murmurTakada Giant Rice Bale Tug-of-War
Aizumisato Town · Route 401, Takada shopping street
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Fukushima Prefectural Tourism & Products Association (Fukushima Travel) · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sat, Jan 10, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid January
- How the date is set
- Announced each year A Saturday in January; the date is announced each year
- Venue
- Route 401, Takada shopping street
- City
- Aizumisato Town, Fukushima
About
Each New Year, the Takada district of Aizumisato stages a tug of war with a twist: red and white teams haul a straw bale roughly 5 meters long, 3 meters across and about 3 tons in weight. The contest is a prayer for good harvests and good business, and its oddity has earned it a reputation as an unusual festival. It takes over the shopping street along Route 401 for the day. In 2026 it fell on January 10. Allow about 20 minutes on foot from Aizu-Takada Station on the JR Tadami Line, or about 15 minutes by car from the Niitsuru Smart IC on the Ban-etsu Expressway. Parking is available; the Aizumisato Tourism Association handles inquiries.
Sources
- OfficialFukushima Prefectural Tourism & Products Association (Fukushima Travel) www.tif.ne.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.