Location: Yokohama Minato Mirai 21 Rinko Park (and other locations)
Kanagawa This Month - Latest Kanagawa Tourist Information
June 2007
Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Festival :
June 1 (Fri) to June 2 (Sat)
A grand event carried out in commemoration of the opening of the Yokohama Port. In addition to marine events such as the Government and Municipal Offices Boat Parade, there will be several on-stage events including live concerts and dance shows. The main attractions are the live concerts that will be held in conjunction with the two-day festival and the light show that will light up the Yokohama Port and fill the air with lights and sounds as well as fireworks that will be reflected in the water (20:20-21:00).
For details, contact the Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Festival Executive Committee (Tel: 045-212-5511).
15-minute walk from Sakuragicho Station.
> Yokohama Minato Mirai Manyo Club
> Yokohama Port Opening Festival
Hakone Sekisho Festival : June 2 (Sat) to June 3 (Sun)
Location: Old Hakone Checkpoint in Hakone Town
Various events are held at the Old Hakone Checkpoint, which was opened in April 2007 after being completely restored. Attractions include a foot bath, the Yosakoi Soran Festival and unadorned bonnet shells, as well as a daimyo procession on the 3rd.
For details, contact the Hakone Town Office Tourist Department (Tel: 0460-85-7410).
Ride bus bound for Hakone Town from Odawara Station for 55 minutes and get off at Sekishoato-Iriguchi.
> Hakone Check Point
Asama Shrine Festival : June 2 (Sat) to June 3 (Sun)
Location: Asama Shrine in Nishi-ku, Yokohama
A festival in the lively city of Yokohama with an old downtown feel to it, featuring about 400 street vendors every year. There is a portable shrine parade on the 2nd and an event where eight miniature shrines are carried by parishioners on the 3rd.
For details, contact Asama Shrine (Tel: 045-311-2891).
Approximately 13-minute walk from the West Exit of Yokohama Station.
Jamokamo Festival : June 3 (Sun)
Location: Hara Shinmeisha Shrine in Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama
This festival has a long history of 300 years in Namamugi, Tsurumi-ku. It is a unique ethnic festival in Yokohama in which two large snakes (made from straw and measuring approximately 20 m in length and 1 m in diameter) are carried through the town while praying for the vanquishing of disease and misfortune.
For details, contact the Namamugi Jamokamo Preservation Society (Tel: 045-501-2419).
Sunosaki Shrine Lantern Festival : June 8 (Fri) to June 10 (Sun)
Location: Sunosaki Ogami in Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama and vicinity
Annual festival at Sunosaki Shrine, a historic shrine built by Yoritomo Minamotono in 1191. The highlight of the festival is watching Japan’s largest portable shrine weighing two tons and standing 5 m high be pulled by a tractor. The sight of several lanterns lit up around the portable shrine softly rocking back and forth is truly mystical. The portable shrine will be pulled through town on the 10th.
For details, contact the Sunosaki Shrine (Tel: 045-441-5081).
3-minute walk from Kanagawa Station on the Keikyu Line.
Toppikipi Odori (Tiger Dance) : June 9 (Sat)
Location: Tametomo Shrine in Yokosuka
The theme is the scene from The Battles of Coxinga where Watonai kills a tiger. Two people get into a tiger costume and rush about in a frenzy performing acrobatic moves like the “karako odori” and “torakaeshi.” Starts at 8 p.m.
(Designated as an intangible cultural asset by the prefecture)
(Designated as an intangible cultural asset by the prefecture)
For details, contact the Yokosuka City Call Center (Tel: 046-822-2500).
Ride the bus bound for Kurihama Station from Uraga Station on the Keikyu Line for about 5 minutes and get off at Koyamachi.
Annual Gosho Shrine Festival : June 10 (Sun)
Location: Gosho Shrine in Kamakura
Gosho Shrine (“gosho” means "five places”) gets its name from the fact that five local shrines were merged and it is dedicated to five deities. The festival starts at 10 a.m., and the shrine carrying event starts at 3 p.m.
For details, contact Yakumo Shrine (Tel: 0467-22-3347).
Take a bus from Kamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line.
Shiokagura Festival : June 16 (Sat)
Location: Morito Shrine in Horiuchi, Hayama Town
“Shiokagura,” Shinto music and dance numbers, are performed starting at 1 p.m. and offered as prayers for safety at sea and good catches.
For details, contact the Hayama Town Fisheries Cooperative (Tel: 046-875-9509).
Ride the bus bound for Hayama from Zushi Station on the JR Yokosuka Line or Shin-zushi Station on the Keikyu Line for approximately 15 minutes, and get off at Morito Shrine.
Nagoshi no Harae (“Summer Purification Rites”) : June 30 (Sat)
Location: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura / Enoshima Shrine in Enoshima, Fujisawa / Samukawa Shrine in Samukawa Town / Hakone Shrine in Hakone Town
This event is for ridding oneself of the impurities of the last half-year and includes ceremonies, Chinowakuguri (Passing through the Circle of Miscanthus) and other rituals at each shrine.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine: (Tel: 0467-22-0315)
Enoshima Shrine: (Tel: 0466-22-4020)
Samukawa Shrine: (Tel: 0467-75-0004)
Hakone Shrine: (Tel: 0460-83-7123)
Enoshima Shrine: (Tel: 0466-22-4020)
Samukawa Shrine: (Tel: 0467-75-0004)
Hakone Shrine: (Tel: 0460-83-7123)
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine : Approximately 10-minute walk from Kamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line
Enoshima Shrine : Approximately 15-minute walk from Katase-Enoshima Station on the Odakyu Line
Samukawa Shrine : Approximately 5-minute walk from Miyayama Station on the JR Sagami Line
Hakone Shrine : Approximately 60-minute bus ride from the East Exit of Odawara Station (get off at Motohakone)
> Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine
> Enoshima Jinja Shrine
> Samukawa jinja Shrine
> Hakone Jinja Shrine
http://www.hachimangu.or.jp (Japanese)
http://www.enoshimajinja.or.jp/ (Japanese)
http://hakonejinja.or.jp/ (Japanese)