![[Kaga Onsen-kyo] Giant Guzu Effigies Race Through the Old Post Town at the Guzuyaki Matsuri Festival, with the First-Ever Fireworks Display This Year](https://assets.hldycdn.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=webp,quality=75,width=1024/e6b0673b-43e2-4d62-b1a8-cb97df3c2ad3.jpeg)
In Iburibashi, a district of Kaga City, a quiet old post town known for its understated charm turns into a lively spectacle for a few days each year.
A giant guzu effigy sets off from Furihashi Shrine and is pulled by young people through the town's narrow alleys.
Guzu refers to a large donko, a type of goby fish. Based on a local legend of a rampaging guzu, the festival is held every year at the end of summer to ward off misfortune and pray for a bountiful harvest.
At night, the guzu effigies gather in front of Iburibashi Station. Stepping out of the small, unstaffed station's ticket gate, visitors are met with an overwhelming display of guzu on the move, their size and energy impossible to ignore.
The guzu effigies are then carried back to Furihashi Shrine, where they are burned along with prayers, and a lively circle dance unfolds beneath the blazing flames.
Photo courtesy of the Guzuyaki Matsuri Festival Executive Committee
The town is also filled with excitement from a variety of other events, including lion dances, circle dances, a children's mikoshi procession, and festival stalls.
The fireworks display, which was paused last year, returns this year. It will be held as the 1st Guzuyaki Matsuri Fireworks Display, organized by the Iburibashi Chamber of Commerce Promotion Association.
Photo courtesy of the Guzuyaki Matsuri Festival Executive Committee
Photo courtesy of the Guzuyaki Matsuri Festival Executive Committee
The Guzuyaki Matsuri Festival, which marks the end of summer, is well worth experiencing up close.
Guzuyaki Matsuri Festival (Iburibashi)
Dates: August 28 (Friday), 29 (Saturday), and 30 (Sunday)
- August 28: Reitaisai (annual grand festival)
- August 29: Lion dance, approx. 5:30 AM–1:00 PM; guzu parade, approx. 5:30 PM–9:00 PM (station-front event begins around 7:00 PM)
- August 30: Lion dance, approx. 5:30 AM–7:00 PM; circle dance from 6:30 PM; 1st Fireworks Display (postponed in case of severe weather) from around 9:00 PM; Kaga Ohara circle dance from 9:30 PM
Venue: Furihashi Shrine and other locations around Iburibashi, Kaga City
Inquiries: 0761-74-0715 (Guzuyaki Matsuri Festival Executive Committee, Iburibashi Community Hall)
Official website: https://iburibashi.town/
