Kakunodate, a castle town where flowers were opened during the Satake Kita family era [Senboku City highlights 3]

Kakunodate blossomed largely in the 215th year of the Edo period, when it was ruled by the Satake Hokke family, who was respected by the residents as a "lord."

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Satake Kita family inherited the townscape built by the Ashina clan

The town distribution centered around the castle towns that remain in Kakunodate was created by the Ashina clan, a distant relative of the Satake clan, lord of Kubota Domain, who first entered Kakunodate in the Edo period. Kondate Twenty-one Towns " was located at the top of Mt. Kondate, at the southern foot of the town, 300 to 500m east-west, and 2,000m north-south now a tourist attraction as " Samurai Manshiki Street, " is located in the northern half of Mt. Furushiro, and is called Uchimachi, and the town's name was the character cho like Omotemachi Shimocho and Higashikatsurakucho

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The population of Kakunodate, which had a population of 600 households and over 3,000 people

It is said that around 250 samurai residences in the Uchimachi were built by the Ashina clan (around 1620). The Ashina clan was later cut off without a successor, and in 1656 the Satake Kita family entered Kakunodate. Even after the Satake Kita family, the size of the town has not changed much, and it is thought that the samurai-related population is around 1,200 to 1,500, including the family.

The town town where there is a samurai residence is called the Tomachi, and according to statistics from Kubota Domain in 1849 ("National Diet Library collection of the "Number of 356 farmers in the 1849 edition of the "New History of the Northern Era""/Covered by the National Diet Library), there were 356 restaurants, and the total number of people was around 1,500 to 2,000.

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Because it was a small castle town, it was spared the war caused by the Boshin War.

The New History of the Northern Development," for the entire Kubota Domain, the castle town of 600 households and a maximum of 3,500 people, in 1849, with the exception of farmers (approximately 280,000), totaling about 90,000 people (excluding some areas), including samurai townspeople, which can be seen as a fairly small castle town. This did not become a battlefield during the Boshin War (1868-1869), when the Tohoku domains were divided into new government forces and former shogunate forces, fighting fiercely during the Meiji Restoration, and fortunately, the townscape of that time has been one of the major factors that have remained today.

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"Kokedan Festival Yama Event" is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of the National

Konodate Festival Yama Event " a nationally designated important intangible folk cultural property and registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage 18 floats (suds), known as the Hikiyama, collide with each other on the main streets, and while it is rough, they also have the elegant side of the Yamas in front of the head of the Satake Kita family, performing Yamas performances and hand dances, competing for the most float of the year.

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The Kakunodate Festival has been in operation for over 330 years since at least 1694.

The Kakunodate Festival combines the Kakunodate guardian deity, Shinmeisha , and Seijoin Yakushido , and is held for three days from September 7th to 9th. Although its origins are not clear, the first record to appear in the 1694 description of Family Diary, which is said to have been written by the Lord of the Satake Kita Family " At the time, the Kashima Festival (known as the Kashima Festival) was held, and each house made a "ship"-shaped towing with dolls and performed it to the Kitaya ," which is considered to be the prototype of the Kakunodate Festival.

Furthermore, the 1788 edition of "Satake Kitaya Diary" featured "Yama" for the first time. According to the report, " About 40 Yamas were presented at the Yakushido festival, and they were asked to view it at the gates of the Northern Family," and by this time the "ship" had been changed to "Yamas." However, it seems that at this time, the mountains were called "hanging mountains" and were carried by many people.

It is said that the fact that the mountains were attached to the wheels and people pulled them was the first time they were in the Meiji period, and that the size of the mountains became too large to carry them. Since 1910 (Meiji 43), all the mountains have become floats.

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Kakunodate Festival will last for three days from September 7th

The Yama will be decorated with warrior dolls and other items, as well as a musician and dancers. On the morning of September 7th, a regular festival ceremony will be held at Shinmeisha, and the festival will begin. After that, around 4pm, 18 Yamas gathered at the Shinmeisha Shrine, each offering a gay and dance, and the final one ends late at night.

September 8th begins with a Shinmeisha ritual, with 18 Yamas visiting Yakushido. Satake Kita Family View from around 10am . This is a tradition that has been around since the Edo period, and the Lord of the Satake Kita family shows the perfect decorations that year, as well as the music and dance skills. As of 2025, the "Prince" was Satake Takahisa (former Akita Governor), the 21st head of the Satake Kita family, and the viewing was held at the former Kuroda family on Sakiyashiki Street.

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The biggest highlight of the Yama event is the impressive "Yamabutte"

The biggest highlight of the Yama event at the is probably the Yamabutte The two Yamas, who run over, with the musicians and dancers on them, collide with each other to the fullest. This is a coincidence of when and where they run into each other, and there is no fixed time or place, and it is said that it will often be late at night on the 9th, but recently, on September 8th, a tourist Yamabutsuki event has been held in advance for tourists to hold a "Yamabutsuki" event, with a place and time set beforehand. Although it is for sightseeing, it is as impressive as the actual show.

