The Kurosaki Gion Yamagasa is a centuries-old festival centred on Okuma Shrine in Kurosaki, Kitakyushu, typically held over several days in mid-July. Rival neighbourhood teams construct and parade enormous, lavishly decorated floats called yamagasa, some reaching several storeys in height, accompanied by thunderous taiko drumming and spirited chanting. The festival culminates in competitive processions and float-bearing races that fill the Kurosaki shopping arcade area with electric energy. It is considered one of the three great Gion festivals of northern Kyushu and attracts large crowds from across the region.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Matsuri
- Season
- Summer
- Month
- July
- Region
- Kyushu
- Prefecture
- Fukuoka
- City
- Kitakyushu (Yahatanishi Ward)
Highlights
- ◆Multi-storey decorated yamagasa floats paraded through city streets
- ◆Competitive neighbourhood teams with intense local rivalry
- ◆Thunderous taiko drumming throughout the processions
- ◆One of the three great Gion festivals of northern Kyushu
- ◆Lively atmosphere in the Kurosaki shopping arcade area