A Nakatsu summer festival featuring a long procession of flower-decorated umbrella floats and a mikoshi river crossing
Tsuruitchi Kasahoko Shinto Ritual
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- The final Saturday and Sunday of August / The final Saturday and Sunday of August each year
- Location
- The area around Aihara, Nakatsu City, centered on Hachiman Tsuruitchi Shrine
- Area
- Oita Prefecture・Nakatsu City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 35 min–1 h 55 min · 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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/21
The Tsuruitchi Kasahoko is a traditional event in Aihara, Nakatsu City, held to comfort the spirits of a mother and child and pray for a bountiful harvest. Highlights include the long procession of brightly colored flower-decorated umbrella floats and the river crossing held after the fireworks on the 2nd day of the festival.
About Tsuruitchi Kasahoko Shinto Ritual
The Tsuruitchi Kasahoko Shinto Ritual is a festival at Hachiman Tsuruitchi Shrine, near the Mikuchi Oiide Weir on the Yamakuni River.
The event is said to have originated as a way to comfort the spirits of a mother and child who became human pillars at the Mikuchi Oiide Weir and to pray for a bountiful harvest.
This large-scale event centers on Aihara, Nakatsu City, and involves 19 districts, including Kami-Miyanaga, Shimo-Miyanaga, Kakise, Kami-Ikemanaga, and Shimo-Ikemanaga. It is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Oita Prefecture.
Source: 鶴市傘鉾神事｜一般社団法人 中津耶馬渓観光協会（公式ホームページ） / 鶴市傘鉾神事 | おおいた文化財ずかん
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the procession, in which brightly colored flower-decorated umbrella floats move along in a long line.
The procession is said to cover 30–40 km, and the sight of the flower-decorated umbrella floats moving through green rice fields has become a hallmark of summer in Nakatsu.
Fireworks are held on the night of the 2nd day of the festival, followed by the “river crossing,” when the mikoshi crosses to the opposite bank of the Yamakuni River.
A Nakatsu summer festival featuring a long procession of flower-decorated umbrella floats and a mikoshi river crossing
What to expect
At the festival, brightly flower-decorated umbrella floats form a procession and travel through a wide area.
The procession is said to cover a distance of 30–40 km.
Fireworks are held on the night of the 2nd day of the festival, followed by the “river crossing,” when the mikoshi crosses to the opposite bank on the Yamakuni side of the Yamakuni River.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Hachiman Tsuruitchi Shrine, Aihara, Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture
Address Aihara, Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
The final Saturday and Sunday of August
- Frequency
The final Saturday and Sunday of August each 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 Oita Prefecture / Nakatsu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
中津城
大分県中津市にあった城
中津市歴史博物館
大分県中津市にある博物館
大江医家史料館
大分県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
村上医家史料館
大分県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
耶馬渓風物館
大分県中津市にある展示館
Origins and History of Tsuruitchi Kasahoko Shinto Ritual
The Tsuruitchi Kasahoko Shinto Ritual is associated with the legend of “Otsuru, Ichitaro, and their mother becoming human pillars” at the Oiide Weir on the Yamakuni River. The shrine rites and mikoshi procession are thought to date back to the medieval period.
According to historical records, the umbrella floats first appeared after Enpo 8 (1680).
They began to be decorated with artificial flowers as they are today from the Showa 30s onward, and in Heisei 21March 17 they were designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Oita Prefecture.
Official information
一般社団法人 中津耶馬渓観光協会の祭り案内：鶴市傘鉾神事｜一般社団法人 中津耶馬渓観光協会（公式ホームページ）
Tsuruitchi Kasahoko Shinto Ritual at a Glance
The Tsuruitchi Kasahoko Shinto Ritual is a festival in Aihara, Nakatsu City, held to comfort the spirits of a mother and child and pray for a bountiful harvest.
Brightly colored flower-decorated umbrella floats form a long procession, which is said to travel 30–40 km.
On the night of the 2nd day of the festival, fireworks and the mikoshi “river crossing” take place. The festival is also designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Oita Prefecture.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/21
Submit information or a correction Submit photos of this festival
