Hitachi no Kuni Sōshagū Grand Festival

Festival highlights

A highlight is the procession accompanying the grand mikoshi, followed by sasara, shishi, dashi, and other participants.

The dashi serve as mobile stages, where dancers perform to the Ishiioka Bayashi music.

Covered shishi are a distinctive Ishioka performance in which a shishi head is attached to the front of a cart carrying a small hut, and dances forward to music.

On the middle day, large processions of covered shishi and dashi are presented near the station.

Source: 石岡のおまつり（常陸國總社宮例大祭）が開催されます！ | 石岡市公式ホームページ

Three days of the grand mikoshi and covered shishi bringing color to the streets of Ishioka

What to expect

The festival unfolds around the Shinkō-sai, Hōshuku-sai, and Kankō-sai ceremonies.

On the first day, the grand mikoshi is carried in procession from Sōshagū to the temporary shrine in the designated town. On the middle day, events include a dedication sumo tournament, kagura, and processions of covered shishi and dashi.

On the final day, the grand mikoshi returns from the temporary shrine to Sōshagū, and the festival concludes with shrine ceremonies and the handover to the next designated town.

A festival where visitors can watch processions and dedicatory performances at various locations around the city.

How to take part

The festival is organized primarily by the shrine and ujiko from each neighborhood. General visitors can watch the processions and hono events.

Participants from each neighborhood pull the dashi by its ropes, while young people from the year’s lead neighborhood carry the mikoshi. However, no information is provided on whether general visitors can join in.

The usual way to take part as a spectator is to watch the festival from designated areas.

Location and access

Venue and address

Central Ishikaoka City.

Processions take place at various locations, mainly along Ekimae Miyuki-dori. Hitachi-no-Kuni Soshagu Shrine is at 2-8-1 Soja, Ishioka City.

Train and bus

A short walk from the west exit of Ishioka Station on the JR Joban Line.

Hitachi-no-Kuni Soshagu Shrine is a 20-minute walk (about 1.2 km) from Ishioka Station.

The Kashitetsu BRT takes about 5 minutes from Higashitanaka bus stop to Ishioka Station.

By car

About 10 minutes from the Chiyoda-Ishioka IC on the Joban Expressway via Route 6.

To Hitachi-no-Kuni Soshagu Shrine: From the Chiyoda-Ishioka IC, take Route 6 toward Mito for 3 km.

Parking

Parking is available at Ibaraki Densetsu Sports Park Ishioka (600 spaces), Ishioka City Hall (100 spaces), Temporary Parking Lot 1 (120 spaces), Ishioka Event Plaza (500 spaces), Sports Plaza Yamashin Temporary Parking Lot (200 spaces), and Ishioka Municipal Station East Parking Lot (150 spaces).

You cannot enter or exit parking lots within the restricted area while traffic restrictions are in effect.

Address Central Ishioka, Ibaraki Prefecture

Open in Google Maps

Dates and season

2026 Festival Information (The listed dates have passed)

In 2026, the festival was held for 3 days, from September 19 (Saturday) through the 21st (a Monday and public holiday).

The 19th is the Shinkō-sai, the 20th the Hōshuku-sai, and the 21st the Kankō-sai.

The annual festival ceremony took place on September 15 (Tuesday), and Morikichō was the designated town.

In 2026, the event times and part of the mikoshi procession route were changed on the final day.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

Extensive traffic restrictions are in place in the central city area during the festival, and congestion and traffic jams are expected nearby.

You cannot enter or exit parking lots within the restricted area while the restrictions are in effect, so if you are traveling by car, check the traffic restriction map and parking lot hours in advance.

The festival generally goes ahead even in rainy weather, but events may be changed, scaled back, or canceled due to typhoons, weather warnings, or other circumstances.

Nearby attractions

Hitachi no Kuni Sōshagū, the center of the festival, is located at 2-8-1 Sōja, Ishioka.

It is said that when the provincial government of Hitachi Province was based here, Ishioka flourished as a political and cultural center, and the Sōja served as a place to enshrine the province’s deities together.

Visiting the shrine grounds alongside the festival also offers a chance to learn about the shrine’s history, which underpins the grand festival.

Source: 常陸國總社宮 | 【公式】茨城県 石岡市観光協会

Temples and shrinesIshioka City

常陸國總社宮

石岡市にある神社

Visit the official page ↗ⓘ Photo and data sources

Photo and data sources×

写真：Saigen Jiro / CC0

Photo source ·

Facility data source

Parks and gardensIshioka City

茨城県フラワーパーク

茨城県石岡市にあるテーマパーク

Visit the official page ↗ⓘ Photo and data sources

Photo and data sources×

写真：Coptic Light / CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo source ·

Facility data source

Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Hitachi no Kuni Sōshagū Grand Festival

Hitachi no Kuni Sōshagū is also said to have been founded during the Tenpyō era.

Various elements were added to the grand festival from the early modern period onward, and a dedication sumo tournament began during the Enkyō era.

In the first half of the Meiji period, the foundations of today’s festival took shape, with lavish performances parading through the town. The designated-town system was introduced in Meiji 20, and its current form was established in Meiji 35.

Official information

The official Hitachi no Kuni Sōshagū website provides information about the grand festival dates, events, arrangements for bad weather, and traffic restrictions.

The Ishioka City official website provides information about the festival outline, access, parking, and traffic restrictions.

Hitachi no Kuni Sōshagū Grand Festival at a Glance

The Hitachi no Kuni Sōshagu Grand Festival centers on the grand mikoshi’s procession and return, with covered shishi, dashi, sasara, music, and a dedication sumo tournament taking place in central Ishioka.

The neighborhoods, led by the designated town, divide responsibilities to support the shrine ceremonies and processions through the city.

In 2026, the festival was held from September 19 through the 21st, with traffic restrictions in a wide area that included the area around Ishioka Station.