Highlights
- ~3-m candlelit snow huts (kamakura)
- Children offering amazake inside
- 4,200 mini-kamakura on the riverbed
Background & story
A 450-year-old tradition honoring the water deity, praying for a good harvest and household safety.
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Walk from JR Yokote Station Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Free to attend — details on the official page (button above).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- families, date night, culture seekers
Good to know
The 2027 edition runs Friday 12 and Saturday 13 February. Yokote City says the festival moved to the second Friday and Saturday of February from 2026 (official page, checked 2026-09-18); it is no longer fixed to 15–16 February. No start time is published. Dress for deep snow.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the Yokote Kamakura Festival 2027?
- Friday 12 and Saturday 13 February 2027 (Yokote City official page, checked 2026-09-18). From 2026 the dates moved to the second Friday and Saturday of February, so the old fixed 15–16 February no longer applies. The 2028 edition is 11–12 February.
- What time does it start?
- Yokote City has not published start times for 2027 (checked 2026-09-18). Check the official page nearer the date.
Getting there
Yokote City Hall, Yokote Park & Janokuchi riverbed — Yokote, Akita