2026 Kaneyama Festival: A Full-Day Course
This one-day course centers on the first day of the Kaneyama Festival, held in Kaneyama Town, Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture, from Friday, August 14 to Sunday, August 16, 2026. Before heading into town, stop by the neighboring city of Shinjo to explore its castle ruins park and history museum, and learn about the area's origins. Once in Kaneyama Town, cool off at Kaneyama Oze (金山の大堰), where carp swim beside white-walled storehouses, and watch the carp again from Oze Park (大堰公園) near the town hall. In the evening, grab an early dinner around Kaneyama Town Hall, then enjoy the first night of the festival, the Yoimatsuri. From 18:30 to 21:00, a float parade winds through the town center, letting families spend a summer evening together with the local community. On the 15th, a portable shrine procession and floats touring the town are planned, and on the 16th, a cooling-off fireworks display (19:30-20:30) is scheduled at the Kaneyama River Riverside Park.
Schedule
A stroll through the Shinjo Domain's castle ruins park, with its remaining moat and stone walls
A museum introducing the history and lifestyle of the Mogami region
A canal lined with white-walled storehouses, where carp swim — the symbolic scenery of Kaneyama Town
Watch the carp swim in the Oze canal from a waterside park by the town hall
The first night of the summer festival, with the Yoimatsuri float parade winding through town
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