 Most viewed - Shimosuwa 下諏訪町 |
But my camera captured the log going down, even though I could hardly see it. Onbashira Festival, Shimosuwa, Nagano. 木落とし坂 春宮一之柱354 views
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Erecting Onbashira Log No. 4 for Harumiya Shrine on May 9, 2004. Shimosuwa, Nagano. 春宮四之御柱267 views
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Onbashira Festival. They included one woman.229 views
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Shimosuwa Station on May 8, 2004. Here for the final three days of the Onbashira Matsuri's climax, the Satobiki when they haul the Onbashira logs to the Shimo-sha Shrines (Akimiya and Harumiya) and erect them.210 views
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Onbashira-sai, Shimosuwa-machi, Nagano.210 views
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This was Log No. 1 for Shimo-sha's Harunomiya Shrine.176 views
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Then came the log, and a lotta dust which made it difficult to see what was going on.172 views
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The only woman on the log. After this log-raising, I had seen enough. This No. 1 log offered the best view of all the four Akimiya logs.172 views
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Now they descend.142 views
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It was over after a few seconds. We walked for an hour from the train station and waited hours for just a few seconds of mostly dust.139 views
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Everything is done with great fanfare, with these men riding on the log as it slowly rises by a system of cables and pulleys.137 views
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Billboard depicting Ki-otoshi (Log Drop) at Shimosuwa Station.136 views
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The Ax Man. He cuts the rope which sets the log loose down the slope.136 views
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The log heading to the Shimekake resting place. If you don't like crowds, don't see this festival. Also see photos of Shimo-sha Satobiki.135 views
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Erecting Onbashira Log No. 4 for Harumiya Shrine on May 9, 2004. 春宮四之御柱130 views
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Log in Harumiya Shrine.125 views
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The log pullers split into two.123 views
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123 views
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Onbashira Log No. 1 already erected for Harumiya Shrine on May 8, 2004.122 views
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"Yoisa! Yoisa!"122 views
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Onbashira monument in front of Shimosuwa Station. This Onbashira log was used in the opening ceremony of the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998.121 views
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Shimenawa sacred rope on Kaguraden121 views
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Banners unfurled.121 views
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Thank goodness for telephoto lenses.119 views
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Now we walked back together with hundreds of thousands of people...119 views
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Taiko performance at Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine's Kaguraden119 views
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I was forced to join this crowd.117 views
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This is May 9, 2004, the second day of Shimo-sha Shrine's Satobiki. Shimo-sha Shrine consists of two separate shrines called Akimiya and Harumiya.117 views
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Umbrella dance116 views
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Ropes to pull the Onbashira log from Harumiya Shrine.116 views
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Parade of Nagamochi which are long chests. 長持115 views
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Hole for the No. 4 Akimiya Onbashira log115 views
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Small support poles.114 views
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Harumiya Shrine ahead.114 views
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On the way to Harumiya Shrine, you see this bridge. It is a rest stop for the Akimiya Onbashira log procession. 下馬橋114 views
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Harumiya has a little slope where the logs are slid down.114 views
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The bridge is normally closed to the public. In the old days, this bridge marked Harumiya Shrine's sacred area where even warlords had to get out of their palanquin or get off their horse out of respect before proceeding further. 下馬橋114 views
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Parade114 views
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People everywhere.113 views
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Music Box Museum113 views
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Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine 秋宮 幣拝殿112 views
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Onbashira Log No. 3 for Harumiya Shrine.112 views
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Here is where anybody can get on the logs and play.111 views
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In front of Shimosuwa Station.111 views
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Hole for the No. 2 Akimiya Onbashira log111 views
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The base of the Onbashira log is reinforced by these smaller logs.111 views
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So after this log came out, we were allowed to proceed to the giant slope.110 views
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Finally, people pulling the log appeared.110 views
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Hole for the No. 2 Akimiya Onbashira log110 views
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Sake is given for free.110 views
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We sat there for hours.109 views
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Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine. That's a support pole for erecting the No. 1 Akimiya Onbashira log. 秋宮109 views
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People along the small slope.109 views
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When the log is erected, a banner is unrolled.109 views
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The men now descend from the log.109 views
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One Onbashira log at a rest stop.109 views
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109 views
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Entertainment stage in front of Shimosuwa Station.108 views
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108 views
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108 views
