Rokugo Bamboo Shoot is the climax of Rokugo Kamakura, a five-day annual event in February. As a small New Year's event, it has a history of about 700 years and was designated as a nationally important intangible cultural asset in 1982.
It is said to have originated from the New Year's fire festival held at the Kyoto Imperial Palace and was brought to Rokugo in the early Kamakura period by the Nikaido clan, the local headman at the time.
In Rokugo Kamakura, three events are combined into one, including the bamboo shoot. Each of these three events is a "Nengoi" to pray for a good harvest and safety, an "exorcism" to remove misfortune, and a "Toshi-uranai" to predict the fortune of the year, and it is precious that this form has been preserved to the present day.
The festival begins with the hanging of tanzaku (strips of paper), called Tenpitsu, on which children have written their first calligraphy(kakizome: Japanese tradition to write the purpose of the year at the beginning of the new year) over green bamboo and displayed at the entrance.
Short report of Rokugo Bamboo shoot (Japanese only)
How Bamboo shot is agressive
Interviews and introduction of Bamboo shoot (Japanese only)
● 2024 Event Information
Date and Time: February 13th (Tue) to 17th (Sat), 2024
Takeuchi (Bamboo Shooting): February 17th (Sat), 8:00 PM onwards
Venue: Kamakura Hatake in front of Akita Suwamiya, Misa Town Rokugo, Motomachi 115
【Schedule】
First Day: Tenpitsu Calligraphy and Warehouse Opening
Second Day: Tenpitsu Hoisting
Third-Day: Bird Chasing Events
Final Evening: Takeuchi (Bamboo Shooting) and Tenpitsu Burning
Kamakura Hatake in front of Akita Suwamiya, Misa Town Rokugo, Motomachi 115
Take an Akita shinkansen at Akita station to Omagari station for 30 minutes. Walk for 5 minutes to Omagari bus terminal. Take a Yokote-Omagari line at Omagari bus terminal to Rokugo Kamimachi for 20 minutes. Walk for 5 minutes.