Izawa’s Gion Festival, carried on by 12 large and small dashi and mikoshi
Izawa Gion Festival Float Procession
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Mid-July, Saturday and Sunday
- Location
- Isawa
- Area
- Mie Prefecture・Matsusaka City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 30 min–3 h · bullet train + connecting 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
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
The Izawa Gion Festival float procession, handed down in Izawa-cho, Matsusaka City, is a prefecturally designated intangible folk cultural property featuring 12 large and small and 2 parading through the town. It preserves a distinctive festival format in which small dashi lead the mikoshi, and large dashi respond with .
About Izawa Gion Festival Float Procession
The Izawa Gion Festival float procession is a prefecturally designated intangible folk cultural property passed down at Isawa Jinja in Izawa-cho, Matsusaka City.
Each of the six neighborhood groups brings out 1 large dashi and 1 small dashi, making a total of 12 large and small dashi and 2 mikoshi that form the festival procession.
It is an event that conveys the characteristics of an early modern urban festival, established against the backdrop of Izawa’s prosperity, which grew through the production of keifun (a type of white powder).
Festival highlights
A highlight is the procession in which large and small dashi make their way through town alongside the mikoshi.
During the eve-of-festival celebrations, the small dashi lead the mikoshi. At night, the large dashi gather at the , face the small dashi, and compete through hayashi performances.
Lit by festival lanterns, the dashi and mikoshi look different from how they do during the day, and the scene when all 12 large and small dashi come together has its own distinctive splendor.
Izawa’s Gion Festival, carried on by 12 large and small dashi and mikoshi
What to expect
From the morning of the eve-of-festival celebrations, each group puts up its banners and assembles its dashi.
At around 1 p.m., the first conch shell signals the start, and the small dashi carrying children are pulled out to the area below the shrine. The mikoshi then make their way through the neighborhoods.
The small dashi gather at the otabisho, and the large dashi join them at night.
The next day, the small dashi parade through town with the mikoshi, and hayashi accompany the mikoshi on its return to the shrine at night.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Isawa Jinja / 1073 Izawa-cho, Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture
- Train and bus
Take a bus bound for Oishi via Sho from JR or Kintetsu Matsusaka Station for about 20 minutes, and get off at Kokudo Izawa.
- Parking
80 vehicles
Address 1073 Izawa-cho, Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Mid-July, Saturday and Sunday
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 Mie Prefecture / Matsusaka City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
松坂城
三重県松阪市にある城
Origins and History of Izawa Gion Festival Float Procession
The festival is said to have begun long ago to quell an epidemic.
Its year of origin is uncertain, but a festival featuring a “yama” is believed to have been held around Tenna 3 (1683).
The large dashi were established between the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and the small dashi in the mid-18th century. The festival developed as an early modern urban festival against the backdrop of Izawa’s prosperity.
Official information
射和祇園まつり公式サイト：射和衹園まつり
松阪市公式ホームページ「射和祇園祭の屋台行事」：射和祇園祭の屋台行事 - 文化情報 - お肉のまち 松阪市公式ホームページ
Izawa Gion Festival Float Procession at a Glance
The Izawa Gion Festival float procession is a festival featuring 12 large and small dashi passed down by the six neighborhood groups of Izawa-cho, and 2 mikoshi belonging to Isawa Jinja.
A major distinctive feature is the format in which the small dashi lead the mikoshi and compete in hayashi with the large dashi at the otabisho.
The festival is said to have begun with prayers to quell epidemics. Records from around 1683 and the dashi handed down since the Edo period tell the story of the region’s history.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
