A traditional Gion festival where the inherited kudoki and mikoshi travel through the streets of Kokura
Kokura Gion Hiramatsu Mikoshi
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Location
- Hiramatsu-cho, Yasaka Shrine, and the streets of Kokura (procession)
- Area
- Fukuoka Prefecture・Kitakyushu City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 10 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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
The Kokura Gion Hiramatsu is a mikoshi event that carries the history of the community from Hiramatsu-cho through Yasaka Shrine and the streets of Kokura, accompanied by kudoki singing.
About Kokura Gion Hiramatsu Mikoshi
The Kokura Gion Hiramatsu Mikoshi is a mikoshi event passed down in Hiramatsu-cho, Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu.
It is said to be one of 3 mikoshi dedicated to the former Kokura Gion Shrine (now Yasaka Shrine), built by Hosokawa Tadaoki in Genna 4 (1618), and has been carried in the Kokura Gion festival.
It played a central role in the “Mawari Gion,” in which each neighborhood took part alongside the , and is now designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Kitakyushu City.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the procession, carrying the mikoshi from the neighborhood to Yasaka Shrine and then through the streets of Kokura.
Along the route, the bold singing of “kudoki,” passed down for generations in Hiramatsu-cho, continues with call-and-response interjections.
Records show that it appeared first at the Gion performance competition to clear the way, marching proudly as the mikoshi was carried in procession.
A traditional Gion festival where the inherited kudoki and mikoshi travel through the streets of Kokura
What to expect
According to a 2017 record, participants gathered at 10 a.m. to prepare, and at 11 a.m. 3 priests from Yasaka Shrine performed the transfer of the spirit and enshrined it in the mikoshi.
The procession then made its way through the neighborhood to Yasaka Shrine. After entering the , it continued on a procession through the streets of Kokura.
It served as the opening procession at the competition venue, then returned to Yasaka Shrine for a final mikoshi procession within the shrine grounds, before bringing the mikoshi into the and returning the spirit.
Location and access
- Venue and address
平松町、八坂神社、小倉市街地を巡行／電車・バス：記載なし／車：記載なし／駐車場：記載なし
Address Around Hiramatsu-cho, Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu
Accommodation and hotels PR
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Nearby attractions
九州鉄道記念館
北九州市にある鉄道博物館
北九州市立いのちのたび博物館
北九州市八幡東区にある博物館
北九州市立松本清張記念館
日本の文学館
北九州市立美術館
北九州市にある美術館
Mekari Shrine
北九州市門司区にある神社
小倉城
福岡県北九州市小倉北区にあった城
写真：No machine-readable author provided. Historian~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY 2.5
Photo source ·
河内藤園
福岡県の公園・庭園のスポットです。
Origins and History of Kokura Gion Hiramatsu Mikoshi
The Hiramatsu mikoshi is said to be one of the mikoshi dedicated to the former Kokura Gion Shrine in 1618.
From the Taisho through the Showa era, the “Mawari Gion” disappeared and Kokura Gion became a “Taiko Gion,” while newspaper articles from the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa eras confirm that the Hiramatsu mikoshi continued to be carried in procession.
After the war, it began taking part in the taiko performance competition in the early Showa 20s. The current mikoshi was restored in 1968, 1987, and 2003.
Official information
Kitakyushu City: “[City Designation] Kokura Gion Hiramatsu Mikoshi”
Kokura Gion Hiramatsu Mikoshi at a Glance
The Kokura Gion Hiramatsu Mikoshi is an Intangible Folk Cultural Property designated by Kitakyushu City in Kokurakita Ward, and is said to be one of the mikoshi dedicated to the former Kokura Gion Shrine in 1618.
It travels from Hiramatsu-cho via Yasaka Shrine through the streets of Kokura, clearing the way at the Gion Taiko performance competition as kudoki singing and call-and-response interjections ring out.
The mikoshi has continued to be carried through changes in the festival, passing down the community’s memories and skills.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/11/11
