Tanabe Matsuri

Overview

The Tanabe Matsuri is the annual grand festival of Toukeijinja Shrine, held on July 24 and 25 every year in Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture. It is counted as one of the three major festivals of Kishu (Kishu San-dai Matsuri), alongside Waka Matsuri (Wakayama City) and Koka Matsuri (Kinokawa City), and is designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Wakayama Prefecture. The highlight of the festival is the parade of eight elaborate float-halberds called kasaboko (笠鉾) and three kinugasa (衣笠) floats, pulled through the streets of the former castle town by the merchant districts.

Over the two-day festival, the eve of the festival (July 24) features a portable shrine procession and the kasaboko parade, while the main day (July 25) begins with the Dawn Ritual at the shrine and culminates in a mounted archery performance called yabusame before the shrine's torii gate. For this reason, the festival is often described as "beginning with horses and ending with horses". The annual attendance is estimated at approximately 100,000 people over the two days, making it the largest festival in the southern Kii region.

History and Origins

The origins of the Tanabe Matsuri are believed to date back to the mid-16th century, although no exact founding year is recorded. The earliest surviving records from Toukeijinja Shrine mention the phrase "Kenngen-gu sairei chonaka kai kuruma" (権現宮祭礼町中改車) from the Keicho era (1605) during the rule of Asano Yoshinaga, lord of the Kishu domain. This year marks the first documented use of wheeled floats in the festival, and the following year (1606) records "yabusame sanki machiyori izuru" (流鏑馬三騎町より出), indicating that mounted archery was already being performed.

During the Edo period, after Tokugawa Yorinobu became the lord of Kishu, his deputy Ando Tatewaki Naotsugu, the local governor of Tanabe, temporarily substituted Noh performances for the festival in 1633. However, when the practice of Noh died out, the festival was changed back to a kasaboko parade in 1642. In 1672 (Kanbun 12), the town of Fukuro-machi (now Fukuro-cho) converted its halberd platform into a wheeled float, and by the following year (Empo 1, 1673), all the towns had converted their platforms to wheeled floats. This period is considered to have established the basic form of the current kasaboko.

The festival underwent further changes in the Meiji period. In 1889 (Meiji 22), a major flood washed away the kasaboko of Konya-machi, and after 1926 (Taisho 15), that town began participating with a kinugasa float instead. Originally held on the 24th and 25th of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, the festival was moved to the current dates of July 24 and 25 in 1907 (Meiji 40). In 2009 (Heisei 21), the shrine celebrated the 450th anniversary of the portable shrine procession with a special commemorative festival.

Highlights

Kasaboko Parade (Omokasa Junko) The main attraction of Tanabe Matsuri is the parade of eight kasaboko floats through the former castle town. Each float stands approximately 6 meters tall and weighs about 1 ton, featuring ornate decorations reminiscent of Kyoto's Gion Festival. These floats are owned and maintained by eight traditional merchant districts (such as Kitashin-machi, Fukuro-cho, Hon-machi, Egawa-cho, Kami-naga-cho, Shimo-naga-cho, Konya-machi, and Sakae-machi), which compete with distinct designs. The sight of two massive floats squeezing past each other in narrow streets draws thunderous applause from spectators.

Dawn Ritual (Akatsuki no Saiten) On the morning of July 25, the Dawn Ritual begins at 4:30 a.m. at the main hall of Toukeijinja Shrine. This sacred ceremony is open to the public, allowing participants to experience the solemn atmosphere as darkness gradually gives way to daylight. Shinto priests and parishioners pray for the festival's safety and a bountiful harvest, marking the official start of the main festival day.

Shiogori (Salt Purification) On both July 24 and 25, the portable shrine and kasaboko floats proceed to the Egawa River interim shrine (now the fishing cooperative handling facility) for the shiogori purification ritual. This ancient custom involves entering the sea or river to cleanse the body, serving as a spiritual preparation for the festival. The moment when the purified portable shrine meets the assembled kasaboko at Aizu Bridge during the parade is one of the most photographed scenes of the entire festival.

