Event has ended】Savor the fantastic night view created by kamakura at the "Yokote Snow Festival" held on February 13 (Fri.) and 14 (Sat.), 2026

  • Akita
  • Sightseeing
Yokote Castle and a kamakura

Yokote's snow festival "kamakura

The Yokote Snow Festival "kamakura" is a traditional small New Year's event held every February in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture. Yokote City is located in the southeastern part of Akita Prefecture and is known for Yokote Yakisoba, one of the three most famous fried noodles in Japan.

It is said that the history of "kamakura" dates back about 450 years, and began as an event to worship the god of water. Originally, people made offerings of money to the water god enshrined inside to pray for family safety, prosperous business, and a good harvest, but as time went by, the event became more and more tourist-oriented and took its present form. Local children serve amazake (sweet sake) to the visitors while saying, "Ite tanze (please enter the kamakura)" and "ogande tanze (please pray to the god of water)".

About 60 kamakura are built, and inside, local children and participants enjoy talking with each other while sipping amazake (sweet sake) and forgetting about the passing of the night.
Local children wearing a hanten and enjoying conversation

Fantastic kamakura at night

Fill the riverbed with kamakura lights

The kamakura that light up at night are fantastically beautiful. The miniature kamakura on the riverbanks are made entirely by hand by local volunteers. There are about 3,500 of them.
The sight of the riverbanks filled with the lights of the mini kamakura is said to be the "Milky Way on Earth.
On the day of the festival, the candles are lit at 18:00, the starting time.

The largest number of large kamakura is located in front of the Yokote City Hall main building. Starting from here, it is recommended to walk around the kamakura sites such as "Yokote Minami Elementary School" where countless mini kamakura are lined up, "Janosaki Kawahara" and the illuminated Yokote Castle and the kamakura.
3,500 miniature kamakura
Milky Way on Earth
Yokote Snow Festival "kamakura" For more information, go to

Yokote City Fureai Center "kamakura-kan

If you want to see the kamakura, this is also recommended!
The "Yokote City Fureai Center Kamakurakan" is located next to the main Yokote City Hall and is a cultural and tourist complex with a store, a hall, and conference rooms. Materials related to "kamakura," Yokote's traditional event, are on display, and in the "kamakura room" where the temperature is kept at minus 10 degrees Celsius, visitors can experience a real "kamakura" made of Yokote's snow throughout the year.
The Kamakura Room is closed for about one week from mid-August to mid-September and for about one week from mid-February to late February for Kamakura maintenance.
Please check the website for details.
Exterior view of the kamakura pavilion
The kamakura room
For more information about "kamakura-kan", go to
Why not experience the real kamakura and the fantastic world of lights at night while interacting with local children?

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