murmurEmukae Sen-Toro Lantern Festival
Sasebo City · Emukae Central Park festival plaza and the streets of Emukae
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Nagasaki Prefecture Tourism Association (Nagasaki Tabinet) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates not confirmed
- 2026
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually late August
- How the date is set
- Every year, August 23 – August 24 The lantern tower and street lanterns are lit from the day before
- Venue
- Emukae Central Park festival plaza and the streets of Emukae
- City
- Sasebo City, Nagasaki
About
In the Emukae district of northern Sasebo, this festival signals the arrival of summer and is said to have about 500 years of history. The eye-catcher is the Sen-Toro Tower, about 25 meters high and stacked from some 3,500 lanterns, known as the tallest lantern tower in Japan. At dusk about 10,000 more lanterns are lit around town, and all of Emukae glows softly. At the same time, the Mizukake Jizo festival takes place: children carry a carved wooden Jizo to the Kareigawa River and pour water over it, and then, as a portable shrine carrying the statue moves through town, people along the road soak it with ladles and buckets to pray for good health. The custom traces back to a story that an epidemic eased after children bathed the Jizo. About 2,000 fireworks go up over the two days, and admission is free.
Sources
- 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.