Suga Shrine’s Yuki-Ai Festival

Festival highlights

The main highlight is the procession of a mikoshi carrying the male deity of Suga Shrine to the female deity at Moriyama Shrine.

The mikoshi stays at Moriyama Shrine. It is said to have stayed for 7 days in the past and for 3 days since the Meiji era.

A tradition that regards the deities of the two shrines as a divine husband and wife is a distinctive feature of the Yuki-Ai Festival.

Source: 行合祭 - moriyamasha

A grand festival held once every 33 years, when mikoshi for a male and female deity meet

What to expect

As part of the ritual, a mikoshi carrying Susanoo-no-Mikoto makes a procession from Suga Shrine to Moriyama Shrine in Hayama.

At Moriyama Shrine, the mikoshi is enshrined; after a period of stay, it is said to be returned to Kotsubo following a ritual.

This long-standing ritual links the two areas of Kotsubo in Zushi City and Isshiki in Hayama Town through a mikoshi procession.

Source: 【逗子市小坪 須賀神社・森山神社】1千年以上続く33年に一度の神事「行合い祭り」まであと5年、もう5年 – 神奈川・東京多摩のご近所情報 – レアリア

How to take part

The mikoshi procession and enshrinement are rituals carried out by shrine parishioners and people involved with the shrine.

It has not been confirmed whether general visitors may carry the mikoshi or take part in running the event.

If you wish to watch, please follow the progress of the ritual and the guidance around the shrine.

Location and access

Venue and address

The festival is centered on Suga Shrine (6-6-7 Kotsubo, Zushi City, Kanagawa Prefecture) and Moriyama-sha (Moriyama Shrine, 2165 Isshiki, Hayama Town, Miura District, Kanagawa Prefecture).

Train and bus

To reach Suga Shrine, take a Keikyu Bus bound for Kamakura via Kotsubo from stop 7 at the east exit of Zushi Station on the JR Yokosuka Line, and get off at Kotsubo.

To reach Moriyama-sha, take a Keikyu Bus from outside the east exit of JR Zushi Station. The ride takes about 20 minutes; board at stop 2 and get off at Kyuyakuba-mae.

Source: アクセス - moriyamasha

Address 6-6-7 Kotsubo, Zushi City, Kanagawa Prefecture; 2165 Isshiki, Hayama Town, Miura District, Kanagawa Prefecture

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Dates and season

The Yuki-Ai Festival is held every 33 years, and the next one is listed as taking place in 2028.

The event listed for July 11, 2026 and 12 is the annual Kotsubo Tenno Festival.

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Nearby attractions

Nearby Suga Shrine are Amaterasu Omikami Shrine, the guardian shrine of Kotsubo, Kotsubo Fishing Port, and Kotsubo-ji Temple.

These are all listed as nearby attractions in Suga Shrine’s information.

Since the Yuki-Ai Festival takes place at both Suga Shrine and Moriyama Shrine, check the venue so you do not go to the wrong location.

Origins and History of Suga Shrine’s Yuki-Ai Festival

The Yuki-Ai Festival has been passed down for generations as a ritual continuing ancient forms of worship.

Moriyama-sha’s information presents a timeline beginning with the first Yuki-Ai Festival in 748 and records that it is held every 33 years.

The 40th Yuki-Ai Festival was held in 1996, and the festival has also been designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Hayama Town.

Official information

Information about the festival’s cycle and ritual can be found in the “Yuki-Ai Festival” section of Moriyama-sha’s official website.

Suga Shrine’s location, its history on the Zushi side, and the regular Kotsubo Tenno Festival are covered on Zushi City’s official tourism website.

Suga Shrine’s Yuki-Ai Festival at a Glance

Suga Shrine’s Yuki-Ai Festival is a grand festival held once every 33 years, linking Suga Shrine in Kotsubo, Zushi City, with Moriyama Shrine in Isshiki, Hayama Town.

The central ritual involves a mikoshi carrying Susanoo-no-Mikoto making a procession to Moriyama Shrine and staying there with Kushinada-hime-no-Mikoto, who is regarded as a goddess.