Festival

Kashima Shrine Autumn Festival

Japanese name:鹿島神社の秋祭り

📅 Sun, Oct 18, 2026

📍 Minabe, Wakayama

About this event

Held annually on the third Sunday of October, the Kashima Shrine Autumn Festival is a traditional festival conducted at Kashima Shrine in Hanida, Minabe Town. The festivities feature the "Hanida Mikoshi" portable shrine, lion dances, and the "Minamimichi Yakko Procession" (participating once every three years) which is designated as a town intangible folk cultural property, delighting numerous visitors. In addition, the "Shibazaki Futon-taiko" float also participates on occasion, further enlivening the festival. Celebrating the safety of parishioners and bountiful harvests, the festival includes shrine ceremonies, transfer rites, and the owatari procession. The procession features kasajirushi Kitamichi banners, sea water buckets, kagura drums, masakaki sacred branches, gohei wands, portable shrines, karabitsu chests, tategasa umbrellas, hasamibako luggage boxes, Shinto priests, streamers, sacred canopies, utai-daiko drums, six tomo-buta boxes, as well as banners and festival gear from each district (barrel mikoshi, children's mikoshi, lion dances, floats, yakko processions, futon-taiko floats, etc.). In the past, horse riding races were also held, but today the traditions rooted in the community are preserved while adapting over time, such as the introduction of children's mikoshi with the participation of the children's association. Following the festival, banquets may also be held in each district.

Official website (Japanese) ↗

Venue

Kashima Shrine

20 Hanida, Minabe-cho, Hidaka-gun, Wakayama 645-0004

Open in Google Maps ↗