Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival 2024

Hakata Gion Yamakasa is a Shinto ritual held at Kushida Shrine in Hakata, Fukuoka City. It involves the dedication of yamakasa, large decorative floats shaped like mountains. This festival, recognized as an important intangible folk cultural asset by the Japanese government, serves as a major event for Hakata.

The festival takes place annually from July 1st to the 15th, with the final day featuring the Gion Oidai Matsuri at Kushida Shrine in the early morning. Subsequently, each neighborhood group, known as “nagare,” dedicates their yamakasa to the shrine (a ritual called Kushida-iri). The highlight is the “Oiyama,” a lively race where the yamakasa are paraded through a set route in competition. This festival, dedicated to the deity Susanoo, is one of the Gion festivals held across various regions, and along with the Hakata Dontaku Festival, it stands as a representative event in Hakata.

 

 

 

 

Event Summary

Hakata

Duration

July 1-15, 2024

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