EXPLORING TOKYO'S oldest and historic SHINTO SHRINE (Suwa Shrine), JAPAN
SUBSCRIBE: - Suwa Shrine has long been famous for its big festival, called Nagasaki Kunchi (held on October 7-9 each year), and it is one of the largest in Japan, in terms of both the number of participants and the number of spectators. It has been designated by the government as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The whole neighborhood is filled with people dancing, carrying unusual palanquins, and pulling floats, while the traditional festival chants echo all around. Japan is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean with dense cities, imperial palaces, mountainous national parks and thousands of shrines and temples. Shinkansen bullet trains connect the main islands of Kyushu (with Okinawa's subtropical beaches), Honshu (home to Tokyo and Hiroshima’s atomic-bomb memorial) and Hokkaido (famous for skiing). Tokyo, the capital, is known for skyscrapers, shopping and pop culture. Vic Stefanu, vstefanu@yahoo.com.