In May, three gigantic floats, each 12 meters high and weighing 20 tons, appear on the streets of Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture.
The Seihakusai Festival is the spring festival of Daijishu Shrine (Sanno Shrine) and is the largest festival in the Noto region. Because of the sheer size of the Hikiyama, the locals call it ``Dekayama.'' The Seihaku Festival Hikiyama Festival was designated as a national important intangible folk cultural property, and in 2016 it was also registered as one of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages, ``Yama, Hoko, and Float Festivals.''
🏯 A giant body creaking along the street
The diameter of the big mountain wheel is about 2 meters. The sound of these giant wheels screeching across the narrow streets can be heard from far away. A particular highlight is the change of direction called ``tsuji mawashi.'' A 20-ton float is turned 90 degrees at an intersection using only human power. Using leverage and logs placed under the wheels, dozens of people work to gradually change the angle, requiring a combination of strength, skill, and breathing.
The floats are decorated with dolls that recreate famous Kabuki scenes, and the performances change every year. On the night of May 2nd, there is a custom called ``Ningyomi,'' in which dolls on floats are displayed in houses in each mountain town where the festival was held. Before the festival, one of the local pastimes is to walk around town and look at the dolls.
Points of appreciation
This is the point to see the Seihaku Festival.
- Dates and highlights:In 2026, it will be held from May 3rd to May 5th. On the 4th, three of them will gather at Daijishu Shrine, and on the 5th, they will gather in full force near the Noto Food Festival Market and Sentai Bridge. The sight of the three towers lined up is an impressive sight, and it is also a popular photo spot. Tsuji mawashi can be seen everywhere during the daily cruise.
- access:You can reach the main festival area within walking distance from JR Nanao Station. About an hour and a half from Kanazawa on the JR Nanao Line. By car, it takes about 10 minutes from the Nanao IC on the Noetsu Expressway, but there are traffic restrictions in the city area during the festival period.
- Food stalls and food:During the festival period, food stalls are lined up along the road. Nanao is also a port town in Noto, and restaurants serving fresh seafood are dotted around the city. You can buy and eat local seafood at the Noto Food Festival Market.
- Relationship with the Noto Peninsula Earthquake:The Noto Peninsula earthquake in January 2024 also caused significant damage to Nanao City. The Seihaku Festival is also attracting attention as a symbol of regional recovery. You can check the latest event status on the official website of the Nanao City Tourism Association.
🎎 Rich harvest and the name of “Big Mountain”
The name Seihaku Festival is said to come from the fact that the food offered before the shrine was served on blue oak leaves. The festival itself is a spring festival to pray for a rich harvest, and is one of the most prestigious festivals in Noto.
As the name ``Dekayama'' suggests, the sight of the floats, which are the equivalent of 3 to 4 floors of buildings, passing by the eaves of houses, has a sense of scale that is difficult to convey in photos and videos. The streets of Nanao are full of narrow streets that retain the atmosphere of a castle town, and the contrast between the narrow streets and the huge size of the floats is what makes this festival so powerful. It can be visited on a day trip from Kanazawa, so it is one of the options when traveling to Hokuriku during the Golden Week period.