Sugao Festival, Hokobune Ritual, and Fireworks

Okazaki's famous fireworks include the Sugao Festival Hokobune Ritual and Dedication Fireworks. The Hokobune Ritual, in which lantern-adorned Hokobune boats are floated down the Sugao River and fireworks are offered to the boats, has been passed down since the late Edo period. In recent years, it has been held in conjunction with the Okazaki Tourism Summer Festival Fireworks Display on the first Saturday of August. Highlights include the Hokobune Dedication Ritual and the Nerikomi Procession. In the Nerikomi Procession, young men parade to the shrine singing Nagamochi songs. After the hand-held fireworks are offered in front of the shrine, parishioners board the Hokobune boats, where Mikawa fireworks are offered on board. The offerings of hand-held fireworks, large-sized fireworks, ball-shaped fireworks, and goldfish fireworks have captivated people since the Edo period. The fantastical sight of the two Hokobune boats and the fireworks offer create a lively atmosphere for the festival.