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Nagamochi chest decorations108 views
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108 views
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Harumiya Shrine torii 春宮108 views
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We weren't the only ones there.107 views
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Crowded street107 views
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Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine torii107 views
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107 views
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Onbashira Grand Park107 views
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Now it's May 10, 2004, the last day of the Shimo-sha Satobiki. All four logs will erected at Akimiya Shrine on this day.107 views
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They waved their pom-poms and cheered all the while.107 views
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After walking for 30 min., we reached this place called Shimekake, a resting place for the logs which had been hauled from the mountains. This is Log No. 2 for Akinomiya Shrine. 注連掛106 views
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We waited for the log scheduled to come down at 3 pm, but it was delayed by 2 hours...106 views
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Log standing by in front of Akimiya Shrine.106 views
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Hole for the No. 2 Akimiya Onbashira log105 views
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Harumiya torii 春宮大門105 views
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This looks like Log No. 2 for Akimiya Shrine.105 views
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Ax man105 views
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The banner reads, "Thank you everyone for your cooperation."104 views
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104 views
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Ropes at rest104 views
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The logs will rest here for about a month until early May when they will be hauled to the shrines for the Satobiki erection.102 views
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The Ki-otoshi slope, and one of the icons of the festival. This is the larger slope for Ki-otoshi compared to the one for the Kami-sha Shrine in Chino. 木落とし坂102 views
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Another Onbashira log makes its way through.101 views
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All the Onbashira logs are hauled manually by human hands from when it is cut in the mountain forest. No motor vehicles of any kind is used to haul the logs.101 views
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101 views
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The log can move quite fast, even with all those people riding it.101 views
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101 views
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Parade continues even in the rain.101 views
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Finally, something to photograph.101 views
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They threw out free streamers and I caught one. "Yoisa! Yoisa!"101 views
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The crowd extended all the way to the rear. All to see the 3pm Ki-otoshi log drop.100 views
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Shimo-sha Akimiya Shrine priests 秋宮100 views
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These people are from Suwa city.100 views
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100 views
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We waited in the rain for Onbashira Log No. 1 to be erected first at Akimiya Shrine at 10:00 am. However, we had to wait, standing up in the rain and in the crowd, for 2.5 hours before they finally started to raise the log.100 views
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The logs are pulled by people from various districts or parishes in the Suwa region including Chino, Shimosuwa, Okaya, and Suwa.99 views
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99 views
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Store your luggage here. Not enough lockers at the train station so they provide this service. 400 yen/day.98 views
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98 views
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Log standing by in front of Akimiya Shrine.98 views
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Log No. 4 for Shimo-sha Shrine's Akinomiya Shrine which already went down the big slope for Ki-otoshi (Log Drop) comes out at 1:30 pm. 秋宮四之柱96 views
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Shimosuwa Station 下諏訪駅95 views
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95 views
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95 views
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Hiroshige's woodblock print of Takasaki (30th post town on the Nakasendo) from his Kisokaido series. 94 views
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Until we were stopped here. Sign says that only people with tickets can proceed further. Yeah, we walked all this way only to be told we cannot go further. Our destination was the Ki-otoshi slope where the huge logs slide down for the Yamadashi.93 views
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There it is, the slope.93 views
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Log No. 4 for Shimo-sha Shrine's Akinomiya Shrine. 秋宮四之柱93 views
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This was my view of the slope.92 views
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We had to wait until the Ki-otoshi at 1pm was over. That's the one we wanted to see. But the place was already too full.91 views
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People everywhere along the edge of the slope.91 views
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The Ki-otoshi slope up close. Very rough-looking. 木落とし坂90 views
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The numerous people and trees made it impossible to see the slope itself.90 views
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We had to walk it. This was April 10, 2004, one of the days for Shimo-sha Shrine's Yamadashi when they hauled the logs from the mountain forest.89 views
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89 views
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It was very steep and uncomfortable to sit on, so I decided to leave this place.88 views
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After the Shimekake, we walked further.87 views
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Go straight on this road in front of the station.83 views
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There are no buses nor taxis to where we want to go.80 views
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We had to wait until the 1pm Ki-otoshi log came out.80 views
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