Traditional kagura and dance herald summer on Rishiri Island in Senboshi at this annual festival
Senboshi Shrine Annual Festival
The 2026 edition of Senboshi Shrine Annual Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/06/21Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year on June 21 / Every year
- Location
- Senboshi Shrine
- Area
- Hokkaido・Rishiri Town(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 30 min–2 h · 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
- 2026/10/19
This is a deeply rooted local annual festival in the Senboshi area of Rishiri Town, where you can enjoy Matsumae and Shikasamai dance performances offered at the shrine, along with the lively food stalls.
About Senboshi Shrine Annual Festival
The Senboshi Shrine Annual Festival is an important local tradition held in the Senboshi area of Rishiri Island.
During the celebrations from the eve through the main festival and the post-festival observance, food stalls line the streets, and the port town of Senboshi takes on a festive atmosphere.
Matsumae Kagura, performed to flutes and drums, and Shikasamai dance, offered in prayer for abundant harvests, herald the arrival of summer on the island.
This annual festival offers an intimate experience of local people’s prayers and traditional performing arts.
Festival highlights
A highlight is Matsumae Kagura, performed as an offering to the sounds of flutes and drums.
Presented as a historic passed down in Hokkaido, it creates a solemn atmosphere at the festival.
In Shikasamai dance, offered in prayer for abundant harvests, performers in vivid costumes bring color to the .
Food stalls also line the grounds, where you can enjoy traditional performing arts and the lively festival atmosphere alongside festival music and enticing aromas.
Traditional kagura and dance herald summer on Rishiri Island in Senboshi at this annual festival
What to expect
The festival continues from the eve celebration through the main festival and the post-festival observance, with rituals and performances offered at Senboshi Shrine.
At Matsumae Kagura, you can watch traditional performing arts accompanied by flutes and drums.
Shikasamai dance is offered in vivid costumes.
Food stalls line the shrine grounds and surrounding area, letting you take in the sounds of the festival and the bustle of its food offerings.
Source: 国境離島の祭・イベント（３）:海洋政策 - 内閣府
Location and access
- Venue
Senboshi Shrine
- Address
93 Senboshi Honcho, Rishiri Town, Rishiri District, Hokkaido
Address 93 Senboshi Honcho, Rishiri Town, Rishiri District, Hokkaido
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
It was announced that the event was scheduled for June 21 in 2026.
The annual festival date is June 21, with an eve celebration and a post-festival observance before and after the main festival.
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 Hokkaido / Rishiri Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Near Senboshi Shrine are Senboshi Misaki Park, Reiho Spring, Minamihama Marsh, Otatomari Pond, and Shiroi Koibito Hill (Numaura Observatory), among other places.
Rishiri Fuji, Mikaeridai Observatory, the Rishiri Island Local History Museum, Kamui Terrace, and Kanro Spring are also featured as nearby attractions.
You can plan an itinerary that combines the festival with the nature and local history of Rishiri Island.
It’s a good idea to check each facility’s opening hours and conditions of use before visiting.
Origins and History of Senboshi Shrine Annual Festival
Senboshi Shrine is said to have begun as a small shrine built in the Motomura area by Yonehachi Ito of Kodomari Village, Aomori Prefecture, in Meiji 3, when he opened a fishing ground.
However, details of its origins are said to be unknown.
Later, as the village took shape, the shrine came to be regarded as its guardian deity and was moved to its present location in Meiji 45.
In Taisho 11, it received permission to be established as Senboshi Shrine and was ranked as a village shrine. Renovations were also carried out in Showa 37 and Heisei 8.
Source: 仙法志神社 - 北海道神社庁のホームページ
Official information
Official information about the Senboshi Shrine annual festival, including the date, venue, address, and access, is available on Hokkaido’s tourism and travel information website.
Details about the shrine’s origins and annual festival date can be found in the Hokkaido Shrine Agency’s listing for Senboshi Shrine.
A Rishiri Island events page is also listed as a related official site.
Senboshi Shrine Annual Festival at a Glance
The Senboshi Shrine Annual Festival is a local annual festival passed down in the Senboshi area of Rishiri Town.
The main highlights are Matsumae Kagura and Shikasamai dance performances offered at the shrine, events from the eve celebration through the post-festival observance, and food stalls on the shrine grounds.
The annual festival date is given as June 21, and the 2026 event was scheduled for June 21.
The venue is Senboshi Shrine.
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
