Greater Tokyo

TOCHIGI

Yamaage Festival(Yamaage Matsuri)

Pageant of the best tradition in Japan of 460 rest of life

The Yamaage Festival is one of Japan's most unique festivals,a dazzling outdoor kabuki dance performance that has been carried on is the Karasuyama area since olden times.The festival was first held about 460 years ago by the ruler of Karasuyama Castle,Lord Suketane Nasu,to pray for peace over the land and dispel the plague that had been threatening his domain.

The yama or "mountain" in the festival's name refers to the backdrops used in the performances.Handmade washi paper,a apecialty of the region,is pasted onto a bamboo frame and painted to look like mountains and waterfalls.Some of these "mountains" even reach 10 meters in height.Not only the dynamic kabuki and dances performed in front of these backdrops,but also the coordination and teamwork of the young male performers that form the heart of the festival are a sight to behold.In addition,it was enrolled in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in December,2016.
Access Information
10-minute walk from JR karasuyama Station.
Phone number
0287-83-1115
Contact
0287-83-1115
Charges
Free*Box seat:One seat of 1000 yen