Gose Lantern Offering

This traditional event takes place at Kamotsuba Shrine in Gosho City, where neighborhood associations dedicate susuki lanterns they have assembled. Highlights include the lantern procession through the town at dusk and the dedication performance on the .

About Gose Lantern Offering

Gose Lantern Offering is a traditional event centered on Kamotsuba Shrine in Gose City, where local neighborhood associations offer susuki lanterns.

Each lantern has a distinctive design: 10 lanterns are arranged in 3 tiers on a bamboo pole about 4.5 meters high, with a wand placed at the top.

Lanterns are offered at many shrines throughout Gose City, and the event is cherished and passed down as a seasonal autumn tradition rooted in the community.

It is also designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the prefecture.

Source: 御所の献灯行事 / 奈良県 / 奈良県指定文化財 | 御所市

Festival highlights

The highlight is more than 30 susuki lanterns, assembled by neighborhood associations.

The lanterns form a procession heading to the shrine, swaying as they make their way through town in the gathering dusk.

At Kamotsuba Shrine, the Kamo no Miya Wakashukai leads the dedication performances. Enjoy the fantastical scene of dozens of lanterns lined up alongside the spirited performances.

The autumn grand festival also features a procession and Japanese performances.

Source: 「御所まち」の魅力 | 御所市 / 奈良県御所市観光歳時記 | 御所市

Great lanterns lighting up Gose at night, with the light of offerings passed down through generations

What to expect

As part of the event, each neighborhood association assembles susuki lanterns and offers them at the shrine.

Crosspieces are attached to bamboo poles, and 10 tall lanterns are assembled in 3 tiers of 2, 4, and 4, with a gohei wand placed at the top.

After the lantern procession makes its way through town, dedication performances are presented in the grounds of Kamotsuba Shrine.

The autumn grand festival also features a mikoshi procession and Japanese taiko performances.

How to take part

You can visit the shrine grounds and procession as a spectator.

The event centers on offerings by neighborhood associations, while local preservation groups and volunteer organizations are responsible for assembling the lanterns and performing the dedication dances.

International students and others are also accepted to take part in events such as the main festival’s mikoshi procession, but whether general visitors can participate in the lantern offering must be checked individually.

Location and access

Venue and address: Kamotsuba Shrine (513 Miyamaecho, Gose City, Nara Prefecture).
Parking: 鴨都波神社の駐車場は「有」と案内されています。

Address 513 Miyamaecho, Gose City, Nara Prefecture

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Dates and season

Season: The summer festival is held on July 16, and the autumn festival is held on the Saturday of the 3-day weekend in October.
Frequency: Held every year.

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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 Nara Prefecture / Gose City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)

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Tips for your visit

The lantern procession and dedication performances take place at night, so watch your step and be mindful of other visitors.

The shrine grounds can become crowded with visitors, so it is safest to watch from a place that does not obstruct the procession or offerings.

Please avoid getting too close to the lanterns or the people making offerings, and watch quietly as a local community event.

Please check the parking conditions and detailed information for the day before visiting.

Nearby attractions

Near the venue, you can visit the townscape of Gose-machi, which took shape in the early Edo period.

Gose-machi is divided into Nishi-Gose and Higashi-Gose, and retains traditional buildings and waterways that flow between the houses.

In Gose-machi, Kamotsuba Shrine’s susuki lantern offering is introduced as a local tradition.

Along with the festival, you can experience the area’s historic townscape.

Temples and shrinesGose City

葛城一言主神社

奈良県御所市森脇にある神社

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Photo and data sources

写真：Saigen Jiro / CC0

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Origins and History of Gose Lantern Offering

Gose Lantern Offering is thought to have taken its present form around the middle of the Edo period.

However, there are no conclusive records dating back to the Edo period, and it is believed to have been held by the Meiji period.

It was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of the prefecture in Heisei 12 (2000), and its traditions are now supported by groups such as the Kamotsuba Shrine Susuki Lantern Preservation Society.

The form of the lantern offerings is considered part of a tradition that includes tate-mono and kanto lanterns found throughout Japan.

Official information

The Nara Prefecture Historical and Cultural Resources Database provides an overview of Gose Lantern Offering, its location and cultural property designation, the lantern design, and its connection to the community.

For inquiries, contact the Cultural Properties Division of the Gose City Board of Education.