Chubu Wide-area Tourism Portal Site -- Travel to Ten Thrilling Scenic Sites This showcases sightseeing destinations in Japan's Chubu region (the prefectures of Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie, and Shiga).

Shiga Prefecture

This is one of the greatest float festivals in Japan. In 1979, the festival was designated as an important national intangible folk cultural property as an event using Nagahama-Hikiyama (Nagahama festival floats). It is said that the festival began when Toyotomi Hideyoshi gave gold to the people in the castle town in celebration for the birth of his first boy during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. So the townspeople used the gold as a fund to make 12 floats and started to carry them when festivals are held at Hachimangu Shrine. The festival starts on April 9th. In the four days to the April 12th, young men participate in a "Hadaka" (naked) festival. After Kujitori on the 13th, Kabuki is performed in the shrine as a form of offering.