The mikoshi procession to Biwajima, guided by the sound of gagaku
Seto Shrine Annual Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- May 15 / 1 time per year
- Location
- Seto Shrine
- Area
- Kanagawa Prefecture・Yokohama 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
- Last updated
- 2026/11/12
The Seto Shrine Annual Festival is a once-a-year observance held with an offering envoy in attendance. During the Biwajima Shrine Procession Festival, held as part of the annual festival, the heads for Biwajima in Hirakata Bay to the accompaniment of gagaku.
About Seto Shrine Annual Festival
The Seto Shrine Annual Festival is an important observance held once a year at Seto Shrine.
An offering envoy from the Association of is welcomed for the festival, and the Biwajima Shrine Procession Festival has also been held as part of the annual festival since ancient times.
The mikoshi crosses the national highway in front of the shrine and proceeds in a sacred procession to Biwajima Shrine, which stands on Biwajima in Hirakata Bay.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the procession in which the mikoshi crosses the national highway in front of Seto Shrine and proceeds to Biwajima Shrine on Biwajima in Hirakata Bay.
As three wind instruments play gagaku court music, the mikoshi proceeds solemnly and quietly.
An elegant ritual is held on Biwajima, a place that preserves traces of Kanazawa Hakkei’s past.
The mikoshi procession to Biwajima, guided by the sound of gagaku
What to expect
For the festival, an offering envoy from the Association of Shinto Shrines is welcomed, and the observance is held at Seto Shrine.
As part of the annual festival, the Biwajima Shrine Procession Festival is held, with the mikoshi crossing the national highway in front of the shrine and proceeding in a sacred procession to Biwajima Shrine.
Three gagaku wind instruments are played along the route, and a ritual is held on Biwajima.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Seto Shrine, 18-14 Seto, Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
- Train and bus
2-minute walk from Kanazawa-Hakkei Station on the Keikyu Line and Seaside Line
Address 18-14 Seto, Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
May 15
- Frequency
1 time per 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 Kanagawa Prefecture / Yokohama City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
よこはまコスモワールド
横浜市の遊園地
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神奈川県横浜市にある動物園
コスモクロック21
神奈川県横浜市にある観覧車
三溪園
神奈川県横浜市中区にある庭園
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横浜市にある博物館
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横浜みなと博物館
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横浜港にあるタワー
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神奈川県横浜市金沢区にあるテーマパーク
横浜市歴史博物館
神奈川県横浜市都筑区にある歴史博物館
横浜美術館
神奈川県横浜市にある美術館
Origins and History of Seto Shrine Annual Festival
No details are given about the precise origins or founding year of the Seto Shrine Annual Festival, but the Biwajima Shrine Procession Festival has been held as an event accompanying the annual festival since ancient times.
In the festival as currently described, the mikoshi proceeds in a sacred procession to Biwajima Shrine, which stands on Biwajima in Hirakata Bay.
Biwajima is described as a place that preserves traces of Kanazawa Hakkei’s past.
Official information
Yokohama Kanazawa Tourism Association, “Seto Shrine Annual Festival”
Seto Shrine Annual Festival at a Glance
The Seto Shrine Annual Festival is a once-a-year observance held with an offering envoy in attendance.
In the long-standing Biwajima Shrine Procession Festival, the mikoshi crosses the national highway in front of the shrine and proceeds to Biwajima in Hirakata Bay to the accompaniment of three gagaku wind instruments.
The ritual held on Biwajima, which preserves traces of Kanazawa Hakkei’s past, is a distinctive feature of this festival.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/11/12
