Event

In the Shirakabe historic district, the eaves of houses and shops are decorated with bamboo hung with strips of paper with wishes written on them by local children and visiting tourists.

Held at the flagship store of Kashinoki confectionary and Yamaguchi Flower Land.
This is a joint exhibition of Kashinoki’s hydrangea garden, which boasts 20,000 hydrangeas of 150 varieties, and the flowers of Yamaguchi Flower Land, with its stylish gardens of flowers and greenery surrounded by history and nature.
During the festival period, a free shuttle bus between Yamaguchi Flower Land and the Kashinoki store will be in operation.

Held in the parking lot in front of Yanai City Obatake Sogo Center. Includes many events such as on-stage performances, throwing mochi rice cakes, and a fun raffle!

This is an annual festival dedicated to the deified scholar Sugawara no Michizane. The main festival is held on the Sunday that precedes April 25, the anniversary of Michizane’s death, and the pre-festival eve is celebrated the night before.
This festival has been held continuously since 1873, excluding a few temporary pauses during war or natural disasters. While many events take place on the main day, such as a ceremonial Kendo tournament, the major highlight is Daimyo Gyoretsu (feudal lord’s procession) that parades through the city, modeled on Sankin-Kotai (feudal lord’s journey to and from the capital) of the Edo period. The atmosphere in the Shirakabe historic district feels like slipping back to the days of Edo. The procession takes place from Yanai Tenmangu Shrine to Shirakabe-dori street and the JR Yanai Station area.
The 500m-long parade of 200 people marching in time to the beat of iron rods feels like a historical painted scroll brought to life.

This is a festival dedicated to the deified scholar Sugawara no Michizane, held on the first Sunday of April every year in the Ikachi district.
After Shinto rites are performed, a portable shrine is pulled from the main shrine to the Otabisho (temporary dwelling).
The procession is led by a saddled horse ridden by a child, and the members of the shrine community bring offerings such as flags, joinery, and arrow quivers.
A highlight of the festival is the ox-drawn palanquin, evoking the Heian period (8th to 12th centuries). The ox, which is donated to the festival, is decorated with beautiful ornaments, and pulls the wickerwork palanquin in the procession.
This is a rare festival where an ox plays a major role, and is often called the “Ushi-Tenjin” (Ox Tenjin). It is held by Himuro Kameyama Shrine.

This is a spring event for the enjoyment of flowers and scents, created by gathering ideas from a female perspective with the theme of “playing with flowers and scents”.
With the Shirakabe historic district as a venue, participants play a fan-tossing game, where folding fans are thrown at a target called a “butterfly”. People also gather to sing Matsushima Utako’s famous songs. Visitors who wear a kimono to the event can receive a special bonus gift.

Held in February and March, from the Shirakabe historic district to Retoro-dori street.
The Hina dolls that have been handed down within the families of Shirakabe will be on display during this period.
A variety of charming Hina dolls can be seen, including handmade dolls and some that date back as far as the Meiji period.

This traditional event has a history dating back to 1644. It is a fire festival held in the Atsuki district every year on February 11 (a National Holiday) to pray for plentiful crops and to ward off disasters and illness.
In 2009, it was designated a Nationally-Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The festival begins when young people dressed in white, after purifying themselves by washing, raise two approximately 20 meter-high ceremonial poles to the east and west.
After dancing the Shinmei-Odori dance around the poles in the day and night, both poles are set on fire. Then the poles are lowered to the ground, and the festival comes to a close.

The traditional New Year’s event “Dondo-yaki”, where New Year’s decorations and calligraphy are burned as a prayer for good health and an abundant harvest, is hosted at Fureai-Dokoro 437. +H4:H16