Kamogawa Godosai Festival
Kamogawa Godosai Festival
The Kamogawa Godosai (literally meaning “joint festival”) is annually held by seven shrines located through pre-merger Kamogawa: Oura-Yakumo, Shirahata, Hie, Kumano, Suwa, Yokosuka-Yakumo, and Yawata. A total of seven mikoshi (portable shrines), three dashi (floats), four yatai (stalls), and a katsugi-yatai (shouldering stall) participate in the Godosai, the city’s biggest festival.
The Godosai was first held in 1965, and was originally held on September 13th and 14th of each year. However, because of the recent decline in population and onset of an aging society, since 2000 the festival now falls on the second weekend of September each year.
During the festival, dashi and yatai parade through the town to the traditional melodies of taiko drums and flutes. The sights and sounds of the mikoshi being powerfully heaved up and down are dynamic and impressive. This gallant way of carrying the mikoshi and particularly, the fierce, intense way of Oura-Yagumo Shrine’s jostling katsugi-yatai, resembling the raging seas of the Sotobo area (outer Boso Peninsula) always draw great applause from the onlookers.
Additionally, the two yatai participating in Godosai, Sannoko (Hie Shrine) and Suwako (Suwa Shrine) bear over 90 years of history. During the Edo Period, they participated in the Tenkasai Festival as dashi of the Kanda Festival. These Edo dashi, which marched before the Tokugawa shoguns within the grounds of Edo Castle, now bring much excitement as they parade throughout the city during the Kamogawa Godosai.
Phone: 04-7093-3800 (Kamogawa Folk Museum)
The Godosai was first held in 1965, and was originally held on September 13th and 14th of each year. However, because of the recent decline in population and onset of an aging society, since 2000 the festival now falls on the second weekend of September each year.
During the festival, dashi and yatai parade through the town to the traditional melodies of taiko drums and flutes. The sights and sounds of the mikoshi being powerfully heaved up and down are dynamic and impressive. This gallant way of carrying the mikoshi and particularly, the fierce, intense way of Oura-Yagumo Shrine’s jostling katsugi-yatai, resembling the raging seas of the Sotobo area (outer Boso Peninsula) always draw great applause from the onlookers.
Additionally, the two yatai participating in Godosai, Sannoko (Hie Shrine) and Suwako (Suwa Shrine) bear over 90 years of history. During the Edo Period, they participated in the Tenkasai Festival as dashi of the Kanda Festival. These Edo dashi, which marched before the Tokugawa shoguns within the grounds of Edo Castle, now bring much excitement as they parade throughout the city during the Kamogawa Godosai.
Phone: 04-7093-3800 (Kamogawa Folk Museum)