murmurWaraji Matsuri (Giant Straw Sandal Festival) at Nakiri Shrine
Shima City · Nakiri Shrine and the Nakiri fishing port area, Daio, Shima
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Mie Tourism Federation (Kanko Mie) · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sat, Sep 12, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid September
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Held on a "monkey day" of the traditional calendar, so the date changes every year (usually September)
- Venue
- Nakiri Shrine and the Nakiri fishing port area, Daio, Shima
- City
- Shima City, Mie
About
In Nakiri, in Daio, Shima, a straw sandal 3 m long is set adrift at sea with prayers for safe waters and big catches. Legend says a one-eyed, one-legged giant called Dandarabocchi was plaguing the village, so the villagers showed him a sandal as big as a tatami mat, convincing him an even larger man lived there, and he ran off. Two days before the festival, a single sandal 3 m long and 1.2 m wide is made, and on the day messengers carry it into the hall of Nakiri Shrine. After a priest purifies it, children supported by young attendants dance before it and pull the rope tied to it. Finally the sandal is sent out to sea from the beach. Portable-shrine and dance processions also take place, and fireworks fill the evening. It is a designated intangible cultural property of Mie Prefecture.
Sources
- OfficialMie 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.