姥神大神宮渡御祭
Dates
2026-08-09 – 2026-08-11
Venue
Esashi Town Center (around Ubagami Shrine)
Address
Central Esashi, Hiyama District, Hokkaido
Nearest Station
No nearby train station. Access by bus from Hakodate (approximately 2 hours).
Hours
Day 1 (Aug 9): Evening ceremony; Day 2 (Aug 10): Procession from 11:00; Day 3 (Aug 11): Procession from 10:00
Admission
Free (public street festival)
Overview
The Esashi Ubagami Shrine Procession Festival is one of Hokkaido's oldest traditional festivals, with a history of over 380 years. Held each August in the former trading port of Esashi in southern Hokkaido, the three-day event centers on a solemn shrine procession accompanied by 13 ornate floats that parade through the town's streets. Designated as a Hokkaido Intangible Folk Cultural Property, the festival preserves customs rooted in the Kitamaebune maritime trade era that once sustained this coastal community.
Highlights
Thirteen elaborately decorated floats, each representing a local neighborhood, wind through Esashi's narrow streets over two days — the lower-town route on August 10 and the upper-town route on August 11. Each float is accompanied by traditional ohayashi music performed by local musicians. The festival offers a window into the cultural heritage of Hokkaido's historic port towns, with a scale and atmosphere quite distinct from the island's larger urban events.