murmurSpring Fujiwara Festival
Hiraizumi Town · Around Hiraizumi (Motsuji to Chusonji and other sites)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Hiraizumi Tourism Association · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- May 1–5, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early May
- How the date is set
- Every year, May 1 – May 5
- Venue
- Around Hiraizumi (Motsuji to Chusonji and other sites)
- City
- Hiraizumi Town, Iwate
About
Hiraizumi holds its Fujiwara Festival every spring and autumn, and the spring edition, from May 1 to 5, is the more spectacular of the two. Recreating the glory of the three generations of the Northern Fujiwara clan, it fills each day with something different: a children's procession, local folk performances, Noh at Chusonji, the festival of Hakusan Shrine, the Ennen-no-mai dance at Motsuji, and the Benkei rice-cake strength contest. The highlight is the procession on May 3, which re-enacts the moment the fugitive Minamoto no Yoshitsune, pursued by his brother Yoritomo, reached Hiraizumi and was welcomed by Fujiwara no Hidehira. People chosen each year to suit the roles of Hidehira, Yoshitsune and his wife ride on horseback and in ox carts, followed by warriors including Benkei in mountain-ascetic dress and ladies-in-waiting, as the procession makes its way from Motsuji to Chusonji.
Sources
- OfficialHiraizumi Tourism Association hiraizumi.or.jp
- OfficialIwate Prefecture Tourism Association (Iwate Tabi) iwatetabi.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.