Kotonomama Hachiman Shrine Annual Grand Festival

About this event

Held every September at Kotonomama Hachiman Shrine in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, the 'Kotonomama Hachiman Shrine Annual Grand Festival'—locally referred to as the 'Nissaka Festival'—is a traditional festival heralding the arrival of autumn in the Enshu region. The shrine has long been revered as a sacred site where 'wishes are fulfilled exactly as uttered,' with a rich history recorded as early as the classic literature 'The Pillow Book' (Makura no Soshi). Throughout the festival, decorative floats (yatai) from surrounding districts gather at the shrine, while hand dances and traditional festival music (matsuri-bayashi) are performed as sacred offerings during the Ote Festival. A major highlight is the portable shrine procession (mikoshi togyo) on the final day, accompanied by enthusiastic and spirited chants of 'Sorayare.' At night, candles are lit inside the round hanging lanterns of the morning glory-shaped festival floats, creating a mesmerizing spectacle as they parade energetically through the streets. Over the course of three days, diverse Shinto rituals and ceremonies are observed, including safety prayers, the eve festival, the grand festival ceremony, the Ote Festival, kagura dance dedications, the divine procession, and collective banzai cheers.

Venue

Kotonomama Hachiman Shrine

642 Yasaka, Kakegawa, Shizuoka 436-0004