🏮 Katakai Matsuri

片貝まつり

Ojiya, Niigata (Asahara Shrine) · The 2nd Friday of September and the following day

Traditional performing artsFloats

361 days to go
Rooms around Ojiya, Niigata fill up while the festival is on.

Katakai Matsuri is held in Katakai-machi, Ojiya City, Niigata Prefecture, and is the popular name for the autumn grand festival of Asahara Shrine, an autumn festival that has continued since the Edo period. It is held every year on the second Friday of September and the following day, and is known as "Yama no Katakai," one of the "Three Great Fireworks of Echigo." The festival's origin traces back to each household in the town making fireworks and launching them at street corners. To prevent fires, they came to be launched from a hill behind Asahara Shrine called Jusanhata, and they developed as dedication fireworks. It is also famous for being the first in Japan to launch shakudama (large fireworks shells), specifically the shosanshakudama and shoshoshakudama. The main attraction is the launching of fireworks dedicated by individuals, families, and class reunions such as those of Katakai Junior High School. During the festival, traditional events such as "tsutsuhiki" and "tamakuri" are held, in which young men from each district pull floats called "yatai" while transporting firework shells, and perform "honno kiyari" and "shagiri."