Walking Through Kawagoe: A Festival That Revived the Old Town Sky

I live in Tokyo now. When I look up, countless power lines cut the sky into narrow strips between skyscrapers. Honestly, I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to simply “look up at the sky.”

For my daughter, who was born and raised in Tokyo, a town with a wide-open sky feels special and new for her. On the day of the Kawagoe Festival, she looked up at the lanterns floating in a powerline-free night sky and whispered, “Marvelous.”

It reminded me of my own memory from childhood. I was five years old when I first looked up at the unique Kawagoe sky. It was in 1991, the year the town began its ambitious project to bury all the power lines underground.

The Era When Power Lines Obstructed the Floats

The sky and the float at Kawagoe Festival. | Photo by Yamada Seiichiro

In the past, festival floats carried tall figures of mythical heroes. But their height often clashed with the overhead wires. Helpers had to duck the roofs or even lift the wires by hand to let the floats pass.

The floats of Kawagoe also had a mechanism to lower and raise the dolls on top. During the “power line era,” they constantly had to go down, pass under, then rise up again, interrupting the performance from time to time. Only after the undergrounding project in 1992 could the floats proudly display their figures from start to finish without disturbances.

Why Kawagoe Decided to Bury the Power Lines?

One of the most remarkable transformations for the Kawagoe Festival was the decision to bury the overhead power lines that once crisscrossed the town.

Before 1992, these wires cut through the streets and cast shadows over the historic Edo-period warehouse district. Festival floats, carrying tall figures of mythical heroes and samurai, often had to duck under or carefully navigate around the wires, disrupting the performance and breaking the illusion of the moving museums.

By moving the power lines underground, Kawagoe not only restored the town’s historic scenery but also enhanced the festival experience for locals and visitors alike. The removal of visual clutter revived the charm of the Edo-period streets, letting festival-goers fully appreciate the ornate floats and lantern-lit streets that define the Kawagoe Festival.

Sense the atmosphere of Kawagoe Festival! | Photo by Yamada Seiichiro

The change also had a measurable impact on tourism. With the town looking its best, visitor numbers surged from 1.5 million to 4 million annually, turning the festival into a must-see event for both domestic and international travelers.

Beyond aesthetics, the project improved safety by removing the risk of power poles falling during natural disasters, giving residents and visitors peace of mind during the busy festival days.

The clear sky of the Kawagoe Ichibangai Street. | Photo by Yuwei

This ambitious project was made possible through the strong cooperation of local merchants, who even offered their own yards for transformer installation. Their commitment reflects the community spirit that is at the heart of the Kawagoe Festival, ensuring that the festival remains a vibrant celebration of history, culture, and pride in the town.

More about Kawagoe Festival

Festival floats as “Moving Museums”

To foreign visitors, the festival floats are like moving museums, lavishly decorated with mythical figures like Shōjō or legendary warriors. Each float embodies the pride of its neighborhood.

For having a more profound understanding of its history, the Kawagoe Festival Museum is the best stop: miniature floats, videos of the dancing performances with festival floats, recordings of festival music, and multilingual displays.

A Hint for Solving Over-tourism from Kawagoe Festival

The Kawagoe Festival shows that tourism isn’t just about having a number of visitors. By protecting what the community truly values, like the open sky, tourism becomes regeneration, not destruction.

This lesson is a hint for destinations worldwide struggling with over-tourism. TOMOGO! also believes tourism should be about sharing pride, not consuming places.

Looking Up at the Edo Sky Together

When my daughter whispered “the sky is wide,” I felt how tough it was to make this decision 30 years ago. The Kawagoe Festival is not just an event: it’s the story of a town that buried power lines to protect its pride and sky.

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■参考リンク / References

[川越まつり公式サイト / Kawagoe Festival Official Site](https://kawagoematsuri.jp/)

[川越まつりナビ（App Store）](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/%E5%B7%9D%E8%B6%8A%E3%81%BE%E3%81%A4%E3%82%8A%E3%83%8A%E3%83%93/id1148675923?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

[川越まつりナビ（Google Play）](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?hl=ja&id=jp.co.kitel.kawagoematsurinavi&utm_source=chatgpt.com)

[川越まつりナビ公式サイト / Kawagoe Festival Navi](https://www.kawagoe-matsuri-navi.net/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

[川越まつり会館 / Festival Museum](https://www.kawagoematsuri.jp/kaikan/)

[川越市広報（市長の山車体験曳き）](https://www.city.kawagoe.saitama.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/010/141/1210p10p11.pdf)

[国交省資料：歴史的町並みを生かした商店街の活性化 / MLIT Report](https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/000116024.pdf)

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