The Shinjo Matsuri Festival is held every year from August 24th to 26th in Shinjo City, Yamagata Prefecture. This festival, which attracts approximately 500,000 visitors over three days to a town with a population of approximately 34,000, was registered as one of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ``Yama, Hoko, and Yatai Festivals'' in 2009. In 2026, it will be held from August 24th (Monday) to August 26th (Wednesday).
🎭 歌舞伎の場面を再現した山車
The most distinctive feature of the Shinjo Festival is the floats (dashi floats) that recreate famous scenes from Kabuki and history using puppets. Each neighborhood association in the city creates new floats every year, and around 20 floats parade through the town. The dolls placed on the floats are life-sized or larger, and the details of their facial expressions and costumes are carefully crafted.
It takes several months for each neighborhood association to create the floats. Residents of the neighborhood association are in charge of everything from selecting the subject matter to creating the dolls, decorating, and designing the lighting. A major feature of the Shinjo Festival is that new works are created every year by the residents themselves, rather than outsourced to outside contractors. The completed floats are kept private until the day of the festival, and the excitement peaks when they appear on the streets for the first time.
The origin of the Shinjo Festival dates back to 1756, when Masanobu Tozawa, the lord of the Tozawa Domain, held a new festival at Tenmangu Shrine to cheer up his people who were suffering from a bad harvest. This festival has a history of about 270 years.
Viewing points
- 3 days composition:August 24th is the ``Yoi Matsuri'', where festival floats are paraded in the evening illuminated with lanterns. The main festival is held on August 25th, during which a mikoshi (portable shrine) is passed and floats are paraded during the day. August 26th is the ``Ago Matsuri'', where traditional performing arts such as the Shishiodori dance are dedicated.
- Viewing the floats:The floats can be viewed freely from along the route. One way to enjoy the festival is to compare the themes and the quality of the dolls as each neighborhood association's floats pass by.
- Hayashi:The parade of floats is accompanied by the music of flutes, drums, and gongs. The music of the Shinjo Festival has a unique tune and is an important element in shaping the atmosphere of the festival.
- Shinjo Festival History Center:The Shinjo Furusato History Center, located in front of Shinjo Station, displays past floats and festival materials. Even if you visit outside of the festival day, you can still see the actual floats.
- access:It is within walking distance from JR Shinjo Station to the center of the festival. From Tokyo, take the Yamagata Shinkansen "Tsubasa" to Shinjo Station, approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes. It takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes from Sendai via the JR Senzan Line. Accommodation during the festival period is limited in Shinjo City, so you can also stay in Yamagata City or Oishida Town and commute by train.
🏔️ 新庄と最上地方
Shinjo City is the central city of the Mogami region in the northeastern part of Yamagata Prefecture. The region experiences heavy snowfall in winter, exceeding 2 meters, and the temperature difference between summer and winter is extremely large. During the festival period in August, daytime temperatures exceed 30℃, but mornings and evenings are relatively cool.
The Mogami region is also known for its boat rides down the Mogami River. This is the place where Basho wrote a poem in ``Oku no Hosomichi'': ``The Mogami River gathers the rain in May.'' If you're going to see the Shinjo Festival, you can plan an itinerary that includes a boat ride down the Mogami River (about 1 hour, about 2,500 yen) and a trip to Ginzan Onsen (about 40 minutes by bus from Shinjo Station). Ginzan Onsen is a hot spring town with Taisho-era wooden inns lined up along the river, and is known for its nighttime views of gas lamps.