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the Akita Prefecture event " KamakuraYokote Kamakura " held in Yokote City, where children gather in a dome made of snow to enjoy rice cakes, sweet red bean soup, tea, and other delicacies.
On the other hand, an event in which people split into two groups and poke each other with long bamboo sticks around a bonfire that produces a huge pillar of fire is also called "kamakura."
Rokugo Kamakura preserves the original form of the Kamakura festival
" Rokugo no Kamakura ," is a traditional event held in Misato Town during the Little New Year period, dating back 700 years. In the past, the "Yokote Kamakura" also had more religious ceremonies and customs than it does today, but now only the snow domes remain, and it has become a tourist attraction.
Preparations for the Rokugo Kamakura, which lasts for about four days, follow traditional customs and lead up to the main events, such as "bamboo beating" and "tenhitsu-yaki." Although snow domes like those in Yokote are not built here, the entire five-day event is still called "kamakura." This is considered the original form of the "kamakura" event, and the "Rokugo Kamakura Events" have been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan
The official name of the Kamakura held in Rokugo is "Rokugo no Kamakura," but according to the Misato Town Commerce, Tourism and Exchange Division, the reason it is written in katakana as "Kamakura" is that when it was designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1982 (Showa 57), the designated name was written as "Rokugo no Kamakura Event," and since then, katakana has been the official name. During the Edo period, it appeared in documents as "Kamakura," and from the Meiji period onwards it has been written as "Kamakura."
Rokugo Kamakura is held as a small New Year's event. In 2026, it will be held from February 10th (Tuesday) to 14th (Saturday)
Rokugo Kamakura is held over five days during the Little New Year (Koshogatsu) as a milestone event to mark the end of the New Year and to say, " New Year's is over, let's get to work ." Currently, the schedule is set so that the final day, "Bamboo Beating," falls on a Saturday in mid-February. In 2026, it will be held on Saturday, February 14th.
In the old calendar, January 1st was determined to be the "day of the new moon," and was not a fixed date like the current (solar) calendar. Therefore, if January 1st on the old calendar were applied to the current calendar, it would fall on any day between late January and mid-February (the day of the new moon in between). This is why the date of National Day, which celebrates the Chinese New Year on the lunar calendar, changes every year. In Japan, the relationship between the new and old calendars is not often considered so strict, and January 1st on the old calendar is fixed to February 1st, with Little New Year falling around February 15th (there are also events that are held around January 15th, two weeks after the current January 1st, as Little New Year)
Let's return to the topic of "Kamakura in Rokugo."
The Rokugo Kamakura festival will be held for five days, from February 10th to February 14th in 2026
The first day is the " kura-biraki " ceremony. During the Edo period, landlords would close their storehouses during the New Year holidays, and rice would not be available in the village. It was only during the Little New Year that the storehouses were finally opened and the rice was released. This "kura-biraki" ceremony signaled the start of the kamakura festival. Generally, this custom is known as "kagami-biraki."
Tenhitsu, an important event at Rokugo Kamakura. The countless Tenhitsu dancing in the sky are a seasonal sight during the Little New Year
On the first day, another important event begins: Tenpitsu people write their wishes on a Tenpitsu, a piece of specially made colored paper joined vertically in the following order: green, yellow, red, white, and blue (this color order is called " right-legged calligraphy "). The length of a single Tenpitsu varies from person to person, but it's generally around 3-5m. The text to be written on it is generally set, and people write their own wishes on it.
Write the following in the <Tenhitsu>: "Dedicated to Kamakura Daimyojin, Tenhitsu Harmony Joy, Earthly Happiness Joy, XXX Joy. At the beginning of the new year, I take up my brush, I will draw and collect all kinds of treasures. Auspicious day in the New Year of the Rabbit. Name □□□□. Respectfully." (Write your wish as XXX Joy . )
[Kamakura] Who is Kamakura Daimyojin, the god who only appears at ceremonies?
Among the words written on this Tenhitsu pen is the name " Kamakura Daimyojin ." Who is this god that few people have heard of?
Kamakura Gongoro Kagemasa , who is said to have played an active role in the Gosannen War (1083-1087) that broke out in the late Heian period . Kamakura Gongoro Kagemasa was a samurai who came from Kamakura-go, Sagami Province (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture) following Minamoto no Yoshiie (1039-1106), one of the main players in the Gosannen War. There is an anecdote that, at just 16 years old, he fought bravely despite being hit in the right eye by an enemy arrow.
