The only day when the kakiyama crosses from the Hakata district into central Fukuoka is July 13th, during the “Shūdan Yamamise” (Grand Procession). On this day, teams of men shoulder the towering kakiyama—approximately 3 meters tall and weighing around one ton—and dash through the streets of Hakata over a 5-kilometer course. This dynamic float is also known as the “Kakiyamakasa.”
After nearly three years, the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival returns—an event that most vividly signals the arrival of summer in Hakata. In these times of somber news, the sight of children running with energy and joy brings a sense of hope and healing. With prayers for the dispersal of illness, the rising fervor reaches its peak in the grand finale, the “Oiyamakasa,” held in the early morning of July 15.
