Hassaku Festival Grand Giant Sculptures Gathering

About this event

This event brings together the highlight of the annual Hassaku Festival in Yamato Town, Kumamoto Prefecture: the "Ozukurimono" (giant festival sculptures). Ozukurimono are massive creative structures crafted by local community groups competing in skill, using natural materials such as bamboo, cedar, Japanese pampas grass, and pine cones. As part of a traditional festival praying for bumper crops and good harvests, the sight of these gigantic sculptures parading through the town is breathtaking. At this gathering festival, the sculptures created during the festival period are gathered in one place, allowing visitors to appreciate their intricate craftsmanship and the unique character of each neighborhood. It is a rare opportunity to see up close the grand sculptures filled with the passion of local residents and the heritage of the Hassaku Festival, which has a history of about 270 years dating back to the mid-Edo period.

Venue

Yamato Town Tourism and Cultural Exchange Center (Yamato Cultural Forest)

Shimoichi, Yamato-cho, Kamimashiki-gun, Kumamoto 861-3513