π Festival - Togi Hassaku Festival, Shika Town - 2023

Courtesy of Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
Courtesy of Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
Courtesy of Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
Applicable Dates :
Available the 26th of August 2023 through the 27th of August 2023
Itinerary Type :
Festivals
Number of Stops
2
Est. Drive
75 km / 46.8 miles - 1 hours and 15 minutes
Est. Site-Seeing :
Between 4 hours and 36 hours
 
This festival 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.

This festival can/should be combined/customized with one or more other driving itineraries in Ishikawa. You can conveniently access this festival from various "gateways" in Ishikawa Prefecture: the Kanazawa JR Station if arriving by train, or either the Komatsu or Noto Satoyama Airports if arriving by air. All three gateways have multiple rental car outlets.

Due to crowds for the festival, be prepared to park away from the actual festival site. There are normally local people directing traffic near the site(s) so allow a little extra time to park and walk to the site.

Highlights of this festival:

● Romantic festival of god lovers.
● About 30 kiriko parade in the night. (first day)
● 11 portable shrines are carried on the beach. (second day)

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

75 km / 46.8 miles - 1 hours and 15 minutes
1. Kanazawa Station - 金沢駅

Photo Walter L. Keats
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Accessible Baby Changer Has Food Has Parking Has Shopping Has Toilet Has Vending Machine(s)
MapCode :
41 558 874*22
Phone :
057-000-2486
Description :
The Kanazawa Station (Kanazawa-eki) is a railway station in Kanazawa-shi (Kanazawa City), Ishikawa-ken (Ishikawa Prefecture) operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and the private railway operators Hokuriku Railway, and IR Ishikawa Railway. The station serves the Hokuriku Shinkansen line (currently operating between Tokyo, Nagano and Kanazawa). The station averages about 22,700 boarding passengers per day.

The station has a Midori no Madoguchi (みどりの窓口, literally "green window") with a MARS (マルス Marusu, which stands for Multi Access seat Reservation System) capable of selling reserved seats throughout the entire JR system.

The departure melody used on the Hokuriku Shinkansen platforms was composed by songwriter and producer Yasutaka Nakata, who was born in Kanazawa. The station has numerous rental car offices on both the east and west sides. It also serves as a bus station hub.
Address :
1-1 Kinoshinbo-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0858
75.3 km /  46.8 miles - (1 hours 15 minutes)
2. Togi Hassaku Festival (#17) - 冨木八朔祭礼 (#17)

Courtesy of Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
Courtesy of Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
Courtesy of Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
Has Food Has Parking Has Toilet Has Vending Machine(s)
Min/Max Time :
240 / 2160 Minutes
MapCode :
471 192 289*63
Phone :
076-732-1111
Description :
The Togi Hassaku Festival is held on <> each year.

"Masuhoga-ura Beach in the Togi area of Shika Town is known as one of three beautiful beaches with many small shells (nitidotellina nitidula) that have drifted ashore. Once upon a time, a male god who drifted to Masuhoga-ura Beach was rescued by the female god of Sumiyoshi Shrine, and they became a couple. However, since the male god could not endure the sound of rough waves, he moved to another shrine (Togi Hachiman Shrine - MapCode: 471 223 866*44). Subsequently, the male god on the portable shrine started visiting Sumiyoshi Shrine (MapCode: 471 192 289*63) to meet the female god once a year on the first day of August by the lunar calendar. This is the origin of the festival.

On the first day of the festival, about 30 kiriko lanterns parade around to see the male god on the portable shrine. The scene of the kiriko lanterns pushing the audience aside in order to rush into the shrine is the highlight of the festival. It is as if each kiriko is competing against the others to be the most elegant, and each portable shrine carrier is trying to be the bravest. After completion of the ritual performance in the precincts of the shrine, the male god on the portable shrine sets off to Sumiyoshi Shrine to see the female god. The portable shrine travels the two kilometers to the shrine at night, as drums and gongs play a distinctive rhythm. The first day of the festival closes with excitement. On the second day, the portable shrines are the heroes of the festival. The male god’s portable shrine and regional portable shrines gather at Masuhoga-ura Beach. The procession of 11 portable shrines on the white sandy beach is quite a sight."

Source: "Kiriko Festivals in Noto"

This festival (#17) 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.
Hours :
Peak times: Saturday - 22:00; Sunday - 14:30.
Recommended arrival times: Saturday - 19:30; Sunday - 14:00.
Recommended parking: Old Togi Elementary School parking - MapCode: 471 193 764*22.

Note that the Togi Hachiman Shrine is at MapCode: 471 223 866*44;
the Sumiyoshi Shrine is at MapCode: 471 192 289*63; and
there is also parking near the Masuhoura Beach at the Togi-Umikaido Michi-no-Eki at MapCode: 471 192 431*77.
Address :
Togi area, Higashi Masuho area, and Hiezukuri area of Shika Town

Select Itinerary »