A summer festival in Kugenuma featuring 9 human-figure dashi and Yuge Kagura
Kugenumakōtaijingū Annual Festival (Shinmei-sama Festival)
The 2026 edition of Kugenumakōtaijingū Annual Festival (Shinmei-sama Festival) has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/08/17Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year on August 17 / Every year
- Location
- Kōtaijingū (Kugenumakōtaijingū)
- Area
- Kanagawa Prefecture・Fujisawa City(From Tokyo: approx. 30 min–1 h · 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 / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The annual festival at Kugenumakōtaijingū is a summer festival featuring human-figure gathering on the and Yuge performed as an offering. At Kōtaijingū, also affectionately known as Karasumori Shrine, visitors can watch the dashi and kagura passed down through the local community.
About Kugenumakōtaijingū Annual Festival (Shinmei-sama Festival)
The Kugenumakōtaijingū Annual Festival is held every year on August 17 at Kōtaijingū in Kugenumashinmei, Fujisawa City.
Kōtaijingū is affectionately known as “Karasumori Shrine,” and 9 human-figure dashi gather on its grounds.
The dashi were made in the mid-Meiji period by 9 parishioner associations and are designated as Fujisawa City Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties and Shonan Heritage.
The festival features a dashi procession, , and Yuge Kagura.
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the 9 human-figure dashi, which stand about 8 meters tall.
Figures associated with history and legend, including Nasu no Yoichi, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Urashima Tarō, adorn the dashi.
The sight of dashi arriving from the different neighborhoods and gathering on the shrine grounds is an iconic moment of the festival.
The Yuge Kagura, designated a Fujisawa City Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, is another highlight alongside the dashi.
A summer festival in Kugenuma featuring 9 human-figure dashi and Yuge Kagura
What to expect
At around 2 p.m., the human-figure dashi proceed in order, led by the Miyamae neighborhood, and gather on the shrine grounds at around 3 p.m.
A Shinto ritual takes place in the main shrine building at around 2:30 p.m., and Yuge Kagura is performed as an offering at 4 p.m.
Traditional music and dances are performed as offerings during Yuge Kagura.
Food and drink are also set up along the approach to the shrine.
How to take part
The procession of human-figure dashi, the Shinto ritual, and Yuge Kagura are listed as events that visitors can watch on the shrine grounds.
The grounds are described as bustling with festival participants and spectators.
Source: 藤沢市の有形民俗文化財・人形山車は必見！烏森神社こと「鵠沼皇大神宮」の例大祭 - かなっぺ湘南版｜出かけよう！かながわの地域ポータルサイト for Smartphone
Location and access
- Venue and address
Kōtaijingū (Kugenumakōtaijingū), 2-11-5 Kugenumashinmei, Fujisawa City.
- Train and bus
The nearest station is Hon-Kugenuma Station.
Source: 藤沢市 鵠沼皇大神宮 例大祭｜2026年の日程｜お祭りマップ
Address 2-11-5 Kugenumashinmei, Fujisawa City
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, the festival was held in August 17 (month).
The schedule indicated that the human-figure dashi would begin moving at around 2 p.m., a Shinto ritual would take place in the main shrine building at around 2:30 p.m., the dashi would gather on the shrine grounds at around 3 p.m., and Yuge Kagura would be performed as an offering at 4 p.m.
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 Kanagawa Prefecture / Fujisawa City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Ebisu-no-miya is located on the grounds of Kōtaijingū and is a checkpoint in the Fujisawa Seven Lucky Gods Stamp Rally held every New Year.
The Fujisawa Seven Lucky Gods pilgrimage visits the Seven Lucky Gods around Fujisawa City, including Ebisu-no-miya and Enoshima Shrine on Enoshima.
Please check whether these facilities are available on the same day as the annual festival and whether they are open.
児玉神社
神奈川県藤沢市江ノ島にある児玉源太郎を祀った神社
写真：Lover of Romance take a photograph. / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
江の島灯台
神奈川県藤沢市江の島にある灯台、展望台
写真：photo: Qurren ( talk ) Taken with Canon IXY 430F (Digital IXUS 245 HS) / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
江島神社
神奈川県藤沢市江の島の神社
Origins and History of Kugenumakōtaijingū Annual Festival (Shinmei-sama Festival)
Records are said to show that a shrine building was constructed at Kōtaijingū in Tenchō 9 (832).
The 9 human-figure dashi used in the annual festival were made by 9 parishioner associations around the mid-Meiji period.
Yuge Kagura is said to have been passed down since the early Kamakura period. Traditional music and dances are performed as offerings.
Both the dashi and Yuge Kagura are designated cultural properties of Fujisawa City.
Official information
Kōtaijingū's phone number, 0466-24-5590, is listed as a contact.
The festival venue is Kōtaijingū, located at 2-11-5 Kugenumashinmei, Fujisawa City.
Kugenumakōtaijingū Annual Festival (Shinmei-sama Festival) at a Glance
The Kugenumakōtaijingū Annual Festival is held every year on August 17 at Kōtaijingū in Kugenumashinmei, Fujisawa City.
9 human-figure dashi, about 8 meters tall, gather on the shrine grounds, and Shinto rituals and Yuge Kagura are performed as offerings.
The dashi are said to date from the mid-Meiji period, while Yuge Kagura is described as a tradition dating back to the early Kamakura period. The event offers a chance to experience the area's history and culture.
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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