🏮 Zenkoku Kokeshi Matsuri

全国こけし祭り

Osaki, Miyagi (Naruko General Branch Office (Naruko Community Center)) · Every year on the 1st Saturday of September

MikoshiBon odori

355 days to go
Rooms around Osaki, Miyagi fill up while the festival is on.

The National Kokeshi Festival is held in the Naruko Onsen area of Osaki, Miyagi Prefecture. It began in 1948, shortly after the war, and brings together traditional kokeshi (wooden dolls) from across Japan. It includes a kokeshi memorial service and dedication ceremony at Naruko Onsen Shrine, and is held together with the Naruko Lacquerware Exhibition, making it a major local event where Naruko kokeshi and Naruko lacquerware are displayed side by side. At the Naruko General Branch Office (Naruko Community Center), visitors can enjoy exhibits and sales of kokeshi and Naruko lacquerware, crafting demonstrations, and painting experiences. On Saturday evenings during the festival period, a festival parade is held in the Naruko Onsen town area, with papier-mache kokeshi and face kokeshi modeled on traditional kokeshi paraded through the streets. The Naruko Dance, performed in yukata (light summer kimono) with kokeshi patterns, and the Manto Mikoshi (portable shrine) are also highlights.

Getting there

The exhibit and sales venue is the Naruko General Branch Office (Naruko Community Center), a 1-minute walk from Naruko-Gotenyu Station on the JR Rikuu East Line. There are about 150 free parking spaces.