murmurShoro Nagashi (Spirit Boat Procession)
Nagasaki City · Central Nagasaki (main route: Shianbashi to Kencho-zaka and Ohato)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Nagasaki Prefectural Tourism Association (Nagasaki Tabinet) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sat, Aug 15, 2026 （Ended） Confirmed from the official annual schedule and Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun (Kyodo News)’s notice for that year
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid August
- How the date is set
- Every year on August 15
- Venue
- Central Nagasaki (main route: Shianbashi to Kencho-zaka and Ohato)
- City
- Nagasaki City, Nagasaki
About
On the night of August 15 every year, Nagasaki's streets fill with spirit boats for the city's signature Obon tradition. Families who lost someone before this Bon pull handmade boats through town to send the departed soul to the Pure Land. Made largely of bamboo, wood and straw, the boats vary greatly in size; the long prow shows the family crest, family name or neighborhood name in big letters, and the decorations reflect what the person loved. Some neighborhoods build a joint boat together. From dusk, the clanging of bells, chants of "Doi, doi!" and nonstop firecrackers ring out across the city, and the processions go on late into the night. The area from Shianbashi through Kencho-zaka to Ohato gets especially crowded. Because so many firecrackers go off, wear clothes and shoes that leave no skin bare and bring earplugs.
Sources
- OfficialNagasaki Prefectural Tourism Association (Nagasaki Tabinet) www.nagasaki-tabinet.com
- Date checkKumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun (Kyodo News) kumanichi.com
- Reference長崎で故人しのぶ精霊流し 爆竹響かせ浄土へ送る（熊本日日新聞・共同通信） kumanichi.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.