Kakunodate, a castle town that flourished during the time of the Satake clan [Senboku City's highlights ③]

Kakunodate flourished during the 215 years or so of the Edo period, when it was ruled by the Satake Hokke clan, who were respected by the local residents as their "lord."

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The Satake Kita family inherited the townscape built by the Ashina clan

The town layout that remains in Kakunodate today, centered around the castle town, was created by the Ashina clan, distant relatives of the Satake clan, the lords of the Kubota domain, who first entered Kakunodate during the Edo period. With Mount Kojō, where Kakunodate Castle stands, at its highest point, the town known as "Kakunodate's Twenty-One Towns" was laid out in an area of ​​about 300-500m east-west and 2,000m north-south at its southern foot. The samurai district, which is now a tourist attraction known as "Samurai Residence Street," is the northern half closer to Mount Kojō and was called Uchimachi, with theOmotemachi ShimochoandHigashi Katsurakuchosuch as丁" (cho) used

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Kakunodate's population was over 600 households and 3,000 people

It is said that there were around 250 samurai residences in Uchimachi when the Ashina clan built the town (around 1620). The Ashina clan later died out due to lack of a successor, and the Satake Kita clan moved into Kakunodate in 1656. Even after the Satake Kita clan took over, the size of the town did not change much, and the samurai population, including family members, is thought to have been around 1,200 to 1,500 people

In contrast to Uchimachi, where the samurai residences were located, the townspeople's town was called Tomachi, and according to the 1849 statistics of the Kubota domain ("Revised Survey of the Number of Male and Female Peasants in the Household and Domain in 1859," included in "New Edition of History of the Development of Northern Umi," held at the National Diet Library), there were 356 households, and the total population was probably around 1,500 to 2,000

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Because it was a small castle town, it escaped the ravages of the Boshin War

Domain as a wholeKubota, which in 1849, excluding farmers (approximately 280,000), had a population of about 90,000 (some areas excluded), including samurai and townspeople. This shows that Kakunodate was a considerably small castle town. This is one of the main reasons why, fortunately, it did not become a battlefield during the Boshin War (1868-1869), in which various domains in Tohoku fought fiercely against the new government forces and the former shogunate forces, and why the townscape from that time remains to this day.

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The Kakunodate Festival's Yama Event has been designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan

which is a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is also registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural HeritageKakunodate Festival Yama Procession,"which 18 floatscalled "hikiyama" (or"yama") clash in the main street. While it is rough and boisterous, it also has an elegant side, as the floats' craftsmanship and hand dances are showcased in front of the head of the Satake Kita family, the local lord, and the floats compete to be the best of the year.

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The Kakunodate Festival has been running for over 330 years since at least 1694

The Kakunodate Festival is a combination of the festivals of Kakunodate's guardian deity, "Shinmei-sha," and "Joju-inYakushi-do," which is said to have been founded during the Muromachi period. It is held annually for three days from September 7th to 9th. Its origins are not entirely clear, but the first recorded mention is in the "Satake KitaKitain 1694. It states that "(at the time) a festival called the Kashima Festival was held, and each neighborhood prepared a boat-shaped float with dolls on it and presented it to the Kita family," and this is considered to be the prototype of the Kakunodate Festival.

Furthermore, the 1788 edition of the "Satake Kita Family Diary" features the word "yama" for the first time. According to it, "At the festival of Yakushido, about 40 yama were brought out and viewed by the Emperor in front of the gate of the Kita family," indicating that by this time, "boats" had been replaced by "yama." However, it seems that the yama of this period were called "hanging yama," which were carried by a large number of people.

It was not until the Meiji period that the floats became "hikiyama," which are floats attached to wheels and pulled by people, because they had grown too large to be carried by people. After 1910 (Meiji 43), all floats became hikiyama

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Kakunodate Festival, which lasts for three days from September 7th

The floats are decorated with warrior dolls and other decorations, and are accompanied by musicians and dancers. The festival begins on the morning of September 7th with the annual ceremony at Shinmei Shrine. After that, around 4pm, all 18 floats gather at Shinmei Shrine, and each one performs an offering of music and dance, with the last float finishing at midnight

September 8th begins with a Shinto ritual at Shinmei Shrine, followed by the visit of 18 floats to Yakushido Hall. Around 10:00 AM, the "Satake Kita Family Viewing" takes place. This custom, which has continued since the Edo period, allows the lord of the Satake Kita family to see the quality of the year's decorations, as well as the progress of the music and dance. As of 2025, the "lord" is Norihisa Satake (former Governor of Akita Prefecture), the 21st head of the Satake Kita family, and the viewing was held at the former Kuroda residence on the samurai residence street.

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The biggest highlight of the mountain events is the spectacular "Yamabuttsuke"

theKakunodate Festival's float processionThe biggest highlight ofyama buttsuke." Two floats, still carrying musicians and dancers, collide head-on. The timing and location of this collision are unpredictable and often occur late at night on the 9th. However, recently, a "yama buttsuke" event has been held on September 8th for tourists, with a predetermined location and time. Even though it's for tourists, it's just as exciting and impressive as the real thing.

