Hachinohe Sansha Taisai, designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is a joint grand festival of three Hachinohe shrines — Ogami, Shinra, and Shinmei — held 31 July to 4 August. Its centrepiece is a procession of 27 gorgeously decorated dashi floats, each several metres tall and adorned with dolls depicting scenes from Japanese mythology, history, and kabuki theatre. The procession stretches over one kilometre and is accompanied by traditional music, shrine maidens, and portable mikoshi. The festival has continued with minimal interruption for over 300 years, embodying the cultural continuity of southern Aomori.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Matsuri
- Season
- Summer
- Month
- Late July–Early August (31 July–4 August)
- Region
- Tohoku
- Prefecture
- Aomori
- City
- Hachinohe
Highlights
- ◆UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2016
- ◆27 towering dashi floats depicting mythology and kabuki scenes
- ◆Joint procession of three historic Hachinohe shrines
- ◆Over 300 years of unbroken festival tradition
- ◆Nighttime illuminated float parade on the final evening