List of festivals and events in Kamakura

{{Short description|none}} 190px|thumb|The Parade during the Kamakura Festival The city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture has many festivals ({{nihongo|matsuri|祭り}}) and other events in all of the seasons, usually based on its rich historical heritage. They are often sponsored by private businesses and, unlike those in Kyoto, they are relatively small-scale events attended mostly by locals and a few tourists.<ref name="KOT170">Kamakura Official Textbook for Culture and Tourism, pages 170 to 188 {{in lang|ja}}</ref> January in particular has many because it's the first month of the year, so authorities, fishermen, businesses and artisans organize events to pray for their own health and safety, and for a good and prosperous working year. Kamakura's numerous temples and shrines, first among them city symbols Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū and Kenchō-ji, organize many events too, bringing the total to over a hundred.<ref name="KOT170"/>

== January == '''1, 2 and 3''' - {{nihongo|''Kamakura Ebisu''|鎌倉えびす}} at Hongaku-ji: Celebration of Ebisu, god of commerce. Young women dressed in traditional costumes (Fuku Musume) sell lucky charms made of bamboo and sake.<ref name="KOT170"/> Minamoto no Yoritomo made Ebisu the shogunate's tutelary god, but now people flock to the temple to wish for a good new year.<ref name="KOT170"/> There's a similar event on the tenth too, called {{nihongo|Hon Ebisu|本えびす}}, and this time the girls distribute Fukumochi (rice cakes).<ref name="KOT170"/>

'''2nd''' - {{nihongo|''Funaoroshi''|船おろし}} at Sakanoshita: This event marks the beginning of the working year for local fishermen, who pray for big catches and the safety of their boats.<ref name="KOT170"/> Tangerines are thrown into the sea, boats carrying flags gather along the coast and the captain offers sake to {{nihongo|Funadama|船霊}}, the boat's guardian ''kami''.<ref name="KOT170"/>

'''4th''' - {{nihongo|''Funaiwai''|船祝い}} at Koshigoe: See ''Funaoroshi'' above.

'''4th''' - {{nihongo|''Chōna-hajimeshiki''|手斧初式}} at Tsurugaoka Hachiman: This event marks the beginning of the working year for local construction workers who, for the ceremony, use traditional working tools.<ref name="KOT170"/> The festival also commemorates Minamoto no Yoritomo, who ordered the reconstruction of the main building of the shrine after it was destroyed by fire in 1191.<ref name="KOT170"/> The ceremony takes place at 1:00 PM at Tsurugaoka Hachiman.<ref name="KCL"/>

'''5th''' - {{nihongo|''Joma Shinji''|除魔神事}} at Tsurugaoka Hachiman: Festival to keep evil spirits away.<ref name="KOT170"/> Archers shoot at a target on which is painted the word "devil".<ref name="KOT170"/>

'''15th''' - {{nihongo|Sagichō|左義長}} at Tsurugaoka Hachiman: The paper decorations used during the New Year festivities are publicly burned.<ref name="KOT170"/>

== February == '''Day before the first day of spring (usually Feb. 3)''' - {{nihongo|''Setsubun Matsuri''|節分祭}} at Tsurugaoka Hachiman, Kenchō-ji, Hase-dera, Kamakura-gū, etc. : Celebration of the end of winter.<ref name="KOT170"/> Beans are scattered in the air to ensure good luck.<ref name="KOT170"/>

'''11th''': {{nihongo|''Daikokutōe Seiman Matsuri''|大国祷会成満祭り}} at Chōshō-ji temple: Ceremony during which Buddhist monks douse themselves with cold water to pray for the country's safety.<ref name="KOT170"/>

== March == '''Last day of equinoctial week (end of the month)''': {{nihongo|''Dōbutsu Ireisai''|動物慰霊祭}} at Kōsoku-ji. The temple performs funerary rites in memory of defunct pets (dogs, cats, canaries).<ref name="KOT170"/>

== April == '''2nd to 3rd Sunday of April''': ''Kamakura Matsuri'' at Tsurugaoka Hachiman and other locations: A whole week of events that celebrate the city and its history.<ref name="KOT170"/>

== May== '''5th''' - {{nihongo|''Kusajishi''|草鹿|}} at the Kamakura-gū: Archers in samurai gear shoot arrows at a straw deer while reciting old poems.<ref name="KOT170"/>

