Tobata Gion Oyamaboko Competition | Kitakyushu
Celebration
A traditional event in Tobata Ward with a history of over 200 years. Designated as an important intangible folk cultural property of the country and one of the "three major summer festivals" in Fukuoka Prefecture, it is widely known by the nickname "Lantern Mountain". It was listed as a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017.
The summer festival of the three shrines of Tobata Hachimangu Shrine, Sugawara Shrine, and Nakahara Hachimangu Shrine. Lantern Yamakasa removes all the decorations of the flag-shaped Yamakasa, builds a tower about 7 meters high on the platform, and decorates it with 309 lanterns, divided into 12 floors. This form of lantern Yamakasa is the largest in Japan (total height of 8.5 meters), and its scale is breathtaking. Its biggest feature is that the flag-shaped Yamakasa during the day will turn into a pyramid-shaped lantern-shaped Yamakasa at night.
In the evening, all 8 flag-shaped Yamakasa simultaneously turn into lantern-shaped Yamakasa, showing a five-stage rise. 8 pyramids of light decorate the summer night sky, and the movement of the lantern-shaped Yamakasa creates a dreamlike and unique beauty.