Ofune Matsuri
This is a major spring festival held once every five years on May 2-3 at the Sawawachigi Shrine in Otsu.
The Ofune Matsuri, designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset by Japan, is a festival in which a sacred boat with a mikoshi portable shrine on board, depicting the blessings of the sea on both sides of the boat, is paraded through the town by about 400 people pulling the boat to marine songs performed by traditional utako singers and musical accompaniment. There are no wheels on the bottom of the boat. Instead, 100 wooden crates called soroban are laid out in the shape of a well, and 20 or 30 young people stand on the edge of the boat, rocking it from side to side as they pull it along on the crates. This is truly a spectacular and valiant performance. The next festival will be held on May 2 and 3, 2024. The boats used for the festival are stored at the Yosoro Fishing History Museum and can be viewed all year round.
Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset designated by Japan
Once every 5 years!
Information
Address
Otsu Fishing Port, Otsu-cho, Kitaibaraki-shi
Access
5 min. by car from JR Otsuko Station
Visiting
stival will get very crowded, so please use public transportation to get there.
Parking Lot
Available：Otsu Fishing Port and Yosoro Fishing History Museum, Kitaibaraki-shi