Kamakura Festival

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Near: Kamakura  (Event is Free)

Event Date(s): Apr. 11, 2025 • Apr. 12, 2025 • Apr. 13, 2025 • Apr. 14, 2025 • Apr. 15, 2025 • Apr. 16, 2025 • Apr. 17, 2025 • Apr. 18, 2025
Dates are subject to change without notice. Check with the official organizers before making travel arrangements.

Another extremely popular multi-day event held by the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine that has awesome costumes and exciting action! This festival is also close to Tokyo (one of the biggest cities in the world!) so you can be sure its going to be crowded also. Be sure an plan to "make a day" of it and get up early to get a good spot. The official name of the event is "Reitaisai", an 800 years old tradition!  The Kamakura Festival is actually many events because there is so much going on during the many days of the festival with the Climatic Event, the Horseback Archery Contest, being held on the last day. On other days there are numerous dances, tea-offering ceremonies, Mikoshi parades (portable shrines), and prayers at temples.

During the Horseback Archery Contest (in Japanese; Yabusame 流鏑馬), participants ride their horse at running speed down a long strait path, take aim and fire at a board.  The archers are dressed in traditional Samurai garb and use turnip-head arrows which make a whistling sound as they fly through the air. Getting there: The festival is held at the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura.  Taka a train to JR Kamakura Station and it is about a 10 min. walk from there.

1-11 Yukinoshita
Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0005 Japan

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Website: Kamakura Festival Homepage