Ecchu Yatsuo (Toyama City, Toyama Pref.)

The Owara Kaze-no-Bon festival is held every year on the first three days of September. Participants – young and old, male and female – wear happi coats and traditional yukata clothing, sing and dance while accompanied by the sounds of ancient samisen and kokyu instruments, and slowly make their way through the streets of this town. Each of eleven neighborhoods takes charge of a particular day of the event and contributes to celebrations of the eve of the festival. On the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, performances of Owara Odori are held (on the Kaze-no-Bon stage).

Elastic handmade soba produced in a mountainous area since the Edo period remains true to the fundamental principles underlying its original taste. With a slippery texture that allows the noodles to go down easily, this soba perfectly encapsulates the taste of Owara. There are several soba establishments situated in the Yatsuo area and they are all committed to safeguarding their original recipes. In addition, highly popular soba festivals are held in different locales from autumn to winter.

Soba:

a traditional type of Japanese noodles

A section of this street in the center of Yatsuo runs along a north-south line. To its east lies Jogayama Park while cozy homes line up tightly against each other on both sides. The traditional appearance of this street has not changed much at all over the years. Selected as one of the top 100 streets in Japan, Suwacho-Hondori is popular as a part of town that accentuates the exquisite contrast that emerges between white-walled structures and the stone pavement underfoot.