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One of the three unique festivals in the Kanto Region, Yasaka Gion Festival is a highlight in the Ibaraki festival calendar. The Yasaka Shrine Gion Festival is held for three days at the end of July (July 26-28) in Ibaraki’s southern city of Ryugasaki.

Yasaka Gion Festival is the major summer festival of Ryugasaki City and held annually at Yasaka Shrine, the chief Shinto shrine of the city. This festival consists of mikoshi (portable shrine) processions and drum parades held across three days. While visiting the festival you can also enjoy an array of festival food at the various stands which line the city’s streets.

The climax of the Yasaka Gion Festival is undoubtedly the ‘Tsukumai’, which is a traditional performance recognized as a national and prefectural intangible cultural property. This must-see performance is held in the evening of the last day of the festival (July 28). It involves two men who take the role of ‘mai-otoko’ who, adorned in unique costumes and frog masks, climb to the top of a 14-meter tall pole. To accompanying music, these brave performers shoot a bow and arrow while performing impressive acrobatics all while high up in the air above the bustling crowds, balancing on the pole and a rope stretched from the top of it.

There are various theories on the origin of Tsukumai. The most widely believed theory is that it was introduced to Japan from Chinese as a folk performance in the first half of the 19^th Century, and it went on to be associated with Shinto festival rituals such as praying for a bountiful harvest and rain. This amazing spectacle must be seen to be believed so be sure not to miss it.

Although Tsukumai may be the most famous ritual of the Yasaka Gion Festival, do not miss the festival’s two other Shinto rituals, such as ‘Shishi’ (“lion dance”, during which young people holding a long lion costume pay a courtesy visit to local homes), or tengu (mythical supernatural being) procession and others, which are also held in the evening of the festival’s final day.

Dates

Yasaka Gion Festival: July 26-28 (Fri.-Sun.), 2024

“Tsukumai” Performance: July 28 (Sun.) from 18:00

Fees

Free of charge

Location

Ryugasaki, Ne-machi (Tsukumai Dori Street)

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/ovQbLy8xzD5ck2Ut7

About Yasaka Gion Festival:

https://www.city.ryugasaki.ibaraki.jp/kanko/kankokyokai/information/event/2013112500076.html (Japanese)