Kamakura Matsuri: Shizuka's Dance, Samurai Archery and a Spring Parade

Published October 20, 2026 at 6:57 PM JST

Each April the old samurai capital of Kamakura celebrates with a street procession, a retelling of a famous dance and horseback archery at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

Quick answer: Kamakura Matsuri is the spring festival of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, centered on Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine. It is typically held over about a week from the second Sunday to the third Sunday of April, with organizers setting the exact program each year. Highlights include a procession along Wakamiya-oji, the Shizuka no Mai dance at the shrine's open stage and yabusame, the ritual of shooting arrows from a galloping horse.

What Kamakura Matsuri is

Kamakura Matsuri is the city's main spring celebration, and the tourism association describes it as one of the biggest events of the Kamakura year. It is organized by the Kamakura City Tourism Association rather than by the shrine alone, although Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is the heart of the action. The festival has run since 1959, and the 2026 edition was counted as the 68th.

The festival is usually held across the stretch of time that runs from the second Sunday of April to the third Sunday. Not every day has a major show. Instead, the big public events land on a few key dates, with a number of smaller happenings, such as tea gatherings and partner events around town, filling in the days between. Because the program is announced each year, it is wise to check the tourism association page before planning a trip.

Kamakura makes an ideal stage. The city was the seat of the first samurai government in the late twelfth century, and its streets, temples and shrines still carry that story. A spring festival that mixes court-style dance, samurai tradition and a cheerful town parade fits the place well.

The warrior city behind the festival

To understand why this festival looks the way it does, it helps to know a little about Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. The shrine honors Hachiman, a deity long regarded as the guardian of the samurai class, and it has served as the spiritual center of Kamakura for centuries. According to the shrine, many of its festivals have been handed down for more than 800 years.

Two historical figures appear again and again in Kamakura Matsuri. One is Minamoto no Yoritomo, the leader who established the Kamakura shogunate. The other is Shizuka Gozen, the dancer associated with his younger half brother Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Their stories give the festival its dramatic heart. Even the partner events listed alongside the main program reflect this, with a Yoritomo haiku contest, a memorial service for Yoritomo and a Yoshitsune Matsuri held at Manpukuji temple, according to the tourism association's 2026 listing.

The street procession on Wakamiya-oji

The opening highlight is the procession, which in 2026 was planned for the first Sunday of the festival, the second Sunday of April, starting in the morning. It moves for roughly one kilometer along Wakamiya-oji, the broad approach road that leads straight to the shrine, from the Geba area to the shrine grounds.

According to the tourism association, around a thousand people usually take part. Groups include local festival music teams, portable shrines called mikoshi, groups in armor and dance teams performing yosakoi, a lively style of choreographed dance. The mix of old and new gives the parade a friendly, community feel, and it is a good chance to see Kamakura residents celebrating together.

Because the route runs along the main approach to the shrine, traffic around Wakamiya-oji is restricted on parade day. Organizers ask visitors to use public transport. Arriving early also helps if you want a spot with a clear view of the passing groups.

Shizuka no Mai, the dance at the Maidono

Later on the same day, attention turns to the Maidono, the open dance pavilion at the foot of the shrine stairway. The 2026 plan listed a performance of Shizuka no Mai from mid afternoon, with spoken commentary beforehand, performed by a dancer of the Nishikawa school.

The dance recalls an episode recorded in the medieval chronicle Azuma Kagami. According to Kamakura tourism information, on the eighth day of the fourth month in 1186, Shizuka Gozen, who was devoted to Yoshitsune, offered a dance to the deity Hachiman at the site of the old Wakamiya corridor, which is where the Maidono stands today. The chronicle describes the scene as a truly magnificent sight at the shrine. The festival performance re-creates that moment, and the unhurried, graceful movements make a lovely contrast to the cheerful parade earlier in the day.

Yabusame, horseback archery on the third Sunday

The festival's most thrilling moment arrives on the final Sunday, when yabusame is performed at the shrine's long riding ground. In the 2026 plan it began in the early afternoon of April 19. Yabusame is a Shinto ritual in which a rider gallops down a straight course and shoots arrows at three wooden targets in turn.

Details published by the shrine and local tourism sources describe a course of about 250 meters, with three targets set along the way and three arrows fired by each rider at full gallop. The arrows have rounded, turnip-shaped heads used for this ceremony. In Kamakura the ritual is performed by riders of the Ogasawara school, whose tradition is linked to the year 1187, when Yoritomo is said to have offered yabusame in prayer for peace and stability across the land.

Yabusame appears twice in the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu calendar. The spring event belongs to the Kamakura Matsuri, while a second, famous performance takes place on September 16, the final day of the shrine's autumn Reitaisai festival, which runs from September 14 to 16. The two are separate events, so be sure which one you are planning for.

Tea in the open air and other gentle moments

Not everything in Kamakura Matsuri is fast and loud. On the Saturday and Sunday of the final weekend, outdoor tea gatherings called nodate are set up at three well loved sites. In the 2026 plan, tea schools served guests near the shrine's hand-washing pavilion and at Kenchoji temple on the Saturday, and at Kotokuin, the temple that houses the Great Buddha, on the Sunday.

These tea gatherings are a pleasant way to slow down between the main events. They also link the festival to the wider Kamakura sightseeing circuit, since Kenchoji and the Great Buddha are among the city's best known places. Other listed partner events included a Kanbutsue flower festival at Komyoji temple and a kyudo archery tournament at the shrine's training hall.

Planning your visit

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is about ten minutes on foot from the east exit of JR Kamakura Station, and the Enoshima Electric Railway also stops at Kamakura Station. The tourism association recommends public transport during the festival. Expect larger crowds on the parade Sunday and the yabusame Sunday, and give yourself time to find a viewing spot.

At the riding ground, follow staff directions about where to stand, keep a respectful distance from the course and remember that horses are sensitive to sudden noise and bright light. Dress for April weather, which can be mild in the sun and cool in the shade, and consider bringing water and a hat. For schedule updates, contact the Kamakura City Tourism Association or Tsurugaoka Hachimangu directly, since planned times can change.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Kamakura Matsuri held?

Kamakura Matsuri is typically held from the second Sunday to the third Sunday of April, with organizers announcing the exact dates and program each year. In 2026 the main events were the procession and Shizuka no Mai on April 12, tea gatherings on April 18 and 19 and yabusame on April 19. Check the Kamakura City Tourism Association site before you travel.

Is yabusame part of Kamakura Matsuri?

Yes, a yabusame performance takes place at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu on the final Sunday of the spring festival, according to the 2026 listing from the tourism association. A separate, more widely known yabusame is held on September 16 during the shrine's Reitaisai festival. The two events have different organizers and schedules, so confirm which one you want to see.

How do I get to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu?

Take the JR line or the Enoshima Electric Railway to Kamakura Station and leave by the east exit. The shrine is roughly a ten minute walk along Wakamiya-oji. Because that road is restricted on parade day, the tourism association encourages visitors to use trains and walk rather than drive.

Further reading: the Kamakura City Tourism Association page for Kamakura Matsuri, the Kanagawa tourism listing for the 68th Kamakura Matsuri and the Good Luck Trip page on yabusame at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

Keep exploring: Sanja Matsuri in Asakusa: Three Days of Mikoshi, Music and Joy; Fukagawa Hachiman Matsuri: Tokyo's Joyful Splash-Along Mikoshi Festival; Nikko Toshogu Spring Grand Festival: Mounted Archers and a Samurai March; Kawagoe Festival: Little Edo's Revolving Floats and Hikkawase Duels.