The Menkake Gyoretsu Mask Festival

Every September 18, Kamakura comes alive with age-old traditions during the Menkake Gyoretsu. With grotesque masks, mikoshi, and sacred rituals, this unique festival offers a fascinating journey into the heart of Japanese folklore.

Every year on September 18, Goryō-jinja Shrine in Kamakura holds its annual festival in honor of Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa, an 11th-century samurai later deified as a protective spirit. The date marks the anniversary of his death and is celebrated with a day of sacred rituals and lively festivities.

At noon, the main religious ceremony gathers both worshippers and onlookers. At 1:00 p.m., a distinctive ritual takes place: the Kamakura Kagura, also known as Yutate Kagura. Bamboo branches are plunged into a cauldron of boiling water, then shaken to scatter droplets over the participants. This act symbolizes purification and prayers for a bountiful harvest.

In the afternoon, the streets of the Sakanoshita district, especially along Hoshinoi-dōri, come alive with processions. The highlight is the Menkake Gyōretsu, the famous “mask procession,” designated as an Intangible Cultural Property of Kanagawa Prefecture. Ten men wearing ancient masks from religious and folk theater traditions—gigaku, bugaku, or dengaku—parade to the sound of flutes and drums.

The order of the characters never changes: the old man, the demon, the strange creature, the long nose, the crow tengu, the wise Okina, the fire-blower, the god Fukurokuju, followed by two female figures played by men, Okame and the woman. Okame represents a pregnant woman with a large belly she cradles with both hands. Behind her, the “midwife” waves a fan, strokes the belly, and performs comic gestures. Tradition holds that touching Okame’s belly grants protection and safe childbirth to expectant mothers.

The costumes heighten the spectacle. The first eight masked figures wear matching head coverings, red hakama trousers, and sleeveless haori jackets decorated with intricate red and gold motifs. Okame wears a black kimono with patterns, while the midwife stands out through exaggerated gestures. Surrounding them are priests and officials in traditional attire—some dressed in purple or brown kariginu robes, others wearing straw hats—forming a 160-meter-long procession that moves slowly through the narrow streets.

The origins of this parade date back to the era of Minamoto no Yoritomo, founder of the Kamakura shogunate. According to legend, a village girl who became Yoritomo’s favorite introduced the custom: her relatives, charged with protecting the shogun during his outings, wore masks to distinguish themselves. The procession, once part of the grand ceremonies at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, was later transferred to Goryō-jinja, where it has become a celebrated tradition.

The masks themselves are considered precious treasures. Some bear the inscription “Meiwa 5” (1768), evidence of their great age and historical value. They reflect the influence of gigaku, an ancient theatrical form now extinct, preserving a rare heritage of Japanese art and folklore.

Sacred yet festive, the event attracts countless visitors each year, eager to witness this unique blend of spirituality, folk theater, and local tradition. With the Kagura rituals and the masked parade, the Goryō-jinja mask festival offers an immersion into an older Japan, where humor and the sacred coexist in a truly distinctive atmosphere.

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