Yabusame (Mounted Archery) In the evening of July 25, a yabusame performance takes place in front of the second torii gate of Toukeijinja Shrine. Three riders, each a young boy dressed in a hunting robe (kariginu) and a woven bamboo hat (ayaran-gasa), shoot a total of nine arrows, three per rider. During the performance, the horse handler chant a traditional horse-herding song, creating a solemn atmosphere that signals the festival's conclusion.

Kinugasa Floats Unlike the regular kasaboko, three kinugasa floats participate in the festival. These are owned by Egawa-cho (Sumiya), Konya-machi, and Toukeijinja Shrine itself, each featuring a single central pole topped with a pine branch as the sacred object. It is said that touching this pole brings good fortune for one's head or intelligence. The rustic beauty of the kinugasa, with its live pine branches, contrasts sharply with the ornate kasaboko.

Omiya-iri (Entry into the Shrine) At around 7:30 p.m. on July 24, the kasaboko floats lined up at the approach to the shrine's torii gate rush forward in unison through the gate toward the main hall. This "Omiya-iri" is performed at a brisk pace, giving viewers an exhilarating impression of power and devotion. Meanwhile, young children serving as shrine attendants (chigo) participate in sacred rites inside the main hall.

Access and Event Information

1. Date: Every year on July 24 (eve) and July 25 (main festival)
2. 2025 Schedule: July 24 (Thursday) and July 25 (Friday)
3. Venue: Toukeijinja Shrine and Tanabe City downtown area (1-1 Toyo, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture)
4. Access: Approximately a 10-minute walk from Kii-Tanabe Station on the JR Kisei Main Line to Toukeijinja Shrine
5. Organizer: Tanabe Matsuri Preservation Society
6. Annual Attendance: Approximately 100,000 people over two days
7. Latest Updates: Check the official website of the Tanabe Tourism Association or Toukeijinja Shrine for current schedule and confirmation of events. In 2020 and 2021, large-scale events such as the kasaboko parade were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Nearby Information

Toukeijinja Shrine, the center of the Tanabe Matsuri, is registered as a component of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range." The shrine enshrines the deities of the Kumano Sanzan (three grand shrines of Kumano), attracting pilgrims year-round outside the festival period. The surrounding area retains the atmosphere of a former castle town, with historic merchant houses and shops lining the kasaboko parade route.

The Tanabe City Tourist Information Center, located near Kii-Tanabe Station, provides festival pamphlets and area maps. Accommodation and dining options are concentrated within walking distance of the station, and the city becomes crowded with visitors during the festival period. Traffic restrictions are imposed across much of the city on both festival days, making public transportation the recommended option for visitors.

Tanabe City also serves as the starting point for the Nakahechi route of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails. Many tourists combine festival attendance with visits to the World Heritage-listed pilgrimage routes. Cultural facilities such as the Minakata Kumagusu Memorial Museum and the Tanabe City Museum of Art are located within the city, offering opportunities to explore the region's natural, historical, and cultural heritage between festival events.

Related Information

1. Cultural Property Designation: Wakayama Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property (Tanabe Matsuri)
2. Related Shrine: Toukeijinja Shrine (Tanabe City, Wakayama). The shrine's kasaboko storage hall features a permanent exhibition
3. Succession Challenges: A shortage of participants is a serious issue due to depopulation and aging in the city center, resulting in increased vacant houses. In 2023, the preservation society discussed potential schedule changes and measures to increase participation
4. Commemorative Events: In 2019 (Reiwa 1), the 460th Tanabe Matsuri was held, featuring fireworks to celebrate the 1600th anniversary of Toukeijinja Shrine's foundation
5. Revival Event: In 2021, a cultural preservation event titled "Connecting to the Future! Tanabe Matsuri" was held on the shrine grounds, featuring performances by town float musicians and shrine maiden dances, streamed live on YouTube

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