Festival Period:
A naked festival in honor of the shrine deity, held on the Saturday preceding August 10 under the old lunar calendar.
Misakubo Matsuri, Hamamatsu City (Hamamatsu-shi)
Festival Period: Saturday and Sunday in mid September
A disguise contest, which is very unique and nationally well known, is held in the day and a valiant parade of decorated floats is performed in the evening to heat up whole town to the climax of the festival.
Simada-mage Matsuri, Shimada City (Shimada-shi)
Festival Period: Third Sunday of September
Shimada-mage is the most popular traditional womenfs hair style originated by Tora-gozen. It is a beautiful scenery to have about 50 beauticians of the city parade the town wearing Shimada-mage and Yukata, and the festival attracts many viewers from in and out of the city.
Shizuoka Odakkui Matsuri, Shizuoka City (Shizuoka-shi)
Festival Period: Mid September
This is a new event originated to collect people from all over the country to Shizuoka City. This participatory type event was established by fusing gYosakoih dance and image songs and traditional regional dances of local communities. Participating teams create their own choreography to the tunes arranged by themselves and compete each other.
Yawatano Autumn Festival, Ito City (Ito-shi)
Festival Period: Mid September
This is a ceremonial festival of Hachimangu Kinomiya Shrine in Yawatano. After the Shinto rites, two Mikoshi (portable shrines) carried by young men parade 2.8 km road to the sea shore. Mando, lanterns weighing 60 kg each and decorated floats from each part of the town joint the festival and attract many people.
Monzenmachi Shimoda Kaido Festival, Mishima City (Mishima-shi)
Festival Period: September 23
The street is closed to vehicular traffic and the scenery of a typical town in front of a temple in early Showa era (1920ies) is restaged for pedestrian visitors. Many shops which remind those of early Showa era are open on the street side and various events are held such as Mishima Mikoshi, Noheibushi dance, Mishima Samba Parade, sword fight play, street performances and Food Market of Shimoda Kaido.
October
Obi Festival, Shimada City (Shimada-shi)
Festival Period: Three days in mid-October.
This traditional festival held once every three years features a colorful procession of daimyo, menservants, and Kashima dancers.
Kakegawa Grand Festival, Kakegawa City (Kakegawa-shi)
Festival Period:
A boisterous giant lion dance and a daimyo parade highlight this unusual festival held once every three years.
Fu-Hachimangu Shrine Ceremonial Festival, Iwata City (Iwata-shi)
Festival Period: First Saturday and Sunday of October
Decorated floats elaborated by local inhabitants come out from every town blocks and parade with the festive music played by drums and flutes as well as spirited encouragement shouts. The festival has an atmosphere of good old days.
Kaketsuka Yatai Maturi (Decorated Floats Festival), Iwata City (Iwata-shi)
Festival Period: Third Saturday and Sunday of October
Port of Kaketsuka prospered as a commercial port from Edo era to Meiji era. Kaketsuka Yatai Festival carries down the tradition of such old days to the present and is performed to pray for the safety of seaway. Gorgeous decorated floats with many lanterns parades together with the players of festive music and creates very attractive scenery.
Yokoo Kabuki Regular Performance, Hamamatsu City (Hamamatsu-shi)
Festival Period: Second Saturday and Sunday of October
Yokoo Kabuki is played at farm villages and is passed down by tradition for more than 200 years. This Kabuki is designated as an intangible folklore cultural heritage by Shizuoka Prefecture. All of the actors, music instrument players, Gidayu singers and stagehands consist of local residents.
November
Nanadaru Festival, Kawazu town (Kawazu-cho)
Festival Period:
The seven waterfalls provide the setting for various events during the festival, including the opportunity to feast on an unlimited quantity of wild-boar stew.
Street Performance World Cup in Shizuoka City (Shizuoka-shi)
Festival Period: Early November
This is a world championship contest of street performers from all over the world. Various talented performers who play juggling, pantomime, magic, etc., gather from domestic and abroad and creates wonder and laughter here and there in the town and the viewers will be moved by the excitement.
Shiritsumi Matsuri, Ito City (Ito-shi)
Festival Period: November 10
Shiritsumi Matsuri is a festival in the evening, which is performed in the dark hall of Otonashi Shrine. The festival features Shiri-sumo, which is fought by two people on a wooden basin hitting each other by their hips in accordance with the festive music to push the opponent out. Thus, it is one of the strangest festivals in the country. Whoever wants to play Shiri-sumo may participate the fight on the spot.
