A summer annual festival with a mikoshi procession through a place associated with Sanada Yoichi
Sanada Shrine Annual Festival (Gozu Tenno Shrine)
The 2026 edition of Sanada Shrine Annual Festival (Gozu Tenno Shrine) has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/08 〜 2026/07/09Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year
- Location
- Sanada Shrine
- Area
- Kanagawa Prefecture・Hiratsuka 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A summer annual festival passed down at Sanada Shrine in Sanada, Hiratsuka City, centered on the procession and transfer of the spirit.
About Sanada Shrine Annual Festival (Gozu Tenno Shrine)
The Sanada Shrine Annual Festival is a summer festival held at Sanada Shrine in Sanada, Hiratsuka City.
Sanada Shrine enshrines Hayatama Susanoo no Mikoto, and the annual festival includes the transfer of the spirit to the mikoshi and a mikoshi procession.
In the past, the event drew crowds as a local gathering where people came to worship after finishing rice planting, and an agricultural tools market was held.
Source: 真田神社 - 神奈川県神社庁 / 「ふるさと歴史かるた」を販売しています | 平塚市
Festival highlights
Highlights include the ceremony on the eve of the festival, when the spirit is transferred from the shrine to the mikoshi, and the mikoshi procession accompanied by calls.
The mikoshi proceeds to the temporary lodging in front of Yoichido, where it is housed overnight.
Other distinctive features include the small and medium-sized mikoshi being carried and potted Chinese lantern plants being passed down as a remnant of the festival.
Source: 36 真田神社
A summer annual festival with a mikoshi procession through a place associated with Sanada Yoichi
What to expect
The festival begins with the Doza ceremony at the shrine, in which the spirit is transferred to the mikoshi.
The mikoshi then proceeds to the temporary lodging, where it is housed overnight.
During the main festival, the mikoshi is carried, and the tradition includes watching the festival priest handle the spirit and the procession of the deity.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Sanada Shrine (1-4-36 Sanada, Hiratsuka City).
Address 1-4-36 Sanada, Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
The annual festival is listed for July 8 and July 9 in 2026.
July 8 is the Doza Festival, and July 9 is the Shinko Festival and Chinza Festival.
The 2026 event dates have passed, so details about the day’s events and future plans should be checked separately.
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 / Hiratsuka City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
As the mikoshi procession and the mikoshi’s temporary lodging take place, please follow the guidance around you when watching and avoid obstructing the procession or the mikoshi’s route.
The mikoshi is carried during the eve-of-festival events and the main festival, so take care when watching from close by.
For details about the festival proceedings and where you may watch, follow the guidance of local staff and .
Nearby attractions
The temporary lodging where the festival mikoshi is headed is set up in front of Yoichido.
Yoichido is within the grounds of Tentokuji Temple and is said to be the mausoleum of Sanada Yoichi.
It is said that people once also visited Yoichido on the day of Sanada Shrine’s festival, making it a place closely associated with the festival.
三嶋神社
神奈川県平塚市にある神社
Sadori Shrine
神奈川県平塚市にある神社
平塚八幡宮
神奈川県平塚市にある神社
Origins and History of Sanada Shrine Annual Festival (Gozu Tenno Shrine)
Sanada Shrine is said to be a shrine revered by the late-Heian-period military commander Sanada Yoichi as his guardian deity.
In the past, the annual festival was a major event, drawing people from nearby areas to worship after finishing rice planting; an agricultural tools market was also held.
Today, the mikoshi procession and the tradition of potted Chinese lantern plants carry on aspects of the festival as it was in the past.
Official information
Information about Sanada Shrine’s festival and location is provided in the shrine directory of the Kanagawa Prefecture Shrine Association.
The annual festival listing gives the Doza Festival on July 8 and the Shinko Festival and Chinza Festival on July 9.
For inquiries about worship or the festival, you can use the contact details provided on the shrine information page.
Sanada Shrine Annual Festival (Gozu Tenno Shrine) at a Glance
The Sanada Shrine Annual Festival is a summer festival that has been passed down at a shrine associated with Sanada Yoichi.
Highlights include the transfer of the spirit on the eve of the festival, the mikoshi procession accompanied by calls, and the mikoshi being housed overnight at the temporary lodging.
The history of the area bustling with an agricultural tools market at the end of the rice-planting season, along with the remnants of the Chinese lantern plant tradition, speaks to the festival’s ties to the local community.
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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