== June == 190px|thumb|A ''mikoshi'' '''2nd Sunday''' - {{nihongo|''Goshō Jinja Reisai''|五所神社例祭}} at Goshō Jinja: The faithful carry a portable shrine (a ''mikoshi'') on Zaimokuza's streets. At about 3:00 PM the ''mikoshi'' is carried into the sea at Zaimokuza Beach.<ref name="KOT170"/>

== July == '''From the first to the second Sunday of the Month''' - {{nihongo|''Koyurugi Jinja Ten'osai''|小動神社天王祭}} at Koyurugi Jinja: Processions from Koshigoe's five neighborhoods play music and welcome the coming of the gods.<ref name="Koshigoe"/> Warrior dolls are displayed along the streets and, on the last day of the festival, Yasaka Jinja's mikoshi is carried from Enoshima to Koshigoe.<ref name="Koshigoe">[http://www.kcn-net.org/e_kama_history/koshigoe/koshigoe.html Kamakura's History - Koshigoe] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511212614/http://www.kcn-net.org/e_kama_history/koshigoe/koshigoe.html |date=2008-05-11 }} by the Kamakura Citizen Net, retrieved on May 26, 2008 {{in lang|en}}</ref>

'''15th''' - {{nihongo|''Sanmon Kajiwara Segakie''|三門梶原施餓鬼会}} at Kenchō-ji: Funeral rites take place first early in the morning under the Sanmon gate.<ref name="KOT170"/> They are later repeated expressly for the soul of Kajiwara Kagetoki.<ref name="KOT170"/>

== August == '''From the first day of fall (usually the 8th) to the 9th''' - {{nihongo|Bonbori Matsuri|ぼんぼり祭り}} at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū: hand-drawn ''bonbori'' paper lanterns are submitted and exhibited on the shrine's grounds [http://www.buddhist-artwork.com/bonbori-festival/html/bonbori.html Photos of the lanterns].<ref name="KOT170"/><ref name="KCL"/>

'''10th (or following Monday if it falls on a Saturday)''': A full hour of fireworks on the beach in Yuigahama.<ref name="KCL"/>

== September == ''14th, 15th and 16th'' - {{nihongo|Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū Reitaisai|鶴岡八幡宮例大祭}}: Famous festival with many attractions, the most famous of which is the {{nihongo|Yabusame|流鏑馬}}, or Japanese horseback archery, which takes place on the 16th.<ref name="KCL">Kamakura City's List of Festivals and Events {{in lang|ja}}</ref>

== October == '''October 8 and 9''' - {{nihongo|''Kamakura Takigi-Nō''|鎌倉薪能}} at Kamakura Shrine: Noh plays are held at the shrine by the Kamakura Tourist Association.<ref name="KCL"/> Tickets must be reserved in advance.<ref name="KCL"/>

== November == '''Early November'''- {{Nihongo|宝物風入|Hōmotsu Kazeire}}: Treasure display at Kenchō-ji and Engaku-ji.<ref name="KCL"/> Objects normally not visible by the public are on display for three days.<ref name="KCL"/>

== December == '''16th'''- {{Nihongo|Gochinza Kinensai|御鎮座記念祭}} at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū: Celebration of the founding of the shrine.<ref name="KCL"/> After dark, bonfires are lighted and four maidens perform a ritual dance.<ref name="KCL"/>

== Notes == {{Reflist}}

== References == * {{cite book | last = Kamakura Shōkō Kaigijo | title = Kamakura Kankō Bunka Kentei Kōshiki Tekisutobukku | publisher = Kamakura Shunshūsha | year = 2008 | location = Kamakura | language = Japanese | isbn = 978-4-7740-0386-3 }} * [http://www.kamakuratoday.com/e/event.html Kamakura Today: Annual Events] {{in lang|en}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080612232436/http://guide.city.kamakura.kanagawa.jp/matsuri/matsuri_index.htm Kamakura City's List of Festivals and Events] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Commons category|Kamakura Matsuri}}

Category:Festivals in Japan Category:Shinto festivals Category:Culture of Japan Category:Kamakura Category:Festivals in Kanagawa Prefecture Kamakura Kamakura