On September 9th, Yama will travel around the town, and in the evening, a full-scale road battle will begin, "Yamabutsuke." Once the "Yamabutsuki" subsides, the festival will come to an end.

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Yama Events at Kakunodate Festival Information

• Event name: Yama events at Kakunodate Festival
• Cultural Property Designation: Nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property / Registered as "UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage" as one of the "Mountain, Hoko, and Food Stalls"
• Contact: Semboku City Tourist Information Center “Kakunodate Ekimaegura”
• Phone number: 0187-54-2700
• Dates: September 7th - September 9th
• Location: Kakunodate town, outside town, etc.
• URL: Yama events at Kakunodate Festival
• access:
  • Public Transportation: Approximately 20 minutes on foot from Akita Shinkansen, JR Tazawako Line, Akita Uchiriku Longitudinal Railway Kakunodate Station
  • Car/Approximately 39 minutes from the Akita Expressway Kyowa IC via National Routes 341 and 46

Google Map

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The strange festival "Fire-spin pillow" is set on the tip of the rope and swing it around.

" Fire-flying Kamakura " a traditional event that will decorate the winter of Kakunodate . Tie a charcoal bales to the tip of a straw rope about 1m long, then light the charcoal bales and swing them around in circles. The fantastic sight of a circle of flames dancing in the snowy scenery in the middle of winter is spectacular.

No solid evidence has been found regarding the origin of the "fire-spring pillow." Fuzoku to Ijo," which was sent to feudal domains across the country by the Edo Shogunate in 1815 during the Edo period Akita Adult Entertainment Questionnaire " from Akita Prefecture depicts a huge fire burning in front of the gates of samurai residences at the Doso Shinto Festival on January 14th, and men waving bales. It is no doubt that the event held between January 13th and 15th, known as the Little New Year (coffee) in the Edo period was the "fire-flying porridge."

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The events for the Little New Year are the events when you first work

Little New Year is the name for the Tai New Year (Oo Ginger) on January 1st (to the 3rd), and events are often held to mark the end of New Year. Currently, depending on the region, either the old Little New Year (around February 15th) or the new calendar on January 15th, is called Little New Year, and there is no rule.

The "Fire-Rich Pillow" is held every year on February 14th, the Little New Year of the lunar calendar. The "fire-spring" was originally called a "chicken pillow," but about 20-30 years ago it was named the "fire-spring" to distinguish it from the "chicken pillow" event in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture.

There are four events in Akita Prefecture called "Kamakura". Yokote City , the Kamakura in Rokugo , the Kakuzokuro in Kuzokuro , and the " Kamakura in ." The event was held during the Old Little New Year (around February 15th), and although it has the same concept that it is an event that prays for a good harvest and good health, the form of the event is different, making it a rather strange event, as it is unclear why it is called a "kamakura" (for more details, please visit another time).

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The original is Saginaga, an event that burns shime decorations and kadomatsu.

There is an event that is said to be the prototype of the " fire-spring pillow Sagicho that has been held at the Kyoto Imperial Palace since the Heian period . It is said that the old balls were burned on January 15th, a small New Year's holiday, along with a fan and strips of paperbacks. This was passed down to shrines and folklore, and it became an event called "Ochieki (mainly shrines)," "Saginaga (mainly western Japan)," and "dontoyaki (mainly eastern Japan)," where New Year's decorations, shimenawa (shimenawa), and kadomatsu are burned to pray for good health.

The "Fire-Rich Pillow" was also a style that was gradually changed by Saginaga to become the current style, and it is thought that during the Edo period, the events of the Satake Kita family during the small New Year period spread among people.

The "Hitowari Kama Pillow" used to have a pre-party held on February 13th, but in 2025 it was held only on February 14th. Furthermore, the venue is not fixed, and changes a little every year. At some venues, tourists can experience fire fire, but be sure to inquire about the dates, venue, experiences, parking, etc. or check the website.

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Fire pillow Information

• Event name: Firefly squirrel
• Cultural property designation: Intangible folk cultural property designation: Senboku City
• Contact: Semboku City Tourist Information Center “Kakunodate Ekimaegura”
• Phone number: 0187-54-2700
• Date: February 14th
• Event time: 18:00-20:00
• Venue: Various locations in Kakunodate town (main venues, around 20 locations, etc.)
• URL: Firefly Pillow
• access:
  • Public Transportation: Approximately 20-30 minutes on foot from Kakunodate Station on the Akita Shinkansen, JR Tazawako Line, Akita Uchiriku Longitudinal Railway
  • Car/About 40 minutes from the Akita Expressway Kyowa IC via National Routes 341 and 46

Google Map

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We will introduce the many traditional events and crafts that began during the Satake Kita family, including paper balloon lifting, Shiraiwa Sasara, and Shiraiwa grilling, in "Senboku Town Highlights ④".

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