murmurAnori Puppet Theater (Anori Shrine)
Shima City · Anori Puppet Theater Stage, Anori Shrine grounds
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Mie Prefecture Tourism Federation (Kanko Mie) · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sep 12–13, 2026 （Ended） Performances start at 18:30; Sanbaso opening dance from 17:00
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid September
- How the date is set
- The 2nd Saturday of September Performed on the second Saturday and Sunday of September during the Anori Shrine festival
- Venue
- Anori Puppet Theater Stage, Anori Shrine grounds
- City
- Shima City, Mie
About
In this puppet theater, 3 people work each puppet, and the art has been passed down in Anori, Shima, for more than 400 years since the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Local volunteers perform on the stage in the grounds of Anori Shrine during its festival. Its charm is a plain, untamed style that shows joy, anger, sorrow and delight boldly and directly. A Sanbaso piece comes first; Anori's 3 Sanbaso puppets, affectionately called "Sanbatsusan," have long been revered by fishermen praying for safe voyages and big catches. Legend says it began when villagers entertained the warlord Kuki Yoshitaka with dances when he visited the shrine around the time of the Korean campaigns. It was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1980. Take the Mie Kotsu bus for Anori from Ugata Station on the Kintetsu Shima Line, about 20 minutes, to the Anori stop. Performances are at night, so check return bus times beforehand.
Sources
- OfficialMie Prefecture Tourism Federation (Kanko Mie) www.kankomie.or.jp
- OfficialShima City Tourism Association www.kanko-shima.com
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.