murmurMitsuke Imamachi and Nagaoka Nakanoshima Giant Kite Battle
Mitsuke City and Nagaoka City · Karitagawa River embankments, downstream of Nakanoshima Bridge
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Niigata Prefectural Tourist Association · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Jun 6–8, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early June
- How the date is set
- The 1st Saturday of June Held over three days, from the first Saturday of June through the following Monday
- Venue
- Karitagawa River embankments, downstream of Nakanoshima Bridge
- City
- Mitsuke City and Nagaoka City, Niigata
About
Across the Karitagawa River, the Nakanoshima district of Nagaoka and the Imamachi district of Mitsuke send giant kites into battle. The action takes place on the embankments downstream of Nakanoshima Ohashi Bridge, where hexagonal hyakumai-bari kites about the size of 8 tatami mats climb into the sky to rousing shouts. The contest has more than 360 years of history and is said to have started with a kite flown by a traveler from Shinshu. Later, in the Tenmei era, kite flying on both banks was used to draw crowds whose feet would firm up the embankments, which led to today's battles. It became a Niigata Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2015. Food stalls set up around the venue, and there are temporary parking lots and a free shuttle bus.
Sources
- OfficialNiigata Prefectural Tourist Association niigata-kankou.or.jp
- OfficialNagaoka City www.city.nagaoka.niigata.jp
Last checked: Oct 11, 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.