murmurToba Fire Festival
Nishio City · Toba Shinmei-sha Shrine
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Aichi Now (Aichi Prefecture Tourism and Convention Bureau) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sun, Feb 8, 2026 （Ended） Purification around 15:00, rites around 19:30, the suzumi is lit around 20:00
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid February
- How the date is set
- The 2nd Sunday of February
- Venue
- Toba Shinmei-sha Shrine
- City
- Nishio City, Aichi
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About
On the second Sunday of February, Toba Shinmei-sha Shrine in the Hazu district of Nishio sets fire to the suzumi, a tower of bamboo and grass about 5 m high. As it blazes, men split into two sides, Fukuchi and Inuiji, and charge into the fire, led by a 25-year-old in his unlucky year and wearing costumes sewn from old banners. Each side tries to pull out a sacred log and a rope and bring them to the shrine first. The way the tower burns and which side wins are taken as a forecast of the year's weather and crops. The rite is said to be about 1,200 years old and is a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Saving spots for viewing or photography is not permitted, since it hampers preparations.
Sources
- OfficialAichi Now (Aichi Prefecture Tourism and Convention Bureau) aichinow.pref.aichi.jp
- OfficialNishio Tourism Association nishiokanko.com
Last checked: Oct 10, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.