Kazusa Twelve Shrines Festival (Naked Festival)

About this event

Said to have begun approximately 1,200 years ago, this grand ritual centers on the deity Tamayori-hime no Mikoto and her related kin deities reuniting once a year at Tsurigasaki Coast. Led by a sacred horse, over 1,000 men carry portable shrines (mikoshi) dedicated to these associated deities, dashing across Kujukuri Beach to gather at Tsurigasaki Coast. The scene is breathtaking and has been designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Chiba Prefecture. Also popularly known as the "Naked Festival," the sight of men carrying the mikoshi nearly naked and energetically running along the water's edge is truly impressive. During the annual festival, a total of 9 mikoshi from 5 shrines—including Tamasaki Shrine, Nangu Shrine in Miyahara, and Tamasaki Shrine in Nakahara, Misaki Town, Isumi City—converge at the festival grounds in Tsurigasaki. The venue is filled with excitement from the chants of the bearers and the applause of spectators. The festival also features Kazusa Kagura performances and a children's procession, drawing large crowds.

Venue

Kazusa-no-Kuni Ichinomiya Tamasaki Shrine

3048 Ichinomiya, Ichinomiya-machi, Chosei-gun, Chiba 299-4301