Nada Fighting Festival (Nada No Kenka Matsuri)

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Nada Fighting Festival (Nada No Kenka Matsuri)

A spirited autumn festival in Nada, where luxurious portable shrines collide within the shrine grounds.

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The annual autumn festival is held on October 14th and 15th at Matsubara Hachiman Shrine in Shirahama Town, Himeji City. Known as one of the "Three Great Wild Portable Shrine Festivals" in Japan, the festival involves participants from the "Former Seven Villages," which are the seven coastal regions in the southeastern part of the city, part of the shrine's parishioners.

On the evening of the 14th, during the eve festival, elaborately decorated floats depart from each district in the early morning. After parading through the town, they enter the shrine grounds in a predetermined order. The 15th is the main festival day. The entourage of the district serving as the year's lead purifies themselves in the sea before violently crashing three portable shrines against each other in front of the worship hall and the tower gate, accompanied by vigorous chants. The powerful scenes justify calling it a "fighting festival." Additionally, there's a procession at Otabiyama, about 1 km away from the shrine, followed by a ritual at the mountain's summit. The sight of the portable shrines and floats racing up the steep slope towards the summit is also a sight to behold.

Highlights

  • The autumn grand festival of Matsubara Hachiman Shrine takes place annually on October 14th and 15th.
  • On the eve of the 14th, floats from the former seven villages gather to enter the shrine grounds.
  • On the main festival day, the 15th, three portable shrines are clashed together in a ritual known as "neriawase."

Photos

  • The intense clash of the portable shrines

    The intense clash of the portable shrines

  • Seven floats enter through the tower gate one after another

    Seven floats enter through the tower gate one after another

Reviews

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Some reviews are translated by AI.

  • The Nada Fighting Festival held here is all about intense clashes between portable shrines. I didn't expect it to be such a masculine and even a bit rough event! It's definitely something unique and surprising.

Details

Name in Japanese
灘のけんか祭り
Telephone
079-245-0413 (Matsubara Hachiman Shrine)
Schedule
Every year on October 14 and 15
Access
A 5-minute walk from Shirahamanomiya Station on the Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line (Matsubara Hachiman Shrine)
Official Website
Official Website (Japanese)