A traditional event where Hakone’s prayers live on in the lion’s dance around the cauldron
Hakone Yudate Shishimai
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on March 27 / Every year
- Location
- Kintoki Shrine (within Kintoki Park)
- Area
- Kanagawa Prefecture・Hakone Town(From Tokyo: approx. 30 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
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
This traditional event combines yudate and , passed down in Hakone. A distinctive ritual has been passed down in which a lion stirs the hot water and purifies worshippers with bamboo leaves dipped in it.
About Hakone Yudate Shishimai
Hakone Yudate Shishimai is a yudate kagura tradition passed down in Hakone Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, and is a rare traditional event in which a lion performs the yudate ritual.
Prayers for health and safety, the safety of the household, and abundant harvests are offered through the yudate ritual.
Preservation groups connected with Miyagino and Sengokuhara support the tradition, which is also designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Source: 湯立獅子舞 仙石原｜体験・観光スポット ｜【公式】神奈川県のお出かけ・観光・旅行サイト「観光かながわNOW」 / 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
The highlight is the lion stirring the water in the cauldron with a blue bamboo wand, then sprinkling worshippers with water using bamboo leaves.
Visitors can see up close a rare form found in few places elsewhere in Japan, combining a yudate ritual with a lion dance.
The Sengokuhara dance has been selected as a Nationally Selected Intangible Folk Cultural Property and designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property by Kanagawa Prefecture.
A traditional event where Hakone’s prayers live on in the lion’s dance around the cauldron
What to expect
Yudate Shishimai consists of seven dances: Miyamai, Hir舞, Ken no Mai, Gyō no Mai, Miyameguri no Mai, Kamameguri no Mai, and Shihōgatame no Mai.
The total duration is listed as approximately 2 hours.
During the dance offering, performers enact the yudate movements of stirring hot water and purifying worshippers with bamboo leaves dipped in it.
Source: 箱根町仙石原 公時神社（金時神社） ｜ アクセス
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Kintoki Shrine (within Kintoki Park) / 1181 Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture
- Train and bus
From Hakone-Yumoto Station, take the Hakone Tozan Bus bound for Togendai for 25 minutes. Change buses at Sengoku Information Center, get off at Kintoki Shrine Entrance, and walk 7 minutes.
- Parking
There is a parking lot at Kintoki Shrine (within Kintoki Park).
Address 1181 Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture
Dates and season
It is held on March 27 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 Kanagawa Prefecture / Hakone Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
ポーラ美術館
神奈川県箱根町にある美術館
箱根 彫刻の森美術館
日本の屋外美術館
箱根★サン＝テグジュペリ 星の王子さまミュージアム
神奈川県箱根町にある博物館
箱根神社
神奈川県足柄下郡箱根町元箱根にある神社
Origins and History of Hakone Yudate Shishimai
Yudate Shishimai is a yudate kagura tradition passed down since 1776.
Yudate rituals are held in various parts of Japan, but this one is distinctive because the lion performs the yudate ritual.
Today, groups including the Hakone Yudate Shishimai Preservation Society, the Miyagino Shishimai Preservation Society, and the Sengokuhara Kagura Preservation Society support the tradition, which is protected as a cultural property.
Official information
The official Kintoki Shrine website provides information about the seven dances of Yudate Shishimai and how to get to the venue.
公式サイト：Official website
Hakone Yudate Shishimai at a Glance
Hakone Yudate Shishimai is a traditional event that preserves a distinctive ritual in which a lion performs yudate, along with seven dances.
Through purification with hot water and dance, prayers are offered for health and safety, the safety of the household, and abundant harvests.
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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