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Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival 横手かまくら

Checked October 2026 · next check January 2027 · 1 post since 2010

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Visiting Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival today

  • What it is: A tradition of over 400 years. About 80 full-size snow houses, around 3 m tall, are built around the city, each with a small shrine to the water deity. Thousands of candle-lit mini kamakura line the Yokote riverbed.
  • Then and now: The festival was held every year on 15-16 February. From 2026 it moved, on a trial basis to 2029, to the second Friday and Saturday of February (13-14 February in 2026; expected 12-13 February in 2027).
  • Hours: The kamakura are lit from about 18:00 to 21:00. Entry is free. A free loop bus links Kamakurakan, Minami Elementary School and Yokote Castle on festival evenings.
  • Getting there: From the Akita Shinkansen at Omagari, take the JR Ou Line to Yokote (about 20 minutes). The festival area by city hall is about 10 minutes on foot from Yokote Station.
  • Tip: Outside the festival, Kamakurakan (9:00-17:00, ¥100) next to city hall keeps real kamakura in a room kept at -10°C.
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Kamakura lit on the second Friday and Saturday of February

Checked against: Yokote Kamakura Festival (japan-guide.com) · 社説: かまくら会期変更 (秋田魁新報) · Yokote's Winter Festival (Yokote City) · 横手の雪まつり (JR East). Check opening times and prices before you go.

Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival on Shibuya246

Photos and stories from our visits, as they were written at the time.

Photos

Kamakura Snow Festival, Yokote

I visted Yokote, Akita-Ken, for the recent Kamakura Snow Festival. The Kamakura tradition dates back over 400 years when small snow houses were made for the Gods and filled with food and Sake. The tradition carries on today with people from all over Japan and other countries coming to see the kamakura made by local villagers and children.