The Reitaisai Grand Festival at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine is Kamakura's most prestigious annual event, tracing its origins to the city's days as Japan's medieval capital. Held over three days in mid-September, the festival features processions of court dancers, sacred kagura performances, and traditional martial arts. The centerpiece is the yabusame ceremony on September 16, where archers in full Kamakura-period samurai costume gallop along a 260-meter track through the shrine grounds and fire arrows at three wooden targets in rapid succession. Seats along the track fill quickly, making early arrival essential.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Matsuri
- Season
- Autumn
- Month
- September 14–16
- Region
- Kanto
- Prefecture
- Kanagawa
- City
- Kamakura
Highlights
- ◆Yabusame mounted archery in authentic Kamakura-era samurai costume
- ◆260-meter gallop track through Tsurugaoka Hachimangū's grounds
- ◆Sacred kagura court dance and music performances
- ◆Procession of shrine priests and attendants in historical dress
- ◆Held at one of Japan's most iconic and historically significant shrines