May

May, once every 10 years (next festival will be in 2029)

One of the top three boat festivals of Japan, Horan-enya has been celebrated since the Edo era. A procession of boats protects the boat carrying the deity from Jozan Inari Shrine all the way down the Ohashi River to Adakaya Shrine, the most flamboyant of which are five “Kaidenma-sen.” The crews decorate these boats in unique and traditional styles, and the rowers chant while dancers in bright Kabuki makeup and costumes dance with batons and oars on either end of the boat. The festival lasts nine days both on land and on the water and takes a year to prepare. You can visit the Horan-enya Memorial Hall to experience a small taste of this festival at any other time.