Kamezaki Shiohi Festival

What Is the Kamezaki Shiohi Festival?

The Kamezaki Shiohi Festival is the annual festival of Kamisaki Shrine in Kamezaki, Handa, Aichi Prefecture, held each spring. Known nationwide for the spirited shiohi (ebb-tide) event in which five resplendent floats are pulled down onto the beach at low tide, it is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan and is also inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list as one of the "Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals." It is a distinctive festival of a seaside town, in which the floats head toward the sea.

History and Origins

The Kamezaki Shiohi Festival is said to derive from a legend that Emperor Jimmu came ashore at Kamezaki, and it developed as a festival that re-enacts that landing by pulling floats out onto the beach. Kamezaki, a port town on the Chita Peninsula, has a history of prosperity in the shipping trade, and on the strength of that wealth, floats adorned with intricate carvings and embroidered curtains were created. With a tradition continuing since the Edo period, it is a festival that is a source of local pride, with five neighborhoods each preserving and handing down their own float.

Highlights

The greatest attraction is the shiohi scene, in which five floats are pulled down onto the beach at low tide. The sight of the massive floats advancing across the seaside sand is of unparalleled intensity, and the figures of the floats against the backdrop of the sea are the festival's foremost spectacle. The intricate carvings adorning the floats, the performances of mechanical karakuri dolls, and the beauty of the gorgeous embroidered and decorative curtains are also highlights. Visitors can savor the wonder of a festival unique to a seaside town, in which the natural workings of the tides and the festival become one.

When It Takes Place

The festival is typically held over the 3rd and 4th of May in spring at Kamisaki Shrine and along the coast in Kamezaki, Handa, Aichi Prefecture. As a spring annual festival, its season is spring. Because the shiohi is timed to the low-tide hours, it is important to check the tide times when viewing. Visitors are advised to confirm the latest dates and viewing information in advance through official announcements from Handa City and the organizers of the Kamezaki Shiohi Festival.

Access

Kamezaki enjoys good access, within walking distance of Kamezaki Station on the JR Taketoyo Line. It can be reached by JR from the direction of Nagoya. By car, routes such as the Chita Peninsula Road are available, but because traffic restrictions and crowds are expected around the venue during the festival, public transport is recommended.

Around the Area

Handa, located on the Chita Peninsula, is known as a town of brewing, with a history of prosperity in the production of vinegar, mirin, and sake. The area around the "Handa Canal," where black-boarded storehouses line the waterway, is rich in atmosphere, and the Mizkan museum "MIZKAN MUSEUM" is also popular. Known too as the hometown of the writer Nankichi Niimi, it allows visitors to tour places associated with the fairy tale "Gon, the Little Fox." Together with the seafood of the Chita Peninsula, it is an area where one can enjoy brewing culture and a seaside festival.

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