murmurOtaru Ushio Festival
Otaru City · Otaru Port Pier No. 3 and central Otaru
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Otaru Ushio Festival Executive Committee · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Jul 24–26, 2026 （Ended） Jul 24: Ushio Furekomi opening; Jul 25: Ushio Nerikomi dance parade; Jul 26: mikoshi parade and grand fireworks
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually late July
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Three days, Friday to Sunday, in late July; dates are set each year
- Venue
- Otaru Port Pier No. 3 and central Otaru
- City
- Otaru City, Hokkaido
About
Otaru, a port city that grew up with the sea, gives thanks to the ocean with this summer festival. It began in 1967, when a citizens' planning committee reinvented an earlier harbor and trade festival and gave it the name "Ushio" – the tide – to capture the spirited, forward-moving energy of the city. The three-day festival opens with the Ushio Furekomi. On the second day comes its biggest draw, the Ushio Nerikomi, when groups of dancers perform the festival's own Ushio dance. The final day brings a mikoshi (portable shrine) parade and a grand fireworks display. Food stalls line the area around the main venue.
Sources
- OfficialOtaru Ushio Festival Executive Committee otaru.ushiomatsuri.net
- OfficialOtaru Ushio Festival Executive Committee otaru.ushiomatsuri.net
- Reference小樽観光協会「第52回おたる潮まつり関連情報」（開催場所の記載） otaru.gr.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.
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.