Obama Hojo Festival

About this event

Boasting over 380 years of history and tradition, the Wakasa region's largest autumn festival, the "Obama Hojo Festival," is the annual grand festival of Hachiman Shrine enshrined in Obama City, Fukui Prefecture. Held every year on the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding the third Monday of September (Respect for the Aged Day), it is designated as a Fukui Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The 24 parish districts of former Obama Town split into halves every other year to perform a diverse array of festival arts: Odaiko (giant drums), Kagura (sacred dance), Shishi (lion dance), Dashi (floats), and Mikoshi (portable shrines). These performing arts are dedicated at the shrine and also showcased at the headquarters of each district, as well as in front of donor households and shops, filling the town with the sounds of flutes and drums and draping the entire city in festival spirit. The shrine entrance (Miyairi) where each performance group offers its dedication to Hachiman Shrine is an absolute must-see: floats race vigorously up the approach while performing intense "Otoshi" music, kagura groups make their entrance with passionate "Seme" melodies before dedicating the graceful sacred piece "Miwa," and Odaiko drummers beat their massive drums with sheer fury as if ready to break their arms. The "Yoimiya Seizoroi" eve gathering, where performances from each district assemble and co-perform, is also a rare and precious spectacle. The inherited arts and musical accompaniments represent the identity and pride of the people of each district, and understanding their differences makes the experience even more rewarding. You can also catch glimpses of the festival spirit during the practice periods, main rehearsals, and alignment sessions.

Venue

Obama City

Obama, Fukui