murmurShirone Giant Kite Battle
Niigata City · Nakanokuchi River embankments, Shirone, Minami Ward
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 4–8, 2026 （Ended） 13:00–18:00 (until 17:30 on the final day)
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early June
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year
- Venue
- Nakanokuchi River embankments, Shirone, Minami Ward
- City
- Niigata City, Niigata
About
In Minami Ward, Niigata City, teams on either side of the Nakanokuchi River, a tributary of the Shinano about 80 m wide, battle with giant kites the size of 24 tatami mats. They tangle their kites with the enemy's in midair, bring them down into the river and then haul until one side's line snaps, on a scale said to be among the largest in the world. Kites are designed to fly toward the opposite bank, and each team hones its skills. The tradition, 300 years old, goes back to the mid-Edo period: a kite flown on the Shirone side to celebrate finished embankment repairs fell on Nishi-Shirone across the river, damaging homes and fields, and angry Nishi-Shirone residents flew a kite of their own to strike back. The battle continues for several days, and there is parking for about 1,000 cars near the venue.
Sources
- OfficialNiigata Prefectural Tourist Association niigata-kankou.or.jp
- OfficialNiigata City Minami Ward Tourism Association www.shironekankou.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.