Suigo Sawara Float Museum

During the Edo period (1603-1868), Sawara flourished with its water transport business on the Tone River and was the only city along this river to develop as a commercial river port city. Its prosperity was so great, that there was a limerick that said, “If you want to see Edo, come to Sawara, as it is far better than Edo.”

Sawara’s water transport business on the Tone River resulted in a great amount of interaction with Edo (present-day Tokyo), making Sawara strongly conscious of Edo. The town aimed to create a culture that outrivaled that of Edo, and thus, Sawara’s unique “superior to Edo” culture blossomed.

Suigo Sawara Float Museum thoroughly introduces the essence of Sawara’s “superior to Edo” culture, which has been continually passed down for around 300 years. Learn about the tradition and history of Sawara’s float procession and sawara-bayashi festival music, both of which are the culmination of Sawara’s “superior to Edo” culture and are UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages (nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties). The displayed floats, wood carvings, and large dolls are swapped out after the summer festival and autumn festival, so you can enjoy different exhibits every year.

We look forward to your visit.

⃝ Autumn Festival Float (changed every year)

Shin-Hashimoto Town Block: Ono-no-Michikaze

⃝ Summer Festival Float (changed every year)

Hon-Gashi Town Block: Ameno-Uzume-no-Mikoto, portable shrine (Yasaka shrine)

⃝ Exhibited Wood Carvings

Yōka Ichiba Town Block

Permanently displayed items: wood carvings, frames, flutes, taiko drums, tudzumi drums, etc

⃝ Exhibited Large Doll

Shimo-Shinmachi Town Block

Permanently displayed items: Sawara’s oldest large doll (Sekido-gō: Sarutahiko) and a doll-lifting apparatus (Hamajuku Town Block), etc.

When you enter the museum, first visit the Theater Room. A powerful video introducing the Sawara Grand Festival is displayed on a large panoramic three-screen TV. Please experience the enthusiasm and excitement of the Sawara Grand Festival.

After experiencing the Sawara Grand Festival in the Theater Room, please visit the Float Exhibition Room, which displays two floats that are actually used during the Sawara Grand Festival.

Here, you can closely look at the luxurious and gorgeous floats, the culmination of Sawara’s “superior to Edo” culture. You will surely be captivated by the intricate wood carvings and the largest dolls in Japan.

There are hanten (traditional short winter coats) and paper lanterns available for use as props for a commemorative photo. To those who think, “Ordinary photos to remember this trip are not enough!” please dress in festival attire, put yourself in a festive mood, and press the shutter button! Please feel free to ask a staff member to take a commemorative photo for you.

The exhibited floats are changed after the summer festival and autumn festival.

After taking a commemorative photo at the Float Exhibit Room, go up the stairway, which exhibits photos of each town block’s boasted festival float, to the Observatory on the second floor. Here, you can admire the two festival floats on display from a higher position. At this height, you can even see the large dolls’ feet!

At the Exhibition Zone, instruments used to perform sawara-bayashi, one of the three greatest festival musical performances in Japan, and Kanto-style float wood carvings carved by some of the most outstanding craftsman in Japanese art history are displayed, allowing you to further experience Sawara’s “superior to Edo” culture.

The float wood carvings on display are changed every year. Please enjoy each town block’s unique wood carvings.

After experiencing Sawara’s “superior to Edo” culture (sawara-bayashi festival music, float wood carvings, etc), please visit the special exhibition room where Japan’s largest dolls, the symbol of Sawara Grand Festival, are displayed.

Many of the large dolls (about 5 meters tall) that stand on top of the floats are figures from Japanese mythology and history. They were carved by renowned doll craftsmen from the Meiji (1868-1912), Taisho (1912-1926), and Showa (1926-1989) period and are invaluable Cultural Properties.

If you lock eyes with these large dolls while feeling their soulful presence, perhaps they will start telling you a story.

The large doll on display is changed every year. Please enjoy each town block’s boasted large doll.

I-3368 Sawara, Katori City

Approx. 40 minutes

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Monday (opened during public holidays), New Year’s Holiday
Note: Open every day during the Iris Festival

Adults:

400 yen

Elementary and junior high school students

200 yen

Adults

350 yen

Elementary and junior high school students

150 yen

The Suigo Sawara Float Museum & Inoh Tadataka Museum Combo Ticket is 800 yen for adults and 350 yen for elementary and middle school students.

• Approx. 15 min walk from JR Sawara Station

• Approx. 10 min from Sawara-Katori IC on the Higashi-Kanto Expressway

• Take the Kantetsu Green Bus from Tokyo Station, bound for Hokota/Aso. Get off at the Yasaka-mae bus stop and walk 1 minute.
• Take the Keisei Bus (Chiba Kotsu) from Tokyo Station, bound for Choshi via Sawara. Get off at Sawara Station North Exit and walk 15 minutes.

I-3368 Sawara, Katori City, Chiba Prefecture (within the precincts of Yasaka Shrine)
Phone: 0478-52-4104
E-mail: katori.si@ruby.plala.or.jp

Phone: 0478-50-1212