🏮 Kakunodate Matsuri no Yama Gyoji

角館祭りのやま行事

Senboku, Akita (Shinmeisha Shrine, Yakushido Temple) · Every year on 7 September

FloatsBon odoriTraditional performing arts

358 days to go
Rooms around Senboku, Akita fill up while the festival is on.

The Kakunodate Matsuri no Yama Gyōji is a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property held in Kakunodate, Semboku City, Akita Prefecture, every year from September 7 to 9. As one of the "Yama, Hoko, Yatai" traditions, it is also registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, and around the Shinmei Shrine and the Yakushi-dō, the simple faith of ordinary people praying for the peace of the community and freedom from illness remains strong even today. The festival dates back about 400 years, and originally combined the Shinmei Shrine festival (the 7th and 8th) and the Yakushi-dō festival (the 8th and 9th). From each neighborhood, hikiyama (pulled floats) carrying warrior dolls and kabuki dolls parade through the town, accompanied by the glamorous hand dances of Akita Obako and the "Oyama Bayashi" music. On the 7th, they visit the Shinmei Shrine; on the 8th, they pass through the samurai residence street to pay respects to the head of the Satake Kita family; and on the 8th and 9th, they go up to the Yakushi-dō. After finishing their visits, the floats clash violently over right of way in the "yamabuttsuke," the highlight when the young men's energy reaches its peak.