Samukawa Shrine Annual Festival and Yabusame Ritual

About this event

From Saturday, September 19 to Sunday, September 20, 2026, the 'Annual Festival and Yabusame Ritual' will be held at Samukawa Shrine in Samukawa Town, Kanagawa Prefecture. Held annually on the day before the September 20 annual festival at the riding ground on the west side of the main shrine, this ritual where Takeda-ryu Yabusame (horseback archery) is dedicated prays for bountiful harvests and peace throughout the realm, and is a historic ritual founded in the Kamakura period. On September 19, following the Commerce and Industry Prayer Festival along with the Lantern Dedication Report Festival, and the Annual Festival Eve Ceremony, the Yabusame Ritual will be conducted around 14:00. In addition to the dedication by the Takeda-ryu Japan Equestrian Archery Association (Dai-Nippon Kyubakai), Shinto priests also serve as archers. The traditional Japanese martial art performed atop galloping horses captivates spectators. On September 20, the day of the annual festival, Shinto entertainment events for the festival will take place. Furthermore, from September 1 to September 23, festival lantern dedications will be held, and from September 19 to September 20, various events will be conducted throughout the shrine grounds, such as flower offerings, tea offerings, dedicated entertainment performances, a bonsai exhibition, festival music (matsuri-bayashi), and a Manto lantern parade. Samukawa Shrine is known as the Ichinomiya (first shrine) of Sagami Province, and has been famous since ancient times as a guardian deity against bad directions and all misfortunes (hoiyoke and happoyoke).

Venue

Sagaminokuni Ichinomiya Samukawa Shrine

3916 Miyayama, Samukawa-machi, Koza-gun, Kanagawa 253-0106