和歌祭
Kishu Toshogu Shrine & Surroundings, Wakayama
May 14

The Waka Festival takes place annually on the second Sunday of May to commemorate the death of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate. A lively festival procession happens at Kishu-Toshogu Shrine, built in 1621 by Tokugawa Yorinobu, the 10th child of Ieyasu, and attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. This is a truly unique spectacle that highlights the traditional performing arts of Wakayama. The highlight is a mikoshi (portable shrine) being paraded down 108 steep stone steps by young bearers dressed in traditional clothing from the Warring States Period.

Time: 11:30am–4pm • Admission: Free • Access: JR Wakayama Stn / Nankai Wakayamashi Stn, bus to Gongen-mae • wakamatsuri.com