Shirakawa Lantern Festival

About this event

The "Shirakawa Lantern Festival" is the annual grand festival of Kashima Shrine, the general tutelary deity of the Komine Castle town of Shirakawa. Officially called the "Kashima Shrine Sairei Togyosai," it is also affectionately known as "Kashima" or the "Lantern Festival." Boasting approximately 370 years of history, this festival is held once every two years in mid-September. During the daytime, local children pull festival floats and dashi through the former castle town, and at night, a mikoshi togyo (portable shrine procession) takes place along the old Oshu Kaido road, where the mikoshi of Kashima Shrine is escorted and welcomed by lantern processions from each neighborhood. The distinctive costumes (happi coats), lanterns, and formal spoken greetings—which gave rise to the nickname "ritual festival"—are well worth seeing, making it a rare and valuable festival that can only be seen once every two years in Shirakawa City. The sight of lanterns and portable shrines from all 21 towns gathering in one place is truly breathtaking.

Venue

Shirakawa City

Shirakawa, Fukushima