GIFU –
Japan marked the ultimate Sunday of October with conventional autumn occasions throughout the nation on October 25, together with a spectacular water discharge drill on the World Heritage website of Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture, a seasonal salmon feast in Miyagi Prefecture, and a parade of northeastern Japan’s most well-known festivals in Tokyo, regardless of widespread rain attributable to a stationary autumn rain entrance.
At 8 a.m., sirens sounded throughout Shirakawa-go, signaling the simultaneous activation of roughly 60 water cannons put in all through the village to guard its historic thatched-roof homes from hearth.
The annual drill, held forward of winter when using heating gear and open flames will increase, serves to verify that the village’s firefighting gear is functioning correctly.
As highly effective jets of water shot into the air, the standard gassho-zukuri homes, recognized for his or her steeply pitched thatched roofs resembling fingers joined in prayer, had been enveloped in a dramatic curtain of water.
Tourists gathered at an remark deck overlooking the village to {photograph} the spectacle, which takes place solely every year.
“It was a very magical and beautiful sight,” one customer mentioned, whereas one other described the expertise as entertaining.
The drill has develop into a seasonal attraction at Shirakawa-go, drawing guests wanting to see the historic settlement remodeled by towering streams of water.
Meanwhile, in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, crowds started gathering earlier than 6 a.m. for a distinct autumn custom, forming lengthy traces to take pleasure in an area specialty made with seasonal salmon.
The attraction was harako meshi, a regional dish consisting of rice topped with autumn salmon and salmon roe. Organizers distributed 2,000 servings freed from cost, attracting massive numbers of tourists from early morning.
The occasion got here throughout a very tough 12 months for the autumn salmon business. Poor catches in 2026 have pushed procurement costs to greater than thrice their 2025 ranges, making the seasonal delicacy significantly dearer.
Visitors however loved the standard meal, with one saying, “You can really taste the salmon, and it’s so good you can easily finish it even this early in the morning.”
Across japanese and western Japan, the stationary autumn rain entrance continued to carry cloudy skies and rain to many areas on October 25, leaving a lot of the nation below unsettled climate situations.
Temperatures, nevertheless, rose significantly in some areas. Central Tokyo skilled a pointy rebound from October 24, when the utmost temperature remained beneath 20 levels Celsius. The temperature climbed by greater than 9 levels, exceeding 25 levels Celsius and giving the capital its first summer-like day in three days.
Despite occasional showers, crowds additionally gathered in Tokyo over the weekend for the Nakano Tohoku Kizuna Festival, an occasion bringing collectively consultant conventional festivals from all six prefectures of the Tohoku area.
The streets had been crammed with colourful performances, together with the well-known Nebuta floats from Aomori Prefecture, the enormous straw sandal traditions of Fukushima’s Waraji Festival, Yamagata’s Hanagasa Festival dances, and the full of life Suzume Odori, or Sparrow Dance, from Sendai.
Spectators lined the parade route, taking images and watching the regional celebrations whilst rain fell intermittently.
“It was incredibly powerful and exciting. It really made me want to visit Aomori,” one spectator mentioned.
Another customer expressed admiration for the performances, saying, “It made me realize just how amazing Japanese culture is.”
The occasions supplied a glimpse of Japan’s numerous autumn traditions, from the annual safety of centuries-old wood homes and the enjoyment of seasonal seafood to the preservation of regional festivals, as communities continued their celebrations regardless of the unsettled climate.
Source: FNN