murmurMifune Matsuri (Three Boats Festival)
Kyoto City · Oi River upstream of Togetsukyo Bridge, Arashiyama
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Kurumazaki Shrine · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sun, May 17, 2026 （Ended） Around 13:00 to 14:15
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid May
- How the date is set
- The 3rd Sunday of May Held rain or shine
- Venue
- Oi River upstream of Togetsukyo Bridge, Arashiyama
- City
- Kyoto City, Kyoto
About
An extension of Kurumazaki Shrine's annual festival, the Mifune Matsuri recreates the boating parties of the Heian period, when the shrine's enshrined figure, Kiyohara no Yorinari, lived. On the Oi River just upstream of Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama, folding fans are set adrift from the main Gozabune boat, while court dance is offered on the Ryutosen boat and court music on the Gekisusen boat. Against the fresh green of Arashiyama, the scene looks like a living picture scroll of the imperial court. The rites begin around 1 p.m. and go ahead even in the rain. In 2026 there was no procession from the shrine or the bridge, to ease crowding around the bridge, and specific viewing spots were not made public.
Sources
- OfficialKurumazaki Shrine www.kurumazakijinja.or.jp
- OfficialKyoto City Tourism Association (Kyoto Travel) ja.kyoto.travel
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.