Sakai Festival Osaka Prefecture
- Published on : 02/08/2010
- by : Japan Experience
- Youtube
Sakai Festival: takes place on the third Saturday and Sunday of October. Look out for a bicycle parade, a flea market in Xavier Park and a tea ceremony.
Sakai Festival, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture 堺まつり
Sakai Festival takes place on the third Saturday and Sunday of October. Look out for a bicycle parade including some historic bikes, a large flea market in Xavier Park (Nambanichiba) and a tea ceremony in honor of the city's favorite son, Sen-no-Rikyu, held in in Nanshuji Temple and Daisen Park.
Historic three-wheeler in the parade
The festival began in 1974 and also features floats and a parade of people wearing different national costumes.
Child on a unicycle
The festival emphasizes the city's trading links with foreign countries - Nanban means "southern barbarian" and was the name given to the early Portuguese who first arrived in Japan in the 16th century. The famous missionary St. Francis Xavier is also known to have visited Sakai in 1550.
Access - Getting There
There are regular Nankai Line trains from Nanba Station to Sakai as well as the JR Hanwa Line from Tennoji Station to Wakayama.
Procession participant
