murmurGonoura Gion Yamakasa
Iki City · Gonoura town (around Gonoura Port)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Iki City Tourism Federation (Iki Kanko Navi) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Jul 25–26, 2026 （Ended） Eve festival (July 25) 16:00–22:00; main festival (July 26) 9:00–15:50
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually late July
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Usually a weekend in late July; dates are announced each year
- Venue
- Gonoura town (around Gonoura Port)
- City
- Iki City, Nagasaki
About
Gonoura on Iki Island stages the island's largest summer festival, which locals affectionately call "Gion-san." It is said to have started when a yamakasa float was dedicated to Yasaka Shrine in Motoi to ward off epidemics, and it has a history of more than 270 years. Today the float carries many hopes, from good harvests and thriving business to the well-being of every household. Bearers drive it through the harbor-town streets as the singers call "Osse, osse!" and the moment not to miss is when the float charges up a flight of stone steps, the hardest part of the route. The festival spans two days, an eve festival and the Gion festival itself, and the route and timetable are on the Iki City tourism association's website. Stand by the roadside and you will feel the heat of an island summer up close.
Sources
- OfficialIki City Tourism Federation (Iki Kanko Navi) www.ikikankou.com
- OfficialNagasaki Prefectural Tourism Association (Nagasaki Tabinet) www.nagasaki-tabinet.com
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.