Dating back over 400 years, the Yokote Kamakura Festival takes place each February 15–16 when residents construct dozens of dome-shaped snow huts called kamakura throughout the city. Inside each kamakura, a small altar is dedicated to the water deity Mizugami, and children invite passers-by in for warm amazake rice wine and mochi. At night the igloo interiors glow with candlelight against the dark snowy streets, creating an atmosphere of rare intimacy. The festival is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Snow/Winter
- Season
- Winter
- Month
- Mid-February
- Region
- Tohoku
- Prefecture
- Akita
- City
- Yokote
Highlights
- ◆Hundreds of candlelit igloo-style snow huts across the city
- ◆400-year-old tradition designated as Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property
- ◆Guests offered warm amazake and mochi inside kamakura
- ◆Magical nighttime candlelight atmosphere
- ◆Mini-kamakura lanterns line the riverbank