A traditional Yoshida festival featuring floats following the mikoshi and children’s kabuki
Danjiri floats
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year May 5 / Every year
- Location
- Kiyogami Shrine, Yoshida Shopping Street, and the Yoshida Hondori area
- Area
- Hiroshima Prefecture・Akitakata City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 50 min–4 h 20 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.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
These floats and children’s kabuki, passed down in Yoshida Town, Akitakata City, are part of the service to Kiyogami Shrine’s annual festival. The floats travel through town following the procession, and children perform kabuki on the stages aboard them.
About Danjiri floats
The danjiri floats that take part in the annual festival at Kiyogami Shrine in Yoshida Town, Akitakata City, and the children’s kabuki performed aboard them.
At the annual festival, the floats follow the mikoshi procession, and traditional performing arts are presented throughout Yoshida.
The floats are prefabricated structures modeled on the yamahoko floats of Kyoto’s Gion Festival. Today, 2 floats, Chitose-yama and Yakumo-yama, are still passed down.
This intangible folk culture of Yoshida Town brings together a local festival and performances by children.
Source: 子供歌舞伎だんじり屋台（吉田町） | 安芸高田市
Festival highlights
A highlight is watching the Chitose-yama and Yakumo-yama danjiri floats parade through town, with 3 children performing kabuki aboard them.
The stage on each float is 3 meters wide and 2.4 meters deep, with a hanamichi runway at the front.
There is a backstage area behind the stage, where the tayu narrator, shamisen players, and hayashikata musicians support the performance.
Enjoy the combination of the float’s structure and the children’s kabuki performed on board.
Source: あきたかた NAVI | 吉田の市入祭
A traditional Yoshida festival featuring floats following the mikoshi and children’s kabuki
What to expect
The festival begins with a mikoshi procession from Kiyogami Shrine, followed by the danjiri floats.
The floats parade through the town, and children perform kabuki on stages aboard them.
Rooms behind the stages serve as backstage areas for the tayu narrators, shamisen players, and hayashikata musicians, supporting the performances and music.
The shrine rites, mikoshi procession, float parade, and children’s kabuki form one continuous festival.
Source: 吉田の市入祭 壇尻子供歌舞伎｜NPO 日本の祭りネットワーク
Location and access
- Venue and address
Kiyogami Shrine, Yoshida Shopping Street, and the Yoshida Hondori area (Yoshida, Yoshida Town, Akitakata City, Hiroshima Prefecture)
- By car
Travel from the Takata IC on the Chugoku Expressway.
Address Yoshida, Yoshida Town, Akitakata City, Hiroshima Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Every year May 5
- Frequency
Every year
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 Hiroshima Prefecture / Akitakata City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Origins and History of Danjiri floats
The danjiri float tradition is said to have begun in Enpo 2 (1674) and to have a history of more than 300 years.
It is said that 5 sets of floats once took part, but today only 2 remain: Chitose-yama and Yakumo-yama.
The floats are modeled on the yamahoko floats of Kyoto’s Gion Festival and are prefabricated structures made using chestnut wood and paintings.
In Showa 43September 1, the children’s kabuki danjiri floats were designated as intangible folk cultural properties.
Official information
The Akitakata City cultural heritage guide introduces the origins and structure of the children’s kabuki danjiri floats, their public display dates, and the preservation group.
For inquiries, contact the Akitakata City Board of Education.
Danjiri floats at a Glance
The danjiri floats are a traditional part of Yoshida Town’s culture and accompany the mikoshi at Kiyogami Shrine’s annual festival.
The Chitose-yama and Yakumo-yama floats parade through town, with kabuki performed aboard them by 3 children.
The tradition is said to have begun in 1674 and has been passed down for more than 300 years.
One of its distinctive features is that visitors can experience the shrine rites, float parade, and children’s kabuki as part of a single festival.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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