Enrei Onodachi Memorial Festival
| Enrei Onodachi Memorial Festival Enrei Onodachi Kinensai (塩嶺御野立記念祭) | |
|---|---|
The park where the festival is held | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Japanese festival |
| Dates | June and October |
| Frequency | Bi-annually |
| Venue | Enrei Onodachi Park |
| Locations | Shiojiri Pass, Okaya–Shiojiri border, Nagano Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 36°05′31″N 138°01′40″E / 36.0920°N 138.0277°E |
| Country | Japan |
| Years active |
|
| Inaugurated |
|
| Participants | 120 (usual) |
| Area | Okaya and Shiojiri, Nagano |
| Activity | Bowing |
| Organised by |
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The Enrei Onodachi Memorial Festival (Japanese: 塩嶺御野立記念祭, Hepburn: Enrei Onodachi Kinensai) is a biannual festival held every June and October in Enrei Onodachi Park in Shiojiri Pass located at the border of Okaya and Shiojiri in Nagano Prefecture.[1][2]
The spring festival commemorates the visit of Emperor Meiji to the area on June 24, 1880. It is hosted by the Okaya Municipal Government. The autumn festival commemorates the visit of Emperor Hirohito to the area on October 14, 1947. It is hosted by the Shiojiri Municipal Government.[1]
In 1915, to commemorate the visit of Emperor Meiji in 1880, the villages of Hirano, Nagaji, Shiojiri, and Chikumachi (the former two are now part of Okaya and the latter two of Shiojiri) erected a stone monument. The following year, the festival began. Following the visit of Emperor Hirohito in 1947, the autumn festival started. According to Shinmin Shimbun, the festival was held to "reminisce about the past and praying for the development of both cities".[3][4]
It is known as the shortest festival in Japan.[1][4][5] The festival starts around 10:00 am, and the people who participate in the festival all bow their heads at once after a person in charge signals "Everyone, bow" (一同、礼, Ichidō, Rei). It usually lasts only for a short time, and the festival then ends.[6][4] Prior to 2006, the festival only lasted ten seconds. In the spring festival of 2006, it was extended to one minute after the Okaya City government said that ten seconds was "too short to show respect". In the autumn festival in the same year, it was shortened to 30 seconds after the Shiojiri City government said that "one minute was too long". By the Autumn festival in 2007, both cities agreed to settle on 20 seconds.[7] Starting October 2023, the autumn festival was shortened to 15 seconds because "it would be better to shorten it to express the heartfelt feelings".[6][2] There was once an unsuccessful application for the Guinness Book of World Records record for the "world shortest festival" made in the festival's name.[7]
It is usually attended by government officials from both Shiojiri and Okaya, including the mayor and city councilors. Some members of various business and tourism organizations from both cities also attend.[8][2] Around 120 people normally attend the two festivals.[9]
References
- ^ a b c "150 attend Japan's shortest festival ending in 20 seconds at park with spectacular view". Mainichi Shimbun. June 25, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ^ a b c 「一同、礼」たった15秒でおしまい！？ 長野で「塩嶺御野立記念祭」 ["All bows" - finished in just 15 seconds!? "Shiomine Ono Memorial Festival" in Nagano]. Chunichi Shimbun (in Japanese). October 16, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ^ 発展願い「一同、礼」 岡谷・塩尻市「日本一短い」塩嶺御野立記念祭 ["We all bow" in prayer for development at the "shortest Shiomine Onodate" commemorative festival in Okaya and Shiojiri]. Shinmin Shimbun (in Japanese). June 25, 2024. Archived from the original on November 7, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ^ a b c その間わずか20秒 あっという間に終わる“日本一短い祭り” 明治天皇の来訪を記念して始まった塩嶺御野立記念祭 （長野） [The festival lasts just 20 seconds, and ends in a flash. The Shiomine Onodate Memorial Festival, which began in commemoration of Emperor Meiji's visit to Nagano, is known as "Japan's shortest festival."]. TBS News (in Japanese). June 23, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ^ Chavez, Amy (January 19, 2013). "So many small things Japan should be proud of". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
The briefest festival: In June and October of every year, over 100 people take part in the Enrei Onodachi Memorial Festival in Okaya, Nagano
- ^ a b 日本一短い祭り、さらに短く ２０秒⇨１５秒に 一礼に「適度な長さ」 岡谷・塩尻市境 [Japan's shortest festival to be shortened even further from 20 seconds to 15 seconds, with bows held at the Okaya-Shiojiri border]. Shinmai Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). October 16, 2023. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ^ a b 日本一短い一礼だけの祭り「塩嶺御野立記念祭」－今年は20秒 [The Shiomine Onodate Memorial Festival, Japan's shortest festival with only one bow, is just 20 seconds this year]. Matsumoto Keizai Shimbun (in Japanese). October 15, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ^ 記念碑に一礼両市の絆深める 塩嶺御野立祭秋季例祭 [A bow to the monument deepens the bond between the two cities at the Shiomine Onodate Festival, an annual autumn festival]. Shinmin Shimbun (in Japanese). October 16, 2018. Archived from the original on January 19, 2026. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ^ 【長野】日本一短い祭り、コロナで参列も最短 塩嶺御野立記念祭 [[Nagano] The shortest festival in Japan, with attendance also at the shortest due to COVID-19: Shiomine Ono Memorial Festival]. Chunichi Shimbun (in Japanese). June 27, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2026.