murmurKanazawa Fire Brigade New Year Review (Kaga-tobi Ladder Climbing)
Kanazawa City · Shinmaru Plaza, Kanazawa Castle Park
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Hot Ishikawa Travel Net (Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League) · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- 2027
- Sun, Jan 10, 2027 10:00–11:00. Kaga-tobi ladder climbing 10:33–10:38; synchronized water spraying 10:43–10:45
- Usual timing
- Usually early January
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Held in the New Year season in January; the date is announced each year
- Venue
- Shinmaru Plaza, Kanazawa Castle Park
- City
- Kanazawa City, Ishikawa
About
Kanazawa's fire brigades gather at Shinmaru Plaza in Kanazawa Castle Park for this annual New Year event. The main attraction is the Kaga-tobi ladder-climbing display. The Kaga-tobi were the daimyo firefighters who protected the Kaga domain's mansion in Edo, and today's firefighters carry on their skills and spirit. More than 40 ladders stand on the plaza, and at the top of each, firefighters pull off one bold stunt after another. The ceremony ends with a mass water spray that sends mist drifting across the castle grounds. It lasts about 60 minutes in all and is free to watch. There is no parking at the venue, so get off at the Kenrokuen-shita/Kanazawa Castle bus stop and walk.
Sources
- OfficialHot Ishikawa Travel Net (Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League) www.hot-ishikawa.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.