murmurHara Castle Ikki Festival
Minamishimabara City · Hara Castle Ruins (main enclosure)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Unzen Volcanic Area Geopark and Tourism Council · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sun, Apr 5, 2026 （Ended） 15:00 to 20:00
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early April
- How the date is set
- Announced each year Usually in early April; dates are announced each year. In rain, held at the Minamiarima Gymnasium and grounds
- Venue
- Hara Castle Ruins (main enclosure)
- City
- Minamishimabara City, Nagasaki
About
At the ruins of Hara Castle in Minamishimabara, where the Shimabara-Amakusa Uprising came to an end, this festival remembers the more than 37,000 people who lost their lives. Ahead of the festival, a phantom "one-night castle" is built on the site, and it can be seen for a while leading up to the day. On the day itself, the main enclosure of the castle ruins hosts stage events, sales of local specialties and a drone show, plus a lottery with generous prizes. In rain, everything moves to the Minamiarima Gymnasium and its grounds. Park at Urata fishing port or Harajo Onsen Masago and take the shuttle bus, which runs about every 15 minutes.
Sources
- OfficialUnzen Volcanic Area Geopark and Tourism Council www.shimakanren.com
- OfficialNagasaki Prefecture 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.