murmurAso Gion Umadashi Festival
Namegata City · Yasaka Shrine in Aso and Tennozaki, Namegata
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Ibaraki Prefecture Tourism (Kanko Ibaraki) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Jul 4–5, 2026 （Ended） Jul 4 eve festival from about 13:00; Jul 5 main festival from about 14:00
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early July
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Usually a Saturday and Sunday in early July; may change depending on the horses
- Venue
- Yasaka Shrine in Aso and Tennozaki, Namegata
- City
- Namegata City, Ibaraki
About
On a weekend in early July, Yasaka Shrine in Aso, Namegata, stages a festival built on the myth of the god Susanoo battling the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi, with a portable shrine as the god and a horse as the serpent. The first day is the eve festival: led by the mikoshi, a procession of priests and children on horseback makes its way through town with horses decorated in five colours. The real spectacle comes on the second day, when the fight is re-enacted and the horse, driven on by the mikoshi bearers, charges wildly down the course. Plenty of photographers turn up to catch the moment. The schedule can change depending on the horses, so check before you go.
Sources
- OfficialIbaraki Prefecture Tourism (Kanko Ibaraki) www.ibarakiguide.jp
- OfficialNamegata City www.city.namegata.ibaraki.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.