
in 1583. The highlight of the festival is the Hyakumangoku Parade, which begins on the second Saturday in June.
The Hyakumangoku Parade reenacts the entrance of Lord Maeda Toshiie and his entourage into Kanazawa. The participants are dressed in 16th-century period costumes and parade around several city blocks.
The name Hyakumangoku refers to rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
production. Hyakuman means "1,000,000", and the koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...
is a measurement of rice production. 1,000,000 koku is around 150,000 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s or 5,000,000 bushel
Bushel
A bushel is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent in each of these systems to 4 pecks or 8 gallons. It is used for volumes of dry commodities , most often in agriculture...
s of rice.
In the evening after the main parade there are Bon Festival
Bon Festival
or just is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed...
dances starting from 19.00 h and ending late in the night. Employees from different companies wear different kimonos, but everybody including foreigners can join the dances. The traditional Japanese dance along the central street near Kohrinbo is a picturesque event, and the column of dancing people is several kilometers long.
Tourou nagashi (灯篭流し) commences the night before the main festival. Lit Kaga Yuzen lanterns are floated down the river Asano
Asano
Asano is a Japanese word which may refer to:*Asano can be a Japanese surname*Asano-gumi - yakuza gang based in Okayama, Japan*Asano clan - the samurai family in feudal Japan.**Asano Naganori - Important historical figure title: Takumi no Kami...
at dusk, starting near the Tenjin-Bashi bridge. The lanterns then float under the Ume-no-Hashi bridge before finishing at the Asanogawa Ohashi bridge.
Other events during the festival include tea ceremonies staged in Kenroku-en
Kenroku-en
Kenroku-en , located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan, is an old private garden. Along with Kairaku-en and Koraku-en, Kenroku-en is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan....
, performances of traditional arts and folk dancing, a "Miss Hyakumangoku" beauty contest, and a children's drum and lantern parade.