An autumn shrine festival where lantern-lit hanadai and a vermilion-lacquered Ofune process through Kiragawa
The Ofune and hanadai events of the Kiragawa Mita Hachiman Shrine Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- The second Saturday and Sunday of every year in October / Every year
- Location
- Mita Hachiman Shrine, Kiragawa neighborhood, Hama
- Area
- Kochi Prefecture・Muroto City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 20 min–1 h 40 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Ofune and hanadai events of the Kiragawa Mita Hachiman Shrine Festival are an autumn festival handed down in Kiragawa-cho, Muroto. The boat-shaped Ofune and 4 hanadai process through the neighborhood, while the lantern-lit Chosai dance and Sasamai are performed as offerings in the . The procession and distribution of flowers are also part of the festival, which conveys Kiragawa’s local culture.
About The Ofune and hanadai events of the Kiragawa Mita Hachiman Shrine Festival
The Ofune and hanadai events of the Kiragawa Mita Hachiman Shrine Festival are an autumn festival held at Mita Hachiman Shrine in Kiragawa-cho, Muroto.
One boat-shaped dashi called the Ofune and 4 dashi called hanadai process through the neighborhood.
A local organization known as the wakashu is responsible for the events over the 2 days of the eve-of-festival and daytime festival.
The faith and community ties of Kiragawa are passed down through the mikoshi procession, offering dances, and distribution of flowers.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
Highlights include the Chosai dance, in which the lantern-lit hanadai are lifted and spun vigorously, and the Sasamai dance, in which they are turned slowly.
The hanadai are decorated with about 130 lanterns and flowers made by wrapping red and white paper around bamboo strips, bringing light and movement together in the shrine grounds at night.
On the daytime festival day, 4 hanadai process behind the vermilion-lacquered boat-shaped dashi Ofune, accompanying the mikoshi as far as Hama Otabisho.
At the end of the event, flowers from the hanadai are distributed to people as lucky charms.
An autumn shrine festival where lantern-lit hanadai and a vermilion-lacquered Ofune process through Kiragawa
What to expect
On the eve of the festival, after the hanadai process through the neighborhood, lanterns are lit in the grounds of Mita Hachiman Shrine, where each hanadai performs the Chosai dance as an offering.
On the daytime festival day, flowers are arranged on the hanadai from early morning. Led by the Ofune, the procession heads to the shrine in the order of Kamimachi, Higashimachi, Nakamachi, and Nishimachi.
Sasamai is performed as an offering in the shrine grounds, after which the mikoshi proceeds in procession to Hama Otabisho.
After the offerings at the otabisho are complete, flowers from the hanadai are distributed, and the Chosai dance is performed again in the shrine grounds at night.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Ota Hachimangu Shrine (2413 Kō, Kiragawa-cho, Muroto, Kochi Prefecture).
Events take place in the grounds of Ota Hachimangu Shrine, as well as at otabisho set up in Kiragawa and along the shore.
- Train and bus
It is a 4-minute walk from Kiragawa Tomiya-mae bus stop, a 5-minute walk from Kiragawa Gakkō-dōri bus stop, and an 8-minute walk from Kiragawa Hōji bus stop.
All are served by the Kochi–Muroto–Kannoura route.
- By car
About 1 hour 30 minutes from Nangoku IC on the Kochi Expressway, and about 1 hour from Geisei-Nishi IC on the Kochi Tobu Expressway.
- Parking
Parking is available at the Kiragawa Townscape Parking Lot along National Route 55.
20 spaces; free.
Source: ⛩御田八幡宮｜高知県室戸市 - 八百万の神 / 御田八幡宮 | 観光スポット検索 | 高知県観光情報Webサイト「こうち旅ネット」
Address 2413 Ko, Kiragawa-cho, Muroto, Kochi 781-6832
Dates and season
- Season
The second Saturday and Sunday of every year in October
- 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 Kochi Prefecture / Muroto City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Around Mita Hachiman Shrine is the townscape of Kiragawa, designated a National Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
The area features architecture that reflects its climate and history, including white walls finished in Tosa plaster, mizukiri roof tiles, and stone walls known as ishiguro.
Kiragawa Townscape Museum is presented as a base for exploring the town, and exhibits architectural styles such as mizukiri roof tiles and ishiguro.
Along with the festival, visitors can also experience the surrounding culture, which offers a sense of Kiragawa’s faith and town history.
Source: 御田八幡宮春祭 | 高知県室戸市
むろと廃校水族館
高知県室戸市の水族館
Origins and History of The Ofune and hanadai events of the Kiragawa Mita Hachiman Shrine Festival
The origins of the event are unclear, but it is said to recreate the transfer of the sacred object by boat from Kitamura, in the northern part of Kiragawa-cho, to its present location.
Mita Hachiman Shrine retains a ridge-end plaque dated Meiō 5 (1496), and its parishioner area encompasses the 5 districts of Kiragawa-cho.
The hanadai procession and the division of roles among the wakashu have been handed down in a way that reflects the organization of each district and the town’s formation.
In March 10, 2014, it was selected as an intangible folk cultural property for which measures such as documentation should be undertaken.
Official information
Information about the event’s cultural heritage status is available in the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of National Cultural Properties.
The Muroto City Board of Education page describes it as an annual autumn festival at Mita Hachiman Shrine in Kiragawa, featuring the hanadai procession, Sasamai, and Chosai dance.
For the festival dates and arrangements on the day, it is best to cross-check the cultural heritage information with guidance from Muroto City.
Source: 国選択文化財「吉良川御田八幡宮神祭のお舟・花台行事」
The Ofune and hanadai events of the Kiragawa Mita Hachiman Shrine Festival at a Glance
The Ofune and hanadai events of the Kiragawa Mita Hachiman Shrine Festival are an autumn festival centered on Mita Hachiman Shrine, with the Ofune and 4 hanadai processing through Kiragawa-cho.
The Chosai dance performed with lanterns as the hanadai turn, the slowly turning Sasamai, the mikoshi procession to Hamamiya, and the distribution of flowers together make up the sequence of events.
There are various theories about the origins, and the local wakashu organization supports the festival.
There is a discrepancy between the dates given in the 2026 information, so check the latest schedule before your visit.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
Submit information or a correction Submit photos of this festival
