Hotaka Shrine Ofune Festival

About this event

This is the annual grand festival held at Hotaka Shrine, a grand shrine dedicated to the ancestral deity of the Azumi clan. It is said that the Azumi clan (a seafaring people), who had long interacted with the Asian continent and flourished in northern Kyushu, pioneered Azumino at the foot of the Northern Alps in Shinshu long ago and passed down their culture. Revered amid rich nature, the annual grand festival of Hotaka Shrine is also said to mark the anniversary of the death of Azumi no Hirafu no Mikoto, a hero of the Azumi clan who died in battle at Baekgang in 663. The highlight of the festival is the five large and small floats called 'Ofune,' decorated with stages of Hotaka dolls gathered from around the town. These floats assemble within the shrine grounds and are pulled around the Kaguraden pavilion. In particular, the scene where the two large boats violently collide marks the climax of the festival and is full of dynamic power. Representing autumn in Azumino, this festival is characterized by the parade of boat-shaped floats adorned with dolls using traditional techniques. Note that depending on the situation, the event may be changed to religious rituals only.

Venue

Hotaka Shrine

6079 Hotaka, Azumino, Nagano 399-8303