A gathering festival passed down in Awa, with mikoshi from 10 shrines and dashi from 5 shrines
Awa Yawatanmachi
The 2026 edition of Awa Yawatanmachi has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/09/19 〜 2026/09/20Ended
- Season / frequency
- Mid- to late September / Every year
- Location
- Tsuruya Hachimangu Shrine / locations throughout the city
- Area
- Chiba Prefecture・Tateyama City, Minamiboso City(From Tokyo: approx. 40 min–1 h · 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
- 2026/11/11
Awa Yawatanmachi is a festival in the Awa region, where , , and boats from Tateyama and Minamiboso gather around Tsuruya Hachimangu Shrine. Local traditions continue from the water-drawing rite through the gathering of the mikoshi, the arrival of the dashi, and their return to the shrine.
About Awa Yawatanmachi
Awa Yawatanmachi is a festival in the Awa region centered on Tsuruya Hachimangu Shrine in Tateyama.
Mikoshi from 10 shrines and dashi and boats from 5 shrines in Tateyama and Minamiboso come together. A major feature is that this is a gathering festival where mikoshi from different areas meet in one place.
Tsuruya Hachimangu Shrine is said to have been founded in the mid-Heian period as the provincial head shrine of Awa Province, and moved to its present location during the Kamakura period.
On the festival’s first day, a water-drawing rite is also held at Moto Hachiman Shrine in Fuchu, Minamiboso.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the powerful scene of several mikoshi gathering at Tsuruya Hachimangu Shrine.
On the first day, mikoshi-buri takes place in the , where mikoshi from around 10 shrines repeatedly sway and dip.
The dashi and boats parade through town, then gather at the east exit of Tateyama Station at dusk on the second day, filling the air with played on drums and flutes.
Street stalls also line the area around the shrine, helping create the festival atmosphere.
A gathering festival passed down in Awa, with mikoshi from 10 shrines and dashi from 5 shrines
What to expect
The festival opens on the first day, Yoimachi, with a water-drawing ritual that begins at Moto Hachiman Shrine in Fuchu, Minamiboso, followed by the gathering of mikoshi at Tsuruya Hachimangu Shrine.
On the second day, prayers are offered for the mikoshi of each shrine, along with a festival praying for a good catch, the shinko-sai, and the arrival of the dashi. The mikoshi begin returning to their respective shrines in the evening.
The mikoshi of Tsuruya Hachimangu Shrine also makes a beach-entry visit to the coast.
During Sugimachi on the final day, a is held to return the from the mikoshi to the shrine building.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Tsuruya Hachimangu Shrine / locations throughout the city, 68 Yawata, Tateyama
- Train and bus
About a 10-minute walk from Tateyama Station on the JR Uchibo Line
- By car
Traffic restrictions will be in place during the festival in 2026.
Visitors are advised to use public transportation.
Address 68 Yawata, Tateyama, Chiba / locations throughout the city
Dates and season
2026 festival information (the listed dates have passed)
The festival is scheduled for September 19 (Saturday) and the 20th (Sunday), 2026.
In a typical year, it takes place from mid- to late September, on the Saturday and Sunday immediately before Respect for the Aged Day.
Tips for your visit
Visitors are advised that traffic restrictions will be in place during the festival in 2026.
As the festival takes place not only at Tsuruya Hachimangu Shrine but also at locations throughout the city, check where to go in accordance with the movements of the mikoshi, dashi, and boats.
Origins and History of Awa Yawatanmachi
In the Edo period, the festival was called “Hojoe,” and the name “Kokushi-sai” began to be used in the early Showa period.
It was designated a Chiba Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property on March 30, 2004.
Records from the shrine dating to Daiei 5 (1525) show that at least 8 shrines’ mikoshi were gathering by the 16th century.
Later, Takamimusubi Shrine was added in the early Meiji period, followed by Koyasu Shrine in Showa 4 (1929), bringing the total to the current 10 shrines.
The 5 dashi and floats in the Hojo district are believed to have been added in the late Meiji period.
Official information
Tateyama City Hall’s “Awa Yawatanmachi: Chiba Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property” page provides information on the festival dates, September 19, 2026 and 20, and a 2026 guide map.
Awa Yawatanmachi at a Glance
Awa Yawatanmachi is a gathering festival where mikoshi from 10 shrines and dashi and boats from 5 shrines in Tateyama and Minamiboso come together around Tsuruya Hachimangu Shrine.
Shinji and events continue over several days, including the water-drawing rite, mikoshi-buri, the shinko-sai, the arrival of the dashi, the return of the mikoshi to their shrines, the beach-entry ritual, and Sugimachi.
The festival’s name changed from “Hojoe” in the Edo period to its present name, and the mikoshi and dashi have also been added over time.
The festival is listed as taking place on September 19 and the 20th, 2026.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
