Iwaya Shrine Summer Festival: Oshataka Boat Ritual 2026

Essentials

location

Iwaya Shrine and the adjacent Akashi shoreline (Zaimokucho, Akashi)

period

July 19, 2026 (Sun)

Time

From 10:00 (ritual runs roughly 3 hours)

cost

Free to watch

Links

• Official Website

Kobe · Gluten-free

Basque cheesecakeBaked with rice flour, no wheat. Whole 12cm, serves 2-3¥4,700 incl. shipping (Japan only) →

access

From Akashi Station (JR / Sanyo Electric Railway), take a Shinki bus to Taruyacho, then walk about 3 min south. There is little parking near the shrine, so public transport is recommended.

There are 6 car parks within a 12-minute walk of Iwaya Shrine and the adjacent Akashi shoreline (Zaimokucho, Akashi). The map shows each with its walking time.

Facility data comes from OpenStreetMap. It does not include opening hours, fees or availability.

NOTE

Oshataka Boat Ritual

• Fifteen parishioners in white loincloths and red headbands enter the sea
• They push boats topped with sakaki branches offshore to chants of "oshataka", then bring them back, repeating the motion
• Designated an intangible folk cultural property by Akashi City

Chinowa ring passing

• A summer purification rite for the first half of the year; visitors walk through a large grass ring in the precinct

※The shore offers little shade—bring a hat and drinks.

※Timings can shift with the tide and weather on the day.

TAGS

History Heritage Culture Art Sea Cruise Free Cheap Family

出典: ようこそ明石 観光情報（明石観光協会）