Hirai Autumn Festival (Kasuga Shrine and Hachiman Shrine Annual Grand Festival)

About this event

Held in Hinode Town, Tokyo, the "Hirai Autumn Festival (Kasuga Shrine and Hachiman Shrine Annual Grand Festival)" is an event that represents autumn in the Hirai district. The "Shimohirai Phoenix Dance," recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (Furyu-odori) and a Nationally Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, is dedicated at the festival. This dance has historically been performed to pray for rain and ward off epidemics. The "Phoenix Dance" features Kamigata (Kyoto/Osaka) influences, while the "Yakko Dance" reflects Edo styles, making them a rare pair of performing arts in Japan. The "Yakko Dance," performed by elementary school boys, centers around taiko drums using white folding fans and wooden swords, while the "Phoenix Dance," performed by youths of junior high school age and older, showcases a valiant dance by performers wearing golden phoenix crowns and red hoods. Furthermore, during the annual festival of Hachiman Shrine, 5 festival floats (dashi) parade through the town, and during the "Keriai" (float face-off) on Hirai-no-Yado Street, the floats gather to exchange festive musical chants (ohayashi), which is a key highlight. At night, the illuminated floats create a magical spectacle. The mikoshi (portable shrines) of Kasuga Shrine and Hachiman Shrine are also paraded, uniting the entire community in prayer for bountiful harvests and protection from epidemics.

Venue

Kasuga Shrine

3690-1 Hirai, Hinode-machi, Nishitama-gun, Tokyo 190-0182