Published October 20, 2026 at 3:30 PM JST

Yatsushiro Myoken Festival brings a sacred procession, nine umbrella floats, a lion dance and the legendary turtle-snake Kida to the Kumamoto riverside each November.

Quick answer: The Yatsushiro Myoken Festival is the autumn festival of Yatsushiro Shrine in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, and it is usually held on November 22 and 23. The portable shrine travels to a resting shrine on the first day and returns on the second, joined by lions, horses, a legendary turtle-snake called Kida and richly decorated umbrella floats called kasaboko. It is counted among the three great festivals of Kyushu and is part of UNESCO's float festival listing. Organizers set the exact program each year.

A Festival for the North Star

The Myoken Festival is the autumn celebration of Yatsushiro Shrine, which stands in the Myoken district of Yatsushiro City in Kumamoto Prefecture. The shrine is also known by its older name, Myokengu, and it honors Myoken, a deity linked in Japanese tradition with the North Star and the Big Dipper. The shrine and its fall celebration are an old and much loved part of life in the region.

The festival is usually held on November 22 and 23. The first day is a gentle descent, called Okudari, in which the portable shrine travels from the shrine to a temporary resting place. The second day is the ascent, called Onobori, in which the procession returns. November 23 is also a national holiday in Japan, so the main procession day often draws family crowds who enjoy the long holiday atmosphere.

Yatsushiro is a river port town on the Kyushu coast, and its festival grew up with the prosperity of the old castle town. It is counted with the Nagasaki Kunchi and the Hakozaki Hojoya festival as one of the three great festivals of Kyushu, according to a Kumamoto tourism source. It is also a nationally designated important intangible folk cultural property.

History and Origins

According to Yatsushiro City sources, the festival has been celebrated for roughly five hundred years, with the form people know today taking shape in the Edo period. A Japanese regional summary says that Hosokawa Tadaoki, also known by his later name Sansai, who was a leading daimyo of the area, had a portable shrine made and helped revive the shrine procession in 1636. Another English-language source places this gift a few years earlier, so it is safest to say that the revival took place in the 1630s under the Hosokawa family.

Later, during the Genroku era, which ran from 1688 to 1704, townspeople added much of the color that visitors see today. A Yatsushiro City document mentions that the lion dance was introduced by a wealthy local merchant, and that decorated umbrella floats and the Kida joined the procession during that period. Yatsushiro was a busy shipping port in feudal times, and a Japanese tourism summary notes that the town's prosperity encouraged generous, elaborate offerings from the merchants and neighborhoods.

The festival is carefully preserved today. The Yatsushiro Myoken Festival was designated a nationally important intangible folk cultural property in 2011, and in 2016 it was inscribed by UNESCO as one of thirty-three Japanese float festivals under the heading Yama, Hoko, Yatai.

The Floats and Festival Figures

Yatsushiro's floats are known as kasaboko, which could be translated as umbrella-shaped floats. According to the city, nine of them are designated together with the portable shrine as a Kumamoto Prefecture important tangible folk cultural property. They are gorgeous towers of ornament, each assembled with decorative pieces that express wishes for prosperity and long life, and they represent the neighborhoods of the old castle town. The city says the way they appear in the procession has been reproduced as faithfully as possible from an Edo-period picture scroll of the shrine festival.

The most famous figure of the festival is Kida, a legendary creature with the body of a tortoise and the head of a snake. Local tradition holds that the deity Myoken crossed the sea riding such a creature, and in Yatsushiro it is also affectionately called Game. In the procession it is carried by a team of bearers who make it dance and twist, and it is a favorite with children and photographers alike.

The Yatsushiro lion dance is another highlight. A source on the festival explains that the male lion has two horns and wears red and white, while the female has one horn and wears red and yellow. The city describes the lion as Chinese in style, and lions lead the procession.

The festival also includes sacred horses, decorated horses, colorful costumed attendants, wooden horses and other traditional performers. Altogether, according to the city and the festival tourism pages, about forty items and roughly 1,700 people take part in the long procession.

What Happens During the Festival Days

On the afternoon of November 22, the portable shrine leaves Yatsushiro Shrine around two o'clock and arrives at its resting shrine, Shioya Hachiman Shrine, at about five o'clock, according to a Japanese festival guide. In the evening comes the lively eve festival, known as Goya, in which kasaboko, Kida and lions are displayed in the Hon-machi shopping arcade in the center of Yatsushiro. The city explains that the people who dedicate the floats and local leaders form groups to show their energy for the following day, and folk arts such as kagura and Bo-odori are performed on stage.

