A traditional Yaizu procession led by lion banners and kiyari songs
Yaizu Shrine Shishi Kiyari
The 2026 edition of Yaizu Shrine Shishi Kiyari has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/08/13Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year on August 13 / Every year
- Location
- Yaizu Shrine and processions around Yaizu City
- Area
- Shizuoka Prefecture・Yaizu City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h–1 h 30 min · bullet 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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Open to public participation / spectators welcome
- Age restrictions
- Girls of elementary school age or older. There is no grade requirement for those who can attend rehearsals and have the stamina to walk in the procession.
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Yaizu Shrine’s Shishi Kiyari is a traditional Yaizu event that leads the mikoshi procession at Aramatsuri. A procession of lion heads, long banners, girls dressed in tekomai outfits, and kiyari songs advances along the festival route, purifying the way.
About Yaizu Shrine Shishi Kiyari
Yaizu Shrine’s Shishi Kiyari is a traditional event that leads the procession during the mikoshi parade at Aramatsuri, Yaizu Shrine’s annual festival.
Girls dressed in tekomai outfits carry the long banners extending from a pair of male and female lion heads, forming a procession.
They sing kiyari songs and tap their shakujō staffs as they walk forward, helping to purify the route for the mikoshi procession.
This event shares Yaizu’s local culture, bringing together quiet singing and the powerful mikoshi procession of Aramatsuri.
Source: 焼津神社の獅子木遣り｜焼津市
Festival highlights
Highlights include the pair of male and female lion heads and the long banners extending from them.
Elementary school girls dressed in tekomai outfits walk in rows on either side of the banner, wearing their hair tied up and carrying hand towels and fans.
The girls lead the procession, singing kiyari songs and tapping their shakujō staffs as they walk.
In contrast to the vigorous movements of the mikoshi at Aramatsuri, Shishi Kiyari adds a calm, colorful element to the festival.
Source: しずおか文化財ナビ 焼津神社獅子木遣り｜静岡県公式ホームページ
A traditional Yaizu procession led by lion banners and kiyari songs
What to expect
In the procession, girls dressed in tekomai outfits support the lion banners as they walk alongside the young men carrying the lion heads.
They sing kiyari songs and tap their shakujō staffs as they purify the route at the head of the mikoshi procession.
Kiyari songs include “Manazuru Teko,” “Bōguruma (Enya),” and “Kazusa Kuzushi.”
Shishi Kiyari is performed as part of the procession during Yaizu Shrine’s Shinkō-sai.
How to take part
Girls of elementary school age or older may take part in the Shishi Kiyari procession.
There is no grade requirement for those who can attend rehearsals and have the stamina to walk in the procession.
Recruitment is announced to all neighborhood associations in Yaizu City in June.
To apply as a participant, contact the Shishi Kiyari Preservation Society office or the Yaizu City Museum of History and Folklore.
Girls of elementary school age or older who wish to participate should apply during the recruitment period after confirming that they can attend rehearsals and walk in the procession.
Recruitment is announced to all neighborhood associations in Yaizu City in June.
For inquiries, contact the Shishi Kiyari Preservation Society office or the Yaizu City Museum of History and Folklore.
応募者が多い場合の選考については、舞姫募集では明記されています。
Source: 焼津神社大祭 荒祭（あらまつり） - 焼津神社
Location and access
- Venue and address
Yaizu Shrine (2-7-2 Yaizu, Yaizu City, Shizuoka).
Shishi Kiyari is performed in the mikoshi processions around Yaizu City.
- Train and bus
13 minutes on foot from Yaizu Station.
2 minutes on foot from the JA Yaizu Branch bus stop.
- By car
10 minutes from Yaizu IC and 3 minutes from Yaizu Station.
- Parking
Space for about 40 vehicles.
Advance contact is required when visiting in a large bus or similar vehicle.
Source: 焼津神社のご案内 - 焼津神社
Address 2-7-2 Yaizu, Yaizu City, Shizuoka 425-0026
Dates and season
2026 Festival Information (the listed dates have passed)
Shishi Kiyari is held every year on August 13.
For 2026, a procession was scheduled for August 13.
The Isho-zoroe scheduled for August 12 was canceled due to rain; only photography at the shrine took place.
Source: 獅子木遣りの衣裳揃えは中止とさせていただきます。 - 焼津神社
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 Shizuoka Prefecture / Yaizu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
Shishi Kiyari leads the mikoshi procession, so look out for the procession not only within the but also around Yaizu City.
During the Ara Festival, the mikoshi and groups representing various roles proceed in procession. To avoid obstructing them, follow local instructions and directions from staff while watching.
In 2026, the previous day's Isho-zoroe was canceled due to rain, so whether related events go ahead also depends on the weather that day.
Nearby attractions
深層水ミュージアム
日本の静岡県焼津市にある博物館
焼津神社
静岡県焼津市焼津2にある神社
Origins and History of Yaizu Shrine Shishi Kiyari
Kiyari songs are said to have originated when people in the Yaizu region sang them while transporting timber from the Edo period through the early Meiji period.
The kiyari songs have a background in the exchange between Yaizu and Edo, as timber was transported from Yaizu’s port to Fukagawa in Edo.
Later, the songs became part of Yaizu Shrine’s festival rites and came to be sung in time with the carrying of the lion.
Yaizu Shrine’s Shishi Kiyari was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Shizuoka Prefecture in 1978.
Official information
Yaizu Shrine provides information about Shishi Kiyari and Aramatsuri.
Yaizu City introduces the event location and date, the procession’s composition, and its designation as a cultural property.
For information about participating, contact the Shishi Kiyari Preservation Society office or the Yaizu City Museum of History and Folklore.
Yaizu Shrine Shishi Kiyari at a Glance
Yaizu Shrine’s Shishi Kiyari is a traditional event that leads the mikoshi procession at Aramatsuri, held at Yaizu Shrine.
Girls dressed in tekomai outfits support a pair of male and female lion heads and their long banners, moving forward in procession to the sounds of kiyari songs and shakujō staffs.
A tradition rooted in songs for transporting timber has been passed down through festival rites, and is also designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Shizuoka Prefecture.
Held every year in Yaizu City on August 13.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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