Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Grand Festival 2026
The Grand Festival of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is the shrine’s most important annual event, traditionally held on August 15th.
In the lunisolar calendar (the old calendar) formerly in use, this date coincided with the full moon. As the enshrined deity was historically a god of the sea with deep ties to the fishing industry, Minamoto no Yoritomo is said to have gone to Yuigahama Beach on this day to perform the *Hojo-e* (a rite of releasing living creatures back into the wild), which included releasing a thousand cranes and conducting *Yabusame* (mounted archery) rituals.
According to the historical chronicle *Azuma Kagami*, the *Hojo-e* and *Yabusame* rituals were first performed on August 15, 1187 (Bunji 3); this is considered the origin of the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Grand Festival.
Today, the festival is held on a grand scale over a three-day period—from September 14th to the 16th—adjusted to the modern solar calendar.
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