The Hatsuuma Festival (初午祭) is taking place at Kagoshima Shrine (鹿児島神宮) and its surrounding area in Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Sunday, March 8, 2026. The festival runs from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
Held annually on the first Sunday after the 18th day of the first lunar month, the Hatsuuma Festival is a rare event in Japan featuring "Suzukake horses" — horses adorned with decorations and bells on their backs and necks — that dance alongside performer groups to the rhythms of taiko drums and shamisen music.
The festival consistently attracts around 100,000 visitors each year, making it one of the defining events of spring in Kagoshima.
Event Details
Date & Time: Sunday, March 8, 2026, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Venue: Kagoshima Shrine (鹿児島神宮) and surrounding area
2496-1 Hayatocho Uchi, Kirishima City
Tel: 0995-42-0020
Website: https://kagoshima-jingu.jp/
Admission: Free
Parking: Available (approximately 1,200 spaces)
Access
By Car:
- Approximately 25 minutes from Mizoube Kagoshima Airport IC on the Kyushu Expressway
- Approximately 15 minutes from Hayato-Nishi IC on the Higashi-Kyushu Expressway
By Train:
- Approximately 15-minute walk from JR Hayato Station
Rain Policy: The event proceeds in light rain.
Traffic Restrictions
On the day of the event, some sections around the venue will be designated as pedestrian-only roads and subject to traffic restrictions for safety purposes. Visitors are encouraged to use public transportation whenever possible, as roads in the surrounding area are expected to be congested.
The Festival's Origins
The Hatsuuma Festival traces its roots to the Muromachi period. According to legend, Shimazu Takahisa, who was overseeing construction work at Kagoshima Shrine, had a remarkable dream during his stay at a local inn. The Bodhisattva Kannon appeared at his bedside, saying, "I am Bato Kannon (the Horse-Headed Kannon). I have been here for a long time, but no one has paid attention to me. Please build a hall and enshrine me — and I will protect this land for ages to come." The vision then faded away.
The following morning, when Shimazu shared the story with the local shrine priest, the priest said he had dreamed the same thing. A visiting monk, Nisshu Shonin, arrived shortly after and also confirmed having had the same dream. Convinced that this was a divine message from Kannon, they built the Shofukuin Kannon-do Temple on Shishio Hill (present-day Hayato Gymnasium grounds) and enshrined a Kannon statue carved from a Go board that Shimazu had been using.
From that day forward, the date of the dream — the 18th day of the first lunar month — was established as a festival day, and people began bringing horses to the temple as offerings. The tradition of parading beautifully decorated Suzukake horses and having them dance is said to have originated from this custom.
