murmurShimabara Onsen Shiranui Festival
Shimabara City · Shimabara Ichibangai arcade to City Hall (parade) and the Otemon market stage at Shimabara Castle
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Shimabara City Tourism Division · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sat, Oct 17, 2026 11:00 to 12:30 opening ceremony and dance parade; 11:45 to 14:30 Shiranui stage performances
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid October
- How the date is set
- Announced each year Usually in October; dates are announced each year
- Venue
- Shimabara Ichibangai arcade to City Hall (parade) and the Otemon market stage at Shimabara Castle
- City
- Shimabara City, Nagasaki
About
Shimabara livens up autumn with a dancing festival, which in 2026 reaches its forty-seventh edition. Participants dance the Shimabara Honmaru Odori together as they parade from the Ichibangai arcade through the Sunshine Chuogai shopping street to City Hall. When the parade ends, the action shifts to the stage of the Otemon market at Shimabara Castle, held the same day, where dances and performances are offered as the Shiranui dedication stage. Performers include local dance clubs, preservation societies, nursery school children and community groups. Onlookers are welcome to jump into the group dance, and a video showing the choreography is available so you can learn it ahead of time. In 2026 the festival takes place on October 17.
Sources
- OfficialShimabara City Tourism Division www.city.shimabara.lg.jp
- 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.