Festivals and Events

Schedule: Early to late April
Venue: Rojo Park, Marunouchi Koen-machi, Komatsu City
Overview: Rojo Park is a garden built at the site of the San-no-maru area of Komatsu Castle. About 130 cherry trees in the park beautifully bloom in spring. Visitors can enjoy viewing the cherry blossoms at night in the garden adorned with paper lanterns. Have a nice walk in and around the park that is home to museums and a teahouse.
Official Website: http://www.city.komatsu.lg.jp/3737.htm

Schedule: April 12 (Sat) and 13 (Sun) 2014 / (held on the second Saturday and Sunday every year)
Venue: Kaga-Shinmeigu Shrine, 15 Shinmei-cho, Daisho-ji, Kaga City
Overview: Annual celebration of Kaga-Shinmeigu (Yamashita Shrine) to pray for the development of local businesses and a good harvest. Floats, groups of dancers and shishimai (lion dance) parade down the street. Along the bank of the nearby Kumasaka River, you can enjoy strolling while seeing gorgeous cherry trees that line the river for 1 km.
Official Website: http://www.tabimati.net/event/detail.php?p=422

The following are the details of each summer festival.

Schedule: August 3 (Sun) and 4 (Mon), 2014, 8:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Venue: Special venue in front of Hattori-jinja Shrine, Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga City
Overview: Mannojo Nomura V, a multi-genre artist, revived “Dengaku,” which is a mysterious performing art popular of the 12th to 16th centuries, by incorporating various essences of other performing arts and music from all over the country. His performance received the Japan Art Festival Award in 1993. He has performed at the closing ceremony of the Winter Paralympics in Nagano and also overseas many times.
Official Website: http://www.yamashiro-spa.or.jp/daidengaku/

Schedule: September 22 (Mon) and 23 (Tue/holiday) 8:30 a.m.- around 10:00 p.m.
Venue: Around Kikuno-yu, Yakushi-machi, Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga City
Overview: A massive event of songs and dances by locals, geishas and entertainers as well as Onsen guests. In the afternoon, local women gallantly carry portable shrines, joining in with those carried by local young men. O-jishi (gigantic lion dance) is paraded around the town and the town is full of an exciting festive mood.
Official Website: http://www.yamanaka-spa.or.jp/event/index_05.html

Schedule: August 23 (Sat) and 24 (Sun), Fireworks takes place 9:00 p.m.-9:40 p.m. on August 24
Venue: Onsen district, Katayamazu Onsen, Kaga City
Overview: A festival to commemorate the opening of Katayamazu Onsen. Stalls stand in the central area and shishimai (lion dance), portable shrine carrying, a singing show, a dance event, and other gorgeous events are held in this Onsen town. Fireworks will be launched from Shibayama-gata on the 24th (Sun).; http://www.katayamazu-spa.or.jp/sightseeing/summer/

Schedule: August 21 to 23, 2014 / (held in late August every year)
Venue: Awazu Onsen, Komatsu City
Overview: Tourists and local dancers who wear the same yukata (summer cotton kimono) as a costume dance and parade in the town, accompanied by drum beat and Osshobe-bushi, a folksong describing a legendary love story in Awazu Onsen.; http://www.awazuonsen.com/

Schedule: May 9 to 12, 2014 / (held early May every year)
Venue: Uhashi-jinja Shrine and Motoori Hiyoshi-jinja Shrine, Komatsu City
Overview: The highlight of Otabi Festival is Hikiyama floats preserved in eight towns and Hikiyama Children’s Kabuki in which local children pit on a fine kabuki performance on the floats. The illuminated eight floats gather at “hiki-zoroe” held from early evening to night, and this gorgeous spectacular draws a large number of spectators.
Official Website: http://www.komatsuguide.jp/

Schedule: May 4 and 5, 2014 / (held early May every year)
Venue: Uhashi Shrine, Motoori Hiyoshi Shrine, Komatsu City
Overview: Komatsu is known as the home to Ataka no Seki, which is known as one of the settings of the famous kabuki play, Kanjin-cho. As one of the kabuki-related sites in Japan, the city organizes a kabuki festival every year inviting guest performers from all over the country. Children perform kabuki at a full-fledged theater with a hanamichi runway.
Official Website: http://www.komatsuguide.jp/

Schedule: Early October 2014 / (held on the first Saturday and Sunday of October every year)
Venue: Tsurugi district, Hakusan City
Overview: Horai festival is an autumn celebration of Kinkengu Shrine that has an 800-year history. At night, Tsukurimono, huge dolls about 5 meters tall on floats, dynamically parade in the town. They are illuminated and show another aspect different from that in daytime.
Official Website: http://www.urara-hakusanbito.com/festival/view/9

Welcome to the Kaga/Hakusan Area