murmurBange Hatsuichi Giant Rice-Bale Tug (Otawarahiki)
Aizubange Town · In front of Aizubange Town Hall
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Fukushima Prefectural Tourism & Products Association · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Wed, Jan 14, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid January
- How the date is set
- Every year on January 14
- Venue
- In front of Aizubange Town Hall
- City
- Aizubange Town, Fukushima
About
Bange's first market of the new year has a showpiece: a tug of war over a straw bale weighing up to 5 tons. Men wearing nothing but loincloths form an east side and a west side and heave against each other on the main street. Locals count it among the region's unusual festivals. The contest takes place in front of the town hall.
Sources
- OfficialFukushima Prefectural Tourism & Products Association www.tif.ne.jp
- Reference奇祭・大俵引きと世代交代～（ハマナカアイヅ） - 福島県ホームページ www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp
- Reference会津地方05（会津坂下町）：大俵引き（ハマナカアイヅ） - 福島県ホームページ www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp
- Reference会津坂下町観光物産協会 aizubange-kanbutsu.jp
Last checked: Oct 11, 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.