The Kue Festival, held in the Ao district of Hidaka Town, Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture, is a remarkably distinctive traditional festival. With a history of approximately 300 years, it is held as the autumn festival of Shirahige Shrine and reflects the traditions of a fishing community that has lived closely alongside the sea for generations.
Hidaka Town has long been known as a region associated with kue, a highly prized luxury fish in Japan. Kue is a large and imposing fish, but its meat is considered exceptionally delicious. There is even a famous Japanese saying that suggests, “Once you have eaten kue, no other fish will do.”
The Kue Festival is deeply connected to this local fishing culture. Kue is offered to the deity at Shirahige Shrine, and traditional ceremonies are performed to pray for abundant catches and safety at sea.
The festival is held every year over the weekend around the second Saturday and Sunday of October, attracting visitors, photographers, and people interested in traditional Japanese culture. Its powerful atmosphere and energetic rituals provide a rare glimpse into the pride, strength, and community spirit of a historic Japanese fishing village.
The main setting for the Kue Festival is Shirahige Shrine in the Ao district of Hidaka Town. Located in a coastal settlement facing the Kii Channel, the shrine has long been associated with the local fishing community and its prayers for protection and prosperity.
Ao has traditionally been a fishing area where people’s lives have been closely connected to the sea. The customs of the Kue Festival therefore reflect the character of this community, combining solemn religious ceremonies with powerful and highly energetic traditional rituals.
At the shrine, prayers for safe voyages and abundant fishing are conducted in a solemn atmosphere. At the same time, the festival’s best-known ritual, called “Kue-oshi,” creates a dramatic contrast as groups of men push and struggle against one another.
This contrast between the quiet dignity of the religious ceremonies and the physical energy of the traditional ritual is one of the most fascinating aspects of the Kue Festival.
The most distinctive feature of the Kue Festival is the traditional ritual known as “Kue-oshi,” literally meaning the “pushing of the kue.”
As part of the ceremony, a large dried kue is prepared as an offering to the shrine. The Tōya-shū, the group responsible for overseeing the year’s festival duties, attempts to carry the fish into the shrine as quickly as possible so that the ceremony can be completed.
The young men of the community, known as the Wakashū, attempt to prevent them from doing so. The two sides push against one another in a vigorous struggle within the shrine grounds.
Shouts and calls fill the air as the men use their entire bodies in the traditional contest. The scene expresses the physical strength, solidarity, and competitive spirit historically associated with the fishermen of the area.
In the past, Kue-oshi was performed on a much larger and more intense scale. Today, the traditional practice has been modified with greater consideration for safety, and the ritual is no longer carried out in exactly the same manner as it was in earlier generations.
Nevertheless, the cultural meaning of the ritual remains important, and its spirit continues to be preserved as an essential part of Hidaka’s local heritage.
The Kue Festival has been designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Wakayama Prefecture because of its historical importance and distinctive character.
Japan has thousands of traditional festivals, but ceremonies centered specifically on a kue offered as a sacred object, combined with a vigorous contest among members of the fishing community, are extremely unusual.
The festival was not simply a religious event. Historically, it also served as an important opportunity for strengthening community bonds. Young people participated together, learned the customs passed down by older generations, and developed a sense of responsibility toward their community.
In this way, the Kue Festival has helped preserve not only religious traditions but also the social connections and cultural identity of the Ao district.
Kue, scientifically known as Epinephelus bruneus, is a large fish belonging to the grouper family. It is one of the most highly prized fish in Japanese cuisine.
Adult kue can grow to more than one meter in length, while particularly large individuals may reach approximately 1.5 meters and weigh more than 50 kilograms. Giant specimens are occasionally caught in the waters around Wakayama, giving the fish an impressive presence that has earned it a reputation as one of the great fish of Japan’s coastal waters.
Kue generally has a pale greenish-brown body. Younger fish have distinctive patterns and stripes, which become less pronounced as the fish matures.
Kue typically inhabit rocky coastal areas, caves, and other places where they can hide. During the day, they often remain in sheltered areas, becoming more active at night.
They feed on other fish and marine creatures, including squid and spiny lobsters. Because of their size, strength, and powerful resistance when hooked, kue are considered a dream catch among anglers.
The fish’s tremendous strength can make landing a large specimen a serious challenge. As a result, fishing enthusiasts travel to the waters around Hidaka and other parts of Wakayama in hopes of experiencing the excitement of catching one of these impressive fish.
The exceptional taste of kue is one of the main reasons why it is considered a luxury fish in Japan.
Although it is a white-fleshed fish, kue contains a generous amount of flavorful fat. At the same time, its finish is remarkably clean and elegant. Its meat has a firm, satisfying texture and a deep umami flavor that has made it a favorite among Japanese gourmets.
