A misogi festival where mikoshi and their calls enliven the beach at dawn
Hamakudari Festival
The 2026 edition of Hamakudari Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/20Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year on the Marine Day holiday, the July Marchday / Every year
- Location
- Chigasaki Nishihama Beach (west of Chigasaki Fishing Port)
- Area
- Kanagawa Prefecture・Chigasaki City(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
- Open to public participation / spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Free
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
from shrines in Chigasaki City and Samukawa Town gather at Chigasaki Nishihama Beach at dawn. The festival heralds the arrival of summer, with in the sea followed by a joint festival accompanied by the calls of the Soshu mikoshi.
About Hamakudari Festival
Hamakudari Festival is a mikoshi festival held at Nishihama Beach in Chigasaki.
Mikoshi from Samukawa Shrine and other shrines in Chigasaki City and Samukawa Town gather there to perform misogi rites in the sea.
The festival is held to pray for bountiful harvests and industrial development, and is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Kanagawa Prefecture.
Source: 7/20（海の日）浜降祭について | 茅ヶ崎観光情報サイト「ちがさきナビ」茅ヶ崎市観光協会｜ / 茅ヶ崎海岸浜降祭について｜茅ヶ崎市
Festival highlights
A highlight is the sight of around 40 mikoshi gathering on the beach before dawn and performing misogi on the sand.
The mikoshi enter one after another, accompanied by the distinctive “Dokkoisho, dokkoisho” calls of the Soshu mikoshi.
After the joint festival, the mikoshi all set off back at once. There is also a period when you may see them enter the sea.
Source: 茅ケ崎海岸浜降祭（神奈川県／茅ケ崎市）｜開催期間・アクセス｜るるぶ&more.
A misogi festival where mikoshi and their calls enliven the beach at dawn
What to expect
The festival begins with each shrine’s mikoshi procession setting out around midnight, and the mikoshi enter Chigasaki Nishihama Beach early in the morning.
The joint festival begins at 7 a.m., and around 8 a.m. the mikoshi begin their return journeys.
Whether and how the mikoshi enter the water depends on conditions and weather; they may not enter the sea at all.
How to take part
Visitors are welcome.
Information is also available for joining as a mikoshi bearer, and Shinmachi Itsukushima Shrine accepts bearer applications on an ongoing basis.
If you wish to participate, follow the instructions from the shrine you plan to join, as application procedures and precautions differ by shrine.
If you wish to carry a mikoshi for Shinmachi Itsukushima Shrine, check in at the shrine no later than 30 minutes before the procession sets out.
Advance reservations are not required. After checking in, participants are given a green towel to identify themselves.
If you have concerns about clothing or preparations, you can use the inquiry form to ask questions in advance.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Chigasaki Nishihama Beach (west of Chigasaki Fishing Port).
The address is Nishihama Beach, Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture.
- Train and bus
It is a 25-minute walk from JR Chigasaki Station.
- By car
Traffic restrictions apply on nearby roads.
If you are arriving by car, be aware of traffic restrictions.
- Parking
Chigasaki Fishing Port Parking Lot is at 4-24-12988-112 Nango, Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. It is open from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. and has space for 273 vehicles.
Address Nishihama Beach, Chigasaki, Kanagawa
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, it was held on July 20 (Monday, Marine Day).
Each shrine’s mikoshi procession was scheduled to set out around midnight, the first mikoshi to enter at around 4 a.m., the joint festival to open at 7 a.m., and the mikoshi to begin their return journeys at 8 a.m.
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 / Chigasaki City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
As the festival takes place on the beach early in the morning, it is best to allow plenty of time to arrive before the mikoshi enter and the joint festival begins.
Traffic restrictions apply on nearby roads.
Depending on the weather, the mikoshi may not enter the sea, and viewing spots may not be available depending on crowd levels.
Nearby attractions
神奈川県立茅ケ崎里山公園
日本の神奈川県茅ヶ崎市にある公園
鶴嶺八幡宮
神奈川県茅ヶ崎市浜之郷にある神社
Origins and History of Hamakudari Festival
There are several theories about the origins of Hamakudari Festival.
One local tradition says that misogi began after a mikoshi from Samukawa Shrine was lost in the Sagami River and a fishing-boat owner in Nango found the . There are also records that mikoshi processions to the beach had long been held at Tsurumine Hachimangu Shrine.
In 1876, the misogi rites held according to the lunar calendar were moved to the new-calendar date of July 15, and the event came to be called Hamakudari Festival.
Official information
The 2026 event information lists the Chigasaki Coast Hamakudari Festival Organizing Committee as the organizer.
For inquiries, contact the organizing committee at the General Affairs Department of Samukawa Shrine. The phone number is 0467-75-0004.
You can also check the Chigasaki City Tourism Association’s information for the venue and schedule.
Hamakudari Festival at a Glance
Hamakudari Festival is a festival designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Kanagawa Prefecture, where many mikoshi gather at Chigasaki Nishihama Beach and perform misogi in the sea.
In 2026, on Marine Day July 20, the program ran from the mikoshi processions setting out around midnight through the early-morning arrival, joint festival, and start of the return journeys.
A major highlight is watching the mikoshi move along the beach to the sound of the calls.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
Submit information or a correction Submit photos of this festival
