Participants in Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, poured approximately 60 tons [1] of hot spring water over portable shrines during the traditional Yukake Matsuri festival this weekend.

The event preserves a unique cultural link to the Edo period, maintaining rituals that blend local geothermal resources with spiritual prayers for safety. By reenacting these historical offerings, the community reinforces its identity as a center for thermal healing.

The festival's origins date back to the Edo period, when local residents presented the highly effective healing waters of Yugawara to feudal lords [2]. These offerings were accompanied by prayers for the safety of the lords' processions [2]. Today, the event has evolved into a large-scale public spectacle where the town's thermal waters are used to purify the mikoshi, or portable shrines.

To facilitate the massive scale of the ritual, organizers prepared approximately 1,000 barrels [1] and roughly 5,000 washbasins [1] to transport the water. The sheer volume of water creates a dramatic scene as the shrines are drenched in the thermal springs.

Reports on the exact timing of the festivities varied between sources, with some listing the event on May 23 [3] and others on May 24 [1]. Despite the discrepancy, the core of the celebration remained focused on the communal effort of the shrine bearers, and the town's residents.

The festival serves as both a spiritual observance and a promotion of the region's natural assets. The use of such a vast quantity of water emphasizes the abundance of the local springs, which have drawn visitors for centuries.

“Approximately 60 tons of hot spring water were poured over portable shrines.”

The Yukake Matsuri functions as a living archive of Yugawara's relationship with its geothermal environment. By scaling a historical gesture of tribute to feudal lords into a massive community event, the town converts its natural resources into a tool for social cohesion and regional branding, ensuring that the historical significance of its hot springs remains relevant to modern residents and tourists.