Held on the first Friday to Sunday in August, the Fukushima Waraji Festival (福島わらじまつり) is a unique summer festival that revolves around waraji (わらじ)—straw sandals. This festival sees locals parading Japan’s largest straw sandal—which has a length of 12m and a weight of 2 tons—through the streets of Fukushima City (福島市). During the Fukushima Waraji Festival, spectators try to touch the straw sandal, as it is believed that doing so will bless them with healthy legs. While the giant straw sandal is paraded through the streets, a procession of musicians playing flutes and drums follow, with dancers and energetic cheers of “Wasshoi! Wasshoi!”
History of the Festival
Fukushima City’s signature summer celebration first began in 1970 with inspiration drawn from the 400‑year‑old Edo‑period Akatsuki‑mairi (Mt. Shinobu Dawn Procession). In this festival, which is based around the Haguro-jinja Shrine located on Mount Shinobu at the centre of the city, a gigantic 12-metre-long straw sandal is offered as part of a procession to pray for good health and strong legs. While the Akatsuki‑mairi occurs in February every year, the Waraji Festival happens much later in August, and on a much larger and grander scale than its more traditional counterpart.
Why a Giant Sandal?
Based off the lore of the Akatsuki‑mairi festival, it is said that the two sandals were originally designed to be worn by the giant Buddhist Deva kings who resided in Haguro Shrine. However, as the Waraji Festival is a much more modern celebration featuring song and dance, a different origin was conceived by scriptwriter Aya Watanabe to refocus the spirit of the celebration:
Long ago, a giant snake nestled beneath the lake at the foot of Mount Shinobu. This terrifying creature prevented villagers from climbing the mountain, and would sometimes wreak havoc on the fields and crops of the surrounding region. One day, after fervently praying to the mountain for help against the snake, a great Tengu (bird demon) appeared with a violent thunderclap, and ordered the villaagers to build “big straw sandals out of the straw from the rice fields.”
The villagers gathered the straw and began to weave the sandals, and when they finally lifted the finished sandals, they found that they looked like a giant centipede with 100 legs. That night, as the giant snake was sleeping at the bottom of the lake, it was awoken by the sound of women playing musical instruments and dancing on a small boa. Just as the giant snake was about to approach them with delight, it looked up and saw a huge centipede towering over it! Try as it might, the giant snake could not bite into the thick straw of the centipede’s neck, and ran off towards the sea as fast as it could. Ever since, the villagers decided to carry large straw sandals and go to the gods of Mt. Shinobu to give their thanks.
Celebrating the Festival today
On the first two days of the modern festival, companies and community groups parade down the streets of Fukushima to the tune of the Waraji festival dance, all the while parading the giant waraji straw sandal down the main street. The sandal is then finally united with its other pair on the third day of the festival at Haguro-Jinja shrine.
Having just recently passed its 50-year anniversary in 2019, the Waraji Festival continues to be a grand celebration and period for the people of Fukushima to let themselves loose during the hot summer weather of Tohoku. As part of that 50th anniversary, the Waraji Dance Song and Waraji Odori was renewed, featuring tunes from traditonal taiko drum rhythms and flute melodies. The unique ensemble of dancers and musicians come from a smattering of volunteers and participants by the various city associations, creating a one-of-a-kind harmonic experience that can only be felt when you’re there onsite with the players.
Special workshops are also held on the days of the festival where participants are taught how to make their own waraji straw sandals, which they can then put on or wave around during the processions later in the evenings!
Fukushima Waraji Festival (福島わらじまつり)
Date: From the first Friday of August annually (01-03 August 2025)
Parade: 17:30–21:30 every night
Venue: Machinaka Park Shinobu Street
*Schedule might change depending on year.
Getting there
JR Fukushima Station (福島駅) is accessible in approximately one and a half hours by bullet train from JR Tōkyō Station (東京駅) via either the Yamagata Shinkansen Line, or the Tohoku Shinkansen Line. The site of Fukushima Waraji Festival parade is about a 5-minute-walk from the station itself, and takes place along Shinobu Street.
JR EAST 패스 (도호쿠 지역)
If you are visiting Yamagata and the Tohoku region, check out the JR EAST 패스 (도호쿠 지역), an affordable pass offering unlimited rail travel on JR East lines (including bullet trains) in the valid area for 5 consecutive days. At only ¥30,000, it makes for a great companion for rail travel around the region of Tohoku.
You can also make seat reservations for bullet trains, some limited express trains and Joyful Trains online for free, up to 1 month in advance, on the JR-EAST Train Reservation. After exploring Yamagata, you can also use the pass to visit the nearby prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima, Akita, and more!
Light up your summer nights with JAPAN RAIL CLUB!
If you can’t make it to Japan to celebrate this month, why not set up a festival of your own? Now you can, with our August JAPAN RAIL CLUB Omiyage Snack Box! Our Neon Matsuri Box is a bundle of fun, with exciting and quirky snacks you’d see at modern Japanese festival stalls such as:
무지게 달콤한 라무네
마루야마 카라카라 센베이
멜론 소다 솜사탕
매콤한 멘타이코 & 고추 기름을 곁들인 이카텐
…and plenty more!
Header image credit: ©画像提供 福島わらじまつり実行委
