Tsuruga Flower Exchange Festival held at a famous cherry blossom spot|Hokuriku Shinkansen connects new connections
In Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, where the Hokuriku Shinkansen opened, between March 30, 2024 (Saturday) ~ April 9, 2024 (Tuesday), Kanegasaki Shrine, a famous place for cherry blossoms, holds the annual "Hanakae Festival".
The Flower Exchange Festival was started in the Meiji 40s as an event to pray for good luck. Its origin is said to be that a man and a woman who visited Kanasaki Palace to see the cherry blossoms exchanged cherry blossom twigs and conveyed their thoughts to each other. Nowadays, it is said that you can be happy if you "change flowers" by overlapping cherry blossom twigs with the priestess (Miko) of the lucky girl.
During the period, there will be a flower exchange with Fuku Musume (10 a.m. ~ 4 p.m.), a cherry blossom illumination at night (6 p.m. ~ 10 p.m.), and a flower exchange lottery every day. On Saturdays and Sundays, a special flower exchange ceremony (14 o'clock ~) will be held to win limited amulets and demon arrows.
In addition, on the evening of Saturday, March 30, there will be a recitation stage and a flower change ceremony. A mock wedding ceremony will be held on Sunday 31st. On Saturday, April 6th, there will be a craft market, and on Sunday, April 7th, there will be a flower exchange matchmaking, which is said to have a couple fulfillment rate of more than 60%.
The Tsuruga Tourism Association says, "We hope that the festival will be held at the time when the Hokuriku Shinkansen has opened and new connections have been made, and various relationships will be made."
Related Sites
Tsuruga City Official Tourism Website
2023.3.28 [Communication from the local] What you need to know in anticipation of the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen Tsuruga one year from now ( ※ ）
