Colorful festivals and events of our hometown, Shimonoseki, held through the four seasons
January
The stringing-up of a shimenawa rope between Futami-meoto rocks
- Hatsutora-no-hi (the first Tiger Day): The prayer on the first Tiger Day (Mt. Shioji)
- 2nd: The stringing-up of a shimenawa rope between Futami-meoto rocks (Futami-meoto rocks)
- 15th: Bushasai Festival (Iminomiya Shrine)
- 16th: Bushasai Festival (Sumiyoshi Shrine)
- Middle of the month: Tohe Event (Kawatana area)
- Chinese New Year’s Day: Mekarisai Festival (Sumiyoshi Shrine)
February
Bakan Kite Flying Contest Horinji Temple annual opening of the door
- 3rd: Bakan Kite Flying Contest (Kameyama-hachimangu Shrine)
- 9th: Prayer for blowfish day (Ebisu Shrine)
- 11th: Shimonoseki Festival for blowfish day (Haedomari Market)
- 11th: Horin-ji Temple annual opening of the door (Horinji Temple)
- 11th: Kitaura Ekiden Road Relay Race (along Route 191)
- 14th: Makisai Festival (Akama Shrine)
March
Heike-bina-nagashi-shinji Rtual Festival
- Beginning of the month: Heike-bina-nagashi-shinji Ritual (Akama Shrine)
- Beginning of the month: Kawatana Hot Spring Plum Festival
- The second Sunday: Awanogawa River Shirouo and Green Laver Festival (around Awanogawa River)
- Spring equinox: Oil Seed Rape Blossoms Festa in Shimonoseki (around Kandagawa River)
- 28th: Sanshu-sai Festival (Iminomiya Shrine)
April
Keito-odori dance
Ishin/Kaikyo Walk
- 3rd: Koshiwa-odori Dance (Takibe-hachimangu Shrine)
- 3rd: Island Festival (Iminomiya Shrine)
- Beginning of April: Kikugawa Cherry Blossom Festival (around the Utanokawa Dam)
- The first Saturday and Sunday: Kawatana Hot Spring Festival (Kawatana Hot Spring)
- The first Sunday of every seven years: Hamaidesai Festival (Tasuki/Itsukusima sha Shrine and Doigahama Ebisu sha Shrine) The next Hamaide Festival will be held in 2011.
- Sunday in early April: Ishin/Kaikyo Walk (areas covered range from Togyo-an Hermitage to Sea Mall Shimonoseki/Mojiko Station)
- Mid April to early May: Strawberry picking for tourists (Kikugawa Town)
- 14th: Togyoki (Togyoan, Shinchi, Site of Shinsaku Takasugi's Demise)
- 14th: Keito-odori Dance (Kameoyama Shrine)
- 29th: Blowfish Kuyosai Festival (Haedomari Market)
- 29th: Tsunoshima ECO Festa (Tsunoshima Island)
May
Senteisai Festival Joro-sanpai (worship by court ladies)
- 3rd: Shimonoseki Kaikyo Matsuri Festival (Senteisai Festival, Hacchohama-odori Dance, Genpei Funagassen, Genpei Mushagyoretsu, Ganryujima Island Festival) (Main street)
- Beginning of May: Choshoji Park Wisteria Festival (Choshoji Park)
- Beginning of May: Banbara-gaku Festival (Kumano Shrine (Kawatana))
- Beginning of May: Tsunoshima Ebisu Matsuri Festival (Tsunoshima Island)
- The third Sunday: Otauesai Festival (Sumiyoshi Shrine)
- The fourth Sunday: Nobori-mai Dance (Raifuku-ji Temple/Sugawara Shrine)
June
Firefly boat
- Beginning/end of June (the first and second Saturdays): Firefly Festival (Around the Toyota Lifelong Learning Center)
- 10th -16th: Firefly boat (Roadside Station “Hotarukaido Nishinoichi”)
