murmurYamaga Lantern Festival
Yamaga City · Omiya Shrine and central Yamaga
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Omiya Shrine · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates not confirmed
- 2026
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid August
- How the date is set
- Every year, August 15 – August 16 The main Shinto rites of Omiya Shrine's annual festival take place on the second day
- Venue
- Omiya Shrine and central Yamaga
- City
- Yamaga City, Kumamoto
About
For two days, timed to the annual Lantern Festival of Omiya Shrine, the town of Yamaga is filled with lanterns. Legend tells of Emperor Keiko's party being stopped by thick fog some 2,000 years ago, until villagers raised torches and led them to the spot where the shrine now stands, and Yamaga's lanterns are said to descend from that fire. The lanterns themselves are intricate replicas of famous temples, shrines and other buildings crafted from washi paper, and they are displayed across town during the festival. On the second night, women with golden paper lanterns on their heads dance as one in the Sennin Toro Odori, or Thousand Lantern Dance. Afterward the lanterns from around town are carried to the shrine and dedicated in the Agari Toro rite, gathering in a glowing crowd before the shrine. In 2026, after the Kumamoto earthquake, only the rites and related events went ahead, and the fireworks and the Thousand Lantern Dance were cancelled.
Sources
- OfficialOmiya Shrine oomiya.pigboat.jp
- OfficialKumamoto Prefecture (Kumamoto Culture Site) kumamoto.guide
- OfficialYamaga City (Yamaga Lantern Festival Executive Committee secretariat) www.city.yamaga.kumamoto.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.