It is true that Kamakura Gongoro Kagesada was a brave military commander, but he was not a particularly heroic or great man. Yet he is enshrined not only at the Rokugo Kamakura, but also as the god of many Kamakura festivals that are (or were) handed down in Akita Prefecture. Perhaps he was a person who achieved great things beyond those mentioned in legend, but there is no way of knowing now
The Tenhitsu are displayed in the town for three days, and on the final day they are gathered together and burned in a grand ceremony
Kamakura Daimyojin is enshrined as the local deity in a snow room in each neighborhood, which serves as a play area for children to keep warm. These snow rooms are called " bird-chasing huts ), and were originally built for the event of "torioi" (bird-chasing), which originated from the practice of chasing away harmful birds that were destroying fields. They are not dome-shaped, surrounded entirely by snow like the kamakura of Yokote. They are surrounded by square snow walls, and the roof is reinforced and covered with straw or bamboo fences. Some villages have built snow rooms called "yukimiya" (snow palaces) near their "torioigoya," but these have been built for several decades and were not originally intended for the event.
Once the Tenhitsu is finished, it is tied to the end of a 7-8m bamboo pole and set up outside. The Tenhitsu raising ceremony begins on the second day in preparation for the Tenhitsu burning ceremony on the final day. During this time, the town becomes lively with events such as markets. The sight of the many Tenhitsu raised along the roadside fluttering in the wind has become a seasonal feature of Rokugo's Kamakura.
The final night will be filled with excitement with Tenhitsu-yaki and Takeuchi
Rokugo Kamakura is an event that prayer festivalsTosigoiExorcism (to ward off bad harvests and misfortune ); and "Toshourai" (to predict the fortunes of the coming year ).
The Tenhitsu is a way to pray for the New Year, and the Torioi is to drive away evil spirits, but the Takeuchi, which takes place on the final day, is truly a way to tell fortunes about the New Year. People fight desperately to make sure that the year will be a good one
The sound of the shells ringing out "bohe, bohe" echoes throughout the room, and the Tenhitsu-yaki and Takeuchi (bamboo beating) rituals finally begin
The "Takeuchi" festival begins around 8:00 PM on the final day. Preparations take place during the day on the final day. The festival takes place in the town square, "Kamakura Field," where New Year's decorations such as Tenhitsu (calligraphy brushes), Shimenawa (sacred ropes), and pine decorations that were hanging in the center are gathered and two mountains are made. These mountains are called Matsunio, and Shimenawa is stretched between the two Matsunio to complete the preparations. Afterwards, activities such as pounding rice cakes are carried out, and in the evening, the conchbohe, bohe " echoes throughout the town. This sound is made by blowing into a Kigai, a long wooden instrument made like two connected buckets, and is said to have originated from sake brewing in Rokugo.
This Bohee is the signal for the departure ceremony of the "Takeuchi" (bamboo thumpers), and men from each neighborhood march toward the Kamakura field, carrying long green bamboo poles measuring about 7 to 8 meters
The third round of the "Bamboo Fight" competition was a battle between the rising flames of the "Tenhitsu-yaki" pottery
The men gather at Kamakura Field, splitting into north and south sides separated by Matsunioni, and wait for the signal to fight. The first round of "bamboo strife" begins with the sound of a deafening siren. The "bamboo strife" consists of three rounds. As the bamboo strikes each other with incredible force, the sounds of the bamboo clashing, the cheers of the crowd, and the constant ringing of shells all blend together, creating a chaotic atmosphere as the first round ends. This takes about five minutes. After the first round is over, there is a short break, followed by the second round. At this point, no winner is decided
After the second round, the Tenhitsu Yaki begins. Tenhitsu Yaki is an event in which two Matsunioni are set on fire and people add the Tenhitsu while praying for a good year. As a pillar of flame rises several meters high from the Matsunioni, turning the whole area bright red, the third round, the Takeuchi, which will decide the winner, finally begins. The fierce battle between the Matsunioni reaches its climax and excitement reaches its peak. It is said that more than 1,000 green bamboo stalks are used in the Takeuchi, and the battle ends when the bamboo runs out
At the end, the judges, the Kamakura Preservation Society, make the decision. If the North wins, it will mean a good harvest, and if the South wins, the price of rice will rise
Kamakura Information in Rokugo
Event name: Rokugo Kamakura Event
Cultural property designation: Nationally designated important intangible folk cultural property
Public transportation: Take the Akita Shinkansen, JR Ou Main Line, or Tazawako Line from Omagari to Rokugo or Yokote by bus for approximately 20 minutes, then get off at the Rokugo-Kamimachi bus stop and walk for approximately 5 minutes.
By car: Approximately 15 minutes from Omagari IC on the Akita Expressway
My love of travel grew, and I used to write a travel magazine, and now I'm a travel writer for the web. During my research, I visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, mainly in the Tohoku region, but my fun part is soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture such as old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts.
