Wajima Taisai 2026 Experience
The Wajima Taisai brings together four summer festivals across central Wajima City from August 22 to 25. Each festival is associated with a different shrine and features Wajima’s lacquered Kiriko. The celebrations include rituals such as a mikoshi entering the sea, a large torch ceremony, a fast-moving Kiriko procession, and a unique fish-shaped mikoshi.
A Brief History
The Wajima Taisai has been celebrated for more than 300 years and brings together the annual festivals of four traditional shrine communities. Its origins are linked to the belief that the female deity enshrined on Hegurajima Island and the male deity of Juuzou Shrine meet once a year at the shore, with a torch serving as a guide for their encounter.
Festival Experience
We arrived before 7 PM and walked from Marine Town to the festival venue. Along the way, we stopped by Juzo Shrine in search of Kiriko, but unfortunately, we could not find any. We then headed toward the port area, where the moored boats were decorated with long stems with their leaves still attached. We could not verify the type of plant used, but based on its use in similar festivals, we assumed it might be Ate or bamboo.
The first day of the festival took place at a fishing port in Wajima-Fugeshimachi. There, we found 11 small Kiriko floats lined up along the waterfront, with a stage in between them and a boat positioned behind. A performance by Kaori Mizumori brought energy to the venue, while food stalls added to the festive atmosphere. One of the highlights of Friday’s program was a 20-minute fireworks display. Afterwards, the Kiriko procession began, accompanied by powerful taiko drumming.
The taiko drumming was particularly impressive during this festival. At first, the Kiriko were moved using detachable wheels, but they were eventually carried by local residents. The combination of the Kiriko’s golden decorations and black lacquered surfaces was especially striking. On the roofs, pairs of twigs, presumably from pine, were carefully placed as additional decorations, adding a touch of color and character to the floats.
