This is the main festival for Karatsu Shrine – a shrine with over 400 years of history and one of Saga Prefectures most popular festivals.
The feature of this festival is the giant “Hikiyama” floats that are pulled through the streets. The floats weigh between 2 and 4 tonnes and may be up to 7 meters in height.
The highlight of the festival is day 2 (November 3rd) when the floats are dragged along the beach through the sand – often getting stuck.
The 2020 cancelation due to COVID-19 was the first cancelation in the 200 year history of the event.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, many events have been canceled. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
