A devotional procession of Kannon and performing arts connecting shrine and temple
Akada Daibutsu Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- A weekend in the latter part of August
- Location
- Chokokuji Temple, Akada Shinmeisha Shrine
- Area
- Akita Prefecture・Yurihonjo City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 40 min–4 h 10 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/13
The Akada Daibutsu Festival is a traditional event in Akada, Yurihonjo City, connecting Chokokuji Temple and Akada Shinmeisha Shrine, with a carrying a Kannon statue and local devotional performances forming a procession.
About Akada Daibutsu Festival
The Akada Daibutsu Festival is a traditional syncretic Buddhist-Shinto event jointly held by Chokokuji Temple and Akada Shinmeisha Shrine.
It is said to have begun after the monk Zesan, beloved by local people during the Edo period, created the Hase Eleven-Faced Kannon statue at Chokokuji Temple.
It has been passed down for more than 200 years in Akada, Yurihonjo City, with prayers for a bountiful harvest and household safety.
On a weekend in the latter part of August, Buddhist and Shinto beliefs and local devotional performances come together in a single festival.
Festival highlights
Highlights include local devotional performances such as the Akada and Hiraoka Shishiodori, which parade before and after the mikoshi.
Performances passed down by the monk Zesan join the procession, including the Akada Shishimai, Shibano Shishimai, Yamada Shishimai, Hiraoka Shishiodori, and Kitafukuda Shagiri.
As the procession crosses the red bridge connecting Shinmeisha Shrine and Chokokuji Temple, performances along the way reveal the bonds among local communities.
A devotional procession of Kannon and performing arts connecting shrine and temple
What to expect
On the afternoon of the first day, the chief priest and district representatives carry a small Kannon statue—considered a manifestation of the Akada Daibutsu—about 1 km to Akada Shinmeisha Shrine, where it is enshrined overnight.
The next day, the statue is placed on a mikoshi and carried back from Shinmeisha Shrine to Chokokuji Temple.
Shishimai, shagiri music, shishiodori, and other performances from within and beyond the district join the return procession and are performed along the way.
Since 2022, however, the format has changed: the Buddha statue kept inside the Akada Daibutsu is placed at Shinmeisha Shrine the day before, and the mikoshi sets off on the day of the festival.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Chokokuji Temple, Akada Shinmeisha Shrine
Event venue 秋田県由利本荘市 長谷寺
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
- Season
A weekend in the latter part of August
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Akita Prefecture / Yurihonjo City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Across from Chokokuji Temple is Tōkōkan, a facility serving as a hub for the Akada community.
Tōkōkan is located within Gohōen, which also has a rose garden, an iris garden, and an art museum.
It is listed alongside the Akada Daibutsu as a local facility that can be found near the festival venues.
亀田城佐藤八十八美術館
秋田県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
本荘郷土資料館
秋田県由利本荘市にある資料館
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
鳥海山 木のおもちゃ館
秋田県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
写真：Jun K / CC BY-SA 2.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Akada Daibutsu Festival
The Akada Daibutsu Festival is said to have begun after the monk Zesan created the Hase Eleven-Faced Kannon statue for Chokokuji Temple during the Edo period.
For more than 200 years, it has been passed down as a syncretic Buddhist-Shinto festival jointly held by Chokokuji Temple and Akada Shinmeisha Shrine.
It used to be held over 2 days on fixed dates, with the mikoshi moved to Shinmeisha Shrine the day before and kept there overnight. However, amid a shortage of people to carry it and other factors, the format changed to its current one in 2022.
The festival’s history has also been sustained by the whole community passing down the tradition beyond the boundaries of and temple parishioners.
Official information
The Yurihonjo City Tourism Association’s information lists Chokokuji Temple as the venue and gives the temple’s phone number for inquiries.
問合せ：長谷寺 0184-22-1349
Akada Daibutsu Festival at a Glance
The Akada Daibutsu Festival is a syncretic Buddhist-Shinto event held at Chokokuji Temple and Akada Shinmeisha Shrine, featuring the transfer of the Kannon statue, the mikoshi’s return procession, and a parade of devotional performances.
It originated with the monk Zesan in the Edo period and has continued for more than 200 years as an event praying for a bountiful harvest and household safety.
The Akada Shishimai, Hiraoka Shishiodori, and other performances join the procession as it crosses the red bridge connecting Shinmeisha Shrine and Chokokuji Temple.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/13
