Chiba Nanohana News (February 2020)

 Index

　I.News       II . Festivals and Events     III.Exhibition & Concerts

 I.News

 1) The Birth of Chibanian

 Have you ever heard of “Chibanian”? Chibanian means Chiba Era in Latin. It was decided at an International Conference to call the era which lasted from 774,000 years ago to 129,000 years ago Chibanian. This is the first time in Japanese history that such a name was given to a geologic period. The reason for this naming can be found at a rock layer in the Tabuchi district of Ichihara City in Chiba Prefecture.

 

The Quaternary geologic period, which includes the Chibanian era, is separated into various periods mainly by the reversal of Earth’s magnetic poles and climate change. Due to the fact that evidence of geomagnetic reversal 774,000 years ago is well recorded and the site is easy to access, the rock layer in Tabuchi was recognized as a GSSP (Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point), and Chibanian was born.

This Chibanian Ancient Strata was the first natural monument in Ichihara City designated by the national government on October 15, 2018. The area is surrounded by the beautiful and naturally abundant Yoro River and Satoyama villages. Why not come experience this phenomena instead of reading about difficult geological concepts?

The Chibanian Visitor Center, where you are able to learn about the era, was opened on December 15, 2019, along with a nearby parking lot. An exhibition and film will be on display which explains the mechanisms of geomagnetic reversal and the strata in easy to understand terms as well as discussing fossils which can be found in the area. Be sure to make use of this facility before heading out on your geological adventure!

• Location: Chibanian Visitor Center/1157 Tabuchi, Ichihara City
• Open Hours: 9:00 - 16:00
• Closed Days: Every Thursday, December 29 - January 3 *In the event that Thursday falls on a holiday, the building will be closed on the previous day
• Access: 20 minutes by car from the Ken-O Expressway Ichihara Tsurumai Interchange
  30 minutes on foot from the Kominato Railway Tsukizaki Station
• Inquiries: Chibanian Visitor Center TEL: 0436-96-2755

 2) Preventing Coronavirus Caused Pneumonia

Novel coronavirus pneumonia has occurred in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China!

• Cover your mouth and nose with a mask, tissue, or handkerchief when coughing or sneezing. 
• Be sure to wash your hands and gargle regularly.
• Wear a mask and immediately go to the hospital if you have been to Wuhan City and have a fever or cough.
• At the hospital, be sure to state that you have been in Wuhan City.
• Be sure to notify the quarantine station at the airport if you are returning from Wuhan City and have a fever or cough or if you are taking medication for a fever or cough.

Coronavirus／WHO
https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus( External link )

 II.  Festivals and Events

On March 3rd every year in Japan, "Hina Matsuri" (Hina Doll Festival) or Girl's Festival is celebrated   on which ornamental hina dolls are displayed to wish for girls' health and prosperity.
On this day every year, families set up a special step-altar on which to arrange their Emperor and Empress dolls, called "hina" in Japanese. They decorate this altar with boughs of peach blossoms and make offerings to the hina dolls of freshly made rice cakes (mochi), either flavored with a wild herb or colored and cut into festive diamond shapes.

 1) 2020 Katsuura Big Hina Doll Festival (Katsuura City)

 

Over 30,000 hina dolls will be displayed all around Katsuura City in celebration of the hina-matsuri, or Girl’s Festival. This event first originated from efforts to hold the “Big Hina Doll Festival” (originally held in Katsuura Town in Tokushima Prefecture) in eastern Japan. Chiba’s Katsuura City has adopted 7,000 hina dolls from Katsuura Town in Tokushima.

 

There will be a hina doll parade featuring children in hina doll costumes, as well as a dance parade, and much more!

<Display Locations>

• Tomisaki Shrine
  1,800hina dolls will line the shrine’s 60stone steps. Every day during the festival, the dolls will be put  out for display in the morning and then be put away at night. (Events will be canceled in case of bad weather.) The dolls will be lit up in the evening.
• Katsuura central shopping area
  Here in the central shopping area located next to Tomisaki Shrine, you can find special platforms displaying the dolls, unique displays at each of the stores, and doll decorating workshops in vacant store lots. There will also be special platforms displaying the dolls at the Kakuoji Temple gates and Tona intersection.
• Katsuura Art and Culture Center “Kuste”
  One of the largest kyoho-bina dolls in Japan will be displayed at the Katsuura Art and Culture Center Kuste (pronounced “kyuste”). The Emperor and Empress dolls measure 120cm tall.
• Other displays
  Dolls will also be displayed at Okitsu Assembly Hall, Ueno Assembly Hall, Fusano Assembly Hall, tourist facilities, financial institutions, and other locations.

