murmurMorioka Funakko Nagashi (Burning Boats on the Kitakami River)
Morioka City · Riverbank upstream of Meiji Bridge (Senbokucho side)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Morioka Convention and Visitors Association · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sun, Aug 16, 2026 （Ended） Boats gather at 16:00, set adrift at 17:30, fireworks at 19:00
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid August
- How the date is set
- Every year on August 16
- Venue
- Riverbank upstream of Meiji Bridge (Senbokucho side)
- City
- Morioka City, Iwate
About
Designated an intangible folk cultural property by Morioka City, this Obon ritual sends the spirits of ancestors back on their way. Boats decked with lanterns and offerings are floated on the Kitakami River and set alight at dusk; the flames shimmer on the water until each boat quietly burns down and slips into the current. Floating lanterns and a prayer for good health complete the ceremony. It takes place on the riverbank just upstream of Meiji Bridge on the Senbokucho side: the boats gather in the late afternoon, a Buddhist service is held, the boats are released, and torches are thrown and lanterns floated before a fireworks display closes the evening.
Sources
- OfficialMorioka Convention and Visitors Association www.odette.or.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.