murmurTanabu Matsuri (Tanabu Shrine Grand Festival)
Mutsu City · Tanabu district of Mutsu (around Tanabu Shrine)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Aomori Prefecture Tourism and International Exchange Organization (Amazing AOMORI) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Aug 18–20, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid August
- How the date is set
- Every year, August 18 – August 20
- Venue
- Tanabu district of Mutsu (around Tanabu Shrine)
- City
- Mutsu City, Aomori
About
Held every year from August 18 to 20 in the Tanabu district of Mutsu, this is the grand festival of Tanabu Shrine. It is said to descend from Kyoto's Gion Festival, brought north by the Kitamaebune merchant ships, and ornate floats wind through the streets to the sound of festival music. The climax comes late on the night of the 20th, when all five floats gather in one place, share a cask of sake and pledge to meet again next year in a farewell called Gosha Wakare. During the festival, the Oshimako Nagashi Odori street dance also takes place on the 18th. The area around Tanabu Shrine is the heart of it all, and you can watch the floats up close.
Sources
- OfficialAomori Prefecture Tourism and International Exchange Organization (Amazing AOMORI) aomori-tourism.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.