Name: Gion Festival at Shishikui Yasaka Shrine
Start: 2026-07-16
End: 2026-07-17
Location: Around Shishikui Yasaka Shrine

This summer festival features , , sekibune, and yamahoko parading through Shishikui, along with performances of , Yatsuhashi, and the spear dance. Bamboo lights and dedication fireworks are also part of the eve festivities.

About Gion Festival at Shishikui Yasaka Shrine

The Gion Festival at Shishikui Yasaka Shrine is a summer festival passed down through generations in Shishikui, Kaiyo, Tokushima Prefecture.

Dashi, sekibune, mikoshi, and yamahoko appear over the two days of the eve and the main festival.

The mikoshi is carried in a procession from Yasaka Shrine to Ebisu Shrine, with local people supporting the festival.

A distinctive feature is that it is jointly run by neighborhood groups and occupational guilds.

Source: 国指定文化財等データベース

Festival highlights

A highlight is the spirited procession of 4 dashi, sekibune, and mikoshi through the town.

The large and small floats, with two-story open interiors and roofs thatched with blue shiba grass, are also distinctive; they are decorated with green bamboo, Katsura Otoko figures, and wooden naginata.

Traditional performing arts such as shishimai, Yatsuhashi, and the spear dance are presented during the main festival. On the eve, bamboo lights illuminate the and dashi.

Source: 宍喰祇園祭り - 海陽町観光協会

A summer Gion Festival passed down through generations, with mikoshi and dashi parading through Shishikui

What to expect

On the eve, the large and small floats are assembled and pulled out to the intersection on Hachiman-dori.

In the evening, dashi and sekibune make their way into Yasaka Shrine, while , dedication fireworks, and bamboo lights add to the festivities.

The main festival begins with Shinto rites and traditional performing arts. The mikoshi is carried in a procession to Ebisu Shrine before returning to Yasaka Shrine.

Afterward, the dashi, sekibune, and floats parade through town, returning to their respective storehouses from evening into night.

How to take part

The festival is organized by local groups, but visitors can watch the procession and performances offered to the kami.

According to the 2026 information, no reservation is required, and visitors can enjoy the Yoimiya night stalls and bamboo lights, as well as the mikoshi togyo during the main festival.

Roles such as carrying the mikoshi, pulling the hoko, and performing traditional arts are undertaken by local participants.

Please follow the guidance at the site on whether general visitors may take part in festival roles.

Source: 宍喰祇園祭り(徳島県)の詳細データ｜ウォーカープラス

Location and access

Venue and address

Around Shishikui Yasaka Shrine (Kubo, Kaiyo Town, Kaifu District, Tokushima Prefecture)

Train and bus

Get off at Shishikui Station on the Asato Coast Railway; it is a 3-minute walk from there.

By car

From Tokushima IC, it takes about 2 hours and 10 minutes via Routes 11 and 55 toward Muroto and Kochi.

Parking

There is temporary parking around Shishikui Yasaka Shrine.

Please check the information on sections subject to traffic restrictions.

Address Kubo, Kaiyo, Kaifu District, Tokushima Prefecture

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Dates and season

2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)

The event information listed July 16 as the eve and July 17 as the main festival.

On the eve of the main festival, the yatai, dashi, and bamboo lights were scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., followed by the dedication fireworks at 8:30 p.m.

The main festival schedule is: grand festival ceremony at 10 a.m., dedication performances at 10:30 a.m., the Shinko Festival and Ohama-de at 11 a.m., and a dedication mochi-throwing event at 1 p.m.

The announcement said the fireworks would be postponed to the 17th in case of rain.

Accommodation and hotels PR

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 Tokushima Prefecture / Kaiyo (the search is not centered on the festival venue)

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Tips for your visit

The area gets lively during the eve and the main festival, with yatai, processions, and the mikoshi procession.

As dashi, sekibune, and floats parade through town, check information about road restriction zones and follow directions from on-site staff.

For 2026, the announcement said the fireworks would be postponed in case of rain, and that festival events might be canceled in severe weather.

Please be considerate when choosing where to watch, so as not to interfere with the dedication performances or Shinto rites.

Origins and History of Gion Festival at Shishikui Yasaka Shrine

The Gion Festival at Shishikui Yasaka Shrine is a festival held at Yasaka Shrine in the former town of Shishikui.

An introduction to regional cultural assets explains that Yasaka Shrine has been called one of Japan’s Three Gion Shrines since around the Kamakura period.

Neighborhood groups and occupational guilds jointly run the festival, continuing the parades of dashi, sekibune, and yamahoko.

It is also regarded as an example of the regional development of the yamahoko floats of Kyoto’s Gion Festival.

Source: 八坂神社祇園祭り - 地域文化資産ポータル

Official information

The Kaiyo Town Tourism Association has published the event information.

The event information includes the 2026 dates, venue, event times, access information, and contact details.

Further details about the festival’s history and structure, and about the yamahoko, dashi, and sekibune, can also be found in the Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties, etc.