murmurNakayama Senmaida Mushiokuri (Insect-Sending Torch Procession)
Shodoshima Town · Nakayama Senmaida Rice Terraces
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Shodoshima Tourism Association · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Cancelled
- 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 Traditionally held on Hangesho (the 11th day after the summer solstice); now often on the Saturday after it
- Venue
- Nakayama Senmaida Rice Terraces
- City
- Shodoshima Town, Kagawa
About
For about 300 years, people in Nakayama on Shodoshima have walked the ridges between the rice terraces holding bamboo torches called hote over the paddies to drive off pests and pray for a good harvest. Chanting "tomose, tomose" (keep it lit), they form a line of flickering flames winding through the pitch-dark terraces – an unforgettable sight. Originally held on Hangesho, a day in the traditional calendar, it now usually takes place on the Saturday after. The custom lapsed for a time but returned after it appeared in a key scene of the film Yokame no Semi. You need a ticket to carry a torch, and spectators should stay in the designated areas so as not to damage the fields. The 2026 event was cancelled because of rain.
Sources
- OfficialShodoshima Tourism Association shodoshima.or.jp
- OfficialShodoshima Tourism Association shodoshima.or.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.