Kue is especially appreciated during the colder months, when it develops additional richness. When prepared as a hot pot, the flavor of the fish gradually infuses the broth, creating a deeply satisfying dish.
One of the best ways to enjoy kue in Hidaka is through kue hot pot.
The meat has a delicate flavor without a strong fishy odor, and heating brings out its natural umami. The skin and surrounding tissues contain gelatin-rich collagen, which melts into the broth and gives the soup a wonderfully rich texture and depth.
Kue is simmered together with vegetables and tofu to create a warming and luxurious local specialty. At the end of the meal, the remaining broth can be used to make zosui, a Japanese rice porridge, allowing diners to enjoy every last bit of the fish’s flavor.
Fresh kue can also be enjoyed as sashimi. Thinly sliced meat has an attractive translucent appearance and a firm texture. As it is chewed, its natural sweetness and umami gradually become more pronounced.
Another distinctive preparation is kue hire-zake, in which a grilled fish fin is placed in Japanese sake. The roasted fin gives the drink a fragrant aroma and rich savory character, making it a traditional choice for those looking for a more unusual Japanese culinary experience.
In the past, kue was known primarily as a rare and mysterious fish familiar to local fishermen. From around the 1960s, however, inns and guesthouses in Hidaka began serving kue as a special winter dish.
As word spread about its exceptional flavor, kue gradually became known beyond the local area. Today, it has developed into one of Hidaka Town’s most important tourism resources.
Kue motifs can now be seen throughout the town on signs, promotional materials, and local characters. A large kue monument also serves as a popular photo spot and symbolizes Hidaka’s identity as the “Town of Kue.”
Numerous local inns and guesthouses serve kue dishes, allowing visitors to enjoy fresh, locally sourced fish in the place where the culinary tradition developed.
Depending on the restaurant or accommodation, kue may be served in a variety of ways, including sashimi, hot pot, deep-fried dishes, and simmered preparations.
The colder months are particularly popular, when travelers from throughout Japan visit Hidaka specifically to enjoy kue cuisine. For food-focused travelers, a kue meal is one of the most memorable experiences the town has to offer.
The Kue Festival is also associated with distinctive local foods such as “sushi-oshi” and “narezushi,” traditional forms of preserved and fermented sushi.
In the Ao district, families once prepared a type of fermented sushi known as “honnare” around the time of the Kue Festival. Barracuda was traditionally used for some preparations, while quickly fermented mackerel sushi, known as saba hayazushi, was also enjoyed as a familiar home-style food.
One characteristic ingredient is the leaf of the ase plant, which is used during fermentation and gives the sushi a distinctive aroma and flavor.
Other regional dishes, including specialties such as kaki-awase, are also associated with local festival food culture. These dishes reveal how closely the area’s cuisine has developed in response to life by the sea.
For the people of Hidaka Town, kue is much more than an expensive fish.
It is deeply connected to the area’s history, culture, food traditions, fishing industry, and community life. The Kue Festival expresses this relationship in a particularly powerful way, bringing together religious devotion, gratitude for the bounty of the sea, prayers for safe fishing, and the bonds between local residents.
The image of a giant kue at the center of a traditional festival is a vivid reminder of how closely coastal communities have depended on the sea throughout Japanese history.
Through the festival, younger generations continue to encounter the customs and stories handed down by their ancestors. Although some traditional practices have changed over time for safety and other reasons, the cultural spirit of the celebration remains an important part of Hidaka’s identity.
Shirahige Shrine, where the Kue Festival is held, can be reached by taxi in approximately 10 minutes from Kii-Uchihara Station on the JR Kisei Main Line, also known as the Kii-Kuni Line.
The route to the shrine also provides opportunities to enjoy the coastal scenery of Hidaka. For visitors traveling by car, the surrounding coastline makes an attractive scenic driving route, allowing the festival to be combined with beaches, viewpoints, local restaurants, and other attractions in the area.
The Kue Festival offers a rare opportunity to experience a traditional Japanese festival shaped by the sea, fishing, food, and community life.
The powerful Kue-oshi ritual, the solemn ceremonies at Shirahige Shrine, the story of the remarkable kue fish, and the distinctive local food culture all come together to tell the story of Hidaka’s coastal communities.
For international travelers, the festival provides more than a spectacular cultural experience. It offers an insight into the relationship between Japanese communities and the natural environment that has sustained them for generations.
Visitors to Hidaka can combine the festival with a taste of authentic kue cuisine, a walk along the beautiful coastline, and a visit to other historic and natural attractions in the region. Experiencing the Kue Festival in person is one of the best ways to discover the unique character, traditions, and enduring community spirit of Hidaka Town.