On September 9th, the Yama parades through the town, and in the evening, the real battle for control of the roads, "Yama Buttsuke," begins. Once "Yama Buttsuke" has finished, the festival comes to an end

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Information on the Kakunodate Festival's Yama Events

• Event name: Kakunodate Festival Mountain Event
• Cultural Property Designation: Nationally Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property / Registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage as one of the "Yama, Hoko, and Yatai" floats
• For inquiries, please contact: Semboku City Tourist Information Center "Kakunodate Ekimaekura"
• Phone number: 0187-54-2700
• Dates: September 7th to September 9th
• Location: Kakunodate Town, Uchimachi, Sotomachi, etc
• URL:Kakunodate Festival Yama Procession
• access:
  • Public transportation: Akita Shinkansen, JR Tazawako Line, Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway, approximately 20 minutes on foot from Kakunodate Station
  • By car: Approximately 39 minutes from Kyowa IC on the Akita Expressway via National Highways 341 and 46

Google Map

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The strange festival "Hifuri Kamakura" where the end of a rope is set on fire and swung around

"Hifuri Kamakura"a traditional event that adds color to the winter in Kakunodate. A charcoal sack is tied to the end of a straw rope about 1 meter long, the sack is set on fire, and it is swung around in a circular motion. The fantastical sight of rings of flame dancing in the snowy landscape of midwinter is breathtaking.

There is no definitive evidence regarding the origin of "Hifuri Kamakura." However, in 1815, during the Edo period, the Edo shogunate sent a document called "Inquiryon Customs) to all the feudal domains throughout the country to inquire about local events and customs. This document was essentially a questionnaire survey, and in the response from Akita Prefecture, "Response to the Oshu Akita Inquiry on Customs), there is a depiction of a large fire being lit in front of the gates of samurai residences during the Dosojin Festival on January 14th, with men lighting bales of rice on fire and swinging them around. It seems certain that "Hifuri Kamakura" was an event held during the Edo period between January 13th and 15th, which was known as Koshogatsu (Little New Year).

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Koshogatsu is the start of work

Koshogatsu is the name for Oshogatsu, which falls on January 1st (through January 3rd), and events are often held to mark the end of the New Year. Nowadays, depending on the region, Koshogatsu refers to either Koshogatsu according to the old calendar (around February 15th) or January 15th according to the new calendar, and there is no set rule

The "Hifuri Kamakura" festival is held every year on February 14th, which is the Little New Year according to the old lunar calendar. The "Hifuri Kamakura" festival was originally called "Kamakura," butabout 20 to 30 years ago it was renamed "Hifuri Kamakura" to distinguish it from the "Kamakura" festival held in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture.

There are four events called "Kamakura" in Akita Prefecture. They are the "Kamakura" in Yokote City, the "RokugoKamakura" in Misato Town, the "Himatsuri Kamakura" in Kuzokuro, Kitaakita City"in Kakunodate, Senboku CityHifuri Kamakura. They are all held around the old New Year (around February 15th) and share the common purpose of praying for a bountiful harvest and good health, but the forms of the events are all different, and it is unclear why they are called "Kamakura," making them rather mysterious events (we will introduce them in more detail another time).

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The origin of the Sagicho festival is the burning of decorations such as New Year's decorations and New Year's pine decorations

"Hifuri Kamakura" festival is said to have originated from an event called "Sagicho," which was held at the Kyoto Imperial Palace from the Heian period.It is said that on January 15th, the Little New Year, worn-out balls used in a game called "gitcho" were burned along with fans and strips of paper. This tradition was passed down to shrines and the general public, and developed into events called "otakiage" (mainly at shrines), "Sagicho" (mainly in western Japan), and "dontoyaki" (mainly in eastern Japan), in which New Year's decorations, shimenawa (sacred ropes), and kadomatsu (pine and bamboo decorations) are burned to pray for good health and protection from illness.

The "Hifuri Kamakura" festival is thought to have evolved from the Sagicho festival into its current style, and it is believed that the Satake Kita family's New Year's event spread among the people during the Edo period

The Fire-swinging Kamakura festival used to be held on the eve of February 13th, but in 2025 it will only be held on February 14th. The venue is also not fixed and changes slightly every year. Some venues allow tourists to try their hand at fire-swinging, but be sure to inquire with Semboku City or check their website for information on dates, venues, experiences, parking, etc

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Hifuri Kamakura Information

• Event name: Hifuri Kamakura
• Cultural property designation: Semboku City designated intangible folk cultural property
• For inquiries, please contact: Semboku City Tourist Information Center "Kakunodate Ekimaekura"
• Phone number: 0187-54-2700
• Date: February 14th
• Event hours: 18:00-20:00
• Location: Various locations in Kakunodate Town (Main venue and around 20 other locations)
• URL:Hiburi Kamakura
• access:
  • Public transportation: Akita Shinkansen, JR Tazawako Line, Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway, approximately 20-30 minutes on foot from Kakunodate Station
  • By car: Approximately 40 minutes from Kyowa IC on the Akita Expressway via National Highways 341 and 46

Google Map

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There are many more traditional events and crafts that began during the time of the Satake clan, such as paper balloons, Shiraiwa Sasara, and Shiraiwa pottery, which we will introduce in "Sights of Senboku Town ④."

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