This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
event in Akita Prefecturekamakura, many probably picture the heartwarming "leadYokote Kamakura" held in Yokote City, where children take the
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 New Year's event that has been held in Misato Town for over 700 years. While the "Yokote no Kamakura" also seems to have had more religious ceremonies and customs in the past, it has now become a tourist attraction with only the snow domes remaining.
The Rokugo Kamakura takes place over a period of about four days, with preparations following traditional customs for the main events, such as bamboo beating and Tenhitsu firing
Although snow domes like those in Yokote are not built here, the entire five-day event is still called "Kamakura." This is considered to be the original form of the "Kamakura" event, and the "Rokugo Kamakura Event" has 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 by the national government in 1982 (Showa 57), the designated name was written as "Rokugo no Kamakura Event," and since then the official name has been written in katakana
During the Edo period, it appeared in documents as "Kamakura," and from the Meiji period onwards it was written as "Kamakura."
Rokugo Kamakura, a New Year's event, will be held from February 10th to 14th in 2026
"Rokugo no Kamakura" isthe end of the New Year celebrations and the return to work. Currently, the event is scheduled so that the final day, "Takeuchi" (bamboo-making), falls on a Saturday in mid-February. In 2026, it will be held on Saturday, February 14th.
In the old calendar, January 1st was designated as the "new moon day," and was not a fixed date like the current (solar calendar) calendar
Therefore, if we apply January 1st of the lunar calendar to the current calendar, it falls somewhere between late January and mid-February (on the day of the new moon in between). This is why the date of National Day, which celebrates the Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar, changes every year
In Japan, the relationship between the Gregorian calendar and the old calendar is not often considered so strictly, and January 1st on the old calendar is fixed as February 1st, with Ko-Shogatsu being around February 15th (although there are also events that are held around January 15th, two weeks after the current January 1st, as Ko-Shogatsu)
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 "opening of the storehouses." In the Edo period, landowners who were on New Year's holiday would close their storehouses, and rice would not be distributed to the village. They would finally open their storehouses and release the rice when the Little New Year arrived. This "opening of the storehouses" was the signal that the "Kamakura" festival had begun. Generally, the custom known as "Kagami-biraki" (opening of the mirror) corresponds to this.
Tenhitsu, an important event at Rokugo Kamakura. The countless Tenhitsu dancing in the sky are a seasonal sight during the Little New Year
Another important event begins on the first day: the TenpitsuKakizome (first calligraphy of the yearthe Tenpitsu brush). In this event, people write their wishes on a Tenpitsu, which is made by joining together special colored paper vertically in the order of green, yellow, red, white, and blue (this order of colors is called "migiashiao"). The length of a Tenpitsu varies from person to person, but it is usually about 3 to 5 meters. The text to be written on it is generally predetermined, and people also write their own wishes on it.
<Heavenly BrushWrite the following characters in the
"Dedicated to Kamakura Daimyojin Shrine, Heavenly Brush Harmony, Earthly Happiness, XXX Happiness. At the beginning of the new year, I will take up my brush and draw all sorts of treasures. Auspicious day in the New Year of the Rabbit. Name: □□□□. Respectfully submitted." (Write your wish as XXX Happiness.)
Who is Kamakura Daimyojin, the god who appears only in the Kamakura event?
in the inscription on this celestial brushKamakura Daimyojin. Who could this god, whom I've hardly ever heard of, be?
, who is said to have played an active role in the Later Three Years' War (Later Three Years' War/1083-1087), which broke out in the late Heian periodKamakura Gongoro Kagemasa.
Kamakura Gongoro Kagesa was a samurai who came from Kamakura-go, Sagami Province (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture) to accompany 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 warrior, but he was not a particularly heroic or great man. However, he is enshrined not only as the god of 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 something beyond what has been passed down through legend, but there is no way to know 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 guardian deity in snow huts in each neighborhood, which serve as playgrounds where children can warm themselves. These snow huts are called "bird-chasing huts" and were originally built for a bird-chasing ritual, which was intended to drive away harmful birds that damaged fields. They are not like the "Yokote snow huts" that are completely enclosed in snow to form a dome shape.
It is surrounded by a square wall of snow, and the roof is reinforced and covered with straw or bamboo fences. Some villages have built snow houses called "Yukimiya" near the "Torioigoya," but these have only been built several decades ago and were not originally part of the event
Once the Tenhitsu is finished, it is tied to the end of a bamboo pole about 7 to 8 meters long and set up outside
The "Tenpitsu-ho" (raising of the Tenpitsu) ceremony begins on the second day, preparing for the "Tenpitsu-yaki" (burning of the Tenpitsu) on the final day. During this time, markets and other events are held in the town, creating a lively atmosphere. The sight of the many Tenpitsu hoisted along the roadside and fluttering in the wind has become a characteristic feature of the "Rokugo Kamakura" festival.
The final night will be filled with excitement with Tenhitsu-yaki and Takeuchi
prays for a bountiful harvest, the prosperity of the village, and the safety of the family;Toshigoi,which wards off bad harvests and misfortuneAkumabarai,which predicts the good or bad fortune of the yearToshiura-uranai,.
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 bamboo pounding will begin around 8pm on the final day, and preparations will be made during the day on the final day
The "bamboo beating" 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 made into two piles
This mountainMatsuni, and a sacred rope is stretched between the two Matsuni mountains to indicate that preparations are complete. Afterwards, mochi pounding takes place, and in the evening, a sound like a conch shell, "bohee, bohee," echoes through the town. This is the sound produced by blowing into a long wooden instrument called a kigai, which resembles connected barrels, and it 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 gathered at Kamakura Field, splitting into north and south groups separated by Matsunioni, and waited for the signal to start battle
The first round of the "Bamboo Beating" begins with the sound of a loud siren. The "Bamboo Beating" is a three-round match. As the bamboos are struck at each other with incredible force, the sounds of the bamboos hitting each other, the cheers of the crowd, and the constant ringing of the shells all blend together in a noisy atmosphere, and the first round ends in about five minutes. After the first round, there is a short break, followed by the second round. At this point, the winner is not decided
After the second round, the Tenhitsu Yaki event begins. Tenhitsu Yaki is an event in which two Matsunioni are set on fire and people add Tenhitsu to the fire while praying for a good year
As a pillar of flame several meters high rises from Matsunioni and the whole area turns bright red, the third round of the "bamboo smash" begins, which will decide the winner. The fierce battle with Matsunioni in between reaches its climax, and excitement reaches its peak. It is said that more than 1,000 green bamboo stalks are used in the "bamboo smash", and the battle ends when they run 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 led me to work for a travel magazine some time ago, and now I work as a travel writer for an online publication. I have visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, focusing on the Tohoku region, and I enjoy soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture, including old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts
![Kudzukuro Fire Festival 1_Kitaakita City](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/6b98b156e5d30be32e1a2d8ae1190034-150x150.jpg.webp "This is also a Kamakura. "Hey, Gongoro of the Kamakura!" is a mysterious spell chanted at the "Kuzukuro Fire Festival Kamakura."")
