🏮 Otsu Matsuri

大津祭

Otsu, Shiga (Tenson Shrine) · Every year on 29 October

FloatsTraditional performing arts

45 days to go
Rooms around Otsu, Shiga fill up while the festival is on.

Otsu Matsuri is held as the festival of Tenjin Shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, and is counted among the three great festivals of the lake country. It is a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The festival strongly inherits the atmosphere of Kyoto's Gion Matsuri, and its main attraction is the 13 yamaboko (festival floats) built in the Edo period. Its origin dates to the early Edo period, when Shiou Chubei of Kajiyamachi danced wearing a tanuki mask. The floats are normally dismantled and stored in each town's storehouse, assembled one week before the festival, and dismantled again the day after the main festival. Each year, starting with the 'kujitori-shiki' (lottery ceremony) on September 16, the festival proceeds through the October 'yama-date' (float raising) and 'yoi-miya' (eve festival) to the 'hon-matsuri' (main festival). Karakuri puppets riding on each float perform at requested spots during the procession, and chimaki (auspicious rice dumplings) for protection against evil are also distributed.

Getting there

Get off at JR Otsu Station or Keihan Electric Railway Keishin Line Biwako-Hamaotsu Station, then walk about 10 to 15 minutes. During the main festival, traffic restrictions are in place in the surrounding area.