murmurKawatarisai (Hekokaki Festival) at Kora Taisha Shrine
Kurume City · Kora Taisha Shrine (the Hekokaki pilgrimage starts at Umimizumii Shrine)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Fukuoka Prefecture Tourism Association (Crossroad Fukuoka) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Jun 1–2, 2026 （Ended） Chinowa purification rites at 7:00, 11:00 and 14:00 on both days; Hekokaki pilgrimage gathers at Umimizumii Shrine at 5:00 on June 1
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early June
- How the date is set
- Every year, June 1 – June 2
- Venue
- Kora Taisha Shrine (the Hekokaki pilgrimage starts at Umimizumii Shrine)
- City
- Kurume City, Fukuoka
About
On June 1 and 2, Kora Taisha Shrine in Kurume holds a festival to shake off bad luck and pray for long, healthy lives. In front of the main hall stands the chinowa, a ring of bundled cogon grass about 2 meters across. Walking through it behind the priests after a purification is believed to shrink big troubles into small ones and turn misfortune into blessing. You will see many children who are seven by the traditional count and people in their kanreki or unlucky years, but anyone can take part free. The nickname Hekokaki recalls how worshippers once came wearing a red heko loincloth for protection. Early on June 1, people who have purified themselves at Umimizumii Shrine at the foot of the mountain race up to Kora Taisha in the Hekokaki naked pilgrimage (sign up in advance to join). A special chinowa charm is available all through June.
Sources
- OfficialFukuoka Prefecture Tourism Association (Crossroad Fukuoka) www.crossroadfukuoka.jp
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.
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.