076-826-2000

The Noto Satoyama Airport is centrally located in the Noto Peninsula. As of early 2019 there were 2 daily round trip flights from Tokyo's Haneda Airport via All Nippon Airways. There are several rental car companies with offices at the airport. Airport code is NTQ.

076-882-7776

The Shoin Kiriko Festival is held on September 14th and 15th each year.

"The autumn festival of Suzu Hachimangu Shrine in Shôin-machi, Suzu City is famous for its young “Yakko-buri” dancers dressed in wild costumes. On the evening of the first day of the festival, enchanting kiriko, each district’s pride and joy, line up and parade around the town almost until dawn. The sound of shinobue (Japanese transverse flute) and drums accompanies the parade. The nailed-head Hira-daiko drum hung from the kiriko is beaten vigorously. Youth wearing bells carry the swinging kiriko around with energetic yelling.

The “Yakko-buri” dancing starts in the afternoon of the second day of the festival. Youth wearing costumes called dotera and ceremonial aprons hold shanga spears with feather decorations. They parade through every part of the town, while yelling in such as way that it sounds like they are singing a woodcutters’ song slowly. The “Yakko” boys perform with their arms open wide horizontally; the parade looks like a procession of the feudal era, and the orderly Shôin-style street adds to the effect.

On the main Ômachi street, the performance of tossing the shanga to a person on the other side of the road is really impressive. At a given signal, people pair up and face each other. With a call, they toss the shanga high up towards the other side, and the spears follow a parabolic trajectory to their partners. The spectators shout for joy at the sight of this stylish and gallant performance.

At night, when the procession comes back to the shrine, the Hachiman-daiko drum performance is dedicated to the deity of the shrine. The kiriko that have assembled at the shrine go back to their respective districts, dancing boisterously."

Source: "Kiriko Festivals in Noto"

This festival (#15) is one of 29 Noto Kiriko Matsuri ("Float Festivals") held each year in the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture, the most for any area of Japan.

For additional background and historical details click the link to the festival website above.

Peak times: 1st Day - 21:30; 2nd Day - 15:00.
Recommended arrival times: 1st Day - 21:00; 2nd Day - 14:30.
Recommended parking: Shoin Community Center parking - MapCode: 329 680 890*25.