Yamada Festival

About this event

Held every September in Yamada Town, Iwate Prefecture, the "Yamada Festival" is a traditional festival that envelops the autumn in Sanriku with enthusiasm. It is a collective name for the annual grand festivals of "Yamada Hachimangu" and "Osugi Shrine," and in particular, the sacred procession ritual "Yamada no Shinko Gyoji"—in which the divine spirits are transferred to mikoshi and paraded through the town—was designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Iwate Prefecture in 2024 (Reiwa 6). The biggest highlight of the festival is the "Abare Mikoshi" (wild portable shrines), where spirited bearers run all around the town. From early morning to night, the mikoshi parade vigorously by "running," "spinning," and "charging," captivating the spectators. In addition, eight local folk performing arts groups surrounding the mikoshi enliven the festival while fulfilling their respective roles: "Hachiman Daikagura" and "Yamada Daikagura" purify the path of the mikoshi, "Hachiman Shika-odori" and "Sekiguchi Kenbai" guard behind the mikoshi, and "Sakaida Tora-mai" and "Atago Youth Association Yagibushi" cheer on the festival. In the Yamada Hachimangu procession, the greatest highlight is the "Okai Nobori" (climbing the sacred steps), where the mikoshi, having run through the town all day, rushes up steep stairs as its final challenge. Meanwhile, in the Osugi Shrine procession, the "Kaijo Togyo" (marine procession) is performed, where the mikoshi is placed on a boat and goes to the entrance of Yamada Bay to pray for safety at sea and a bountiful catch. Prior to the marine procession, "Omishio Gori"—where the mikoshi enters the sea from the beach to cleanse impurities—is also performed, and the observance conducted through traditional methods from long ago is highly acclaimed. This festival is an enthusiastic event rooted in the local community, filled with the thoughts of people who live alongside the sea.

Venue

Yamada Town

Yamada-machi, Shimohei-gun, Iwate