murmurEsashi Jinku Festival
Oshu City · Odori Park and central Esashi, Oshu
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Esashi Jinku Festival Executive Committee · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- May 3–4, 2026 （Ended） May 3, 10:00–20:00; May 4, 9:00–20:00
- 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 3 – May 4
- Venue
- Odori Park and central Esashi, Oshu
- City
- Oshu City, Iwate
About
Every May 3 and 4, the central district of Iwayado in Esashi, Oshu, comes alive with a festival in which the whole community takes part. Its roots lie in a fire-prevention rite at Akiba Shrine, begun after the town suffered repeated great fires; in 1974 it was reborn as today's Esashi Jinku Festival under the motto "from a festival to watch to a festival to join." Over two days, groups of locals celebrating the milestone ages of 42 and 25 perform their own dances, 100 Esashi shishi-odori deer dancers move as one in a mass performance, neighborhood floats parade through town, and more than 1,000 residents dance the local Esashi Jinku through the streets. The Esashi Jinku is notable for being danced in male-female pairs.
Sources
- OfficialEsashi Jinku Festival Executive Committee oshu-esashi.com
- OfficialOshu City www.city.oshu.iwate.jp
- OfficialIwate Prefecture Tourism Association (Iwate Tabi) iwatetabi.jp
- Reference起源・歴史・発祥 | 江刺甚句まつり公式サイト oshu-esashi.com
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.