Hikiyama Exhibition Hall

Hikiyama Exhibition Hall is a facility where all 14 Hikiyama floats used in the Karatsu Kunchi festival are displayed together. Karatsu Kunchi is a three-day harvest thanksgiving festival held at Karatsu Shrine on November 2, 3, and 4 each year. The festival was designated as an Important Tangible Cultural Property of Saga Prefecture in 1958 and as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 1980. Furthermore, the Karatsu Kunchi Hikiyama event is included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage listing “Yama, Hoko, Yatai Float Festivals.” The floats can be as large as 6 meters tall and weigh up to 3 tons, and are said to be among the world’s largest lacquer art crafts—luxurious, brilliant, and overwhelmingly impressive. The festival itself is held at the shrine next door, but inside the exhibition hall, videos are shown, making it easy to understand the festival’s scenes and context. By public transportation, it is a 15-minute walk from JR Karatsu Station. By car, use the Karatsu-Imari Road and drive about 15 minutes (about 8 km) from Karatsu Chijigakayamada IC via Prefectural Route 320.