F E S T I V A L ／ FEST-135
weird
Suhōtei Festival (Giant Bamboo Banner Dance)
数方庭祭すほうていさい
D A T E2026-08-07 — 2026-08-13
A summer festival held nightly from August 7 through 13 at Imi-no-miya Shrine in Chōfu, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Men in white robes hoist great mōsō bamboo banners 20–30 m tall and weighing up to 100 kg high into the sky and circle the precinct's 'demon stone' three times in the 'banner dance', while a procession of women bearing kiriko (paper lanterns) and Tanabata decorations forms its counterpart. Said to have originated about 1,800 years ago to celebrate Emperor Chūai's victory over the Kumaso. A Yamaguchi Prefecture Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
N O P H O T O
H I G H L I G H T S
Highlights
- 01Yamaguchi Prefecture Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property
- 02Carrying mōsō bamboo banners 20–30 m tall and up to 100 kg around the precinct
- 03Male/female contrast with the women's kiriko procession
- 04Held seven nights running from August 7 to 13
- 051,800 years of tradition tied to Emperor Chūai's Kumaso campaign
D E E P D I V E
Deep Dive
R E F E R E N C E