Yokote Kamakura Festival
Snow FestivalTohoku(Akita)
Annual eventDates
2026-02-15 — 2026-02-16
Venue
Yokote City Center & Yokote Castle Area
Admission
Free
Crowd Level
CrowdedSnow hut festival in Akita where visitors enjoy mochi and amazake inside igloos.
The Yokote Kamakura Festival is a 450-year-old tradition where hundreds of igloo-like snow houses (kamakura) are built throughout the city, each containing a small altar to the water deity Suijin. Children inside the kamakura offer amazake (sweet rice wine) and mochi to visitors. The miniature kamakura along the riverbank, lit by candles, create a magical nighttime scene.
Highlights
Hundreds of snow kamakura sheltering water deity altars, served with amazake and mochi; Thousands of miniature candle-lit kamakura along the Yokote River creating a fairytale landscape; 450-year-old tradition offering warm hospitality inside snow houses
Access
JR Yokote Station (Ou Main Line), 15-minute walk to the main kamakura area. From Akita Station, take JR Ou Main Line to Yokote (approx. 50 min).
Tips for Visitors
The evening candle-lit miniature kamakura (18:00-21:00) are the highlight — arrive before sunset. Accept the amazake and mochi offered by children in the kamakura; it's part of the tradition. Temperatures can drop below -10°C, so heavy winter gear is essential.