Takashima’s spring festival, with large banners, mikoshi, and hayashi music
Kawakami Festival’s Sanyare
The 2026 edition of Kawakami Festival’s Sanyare has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/04/19Ended
- Season / frequency
- The third Sunday of every April / Every year
- Location
- Hiragasaki Baba, Hioki Shrine, Tsuno Shrine
- Area
- Shiga Prefecture・Takashima City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 20 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.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation fee
- Free
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
Kawakami Festival, passed down in Imazu Town, Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture, is a spring festival centered on Hioki Shrine and Tsuno Shrine. A large banner, , Sanyare dance, and appear in the festival, carrying traditional festival forms into the present day.
About Kawakami Festival’s Sanyare
Kawakami Festival is a festival of both Hioki Shrine and Tsuno Shrine, located in Sakonami and Kitamuko, Imazu Town, Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture.
Held on the third Sunday of every April, it carries on traditional festival forms, including music and Sanyare, into the present day.
Large banners, mikoshi, Sanyare dance, yabusame, and other elements feature in the festival, which is also recognized as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of the prefecture.
Festival highlights
Highlights include the two processions heading to Hiragasaki Baba, where the mikoshi procession and Sanyare dance take place.
The mikoshi arrives among 2 large banners about 20 meters tall and around 50 smaller banners carried by children, then proceeds to the festival grounds.
Afterward, representatives from each settlement offer prayers and yabusame is performed, so you can see the banners, mikoshi, dances, and offering ceremonies one after another.
Takashima’s spring festival, with large banners, mikoshi, and hayashi music
What to expect
On the day, after ceremonies at Hioki Shrine and Tsuno Shrine, the two processions head for Hiragasaki Baba, the midway point.
At the horse grounds, the Sanyare dance follows the mikoshi , and the processions continue to the festival grounds at the far end.
Prayers by ujiko representatives and yabusame are also performed.
How to take part
参加費：無料
Location and access
- Venue and address
Hiragasaki Baba, Hioki Shrine, Tsuno Shrine / Imazu Town, Takashima City
- Train and bus
JR Kosei Line to Omi-Imazu Station, then a 15-minute bus ride / From JR Omi-Imazu Station, take the Sogo Undo Koen Line bus and get off at “Shobo Honbu-mae”
- Parking
Free parking for about 30 vehicles.
Use public transportation whenever possible
Address Imazu Town, Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, it was scheduled for April 19 (Sunday).
It is usually held on the third Sunday of April.
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 Shiga Prefecture / Takashima City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The venue spans several locations: Hiragasaki Baba, Hioki Shrine, and Tsuno Shrine.
Parking is listed as free, with space for about 30 vehicles, but visitors are encouraged to use public transportation whenever possible.
Nearby attractions
Nearby are Takashima City Imazu General Sports Park, the Lake Biwa Rowing Song Museum, Vories-dori, and Imazu no Hamadori, among other places.
Nature spots listed include Tankai-ko, the rabbit-ear irises at Hiraike, and the Zazenso colony.
No distances or travel times from these places to the festival venue are given.
琵琶湖周航の歌資料館
滋賀県高島市にある資料館
Shirahige Shrine
滋賀県高島市にある神社
写真：Saigen Jiro This photo was taken with Nikon D3200 / CC0
Photo source ·Origins and History of Kawakami Festival’s Sanyare
Kawakami Festival has been handed down as a festival that preserves traditional forms of celebration.
The hayashi refrain “Sanyare” is said to mean “words to drive away evil spirits,” “may good fortune be with you,” and “salutations to the mountains and fields.”
In Showa 63, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of the prefecture. The festival still includes large banners, mikoshi, dances, and other elements.
Official information
For inquiries, the listed contact is the Biwako Takashima Tourism Association, a public interest incorporated association, at 0740-33-7101.
Related information is available on the Biwako Takashima Tourism Association’s tourism information website.
Kawakami Festival’s Sanyare at a Glance
Kawakami Festival is a spring festival held in Imazu Town, Takashima City, as a festival of Hioki Shrine and Tsuno Shrine.
Processions from the two shrines head to Hiragasaki Baba, where mikoshi togyo, Sanyare dance, yabusame, and other events take place beneath large banners about 20 meters tall and smaller banners.
Held on the third Sunday of every April, it is recognized as a cultural property that preserves traditional hayashi music and festival forms.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
