A spring festival tradition linking Karo’s sea and its mikoshi
Karo Shrine Spring Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on April 29 / Annual festival every year; grand festival (Hoenya Festival) every 2 years
- Location
- Karo Shrine
- Area
- Tottori Prefecture・Tottori City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 15 min–1 h 30 min · flight time only)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.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A spring festival tradition passed down at Karo Shrine in Karo-cho, Tottori City. In addition to the annual festival, the grand festival held every 2 years features a procession on the water and and performed aboard boats.
About Karo Shrine Spring Festival
The Karo Shrine Spring Festival is a spring celebration held at Karo Shrine in Karo-cho, Tottori City.
The annual festival is held on April 29, and the grand festival held every 2 years is called the Hoenya Festival.
Festival traditions tied to the sea at Karo, including a mikoshi procession on the water and lion dances and kagura performed aboard boats, have been passed down through generations.
The event is also designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Tottori Prefecture.
Source: 賀露神社｜鳥取縣神社廳（公式ホームページ） / 鳥取市内の指定・登録文化財（一覧表） - 鳥取市公式ウェブサイト（文化財課）
Festival highlights
The highlight is the mikoshi procession on the water held during the grand festival.
A barge carries an accompanying procession of about 300 people and is towed across the water by a boat decorated with a ship’s name flag.
Lion dances and kagura are also performed aboard, creating a seaside scene unlike that of festivals held on land.
The Momibi Ritual, in which the sacred fire for the spring festival ceremony is kindled, is another distinctive event.
Source: 賀露神社｜観光スポット｜鳥取市観光サイト【公式】 - 鳥取市のおすすめ観光・旅行情報
A spring festival tradition linking Karo’s sea and its mikoshi
What to expect
At the spring festival, the Momibi Ritual is held to prepare the sacred fire used in the ceremony.
During this ritual, young people who have reached adulthood rub a cypress board and branches together with their bare hands to make a fire.
In years when the grand festival is held, a mikoshi procession on the water is added: a barge carrying the accompanying procession is towed by a boat, and lion dances and kagura are performed aboard.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Karo Shrine (1-21-8 Karo-cho Kita, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture)
- Train and bus
Take the Karo Circular Route bus from JR Tottori Station.
Get off at “Jinjaura” and walk 10 minutes, or get off at “Karo -mae” and walk about 5 minutes.
- By car
It is about 20 minutes by car from the Tottori IC on the Tottori Expressway.
- Parking
Parking is available for passenger cars only.
Address 1-21-8 Karo-cho Kita, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on April 29
- Frequency
Annual festival every year; grand festival (Hoenya Festival) every 2 years
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 Tottori Prefecture / Tottori City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Nearby attractions around Karo Shrine include Tottori Port Seafood Market Karoichi, Jiba Sangyo Plaza Wattaina, and Tottori Karo Kanikkokan.
Karo Minato Beach is also listed as a nearby attraction.
You could visit Karo Port and local attractions along with the festival.
かにっこ館
鳥取県鳥取市賀露町にある水族館
わらべ館
鳥取県鳥取市にある童謡・唱歌・おもちゃがテーマの博物館
因幡万葉歴史館
鳥取県鳥取市にある博物館
宇倍神社
鳥取県鳥取市国府町宮下に位置する神社
河原城
鳥取県鳥取市河原町谷一木にあった城、および同地に建てられた模擬天守
流しびなの館
鳥取県鳥取市用瀬町にあるひな人形の展示施設
写真：Original uploader was KASEI (Edited by 663h ) / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
渡辺美術館
鳥取県鳥取市にある博物館
白兎神社
鳥取県鳥取市にある神社
砂の美術館
鳥取県鳥取市にある美術館
鳥取城
鳥取県の城
鳥取市あおや郷土館
鳥取県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
鳥取市歴史博物館
鳥取県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
Origins and History of Karo Shrine Spring Festival
Although the date of Karo Shrine’s founding is unknown, records show that it was granted a divine rank between 861 and 878, and it is considered a shrine with a long history.
During the Edo period, it was protected as a place of prayer for the Ikeda clan, lords of the Tottori domain, and received donations of shrine buildings and land.
It is said that the name Hoenya Festival derives from a story that villagers carried Lord Kibi no Makibi ashore when he was washed up at Karo Port.
Official information
Karo Shrine’s information introduces festival details such as the annual festival date, the Hoenya Festival, the procession on the water, and the Momibi Ritual.
賀露神社のウェブサイトとして「karojinjya.jp」が案内されています。
Karo Shrine Spring Festival at a Glance
The Karo Shrine Spring Festival is a spring celebration centered on the shrine’s annual festival.
In years when the grand festival is held, highlights include a mikoshi procession on the water, with a barge carrying an accompanying procession of about 300 people, as well as lion dances and kagura performed aboard boats.
例祭は毎年4月29日です。
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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