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Toshogu Shrine

Welcoming Spring with Hyakumono-Zoroe Sennin Gyoretsu

Shunki Reitaisai (Grand Festival of Spring) is usually celebrated on the 17th and 18th of May in Nikko, Japan. It is a wonderful way to welcome spring and commemorate the Tokugawa Ieyasu and other great samurai warriors. Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616) was founder and first shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate that ruled from 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He had great qualities that allowed him to rise to power and fight as a warrior general in 90 battles.

One of the highlights of the festival is Hyakumono-Zoroe Sennin Gyoretsu, an elaborate event involving a procession of hundreds of men all dressed in traditional Japanese samurai warrior attire. The procession re-enacts the transferring of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s remains from Shizuoka Prefecture to Nikko Toshogu, his final resting place in accordance to his last wishes. Nikko Toshogu is registered as a World Heritage Site and is one of the historical places to visit in Japan.Takayama Spring Festival

Hyakumono-Zoroe Sennin Gyoretsu procession begins from the Otabisho Shrine by the Shinkyo Bridge in the south side of Futurasan-jinja Shrine. The procession is led by three portable shrines bearing the spirits of the three shoguns, one of which is Tokugawa Ieyasu. The shrines are closely followed by Shinto priests on horseback and samurai warriors in full armor. The parade is a solemn, grand occasion that commemorates the valor and contributions of the late warrior and all the others who have fought bravely throughout Japan’s history. The parade is accompanied by traditional court music and dance performances upon the arrival of the portable shrines at Toshogu Shrine.

The Shunki Reitaisai lasts for two days. Hyakumono-Zoroe Sennin Gyoretsu is the main event and truly a spectacular site to witness when visiting Japan.

To see the parade in action!

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Read all about Japanese immersion learning and studying abroad. Check out our eZasshi archives for more articles!