The Shiohi Festival, held at Sumiyoshi Shrine in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is a traditional festival where prayers are offered to Sumiyoshi Okami, the guardian deity of the sea, for the safety of navigation and a good catch of fish.
It is held every year on April 3rd, and parishioners of the shrine and local people participate. The highlight of the Shiohi Festival is the “Funamiyuki,” in which the shinsen (divine boats) and floats carrying mikoshi (portable shrines) are pulled through the town.
The Funamiyuki used to circle the bay from the shrine surrounded by the sea of the inlet on March 3 of the lunar calendar, and it was revived on land in 1986.
The Funamiyuki departs from Sumiyoshi Shrine, which is about a 10-minute walk from Hakata Station, and returns in about 2 hours, passing through in front of Hakata Station and Canal City Hakata. Along the way, many tourists and locals watch, clapping and cheering.
At the end of the Funamiyuki, a ritual called “Ofune-watashi” (boat handover) is performed within the grounds of Sumiyoshi Shrine. This involves lowering the shinsen and mikoshi from the carts and offering them at the main hall, and the parishioners lift them up while calling out powerfully. The Shiohi Festival is a valuable festival where you can feel the history and culture of Hakata.
Why not participate in this festival, which symbolizes the bond between the sea, ships, and people?
Access Information
Location: Sumiyoshi Shrine
Address: 3-1-51 Sumiyoshi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Organizer/Operator Phone Number: Sumiyoshi Shrine 092-291-2670
Date: Predicted to be held on April 3rd every year