<hina doll parade> 

• Sunday, February 23
• Time Period: Saturday, February 22- Tuesday, March 3
• Location: Tomisaki Shrine, 1Hama-Katsuura, Katsuura City
• Access: 10minutes on foot from Katsuura Station on the JR Sotobo Line
• Inquiries: Big Hina Doll Festival Planning Committee (Katsuura City Tourism and Commerce Division) TEL 0470-73-6641

 2) 10th Nakayama Hina Doll Festival (Ichikawa City)

Nakayama will come alive with Hina Festival flair, all the way from the JR Sobu Line Shimosa Nakayama Station and shopping district to the Hokekyoji temple, Okunoin temple and Wakamiya.

There will be a plethora of events held during the event period, from doll displays and stamp rallies to music concerts and tea events.

Why not take a stroll through Nakayama while gazing upon the beautiful hina dolls?

• Time period: Saturday, February 15 - Tuesday, March 3, 10:00 - 16:00
• Locations: Hokekyoji Temple/2-10-1 Nakayama, Ichikawa City
  Okunoin Temple/2-21-1 Wakamiya, Ichikawa City
  Seikaen/4-14-1 Nakayama, Ichikawa City
  Other locations
• Access: Shimosa Nakayama Station on the JR Sobu Line, Keisei Nakayama Station on the Keisei Line
• Inquiries: Ichikawa Tourism/Product Information Center TEL: 047-324-7751

 3) Sakura Castle Town Kimono Walk/Hina Doll Display (Sakura City)

Why not take a stroll through the Sakura castle town wearing a kimono? Kimono rental and dressing services will be held from the former Hirai residence, located in old residential area of the castle town. Visitors who come dressed in a kimono will have free entry to the former residence of lord Hotta, samurai residence, and the Sakura Juntendo Memorial Hall.

During the event period, hina dolls will be on display at various shops along the Sakura castle town shopping district.

※The dolls may not be on display during closing hours/days, etc.

1) Sakura Castle Town Kimono Stroll

• Dates: February 23, March 1, 8, 15, 20, 22, 29, April 5, 12, 19
• Location: Former Hirai Residence
• Admission: Kimono rental fees/dressing service (with tea, sweets, commemorative photo present) junior high school aged and above 3,000 yen, elementary school or younger 2,000 yen, two or more elementary school or below aged children 1,500 yen per person
  ※Dressing service with your own kimono 2,500 yen, 1,500 yen per person if bringing your own kimono and dressing yourself
• Registration: Non-profit Organization Sakura Ichirizuka TEL: 043-483-3535
• Admission day: Every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday 13:00 - 15:30

2) Sakura Castle Town Hina Doll Display (Sunday, February 9 - Sunday, March 8 )

• Both old and new hina dolls will be on display at the castle town shopping district.

 

• Location: Sakura Castle Town Shopping District Road (Sakura City Shinmachi Street)
• Access: 8 minutes on foot from the south exit of Keisei Sakura Station on the Keisei Line, 20 minutes on foot from the north exit of Sakura Station on the JR Sobu Line
• Inquiries: Non-profit Organization Sakura Ichirizuka TEL: 043-483-3535

 4) Sawara Hina Dolls Display (Katori City)

Sawara has retained its Edo Period atmosphere of being a mercantile city. You can visit Sawara’s traditional merchant houses that are a part of the “Sawara Machigurumi Museum” project, which will showcase Sawara's museum like charms, and see the treasures displayed within each house. The “Sawara Hina Doll Display” event will be held as a special exhibition of this project.

During the event period, over half of the members participating the “Sawara Machigurumi Museum” project will place their hina dolls in front of their stores, some of which are made from traditional Japanese paper or date to the Edo and Meiji periods, with some displays even depicting hina dolls inside a recreated imperial palace.

“Sawara Machinami Koryukan” (The Sawara Townscape Exchange Center) and other Facilities around the town will also be decorated with hina dolls, making the town come alive with a spring mood. Make sure to not miss this season exclusive excursion!

• Related event: Sawara Spring Hina Boat Festival, Saturday, March 7
  ※The "Sawara Spring Hina Boat Festival" is canceled in order to prevent the spread of the New Coronavirus. 

 

• Time period: Saturday, February 8 - Sunday, March 22
• Location: Sawara Merchant Houses/Sawara, Katori City
• Access: 5-10 minutes on foot from the JR Narita Line Sawara Station
• URL: http://www.m-kaze.com/gurumi/( External link )
• Inquiries: Sawara Landlady society TEL: 080-5455-7577

 5) Sakata Castle Ruins Plum Festival (Yokoshibahikari Town)