Mikoshi and parents’ prayers, carried on in a post town along the old Mito Kaido
The Gion Festival at Wakashiba Yasaka Jinja
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year: July 15, the 27th, and the 29th / Every year
- Location
- Yasaka grounds and other locations
- Area
- Ibaraki Prefecture・Ryugasaki City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 10 min–1 h 30 min · limited express)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
- 2026/10/21
This Gion Festival in Wakashiba-machi, Ryugasaki City, offers a chance to experience a festival tradition that has continued since the late Edo period.
About The Gion Festival at Wakashiba Yasaka Jinja
The Gion Festival at Wakashiba Yasaka Jinja is a festival event held in Wakashiba, once a post town on the old Mito Kaido, and has continued since at least the late Edo period.
Miyanagi and the transfer of the shrine deity to an o-kariya temporary shrine, along with carrying, take place at Yasaka Jinja and other locations in Wakashiba-machi, Ryugasaki City.
The dates are fixed each year, and the tradition of local carrying the mikoshi continues.
Source: PDF資料
Festival highlights
Its main distinguishing features are that only local ujiko carry the mikoshi and that it includes the mikoshi-kuguri ritual.
During mikoshi-kuguri, mothers carrying small children pass beneath the mikoshi and pray for their children’s healthy growth.
This event has a distinctive feature that is rare even nationally: a local festival centered on the mikoshi, intertwined with the hopes of parents and children.
Mikoshi and parents’ prayers, carried on in a post town along the old Mito Kaido
What to expect
The festival begins with miyanagi on July 15.
Miyanagi involves cleaning the shrine buildings and grounds and putting up ropes. The transfer to the o-kariya temporary shrine takes place on July 27, followed by mikoshi carrying on July 29.
Local ujiko carry the mikoshi, while during mikoshi-kuguri, mothers carrying children pass beneath it.
How to take part
Only local ujiko are said to carry the mikoshi.
During mikoshi-kuguri, mothers carrying small children take part in a ritual by passing beneath the mikoshi.
Other forms of general participation are not included among the stated conditions.
Local ujiko carry the mikoshi.
During mikoshi-kuguri, mothers carrying small children pass beneath the mikoshi.
No information is provided about participation procedures such as registration, reservations, or fees.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Yasaka Jinja grounds and other locations; 1712 Okimochi, Wakashiba-machi, Ryugasaki City
Address 1712 Okimochi, Wakashiba-machi, Ryugasaki City
Dates and season
- Season
Every year: July 15, the 27th, and the 29th
- Frequency
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 Ibaraki Prefecture / Ryugasaki City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Origins and History of The Gion Festival at Wakashiba Yasaka Jinja
The Gion Festival at Wakashiba Yasaka Jinja is a festival event that has continued in Wakashiba, once a post town on the old Mito Kaido, since at least the late Edo period.
The festival dates are fixed each year, and the events of miyanagi, transfer to the o-kariya temporary shrine, and mikoshi carrying are passed down.
Local ujiko carrying the mikoshi is also presented as a concrete example of how the tradition continues.
The Gion Festival at Wakashiba Yasaka Jinja at a Glance
The Gion Festival at Wakashiba Yasaka Jinja is a festival held in Wakashiba-machi, Ryugasaki City, and has continued since at least the late Edo period.
Miyanagi on July 15, the transfer to the o-kariya temporary shrine on the 27th, and mikoshi carrying on the 29th take place on the same dates each year.
The festival is also characterized by local ujiko carrying the mikoshi and by mikoshi-kuguri, in which mothers carrying small children pass beneath it.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/21
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