Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2012

Sun, Nov 11, Kawaguchi & Hatogaya
(Nov 18 in case of rain)Put a note in your diary for the next event, set to light up Kawaguchi with an unparalleled party atmosphere.

On November 11, the whole city will be awash with thousands of people, many dressed as samurai, as the city celebrates the anniversary of its merging with adjacent Hatogaya into the new Kawaguchi City.

For the matsuri, taking place both in Kawaguchi and Hatogaya, thousands of people will march along the old Nikko Onari-michi road in an extraordinary historical pageant.

The full name of the festival is the Kawaguchi Juku, Hatogaya Juku, Nikko Onari-michi Matsuri, and it takes place on Sunday, November 11 in the two locations of Kawaguchi and Hatogaya. To begin with, meet up with the samurai crowd at JR Kawaguchi station (1) at 10am, or make your way to Kawaguchi-Motogo station (2) on the Saitama Railway before 1pm and wait for them to come along this stretch of the parade, which follows the Kawaguchi Honcho Odori for 1.5km.

Then, ride the Saitama Railway to Hatogaya station (3) at 1pm—you can even travel with the parade participants. If you think people get funny looks when wearing Halloween costumes on the train, watch the faces of the locals when a thousand samurai board their carriage. The Hatogaya portion of the parade runs 1.1km along Prefectural Road 105, from 1-4pm, when the festivities will draw to a close at Jizou Temple (4).

The basis for the event is the rich history of the local area, and specifically the ancient road of Nikko Onari-michi, which was an important artery in centuries gone by. In fact, the road was instrumental in the ascension of Tokugawa Ieyasu to power in 1600, with the coup that initiated what is now known as the Edo period.

When the shogun’s reign ended by the fate which no ruler can escape, he was entombed in Tosho-gu shrine. Subsequently, his successors would ride up the Nikko Onari-michi to pay their respects to the dynasty’s founder—an important symbolic gesture to shore up each ruler’s hold on the throne.

At the parade, Tokugawa Ieyasu himself will be played by a favorite from a samurai TV drama, Ken Matsudaira. The events will be complemented by street performances and a Japanese marching band to get the feet stomping.

So make sure you board the Saitama Railway to Kawaguchi in time to catch this historical autumn festival—and unforgettable parade.