Want to become a Samurai warrior for a day?

Please Join Us at “Hojo Ujiteru Festival 2019”!

Dress up as a Samurai and join our Samurai parade!

Scedule: October 27th (Sunday)　About between 10:00am-4:00pm

Location: Moto-hachioji area, Hachioji City, Tokyo

Costume: We will provide a set of Samurai outfit for you.

Fee: No Charge for the Participation

☆The Number of Armors are limited, Application will Be Accepted on A First-Come-First-Served Basis

☆Please apply via e-mails.

☆All applicants’ names and e-mail addresses are necessary to apply.

☆Contact: Yuko Takayama 

☆ If you have any questions, please contact Yuko Takayama via e-mail.

Organized by NPO group: Hachioji Castle Ruins Mitsu Uroko Club

About Hojo Ujiteru:

Hojo Ujiteru was a Samurai lord during Japanese Warring States Period. Hojos were one of the major Samurai lord family at that time and Ujiteru was the third son of the head of Hojos. His main castle was set up in Hachioji area and his territory extended to current Saitama prefecture at its peak. In the 1580s, he moved to Hachioji Castle (near the current Takao town) from Takiyama Castle. However, a few years later it fell on a single day and Ujiteru was died in 1590.

People Enjoy Seeing Samurai Performance at Mejiro-dai Festival In Hachioji City

July and August are actually neighborhood festival months in Japan. In residential areas, traditionally people organize neighborhood communities in every several blocks called "Chonai-kai". These "Chonai-kai" communities usually manage local activities such as festivals, and public space clean-up in the community, and share information. 

In Mejiro-dai area in Hachioji City, people hold a neighborhood festival called Mejiro-dai Festival in every summer. Food stalls are prepared by local shops and restaurants, and Mikoshi (portable shrine) parade and performances by local people take place at the festival.  In addition to the typical festival types of performances, people have a Samurai performance as shown in the photo.

The people showing the performance are members of a local NPO group at Hachioji Castle Ruins, which is one of the major historical site of the Warring States period in Tokyo. They have Samurai performances at various events and sometimes hold workshops such as "Handmade Samurai armor" for kids.

Their armors are all handmade. Each person in the Samurai group made their own armor. Due to limitations on maerial availability and usability, various types of material were used to make armor such as plastic, aluminum and steel plates for the body of armor, and leather, cloth, strings and old kimono for the accessories. 

For example, the person's armor show in the lower photos is made of steel. He said that it took about a year to complete it and as you can see in the photos he used lots of small steel plates and small steel rings to assemble his armor. Since he wanted to have a very real one he tried to make it in the same way Samurai armors were made in old times. The chain mail for the arms are made of small steel rings and he connected them one by one. Apparently the total weight of this armor is 30 kg (about 66 lb).

Of course most people in the group chose lighter types of material to be able to walk and move easily. However it sounds interesting to be able to experience the real heaviness of a Samurai armor. He can feel how tough the real Samurai soldiers were in old times. That would be cool!

This year, in 2017, the Mejiro-day Festival will be held on July 15th and 16th.