05/07/2025
The hot summer of Hakata kicked off
with the heroic Hakata Gion Yamakasa
festival on July 1st.
This Hakata Yamakasa festival, which
has a history of 784 years, began with
the practice of praying for disease
prevention by sprinkling sacred water.
The sight of men in happi coats pulling
the Yamakasa is a special sight that
excites spectators at this summer
festival in Hakata.
From July 1st to 15th, many foreign
tourists come to Hakata/Fukuoka to
see the 17 gorgeously decorated
Yamakasa and the dedicated Yamakasa
of Kushida Shrine.
During this period, the town heats up
and you can feel the energy in Hakata/
Fukuoka.
Incidentally, Hakata Gion Yamakasa is
registered as a National Important
Intangible Folk Cultural Property/
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
We highly recommend watching the 4km Oiyama run at 15:45 on 7/12, the group Yamakasa display at 15:30
on 7/13, and the early morning
Oiyamakasa (final day)at 4:59 on 8/15.
Photo: The decorated Yamakasa are
around Nakasu, Kawabata, Tenjin, and
Kushida Shrine.
The flowers on this tree are from
the large tree at Kushida Shrine [ginkgo flowers]!
Finally, we came across a children's
mikoshiin Shintencho.
We enjoyed the children's Oiyama and the Hakata Teippon,
which rivaled the adults.