Kumamoto Culture

Dating back to roughly the 14th century, Yatsushiro Myoken is one of the oldest festivals in Japan. Spanning over two days, it takes places every year in Yatsushiro City in Kumamoto. This colorful event is filled with floats, dances, performances, and great food. History of the Festival Yatsushiro Myoken was once almost lost to history. What saved the festival was a donation of portable shrines and other ritual items to Yatsuhiro Shrine (at the time called Myoken-gu Shrine) by Hosokawa Sansai in 1636. These items have been preserved over the centuries and still play a role in the festivities today. In 2011, Yatsushiro Myoken was designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Then, in 2016, it became one of just 33 festivals to be registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Descending Procession The first day of the festival consists of a small procession, featuring some of the main performances of the following day along with the portable mini shrines called mikoshi. The procession begins at 2:00 p.m. from Yashiro Shrine and ends at Shioya Hachimangu Shrine at 5:00 p.m. Before reaching its final destination, the procession reaches Honmachi Arcade (at around 4:30 p.m.), where there is a display featuring…