murmurGokase Ara-odori Warrior Dance
Gokase Town · Nakanobori Shrine and Yamashiro Shrine (Ara-odori Hall)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Miyazaki Prefecture Tourism Association · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sun, Sep 27, 2026 （Ended） 9:00–17:00
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually late September
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Date announced each year
- Venue
- Nakanobori Shrine and Yamashiro Shrine (Ara-odori Hall)
- City
- Gokase Town, Miyazaki
About
The Ara-odori offered at shrines in the town of Gokase is the only furyu-odori dance surviving in Miyazaki Prefecture. About 60 dancers dressed as armoured warriors perform with bold, sweeping movements. Tradition says it was started in the Tensho era (late 16th century) by the lord of Sakamoto Castle to stir up his soldiers' courage before battle. It is inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list as one of 41 furyu-odori dances from across Japan, yet it is still very much a local tradition, kept going by the people of Gokase. The dances are offered at two places, Nakanobori Shrine and Yamashiro Shrine, home of the Ara-odori Hall. Watching is free.
Sources
- OfficialMiyazaki Prefecture Tourism Association www.kanko-miyazaki.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.