Written by Patrick Balfe
The Manazuru Kibune Festival is a major annual event held at the Kibune Shrine at Manazuru Port in Kanagawa.
The event is said to have centuries-old roots, celebrating the local fishing and rock quarrying industries and praying for the prosperity and safety of the community. The event is designated as an Intangible Cultural Property and is considered one of Japan’s top three boat festivals and occurs annually on the last Friday and Saturday of July. This year, the annual Tsushima Shrine Festival will take place the day before the Kibune Festival.
What to expect
The festival involves the procession of a large portable shrine through the town, which is then placed into the ocean and guided out to sea by several elaborately decorated boats. The portable shrine is then returned to Kibune Shrine by hundreds of locals, up 108 steps by candlelight, and welcomed with a big celebration.
On top of the shrine processions, the event also includes multiple traditional dances, float processions, and numerous food and drink stalls scattered throughout the town.
Schedule
Including the smaller festival on Thursday night, the whole thing takes place over three days. Here’s what the schedule looks like.
Thursday, July 23
The night before the main festival, there is a special dance and music performance at Tsushima Shrine called Soroi. This is a time to check if everyone’s skills are ready for the big day ahead.
Friday, July 24
- On Friday morning at around 9 a.m., festival officials give a speech to the bowmen and make their way to the water. From there, they begin launching each of the boats in order from west to east, lined up with the temporary shrine and other main boats.
- At around midday, the festival officials welcome a special messenger from the Association of Shinto Shrines and head to Kibune Shrine. The festival then begins at the shrine, and the kashima dance takes place inside the shrine grounds. From there, the shrine procession begins as the mikoshi portable shrine is carried down 108 steps to the shore, where everyone lines up and prepares for the sea parade.
- From around 4:10 p.m., the portable shrine and the festival float arrive at the temporary shrine. Throughout the afternoon and early evening, dancing and other performances take place in front of the shrines and float.
Saturday, July 25
- Saturday is the main day of the festival. From around 9:20 a.m., the festival float and dance group start in separate locations and make their way to the middle of town. The festival continues throughout various parts of town until the mikoshi makes its way back to the water in the early evening. The boats are then prepared with lanterns for the night.
- At around 7:40 p.m., the portable shrine enters the water with the five boats, and the water procession begins. From there, the shrine makes its way to the port in front of Kibune Shrine and is carried back up the 108 steps and welcomed with another dance.
- At around 8:30 p.m., after the last dance performance takes place at Kibune Shrine, the festival heads to Tsushima Shrine for the final performance, and the festival wraps up with a big celebration.
How to get there
From Tokyo Station, it takes around 1 hour and 40 minutes on the Tōkaidō Line to get to Manazuru Station. From there, it’s around a 30-minute walk to Manazuru Kibune Shrine, or you can get the number 15 bus from Manazuru Station to Manazuru Port, which takes around 20 minutes.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
