The Hachinohe Sansha Taisai is held annually from July 31 to August 4 in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture. With a history spanning over 300 years, this festival is recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. It originated as a religious procession involving three local shrines—Ogami, Chojasan Shinra, and Shinmei—to pray for a bountiful harvest and protection from disaster. The event is the largest of its kind in the Sanriku region, blending solemn Shinto rituals with spectacular public displays.
The festival’s most striking feature is the parade of 27 massive, ornate floats known as dashi. These floats are renowned for their complex mechanical designs; many feature motorized folding mechanisms that allow them to expand significantly in both height and width as they move through the city, sometimes reaching ten meters tall. The decorations are inspired by Japanese mythology, kabuki plays, and local legends, characterized by vivid colors and intricate sculptures. During the processions, these floats are accompanied by the rhythmic sounds of Hachinohe-style flute and drum music.
On the nights of July 31 and August 4, the floats are illuminated for evening parades, creating a dramatic visual effect. On the intervening days, the three shrines lead the primary processions through the city center. Another cultural highlight occurs on August 2 at Chojasan Shinra Shrine, where participants engage in Kiba Dakyu, an ancient form of traditional polo. This rare equestrian event is one of only three such traditions remaining in Japan, further emphasizing the festival’s role in preserving Edo-period regional culture.
The best place to witness the “expansion” of the dashi is at major intersections along the city’s central thoroughfare, where the operators have enough clearance from power lines and trees to fully deploy the mechanical stages. Because Hachinohe Station is located outside the city center, visitors must take a 10-minute local train to Hon-Hachinohe Station to reach the festival route. For those who cannot attend during the peak summer dates, the Yosei (Hachinohe Portal Museum) displays several of the previous year’s award-winning floats at eye-level year-round, allowing for a detailed inspection of the intricate wood carvings and motorized joints.
