You can see this decoration float all year round at this shrine (Photo: Haruka Saijo)

Pre-Yamakasa at Kushida Shrine

In anticipation of Fukuoka's fantastic summer festival

Haruka Saijo   - 1 min read

Right in the midst of the busy streets of Hakata, next to Canal City, lies this shrine famous for Yamakasa, its annual July 15 festival. The shrine is the center of the festival where floats race through the streets and is the only place having one of the floats on permanent display. I visited Kushida Shrine two days before Yamakasa to watch the participants practice. The pre-festival mood, visible each July 1-14, is extremely lively and it seemed as if this was the time of the year when the old shrine shines most brightly with high-spirited people.

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Find out more about Kushida Shrine.

Haruka Saijo

Haruka Saijo @haruka.saijo

A Japanese university student that used to live in Canada, not so Japanese, loves traveling, enjoys experiencing anything new and exciting, and has passion for music.