murmurKitsuki Moon-Viewing Festival
Kitsuki City · Kitsuki castle town area
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Kitsuki City Tourism Association · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sat, Oct 24, 2026 18:00–21:00 (postponed to Oct 25 if it rains)
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually late October
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Held each year around the harvest moon; postponed to the next day if it rains
- Venue
- Kitsuki castle town area
- City
- Kitsuki City, Oita
About
Around the harvest moon each year, the hilly castle town of Kitsuki holds an evening of soft light. Paper lanterns, bamboo lights and the moon itself illuminate the samurai residences and stone-paved slopes, creating a scene you can only see on this night. With encouragement from the domain's lords, the tea ceremony spread among Kitsuki's townspeople, and hosts are said to have lit lanterns along the way to guide guests to their gatherings. Lighting the path for moon-viewers in the same spirit gave rise to this festival. It is a sight that belongs to a brief part of autumn.
Sources
- OfficialKitsuki City Tourism Association kit-suki.com
- OfficialTourism Oita www.visit-oita.jp
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.