Yamaguchi/Nagato】Model Tour of Senzaki and Aomi Island Summer Festival (limited to July 20 and 26, with commemorative goods)

Limited-edition commemorative goods are also available at the Whale Museum and the Kaneko Misuzu Memorial Museum.

In the summer of 2025, Senzaki, a port town in Nagato City, and Dori, on Aomi Island, will hold the Senzaki Gion Festival from July 19 (Sat) to 26 (Sat) and the Dori Whale Festival on July 20 (Sun), respectively. In order to fully enjoy your trip to Senzaki and Aomi Island with a focus on these two festivals, this page introduces two model courses that you can take on July 20 (Sun.) and July 26 (Sat.). Commemorative goods will be given away at the "Dori Whale Museum" and "Kaneko Misuzu Memorial Museum" in conjunction with the festival. Please enjoy them along with the festival.

July 20 (Sun) Model Course: Enjoy Dori and Senzaki's summer festival!

July 20 (Sunday) Model Course Itinerary

① 9:00-13:00: Qinghai Island "Dori Whale Festival" (main event starts at 11:30)

(2) 13:00-13:30: Qinghai Island "Whale Museum

Lunch at Senzaki "Roadside Station Senza Kitchen" or nearby (*)

4) 15:00-16:00: Senzaki "Kaneko Misuzu Memorial Museum

⑤16:00-18:00: Senzaki "Senzaki Gion Festival" (Omikoshi)

⑥18:00-20:00: Senzaki "Senzaki Gion Festival" (fair/dance)

(*)Whale Festival stalls are also recommended for lunch!

Itinerary 1: Qinghai Island "Dori Whale Festival" (9:00-13:00)

The Tori area flourished as a base for old-fashioned whaling using harpoons and nets during the Edo period. The "Dori Whale Festival" is a reenactment of this old-fashioned whaling. The "whale team," dressed in red loincloths, chases the whales in rowing boats and finishes them off by harpooning and climbing over them. The festival starts at 9:00 a.m. with a Japanese boat race, followed by a reenactment of the traditional whaling ceremony at 11:30 a.m.

→"Dori Whale Festival" event details here.

Itinerary 2: Qinghai Island "Whale Museum" (13:00-13:30)

After the Whale Festival, visit the Whale Museum. In addition to exhibits of tools related to old-style whaling, there are displays showing the whaling of the time and the lifestyle and culture of the fishermen. On July 20 (Sun.), visitors will receive a commemorative ticket for this day only! (*) The ticket features the logo of the Whale Museum and an illustration of old-style whaling by illustrator Shingo Ozaki. The back of the ticket also includes the lyrics to the "Whale Song," which was sung by the fishermen of the old-style whaling to honor the whales. Please get it.

(*)Limited number available

(If you show this ticket at the "Kaneko Misuzu Memorial Museum" in Senzaki on July 20, you will also receive a commemorative goods (can badge).

Itinerary ③ Lunch at Senzaki "Roadside Station Senza Kitchen" or nearby (14:00-15:00)

The Roadside Station Senza Kitchen in Senzaki offers a full lunch menu! In addition to seafood meals at the restaurant, there is also an extensive take-out menu including yakitori, ramen, teppan-yaki, and other dishes, so be sure to take advantage of it.

→Senza Kitchen official website

→Click here for restaurants near Senza Kitchen and in the Senzaki area.

Itinerary 4: Senzaki "Kaneko Misuzu Memorial Museum" (15:00-16:00)

This museum traces the footsteps of Misuzu Kaneko, a children's song poet born in Senzaki, Nagato City. In addition to introducing Misuzu's works and exhibits tracing her legacy and footsteps, visitors can experience the world of her poetry and the era in which she lived through a recreation of the "Kaneko Bun'eido" where Misuzu spent her childhood.

In addition, as well as the "Dori Whale Museum," the "Kaneko Misuzu Memorial Museum" will also distribute goods only available on this day. Visitors who present their "Dori Kujira Museum" commemorative ticket at the reception desk will receive a commemorative can badge (*).

(*)The number of badges is limited. The badge is also available for those who purchase a "4-museum common admission ticket" at the "Misuzu Kaneko Memorial Museum".

The badge is printed with an illustration by Shingo Ozaki, an illustrator.

Itinerary⑤⑥ Senzaki "Senzaki Gion Festival"(16:00-)

This is a traditional festival by Yasaka Shrine (Gion Shrine) in Senzaki that has continued since the Edo period. On the first and last day of the festival, omikoshi (portable shrine) and floats make their appearance, creating a lively atmosphere (you can see the first day of the festival). On these days, the omikoshi leave Yasaka Shrine at 4:00 p.m. and parade through the town of Senzaki to Susaki Shrine (Kogion) near the northern edge of the Senzaki district. Why not take a walk with the mikoshi through Senzaki Town, especially along Misuzu Street?

→Click here for details of Senzaki Gion Festival

→Click here for the location of Yasaka Shrine.

→Click here for the location of Suzaki Shrine.

From 6:00 p.m., children from Senzaki Elementary School will perform "Whale Song," a traditional song from the Senzaki area, at Yasaka Shrine. At the same time, a fair will start in the grounds of the shrine. From 19:00, local children will perform the "Kodomo Maiko" dance on the float for about an hour.

→Click here for details of Senzaki Gion Festival

July 26 (Sat.) Model Course: Thinking about the scenery seen by Misuzu and the world of her poems

July 26 (Saturday) Model Course Itinerary

1) 16:00-17:00: Senzaki "Kaneko Misuzu Memorial Museum

2) 17:00-18:00: Senzaki "Senzaki Gion Festival" (Omikoshi)

(③) 18:00-20:00: Senzaki "Senzaki Gion Festival" (fair/dance)

*No badges or commemorative viewing tickets will be distributed on this day. Please be aware of this.

Itinerary 1② Senzaki "Kaneko Misuzu Memorial Museum" & "Senzaki Gion Festival" (16:00-18:00)

The itinerary is basically the same as that of July 20 (Sunday).

It is recommended to visit the "Kaneko Misuzu Memorial Museum" from 16:00 to 17:00 in the evening, and after 17:00, take a walk in Senzaki Town while following the mikoshi returning to Yasaka Shrine.

→Click here for details of Senzaki Gion Festival

→Click here for the location of Yasaka Shrine.

→Click here for the location of Suzaki Shrine.

Itinerary ③"Senzaki Gion Festival (fair/dance)"(18:00-20:00)

The fair starts at 18:00 in the precincts of the shrine. A performance by the local taiko drum group "Seiha" will follow at 6:10 p.m., and a dance will be performed on a float at 7:00 p.m.

Also, the highlight of the fair on this day is the "Food set that Misuzu liked" sold by the stall of "Senzaki Street Town Council". The set includes "Yokan" (sweet bean jelly), "Castella" (sponge cake), and "Sakura Mochi" (cherry blossom rice cake), all of which appear in Misuzu's poems. The sweets are made by Toraya, a local Japanese confectionery store. Please enjoy the festival with Misuzu's favorite foods.

△ "Food set that Misuzu liked" *Photograph is an image, actual sales contents may change.

In addition, an explanatory display of "Misuzu's Favorite Food Set" will be held at "Kaneko Bun'eido" at the entrance of "Kaneko Misuzu Memorial Museum" on this day. Kaneko Bun'eido" will be open until 20:00 on this day, so please pay attention to it as well.

We hope you will enjoy these two days of cultural experiences in Senzaki and Aomi Island, as well as the special offers!

Related Links

Special feature on the summer attractions of Yamaguchi and Nagato