29th Bizen ware festival in 2011

Bizen city is well known for Bizen ware production.

Annualy, in autumn, Bizen ware festival has been held for years.

This year, it will be held on Saturday / Sunday 15-16 October 2011

around the JR Imbe station.

Three special boothes and pedestrian precincts will be

set in front of and around the JR Imbe station during the festival.

Many potteries open their open-air market stalls for selling Bizen ware　products

with 20% discount. Also, demonstration of potter's wheel will be performed.

The train route for JR Imbe station is shown in figure above.

To get to the JR Imbe station by train, it may be straightforward to get on a

train bound for Banshu-Ako at JR Okayama station. It takes about 40 minutes from JR Okayama station to JR Imbe station. (Although the trains bound for

Wake or Himeji go to the same direction, they don't arrive at JR Imbe station.)

The opening hour are 09:00-17:30 on 10/15 Saturday and 09:00-16:30

on 10/16 Sunday.

Youtube videos on the past Bizen ware festivals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm8Rprcalzk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnxVvYbK6O4

Dolls' festival season.

As I wrote in the article five months ago, early March is the dolls' festival season in Japan. This year, many local newspapers report that Hina-dolls have been displayed on the premises or outside the front of the stores since late February in various towns as done in the past. As for the Inland sea area, major sites and schedules are as follows.

Tatsuno-city (Hyogo prefecture)
Date:3/12-3/21
Time:10:00-16:00
Venue:70 local houses around the Tatsuno castle.

Shikoku Mura museum (Kagawa prefecture)
Date:2/5-3/21
Time:8:30-16:30
Venue:Folk dwellings located inside the Shikoku Mura museum.
The cost of admission to the Shikoku Mura museum is 800yen.

Utazu-cho (Kagawa prefecture)
Date:3/5-3/6
Time:9:00-17:00
Venue:100 local houses in Utazu-cho

Hiketa doll festival (Kagawa prefecture)
Date:2/27-3/3
Time:10:00-16:00
Past video found in Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7qEL1hBTMo

Tomo townscape dolls' festival (Hiroshima prefecture)
Date:2/17-3/13
Time:Depends on each event
Past video found in Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USMV1AdgtR8

Kurashiki Hina Meguri (Okayama prefecture)
Date:2/26-3/13
Time:9:00-17:00
Past video found in Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN9hTJWzPA

Takehara townscape Hina Meguri (Hiroshima prefecture)
Date:2/11-3/21
Time:Depends on each event

In Takehara, a live music performance of Japanese harp and bamboo flute is scheduled to be held during 13:00-15:00 on Sunday 6th March 2011 in Old Kasai House.The cost of admission to the venue is 100yen. No extra payment is required for listening to the music performance. TEL :(0846) 22-0214

Takehara is a town known as bamboo-town. If you have a chance to go there on the day, it might be enjoyable to listen to the bamboo flute sound in the bamboo-town.


Fig. Old Kasai House

Oyster season.

February is a month when local oysters festivals are held around the inland sea. Videos recorded on site in the past can be found on Youtube as follows.

Ako oysters festival.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66rpuBJQs3U&feature=related

Miyajima oysters festival.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5JQpSUvojE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV_yUgX5P5Q&feature=related

Ohno oysters festival.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-Wt0zzciYM

Jigozen oysters charity bazaar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl3puzO_0v4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaat4KhXi6Q&feature=related

Aioi oysters festival
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPIiUUOPCnE

This year, 27th Miyajima oysters festival is scheduled to be held on 12th & 13th Feb. 2011. The stores open from AM 10:00 until sold out. This festival is held annually at this time of year when oysters become most delicious.