The first ever “Mikoshi Parade” at Meriken Park! Ikuta Matsuri” at Ikuta Shrine

The Ikuta Matsuri, the most important festival of Ikuta Shrine (Chuo-ku, Kobe), will be held on April 15 and 16, the first time in four years since 2019.

During the Ikuta Matsuri Shinko Shiki Gowari Shiki on the 16th, for the first time in its 400-year history, a portable shrine parade will start from Meriken Park and travel through Nakatotsuzumi Central Terminal (Kamomeria), Motomachi Shopping Street, and Nankinmachi.
Ikuta Shrine
The Ikuta Festival, a festival to pray for the safety and prosperity of Chuo and Hyogo wards, the Ikuta Shrine’s Ujiko areas, is held every year in each of the 12 districts, with the Motoeikai and Wharf district being in charge this year.
Diagram of the Ikuta Festival Shinto ritual procession
In the “Ikuta Matsuri Shinko Shiki Gowari Shiki,” a procession of more than 500 people parades through the districts in charge of the Ikuta Festival, with the Sarutahiko god (the head of the procession and the god of directional purification) in the lead, Kajiwara warriors, lion heads, children, children’s mikoshi, and adult portable shrines line up for about 1 km amid the magnificent and lively sound of osadaiko drums.
(From left) Rikako Tokuda, Natsuki Inoue, and Waraku Noguchi
This year, three players from the women’s rugby club team “Kobe Fast Gyros” will take part in the “Kamiuta,” which will cheer up the portable shrine parade. This year, three players from the women’s rugby club team “Kobe Fast Gyros” will participate in the “Kamiuta” to enliven the festival. ＜
The day has finally arrived when the Ikuta Festival’s Mikoshi parade will be held at Meriken Park!

Detailed information

Date

April 15 (Sat.) and 16 (Sun.), 2023
*Mikoshi parade only on 16th
*Kobe Fast Gyro will participate only on 16th

Location

<April 15: Regular Festival>
Ikuta Shrine
(1-2-1 Shimoyamate-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe)
Search by GoogleMaps
<April 16: Mikoshi Parade>
Maritime Museum → BE KOBE in Meriken Park → Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel → Nakatotsuki Wharf → Nakatotsuki Central Terminal (Kamomeria) → Goto Rowling Store → Motomachi Shopping street 6 chome → Motomachi shopping street 1 chome → Nanjing-cho → Ikuta Shrine

Time

＜April 15: Regular Festival＞
●10:00～
＜April 16: Mikoshi parade＞
●11:20～
Departure from the Maritime Museum
●11:40～
Arrival at Kamomeria
●13:00～
Departure from Goto Kaisoten
●14:00～
From Motomachi Shopping Street 6chome to 1chome
●16:00～
Nanjing-cho
●17:00～17:30
Arrival at Ikuta Shrine

• Ikuta Shrine Official Website https://ikutajinja.or.jp/rite#04_2