The Sanuki Takamatsu Festival is ready to kick with its annual dance festival this August. I have had the pleasure of going to the festival for the past three years, and it has blown me away. This year the festival will take place at Central Park and Sunport in Takamatsu from August 12th to 14th during obon, which is a holiday season in Japan.
If you ever wanted to wear a yukata, the Sanuki Takamatsu festival is the best time to wear one. Yukata is a casual version of the kimono, which has emerged as a popular form of dressing in summer festivals.
Dances, food, fireworks, and more
The festival showcases traditional Japanese dances and modern dances. Dancers of all ages perform on stage and bring life to the festival, but dancing is not the only form of entertainment at the festival. They also have comedians and music idols perform.
It also has a variety of vendors that sell delicious local food, many types of souvenirs and toys. You also get a special visit from popular mascots in Japan, who will gladly take pictures with you.
Kagawa’s biggest fireworks display happens on the second day of the festival. The fireworks will be at Sunport, which is within walking distance from Central Park.
The festival sets up a main stage and a smaller stage where multiple performances occur throughout the day. The main stage in the evening is when you will get the opportunity to see big stars in Japan.
Do not expect to see the same things during three days of the festival. On the first day you can see many different types of dances along with some comedy routines. On the second day there are some musical performances along with yukata and karaoke contest along with the fireworks. On the third day you will get to see a large parade of all the dancers that will perform on the street.
Tips to beat the crowd
This is the biggest festival in Kagawa and is heavily crowded. This year I suspect the Sanuki Takamatsu Festival will be even more crowded. With the recent flooding, many festivals have been cancelled in the area. The Okayama Momotaro Matsuri, which is the biggest festival in Okayama, has been cancelled, too. Okayama is about a 45-minute train ride to Takamatsu and one can easily speculate that more people from Okayama will come to Sanuki Takamatsu Festival to see the fireworks this year.
I highly recommend you to arrive early to get a good place to see the main attractions at the festival. Many people camp out throughout the day to get the best seat especially for the fireworks. The fireworks display can be seen from far away, but the best spot is always Sunport.
The fireworks at Sunport and dance festival at Central Park feel like they are two different festivals simply because they are in two different locations. The interesting thing about the festival is that they used to be two separate festivals before they were combined. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from Central Park to Sunport.
Hotels are usually sold out, so I encourage everyone to get a hotel early if you plan to stay in Takamatsu.
Access
- When: August 12-14, 2018
- Where: Central Park and Sunport in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture
- How to Get There: The festival is very easily accessible by public transportation. It is within walking distance from JR Takamatsu Station and Takamatsuchikkou Station.
- Website: Sanuki Takamatsu Festival Official Website
