The city of

Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...

Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kana ...

has many festivals () 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 Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

, they are relatively small-scale events attended mostly by locals and a few tourists.Kamakura Official Textbook for Culture and Tourism, pages 170 to 188 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 Kenchō-ji (建長寺) is a Rinzai Zen temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, which ranks first among Kamakura's so-called Five Great Zen Temples (the ''Kamakura Gozan'') and is the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan.English pamphlet ...

, organize many events too, bringing the total to over a hundred.

January

1, 2 and 3 - 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.

Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1192 until 1199.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako who acted as regent (''shikken'') after his ...

made Ebisu the shogunate's tutelary god, but now people flock to the temple to wish for a good new year. There's a similar event on the tenth too, called , and this time the girls distribute Fukumochi (rice cakes). 2nd - 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. Tangerines are thrown into the sea, boats carrying flags gather along the coast and the captain offers sake to , the boat's guardian ''

kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...

''. 4th - at Koshigoe: See ''Funaoroshi'' above. 4th - at Tsurugaoka Hachiman: This event marks the beginning of the working year for local construction workers who, for the ceremony, use traditional working tools. 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. The ceremony takes place at 1:00 PM at Tsurugaoka Hachiman. 5th - at Tsurugaoka Hachiman: Festival to keep evil spirits away. Archers shoot at a target on which is painted the word "devil". 15th- '' ''Sagichō'' (左義長 at Tsurugaoka Hachiman: The paper decorations used during the New Year festivities are publicly burned.

February

Day before the first day of spring (usually Feb. 3) - at Tsurugaoka Hachiman,

Hase-dera is the main temple of the Buzan sect of Shingon Buddhism. The temple is located in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The Main Hall is a National Treasure of Japan. Overview According to the description on , which is enshrined at Hase-dera, t ...

Kamakura-gū is a shrine in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It was erected by Emperor Meiji in 1869 to enshrine the spirit of Prince Morinaga, who was imprisoned and later executed where the shrine now stands in 1335 by order of Ashikaga Tadayoshi. F ...

, etc. : Celebration of the end of winter. Beans are scattered in the air to ensure good luck. 11th: at

Chōshō-ji is a Buddhist temple of the Nichiren Shū in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan.Harada (2007:92) It's one of a group of three built near the site in Matsubagayatsu (The ending "ヶ谷", common in place names and usually read "-gaya", in Kamakura is norm ...

temple: Ceremony during which Buddhist monks douse themselves with cold water to pray for the country's safety.

March

Last day of equinoctial week (end of the month): at Kōsoku-ji. The temple performs funerary rites in memory of defunct pets (dogs, cats, canaries).

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.

May

5th - at the Kamakura-gū: Archers in samurai gear shoot arrows at a straw deer while reciting old poems.

June

2nd Sunday - at Goshō Jinja: The faithful carry a portable shrine ( a ''

mikoshi A is a sacred religious palanquin (also translated as portable Shinto shrine). Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when ...

'') on Zaimokuza's streets. At about 3:00 PM the ''mikoshi'' is carried into the sea at

Zaimokuza is an area within the Kamakura, Kanagawa Pref., in Japan that runs along the sea from Cape Iijima near Kotsubo harbor to the estuary of the Namerigawa. The relation between the beach's name and that of its neighboring areas is complex. Although Yu ...

Beach.

July

From the first to the second Sunday of the Month - at Koyurugi Jinja: Processions from Koshigoe's five neighborhoods play music and welcome the coming of the gods. 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.Kamakura's History - Koshigoe
by the Kamakura Citizen Net, retrieved on May 26, 2008 15th - at Kenchō-ji: Funeral rites take place first early in the morning under the

Sanmon A , also called , is the most important gate of a Japanese Zen Buddhist temple, and is part of the Zen ''shichidō garan'', the group of buildings that forms the heart of a Zen Buddhist temple.JAANUS It can be often found in temples of other den ...

gate. They are later repeated expressly for the soul of

Kajiwara Kagetoki was a samurai and retainer of the Kamakura Shogunate during the late Heian and early Kamakura period. He was a spy for Minamoto no Yoritomo in the Genpei War, and a warrior against the Taira clan. He came to be known for his greed and treachery ...

August

From the first day of fall (usually the 8th) to the 9th - at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū: hand-drawn ''

bonbori The traditional lighting equipment of Japan includes the , the , the , and the . The is a lamp consisting of paper stretched over a frame of bamboo, wood or metal. The paper protected the flame from the wind. Burning oil in a stone, metal, ...

'' paper lanterns are submitted and exhibited on the shrine's ground
Photos of the lanterns
10th (or following Monday if it falls on a Saturday): A full hour of fireworks on the beach in

Yuigahama is a beach near Kamakura, a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The relation between the beach and its neighboring areas is complex. Although Yuigahama is legally the entire 3.2 km beach that goes from Inamuragasaki, which separates it from ...

September

''14th, 15th and 16th'' - : Famous festival with many attractions, the most famous of which is the , or Japanese horseback archery, which takes place on the 16th.Kamakura City's List of Festivals and Events

October

October 8 and 9 - at Kamakura Shrine:

Noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...

plays are held at the shrine by the Kamakura Tourist Association. Tickets must be reserved in advance (phone number: 0467-23-3050).

November

Early November- : Treasure display at Kenchō-ji and

Engaku-ji , or Engaku-ji (円覚寺), is one of the most important Zen Buddhist temple complexes in Japan and is ranked second among Kamakura's Five Mountains. It is situated in the city of Kamakura, in Kanagawa Prefecture to the south of Tokyo. Founded ...

. Objects normally not visible by the public are on display for three days.

December

16th- at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū: Celebration of the founding of the shrine. After dark, bonfires are lighted and four maidens perform a ritual dance.

Notes

References

*
Kamakura Today: Annual Events

{{Commons category, Kamakura Matsuri Festivals in Japan Shinto Shinto festivals Japanese culture Kamakura, Kanagawa Festivals in Kanagawa Prefecture