Wakinosawa Hachimangu Grand Festival

Festival highlights

Highlights include Funayama “Hōōmaru” and Ebisu-yama, which accompany the mikoshi procession, as well as kagura groups from several districts.

Kiku Doji adorns Funayama, while Ebisu-sama adorns Ebisu-yama; each processes through the town as a distinctive dashi.

Distinctive local styles of lion dance have been passed down, including the spirited performance of Takiyama Kagura and the gentle style of Gentojō Kagura.

The sight of mikoshi, dashi, and kagura moving through the town reflects Wakinosawa’s festival culture.

Source: 脇野沢八幡宮例大祭 - Wikipedia

A summer festival of mikoshi, dashi, and kagura evoking the legacy of the Kitamaebune trade

What to expect

The festival begins with the eve festival on August 15. During the main festival on the 16th and 17th, the mikoshi, dashi, and kagura follow set routes through the town.

Each household traditionally prepares offerings, and the head of the household, dressed formally, welcomes the procession.

Toward the end of the festival, the procession gathers in front of the shrine, where people watch “Kowaru,” as the mikoshi moves back and forth in front of the torii gate.

Local people support the event throughout the festival procession as it makes its way through the town.

How to take part

Those who carry the mikoshi, take part in the dashi procession, or perform kagura are mainly young people from areas such as Kuso-dome, Takoda, and Yorinami, along with participants from each neighborhood.

Visitors can watch the mikoshi and dashi processions, but no information is provided on whether members of the public can take on roles in the festival.

Around the procession and shrine, it is best to watch from a respectful distance so as not to disrupt the local festival.

Source: しもきたツーリズム | 青森県下北半島の旅行観光ガイド

Location and access

Venue and address

Wakinosawa District, Mutsu City (Wakinosawa District, Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture)

Train and bus

From Shimokita Station Street, take the JR Bus Tohoku Shimokita Line bus bound for Wakinosawa Government Office via the prefectural housing complex. The ride takes about 1 hour 20 minutes; get off at Wakinosawa.

By car

About 58 minutes from JR Shimokita Station.

Parking

Please use a nearby paid parking lot.

Address Wakinosawa District, Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture

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Dates and season

2026 Event Information (The listed dates have passed)

The event was scheduled to take place in the Wakinosawa district of Mutsu City from August 15 (Saturday) through the 17th (Monday) in 2026.

As in a typical year, it is held over 3 days: the eve festival on August 15, followed by the main festival on the 16th and 17th.

The mikoshi, dashi, and kagura processions take place on each event day during the festival.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

The festival procession travels through the Wakinosawa district, so please watch from a position that does not obstruct its progress or disrupt local life.

In front of the shrine and individual homes, give priority to the procession and take care not to get too close to the mikoshi or dashi.

If traveling by car, use a nearby paid parking lot.

The 2026 dates were listed as running from August 15 through the 17th.

Nearby attractions

Places listed near the festival site include Atagoyama Beach, the Mutsu City Wakinosawa Distribution Center, the Specialty Products Fair Wakinosawa Asaichi, and the Roadside Station Wakinosawa “Refresh Center Tara no Sato.”

If you plan to visit alongside the festival, check each facility’s operating status and conditions of use.

Museums and art museumsMutsu City

むつ科学技術館

青森県むつ市にある科学館

Visit the official page ↗ⓘ Photo and data sources

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写真：kitakame / CC BY 3.0(resized and reformatted)

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Facility data source

NatureMutsu City

恐山

日本の青森県にある火山

Visit the official page ↗ⓘ Photo and data sources

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写真：Douglas P Perkins ( Douglaspperkins ( talk )) / CC BY 3.0(resized and reformatted)

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Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Wakinosawa Hachimangu Grand Festival

The Wakinosawa Hachimangu Grand Festival is said to have begun with merchants who were active in the Kitamaebune trade from around the 1700s.

During the Kansei era, merchants from Noto brought a mikoshi and a full set of ritual implements, and the festival procession featuring the mikoshi began.

Later, as the region developed through maritime trade, dashi and kagura were added, and the festival grew in scale.

It is said that the Kiku Doji figure for Funayama was brought here in Bunka 7, and the Ebisu figure for Ebisu-yama in Bunka 10.

Official information

Event information is available in the event listings on the Aomori Prefecture tourism information website.

For inquiries, contact the Wakinosawa Branch Office of Mutsu City Hall at 0175-44-2111.

The City of Mutsu’s “Wakinosawa Hachimangu Grand Festival” page is also listed as a related official source.

Wakinosawa Hachimangu Grand Festival at a Glance

The Wakinosawa Hachimangu Grand Festival is a traditional event in which mikoshi, dashi, and kagura process through the Wakinosawa district against the backdrop of the Kitamaebune trade’s history.

Funayama “Hōōmaru,” Ebisu-yama, and lion dances passed down in each district bring the festival to life.

The event was scheduled to run from August 15 through the 17th in 2026.

The venue is in the Wakinosawa district of Mutsu City and can be reached by car or by bus from Shimokita Station.