Reisai Festival at Shirahata Shrine (白旗神社例祭)

What Is the Reisai Festival at Shirahata Shrine?

The Reisai (例祭, annual festival) of Shirahata Shrine (白旗神社) is held every May 28 at Shirahata Shrine, which stands east of Wakamiya Shrine (若宮) in the grounds of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine (鶴岡八幡宮) in Kamakura (鎌倉). A reisai is the most important ceremony of a shrine, held once a year. Shirahata Shrine enshrines Minamoto no Yoritomo (源頼朝), who founded the Kamakura shogunate, and Minamoto no Sanetomo (源実朝), the third shogun. According to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, the weather is pleasant around the time of the festival, and worshippers come not only from Kamakura but from far away, making it a lively occasion.

Date, Time and Viewing

The rite usually begins at 10:00 AM. It is held every May 28, whatever the day of the week. Members of the public can watch standing. Kamakura has another shrine of the same name, Shirahata Shrine near the grave of Minamoto no Yoritomo in Nishimikado (西御門), whose annual festival is on January 13, so be careful not to go to the wrong place.

Highlights | The Yearly Rite at the Shrine of Yoritomo and Sanetomo

As the start of the rite approaches, a line of priests proceeds to Shirahata Shrine, and the ceremony is performed in front of the shrine building. During the rite, shrine maidens (巫女, miko) offer a sacred dance. In some years, on the afternoon of the festival day, members of the Kinshin-ryu Biwa Zenkoku Issuikai (錦心流琵琶全国一水会), a group of players of the biwa (琵琶, Japanese lute), give a dedicatory performance in front of Shirahata Shrine, playing pieces based on tales of the Minamoto and Taira clans.

The Name and Buildings of Shirahata Shrine

The name Shirahata, meaning “white flag,” comes from the white banners the Minamoto clan raised in battle, and it is also the origin of Shirahata Daimyojin (白旗大明神), the divine title (神号, shingo) of Yoritomo. According to the shrine’s tradition, in the early Kamakura period, after Yoritomo was granted the title of Shirahata Daimyojin, his wife Hojo Masako (北条政子) founded the shrine. The present main hall was rebuilt in the late Edo period and was originally finished mainly in vermilion lacquer. In the Meiji era it was moved to its current site, where a new worship hall was built in front of it, and later almost the whole building was redone in black lacquer. The main hall and worship hall are designated cultural properties of Kamakura City.

At the same shrine, the Bunbokusai Festival at Shirahata Shrine is held every October 28 to honor the memory of Sanetomo. For a spring event at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, see Kamakura Festival.

Access | Visiting During Your Stay at Toshi’s Place

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is about a 10-minute walk from the East Exit of JR Kamakura Station (鎌倉駅) or from Enoden Kamakura Station. Shirahata Shrine is east of Wakamiya Shrine within the grounds. Pets are not allowed in the shrine grounds.

If you stay near Hase Station (長谷駅) or Wadazuka Station (和田塚駅) on the Enoden (江ノ電), you can head out with time to spare in the morning for the 10:00 AM rite. At Toshi’s Place, fully unstaffed smart hotels with fully equipped kitchens and room-only stays, you can go out to Kamakura’s shrine festivals at your own pace.

Summary

The Reisai Festival at Shirahata Shrine is the once-a-year ceremony held every May 28 at the shrine dedicated to Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Sanetomo. For the highlights of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, where Shirahata Shrine stands, see Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.

Basic Information

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