Kamezaki Shiohi Festival | Handa City | Aichi Prefecture | Official Site | Sightseeing Information | Directions | Parking | Details | AichiNow-OFFICIAL SITE FOR TOURISM AICHI

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Handa-City Kamezaki Shiohi Festival

Date : 05/03/2023, 05/04/2023


  • Kamezaki Shiohi Festival
  • Kamezaki Shiohi Festival
  • Kamezaki Shiohi Festival
  • Kamezaki Shiohi Festival
  • Kamezaki Shiohi Festival
  • Kamezaki Shiohi Festival

Staggering Forces at Play in a Struggle Between Man and Nature, at Spectacular Kamezaki Shiohi Festival

Held annually for over 300 years, on the hallowed grounds believed to be where legendary Emperor Jinmu came ashore from Kyushu, during his expedition eastward to claim his sovereignty, the Kamezaki Shiohi Festival is a grandiose tribute to both the Emperor’s legend and the unrelenting human power! One of the 33 Japanese festivals added as joint entry “Yama, Hoko, Yatai, Float Festivals in Japan” to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage for Humanity of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on November 30th, 2016.

Five ancient but gorgeous floats, whose wooden rollers are preserved by storing them buried in the beach!

Kamezaki Shiohi Festival

Kamisaki Shrine, located at the district of Kamezaki (Handa-City) in the coastline road opposite to the beach where the climax of the festival happens, is the center of the ceremony. The Kamezaki Shiohi Festival is traditionally held on May 4 and 5, with the first day used as "rehearsal." Preparations for the event start around three months before. First, there's the rehearsals by the puppet masters in charge of operating the floats' "Karakuri" mechanical dolls, and the musical instruments players. Then, by the end of March, groups of people inspect the routes by which the floats will be pushed through. In mid-March, another group will scavenge the beach in order to unbury the massively thick wooden discs that are used as the floats' wheels. Then the others parts of the dismantled floats are removed from their storage warehouses and assembled while being strictly inspected for integrity. Everything is ceremonial, involving priests, music, traditional garments, prayers, blessings and etc.

Many an important cultural heritage on display

Kamezaki Shiohi Festival

The origins for this magnificent festival are unclear, with recent historical research found proof that it has been carried on for at least 300 years. However, some forms of celebrations are suspected to have taken place in the area since the 1500's, which made it to be designated as Important Intangible National Folk Cultural Heritage in 2006. Upon the catastrophic 1959 Ise Bay Typhoon, a massive concrete levee was built along the coast, stopping the festival from happening until 1993, when the artificial beach was completed and the festival once again started to be held in its full glory. In 1963, Aichi Prefecture appointed the floats as Important Tangible Cultural Assets, which motivated their full restoration. Although their appearance has much changed from their original forms, due to successive reforms, they still remain the original masterpieces of widely renowned Japanese artisans of old, in the form of the meticulously sculpted ornaments, luscious cloisonné columns finished in nacre, and the sumptuous gold-embroidered curtains.

The crowning moment of the festival: floats to the beach!

Handa Spring Festival

The floats are drawn from various parts of the city, each accompanied by a procession, to the Owari Sansha Shrine and Kamisaki Shrine, then gathered for blessings and dedications of the "Karakuri" dolls. However, despite all the above minute preparations, solemn ceremonies and majestic floats, they are but mere coadjutants compared to the festival climax "Hikioroshi," when the floats are pushed to the beach: armies of hundreds of men (as women are not allowed to participate), all wearing the traditional garments emblazoned with each respective guild's seal, push and pull the hefty carriages to the sea border using ropes or their bare hands, in a monumental display of force. Ropes extending from the sides of the floats are tensioned to avoid them from toppling on the soft ground. All while the musicians inside them keep on carrying the music. After their orderly alignment upon touching the water, the "Hikiage" starts in order to push them back to firm land. All this massive effort, with the music and the grand nature around the place makes this an utterly memorable experience.

Kamezaki Shiohi Festival is the last event of the Handa Spring Festival and Spring Festival, during which all the 31 floats of Handa-City can be enjoyed.
Click here to see the Handa Spring's Float Festival and Spring Festival page on Aichi Now.

EVENT OVERVIEW

  • Souvenirs
  • Parking
  • Restaurant
Date : Annually on May 3 & 4
(May 3rd (Wednesday - holiday) and 4 (Thursday - holiday), 2023)
*: Postponed in the case of rain.
Holding time : May 3rd (Wednesday - holiday),2023: Starts around 6:30 AM
May 4th (Thursday - holiday), 2023: Ends at about 7:45 PM
Place : Kamezaki Kaihin Ryokuchi Greens (Kamezaki Seaside Park)
(Kamisaki Shrine, Owari-Sansha Shrine, etc.)
Location : 〒475-0023
2-92 Kamezaki-cho, Handa-City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
(Kamizaki Shrine)
Fee : Free of charge
Parking : Temporary parking lots available
•Sunosaki temporary parking lot (free)
•Shiokazenooka temporary parking lot (free)
*: Since the Sunosaki Temporary Parking Lot uses the ground at Sunosaki Park, it may be made unavailable in case of poor conditions (i.e., wet soil, etc.).
*: If the parking lots are full, visitors may be asked to use the parking lot of some nearby company. In that case, please follow the guidance of such company's staff.
*: Please note that parking lots will be closed at 8:00 PM and entering or leaving will become impossible.
Restrooms : Available
Phone number : 0569-28-0019 (Kamisaki Shrine)

Note: This page may not be current due to update time differences between site databases.
Should accuracy be critical, please verify this information using a direct source, whenever possible.

ACCESS

  • Access by public transport
    Access by public transport
    12 min. (1km) eastwards walk from Kamezaki Station of the JR Taketoyo Line (board the train bound for Taketoyo from Nagoya Station, 45 min. ride - 580 yen).
  • Access by car
    Access by car
    Approx. 15 min. (7.6km) southeastwards from Agui I.C. of the Chitahanto (Chita Peninsula) Expressway via route 46.

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KeywordKeyword
#Kamezaki Shiohi Festival
#Handa Festival
#Dashi Festival
#Handa Floats

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