Hamamatsu Festival

The Hamamatsu Festival is a lively annual event held in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka. It takes place from May 3 – 5. This festival has a history of over 450 years. It features beautiful kites and colorful floats. It also shows the strong community spirit among the townspeople.

Hamamatsu Festival

Photo by: PIXTA/ 和音 Kite battles have become a popular highlight of the festival

The festival originates in the Eiroku era (1558-1569) and is documented in the Hamamatsu Castle Chronicle, written by Sakai Masamune. It began when Iio Buzennokami, the lord of Hikuma Castle, celebrated the birth of his son by flying a kite. This event started a cherished local tradition that honors children through the art of flying kites.

Over the years, residents of Hamamatsu have embraced this tradition, and kite battles have become a popular highlight of the festival. Kite flying became popular in towns like Sagara and Yokosuka during the Edo and Meiji periods. Hamamatsu was known for its kite battles, especially at Wajiyama parade ground, from 1919 until just before World War II.

After the war, the festival revived with the first post-war kite battle in 1948 at Nakatajima dunes, involving 40 to 50 towns. By 1950, participation had increased, prompting the formation of the Hamamatsu Festival Headquarters to organize the event.

Festival Highlights

Photo by: PIXTA/hige As night falls, visitors can enjoy a dazzling parade

Today, over 170 towns participate in the Hamamatsu Festival, drawing approximately 2 million visitors annually. The festival includes tremendous kite battles at the Nakatajima Sand Dunes during the day. Each participating community has unique kite designs that often incorporate local symbols or names. These designs are also featured on the happi, traditional light coats worn by the festival teams.

As night falls, visitors can enjoy a dazzling parade featuring beautiful Gotenyatai (palace-like floats) that decorate the streets.  One is the Ohayashi, music performed by local children aboard the floats. This music is similar to that performed in traditional kabuki theatre, providing an authentic cultural experience for visitors. Another distinct aspect is the Neri parade. In this lively parade, a leader carries a flag representing their neighborhood, followed by lantern bearers. The procession is full of energy, with bugle calls and drumbeats creating an atmosphere of excitement as different Neri groups dance and jostle amongst each other.

Aside from kite battles and parades, the Hamamatsu Festival features a range of events throughout its three-day duration. Locals showcase their cultural performances, with brass band parades and even a Miss Hamamatsu Festival contest capturing the community’s spirit and talent. The entire town comes alive excitedly, bringing together residents and visitors in a shared celebration.