The main procession takes place on November 23. According to the official festival guide, the procession leaves Shioya Hachiman Shrine at about 7:30 in the morning and walks roughly six kilometers back to Yatsushiro Shrine. A Kumamoto prefectural summary says the line of participants stretches about one and a half kilometers. Lions lead the way, followed by the floats and the other groups.

Along the way, performances are held at stages near JR Yatsushiro Station and at a riverside area called Tosaki-no-kawara. The lions and Kida dance, and horses run along the riverbed. The Tosaki riverside near the shrine is a particular highlight, where floats and performers gather together.

Music, Dance and Ritual

The Myoken Festival has a wonderfully rich variety of performing arts. The lion dance, the Kida dance and the horse runs make up a series of showpieces that repeat during the day at different stages, so visitors can see them more than once. A tourism summary mentions that something new is performed about every thirty minutes at the main viewing spots.

Music and rhythm accompany each group. The festival is also an occasion for traditional folk performances at the eve festival, including kagura, the sacred Shinto dance form, and Bo-odori, a dance performed with staffs. Together they show how the festival includes both solemn prayer and cheerful community entertainment.

Behind these displays is a sacred purpose. UNESCO describes the float festivals as yearly occasions on which communities pray for peace and protection from natural disasters, and Yatsushiro's procession of the deity fits that spirit. The portable shrine is the center of everything, and the lions, floats and Kida are there to escort and delight it.

Tips for Visitors

The two days offer slightly different experiences. The main procession on November 23 is the larger event, and it is likely to be the busiest. A Japanese tourism guide suggests that the evening of November 22 can be a relaxed time to enjoy the festival atmosphere in the arcade.

According to the city festival guide, viewing stages are set up near Demachi Park, next to the Yatsushiro Harmony Hall, and in front of JR Yatsushiro Station. Paid gallery seating is also available at the station front and at Tosaki-no-kawara, and since conditions can change, it is best to confirm details on the official site. Traffic around the festival is usually restricted, and temporary parking and shuttle buses are generally arranged, so check the festival announcements for the current year.

For travelers using rail, one English-language guide suggests heading to Shin-Yatsushiro Station and continuing to Yatsushiro Station. Since transfers differ by timetable, checking train times in advance is wise. Dress for cool November weather, bring comfortable shoes for walking, and stand a little back when watching the horses near the riverbed, since splashes are possible.

Please be polite when watching the procession. Keep a respectful distance from the bearers and the horses, follow the guidance of the stewards, and avoid stepping into the route.

Food, the Area and the UNESCO Listing

Festival days in Yatsushiro often include food stalls and music in the arcade, and a stroll through the old part of the city is a pleasant addition to the program. Yatsushiro Shrine itself is worth a visit on a calmer day, as a place dedicated to the North Star and rich in local history.

Today the Yatsushiro Myoken Festival is one of thirty-three Japanese festivals listed together by UNESCO under the heading Yama, Hoko, Yatai. UNESCO stresses that people of all ages and genders share the work of preparing the floats and the festival, and that older participants pass skills to younger ones. In Yatsushiro this can be felt in every part of the procession, from the practice of the lion dancers to the care given to each umbrella float.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Yatsushiro Myoken Festival held?

It is usually held on November 22 and 23 each year, with the procession of the portable shrine on both days. Organizers decide the exact details of the program, so check the official Yatsushiro city or festival site before you go.

What is Kida?

Kida is a legendary creature with the body of a tortoise and the head of a snake. According to local tradition it carried the deity Myoken across the sea, and in the festival it is carried and danced by bearers. In Yatsushiro it is also affectionately known as Game.

Which day is best to see?

November 23 is the main procession day, with the long walk from Shioya Hachiman Shrine and performances at the station front and the riverside. November 22 is the descending procession, together with the eve festival in the arcade in the evening, and it is often calmer.

Further reading: the UNESCO page for the float festivals, the official Yatsushiro Myoken Festival guide to the procession and the official Yatsushiro Myoken Festival page on the eve festival.

Keep exploring: Karatsu Kunchi: Fourteen Giant Floats and the Autumn Beach Pull; Hita Gion Festival: The Little Kyoto of Kyushu in Summer; Hakata Gion Yamakasa: Fukuoka's Dawn Dash with Racing Floats; Kyoto Gion Festival: Yamahoko Floats and Lantern-Lit Yoiyama Nights.