Akarenga-Festa (Red Brick Festival) (Maizuru City) (赤れんがフェスタ (舞鶴))
"Akarenga-Festa" (the Red Brick Festival) is a sightseeing event held in Maizuru City of Kyoto Prefecture every year. It is held on the second Saturday and Sunday of October every year.
Maizuru City developed as a naval port town and this festival is an event that uses the Maizuru Aka-renga Soko-gun (red-brick warehouses of Maizuru) that the Imperial Japanese Navy was using: the gourmet corner displays Nikujaga (simmered meat and potatoes) and naval dishes; the local product exhibition introduces seafood taken from the Japan Sea and other local production. There are also exhibitions of art that uses bricks, and Kyu-gunko yonshi Kindaika Isan Shashin-ten (photographic exhibition of the site of modernization of four cities of former military ports).
Since Maizuru is the town with the most brick buildings of prewar days remaining in Japan, some of the warehouses are lit up at night, it creates a fantastic, romantic spectacle.
Access
Railway
It takes about 15 minutes on foot from Higashi-Maizuru Station of Maizuru Line, West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It takes about five minuites by bus or taxi.
From Kyoto Station, there are special express trains 'Maizuru' and 'Tango Discovery' that arrives at Higashi-Maizuru Station in about one hour and 30 minutes.
From Kanazawa Station, one may take the Limited Express train 'Thunder Bird,' transfer at Tsuruga Station to Obama Line, and arrive Higashi-Maizuru Station in about two hours.
Road
Using Maizuru Wakasa Highway from Maizuru-higashi Interchange, it takes about 15 minutes by car.
Sponsoring and backup
Sponsoring - Maizuru City, Maizuru City Board of Education, and Akarenga-festa jikko-iinkai (Red Brick Festival Execution Committee)
Backup - Maizuru branch of the Asahi Shinbun Company, the Kyoto Shinbun, Maizuru branch of the Sankei Shinbun, Maizuru branch office of the Mainichi Shinbun, Osaka Headquarters of the Yomiuri Shinbun, Kyoto broadcast station of Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Kyoto Broadcasting System Company Limited, and FM Kyoto.
Famous spots and cultural facilities in local surroundings
Akarenga Hakubutsukan (Red-brick Museum)
Maizuru Hikiage Kinenkan (Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Museum)
Maizuru Shisei Kinenkan (Maizuru Municipal Government Memorial Hall) (12 buildings of Maizuru red brick warehouses)